Laodicea – The Lukewarm Church – Sermon 29 September, 2013

Laodicea – The Lukewarm Church

Rev. 3:4-22

We have examined six of the seven churches in the book of Revelation; the Church in Ephesus, the Church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamum, the church in Thyatira, the church of Sardis and the church in Philadelphia. The church of Ephesus did many good deeds, but they had forsaken their primary love. Therefore Jesus calls them to repent and turn back to their first love. The church of Smyrna had faced many persecutions and kept the faith and Jesus was happy to award them with the crown of life. The church of Pergamum was tolerating the teaching of Balaam who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and the teaching of Nicolaitans. Jesus orders them to repent. The church of Thyatira had compromised the Gospel and followed the teachings of the woman Jezebel, which was unacceptable to God. Jesus commands them to repent and for those who have not followed her teachings to hold what they had. The church of Sardis had some who had not soiled their clothes and they are promised to walk with Jesus dressed in white. But there were many who had to wake up and do what they had to do. Last week we studied the Church of Philadelphia, an almost perfect church. Christ had no condemnation for this small church. This church was small but it had obeyed the teachings of Christ. So Christ commended them.

Today we look at the last church of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation and the most despised of the seven churches. A church which is labelled by Christ the Lukewarm Church. By His message to the Christians of Laodicea He appealed for their salvation. He examined, He advised, He exhorted, He directed and also He warned the church. If the members of the church feel satisfied with what they have and are careless, Jesus does not forget His church and He makes it object of His interest as well as subject to His love and care.

The City of Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven Churches. It was known for its banking industry, manufacture of black wool and a medical school that produced eye ointment. The city was so wealthy that when an earthquake destroyed it in 17 A.D., it refused imperial aid for rebuilding and did it entirely on its own. There were many Jews in the city who were free to follow their tradition. We don’t see in the condemnation of Christ that the church had a problem of morality or idol worship. But He condemned it because of its carelessness and neglect.

The Commendation:

Christ did not find anything on which to commend this Church.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation”. (3.14)

Christ was giving witness to the Church that He did have the authority to judge their works as He rules His creation. Being a faithful and true witness from the very beginning of His creation until now, gives Him the authority to rebuke and discipline the people that He loves.

The Condemnation:

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm– neither hot nor cold– I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (15,16)

Christ saw a church that had become like so many churches today. He saw a church that was not productive, careless and inactive. Sure they attended services each week, but they did nothing to further the Gospel of Christ. They were content to just sit back, relax and watch the world turn as they enjoyed their luxuries. The people of Laodicea had even built a channel to bring water from hot springs into the city. By the time the water had reached the city, it was no longer hot, nor was it refreshingly cold. It had become lukewarm. Have you ever drunk lukewarm water? If you have, then you know you feel like spitting it out of your mouth. This is how Christ felt about the Laodicea Church.

“You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (17-18)

These Christians thought by being wealthy, that they needed nothing. When you process all the worldly items that you desire, then you become self-sufficient and have a false feeling of security. You don’t care what is happening in the world around you. You think nothing can hurt you and there is nothing that you need that you cannot provide for yourself and the more wealth they have the more they want. When the love of money overtakes our love for God, we become spiritually wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. We may go through every motions of worshipping God, but we are really worshipping ourselves. Our money and processions becomes our god. The first of the Commandments tells us: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

God doesn’t intend for us to be poor, but He does expect and deserves to be first in our lives. We have to find our wealth in Christ. This wealth from Christ is our salvation. All we have to do is to get it through Jesus Christ by accepting Him as our Saviour and Lord. The only cost is our repentance of our sins. With this gift of salvation, we become rich in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are given new white clothes to cover all of our sins and the Holy Spirit to open our eyes so that we can see the path of righteousness. God loved us so much that He gave His only Son to suffer and die on the cross for us. Jesus was willing to do this because He loved us. How can we not be hot or on fire for Christ, when He cares for us so very much. Every Christian Church in the world should be hot for God.

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” (19)

God loves us and He wants us to learn what is right and not sin. And if we are disobedient, God wants to discipline us because of His love. God loves us so much that He wants to get our attention and to remind us that we need to repent.

“Her I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (20, 21)

Christ is standing at the door of our heart and knocking. He is asking to come into our life. He wants to have an everlasting fellowship with us. All we have to do is to open the door and let Him come into our life as our Saviour and Lord. It is just that easy. In doing so He gives us a crown of life that all the money in the world can’t buy.

”He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Christ is warning us to listen to what He has told the seven Churches. Which church do you most resemble?

The Church of Ephesus, who had left their first love.

The Church of Smyrna, who endured suffering, but remained faithful to the end.

The Church of Pergamum, who had allowed false doctrine to enter their beliefs.

The Church of Thyatira, who by compromising had allowed sexual immorality into their lives.

The Church of Sardis, who appears to be alive, but was actually spiritually dead.

The Church of Philadelphia, though they were small, witnessed continually for Christ.

The Church of Laodicea, who was lukewarm and despised by Christ.

A lot of the Churches today resemble the Church of Laodicea. Like the church of Laodicea they have closed their eyes to what is happening in the world. As each year passes the world falls deeper and deeper into sin. There are many murders committed; prayers are not considered to be important in life. When will we as Christians open our eyes and take a stand for Christ and say enough is enough. Are we already like the Church of Laodicea and are content with all that we process and care less what is happening to our once Christian Nation?

Today we need to recommit our lives to Christ. We need to come forward and tell Christ that we repent from our sin of indifference and not caring. We need to recommit our lives to the works of Christ and serve Him and the Church.

The church in Laodicea was poor though it had so much wealth. It is clear that Christ’s standard is so different from our standards. Therefore because of His love Jesus recommends them to buy gold tested in fire to be rich, white cloths to cover their shameful sin and to buy medication to put in their eyes and see the truth. In other words Christ gives a call for REPENTENCE. For Him it is never acceptable to be lukewarm. He seeks to have a perfect church as He was perfect.

We need God’s mercy and we need to repent. Let us humble ourselves before God and ask Him to make us warm and fighting soldiers. The true church should be in the way of perfection with the One who is perfect. This should be the holy principle of the Church, the Body of Christ. With this we will have the right to sit with Him for ever.

Krikor Youmshajekian