Dear Church: Laodicea

 

Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church

Revelation 3:14-22

The Message to the Church in Laodicea

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

"Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

 

 

It was the last week of His life. Jesus had made the trek from Galilee through the wilderness, over the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem. He had preached on the Teaching Steps and stirred up the tempers amongst all the priests. As He left the Temple in Jerusalem, His disciples followed Him through the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives. They were hanging on every word of His teaching, and though they may not have understood everything at the time, they were eager to listen. They asked Him, “What will signal Your return and the end of the world?” After speaking of the end of days, He told them three parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, all of which we find in Matthew chapter 25:

 

·      First, the maidens considered themselves friends of the bridegroom, but they didn’t live in a way that anticipated his return. They’re thinking only about how to make things comfortable in the present moment, not how to be faithful in their assignment to God.

·      The second parable was about the wicked servant, who considers himself in the employ of the Master, but he’s never offered his talents without reserve for the kingdom. He always holds a little back. 

·      Finally, the goats and the sheep. The “goats” are surprised to be rejected by Jesus, who they thought they were faithfully serving. But when it came to pouring themselves out for the oppressed people of God, they weren’t engaged at all.

 

What did all three of these parables have in common? They described lukewarm believers. 

·      Lukewarm, an indifference to God.

·      Lukewarm, dying of conviction.

·      Lukewarm, average, neither hot, nor cold.

·      Not serving with energy and enthusiasm

·      Not living fervently for the Lord

 

Here’s the sobering fact about these parables: With Jesus, there is no middle ground. You’re either committed to the mission, all-in for Jesus, and using your resources for His people and His kingdom, or you’re not. You are either a sheep or a goat. And that puts the lukewarm Christian in a very precarious position.

 

This concept of a “lukewarm Christianity” has its roots in Revelation chapter 3, where Jesus criticizes the church in Laodicea for being full of believers who were neither hot nor cold — not unbelieving, but not on fire for Jesus, either. 

 

Over the last weeks, we’ve explored the seven letters written to the seven churches in Asia Minor: 

 

·      Ephesus: The Forgetful Church

·      Smyrna: The Persecuted Church

·      Pergamum: Satan’s Throne

·      Thyratira: Jezebel’s Jewel

·      Sardis: The Dead Church

·      Philadelphia: The Faithful Church

·      And today, we end with Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church

The letter to the Laodiceans is, by far, the harshest of the seven letters. So, buckle up! And pull out that sermon quiz!

 

The Laodicean church was independent, self-satisfied, and secure. “We need nothing!” they claimed… all the while, their spiritual power had been decaying. Their material wealth and glowing statistics were but shrouds hiding a rotting corpse.

 

In the text Steven read earlier, Jesus diagnosed the Laodiceans with three ailments:

 

1 - Spiritual Poverty: They boasted they were rich, when in fact they were poor. They were financially wealthy, yet spiritually bankrupt. They lacked spiritual riches, which only come through Christ; for when God blesses Christians with prosperity, He expects Christ-centered stewardship. 

2 - Spiritual Nakedness: Nakedness in Scripture is a metaphor for defeat and humiliation. The Laodiceans pretended to be clothed in righteousness, but in fact, they were naked, lacking righteous acts. Instead of being on fire for the Lord, they were lukewarm. Therefore, Christ counseled them to procure “white garments” from Him, so their shame might be covered. 

 

3 - Spiritual Blindness: By calling the Laodiceans “blind”, Christ was presenting a paradox. The city was famous for its export of a powder that created an eye salve when mixed with water. Yet the Laodicean church had lost its spiritual perception. The only salve for spiritual blindness is repentance and submission to the Lord, asking Him for the wisdom of His Spirit to restore our spiritual sight. 

 

So, what else do we know about these Laodiceans and their city? To the southeast of their ancient city was the mountainous region of Hierapolis. It contained hotmineral springs that were believed to have healing qualities. To the northwest of Laodicea were the mountains of Colossae, producing streams of ice-cold water from melting snow.

 

Water from both of these regions flowed down through aqueducts into pools outside of Laodicea. There, they combined to form tepid, stagnant ponds. They were neither hot (and good for bathing), nor cold (and good for drinking). Either hot or cold is good, but lukewarm is most definitely not.

 

Just consider coffee. Is there anything better than a piping-hot, triple-shot, extra foam, mocha drizzle café latte? I don’t think so. 

 

Unless it’s an ice-cold salted caramel cold foam, cold brew in the afternoon.

 

I love hot coffee, and I love cold coffee. But if I taste a cup of coffee that’s room temperature because it’s been sitting on the counter all day, then I’m going to spit it out!

 

To my knowledge, Jesus wasn’t a coffee drinker. But Jesus uses this very image of hot and cold water in Revelation 3, verses 15 & 16 to describe the believers in Laodicea. He says:

 

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.”

 

Let me translate His words for you. He’s saying: 

·      You are lukewarm! 

·      You’re characterized by neither the warm passion that fuels sacrifice, 

nor the awakening refreshment of a cold shower. 

·      There is nothing distinctive about you. 

·      You claim to flow from Me, 

but you feel and look more like your environment than Me. 

 

Why were they lukewarm? Jesus continues in verse 17, “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ Yet you don’t realize that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

 

And just how rich were these Laodiceans?

 

The community was proud of its cloth and dyeing industries. They had developed a black wool that had become famous all over the Roman Empire. And it had a hefty price tag!   

 

And in the year 61, there was a devastating earthquake in the valley, destroying every city in the region. The Romans granted federal funds to allow each city to rebuild. But the Laodiceans wouldn’t take it, saying, 

“We don’t need your money. We can handle this ourselves.”

 

In the history of government, I have to imagine this was the only time federal aid was simply turned down!! The Laodiceans were so proud and so self-sufficient that they turned down free money. And that sense of self-sufficiency pervaded the church. They weren’t a people who cried out desperately for God because they thought they had it all under control. They may have had wealth in their clothing, but they were naked before God.

 

Jesus continues with one of the most well-known verses of the Bible, verse 20: “Behold! I stand at the door and knock.” 

 

The idea of Jesus standing at a door and knocking is often used as an illustration of Jesus’ offer of salvation to individuals: if you would only “open your heart’s door” and let Jesus into your life, all will be well. But here, Jesus is not pleading with an individual to be saved; He’s seeking admittance to a church! Jesus is standing and saying this on the outside of the Laodicean church!

 

The Laodiceans had become so self-sufficient, so complacent, and so satisfied with their riches, they don’t even realize Jesus is not inside anymore. The Laodicean church had shut the door on the Head of the church; they were smug in their prosperity, which left Jesus standing in the cold. He was an outsider to the hearts of the entire congregation.

 

Yet Christ’s appeal was heartfelt and urgent: “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.” He was inviting everyone in the church to experience intimate fellowship with Him. And even though His desire was for the whole church to respond and open the door to Him, ultimately it was up to each individual to decide.

 

Jesus knows not everyone will answer His invitation and open the door to a relationship with Him. Many, like those living in Laodicea, will choose to reject His call. Lukewarm, and with hardened hearts, they will remain blind to the fact they have accepted a false righteousness. 

 

And, why should any of this bother you?? Well… I’m going to say this… And I may be going out on a limb… And you might hate me… did you really come for a lukewarm sermon?! 

 

Friends, I believe WE are Laodicea.

 

Listen to how Francis Chan, in his book Crazy Love, profiles today’s lukewarm Christian:

 

·      Lukewarm Christians are those people who sit in churches and believe the Gospel message … but are not really sold out to Jesus and not meaningfully engaged in His mission.

 

·       Lukewarm Christians don’t really want to be saved from their sin. They want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. God is a useful fire escape they employ, not a God they worship.

 

·       Lukewarm Christians are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not do radical things themselves. Jesus frequently equates deeds with a person’s true spiritual state. Matthew records Jesus saying: “By their fruit you will recognize them,” and “Every good tree bears good fruit”. 

 

The lukewarm are those who claim to know God, but live as though He doesn’t exist. They may go to church and practice a form of religion, but their inner state is not one of radical transformation. Instead, it’s self-righteous complacency.

 

·       Lukewarm Christians equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness. But Jesus didn’t call us to sanitation; He called us to discipleship. If you are His follower, your life will not only be defined by avoiding sin, but also by entering into His suffering.

·       Lukewarm Christians rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. Like Charles Spurgeon said, “You are either a missionary or an impostor!”

·       Lukewarm Christians do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. David Platt says, “If you’re not in a place where you feel desperate for the Spirit of God, then there’s no way you are on the front lines of the mission. When we are on the front lines, we desperately feel our need for God’s help.”

·       Lukewarm Christians give God their leftovers — not their first and definitely not their best. Stop calling your complacency and apathy “a busy schedule” or “forgetfulness.” Call it what Malachi calls it: evil (Malachi 1:8).

Based on these statements, can you think of a more accurate picture of believers in the American church? 

 

Here’s why I answer that question “yes”:

 

In 2015, Pastor Mongerard from Darivager, Haiti visited the US for the first time, and he said two things that struck a chord with me: 

 

1)      We were driving around Shreveport, past the many, many storage buildings we have in this city! And he asked me: “What are all of these big buildings? They’re everywhere.” I explained to him that’s where we keep our belongings that don’t fit in our houses. He looked at me strangely, and asked, “So, do you go visit your stuff?” It made me think about where my priorities lie…

2)     Later that week, outside the Shreveport airport, right before he returned to Haiti, he looked at me with all the boldness he could muster, and said, “Ashley, we’ll pray for you even more now. We in Haiti may have material poverty, but you here have spiritual poverty. We will pray for the American Church.” 

The more I’ve traveled around the world, the more I realize this is the observation of many who have visited our country. When Christians in poorer parts of the world come to the U.S. and visit our churches, they see us gathering for an hour on Sunday mornings to check a box. They’re appalled by our lukewarm-ness — by how little we pray, how little we give, how much we spend on ourselves, and what we think we can’t live without. They are stunned with how afraid we are to live counter-culturally when some of them are being persecuted for their faith.    

But to our credit… No one sets out to be a Laodicean. No one gives their life to Christ and says, “Well, I’ll be a part-time Christian.” No one joins a church and says, “Well, I’ll go when it’s convenient.” But slowly over time, we let down our guard. We become susceptible to culture.

 

And that’s when Jesus jumps in, and says in verse 19: 

Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline.

 

My parents learned very quickly that to discipline me and see a change of behavior, they didn’t have to take things away, or ground me from fun activities. The way to see a transformation in my behavior was to sit me down and say, “Ashley, I’m so disappointed in you.” 

 

So, when I hear Jesus say… “Your actions make me want to vomit,” I hear, “Ashley, I’m so disappointed in you.”

 

I have to think Jesus has such a visceral and personal reaction because 

this kind of apathy tells the world such a pernicious lie about Him.

 

The single biggest cause of atheism is hypocrisy - people who claim to know God, but are not distinct in any way from the world. Their passions are not boiling hot for Jesus, nor is their behavior like an awakening cup of cold water in the face. They’re suffering from spiritual poverty, spiritual blindness, and spiritual nakedness. 

 

This should be a sobering thought for every believer. If our passion for Jesus is pathetic, that means we’re telling the world there really isn’t much to be excited about over this fella named Jesus. Our lukewarm temperature tells the world that it’s ok to be bored with Jesus, that heaven isn’t all that great anyway.

 

But friends, here is the good news: even if our affections have grown lukewarm, Jesus still stands at the door and knocks. And why? Because He loved the Laodiceans. And He loves us.

 

During His earthly ministry, Jesus went to great lengths to demonstrate that righteousness comes to us as a gift through faith alone. For it’s by grace, through faith, that we enter the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock,” He was inviting the members of the Laodicean church to recognize their miserable spiritual condition and receive His authentic gift of salvation. And He offers the same to us. Like the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, the Laodiceans just needed to realize their absolute dependence on Christ. Hear what Paul said:

 

“I once thought things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.”

To those who opened the door, Jesus promised a close fellowship, pictured as enjoying a meal together. And He offered this great reward in Revelation 3:21: “Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with My Father on His throne.” These words are Christ’s commitment to the Laodicean church.

And today, Jesus continues to say, “I stand at the door and knock!” 

 

To churches who are filled with nominal Christians, He sends out His earnest invitation for full fellowship. The One who holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven calls us all to hear His voice and open the door so He can come in and abide with us. To those who respond, Jesus guarantees the open door of eternal life and the reward of ruling with Him in heaven.

 

So, friends, open your heart to Him again today. Ask Him to transform your life into one of wholehearted devotion to Him, so that every detail of your life — your morals, your giving, the way you spend your time — will scream, “He is worthy!”