Laodicea, the Lukewarm Church

Laodicea – the Lukewarm Church

 

 The year was approximately 95 A.D. and Jesus appeared in a glorious vision to his beloved disciple, John, (Revelation 1:9-20) and gave John letters to give to seven of the early Christian churches in Asia Minor.  We have already blogged about six of these churches and now we have come the seventh or last church that received one of Jesus’ messages. – the church of Laodicea, the lukewarm church!

 

Here is the letter than Jesus gave to John to give to His lukewarm church in Laodicea.  “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.  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one of the other!  So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

 

You say that you are rich: that you 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.

 

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest, and repent.  Here 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.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  (Revelation 3:14-22)

 

Jesus introduces himself as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.” (Revelation 3:14)   The “Amen“ is one of Jesus’ Names. Bible scholars write that “Amen” means “the One that is steady and unchangeable in all His purposes and promises”.

 

 When we say “Amen” at the end of our prayers we are giving our prayers – our praises and requests - into the Hands of the “Amen” who is the everlasting God. – the Father and the Son and the Spirit.  Jesus introduces Himself as “a faithful and true witness and the beginning of God’s creation.”  And Jesus, being the eternal Son of God, was there at the beginning of creation.  In fact, Scripture says that through Him (Jesus) all things were created. (Colossians 1:16)  

 

Jesus goes on to tell his church in Laodicea that they are neither hot nor cold – but they are lukewarm, and He is angry.  He warns them that if they do not repent, He will come and spit them out of His mouth.  Jesus will not allow us to stay lukewarm too long. The compromising or accommodating church is repulsive to the Lord and damaging to His purpose!

 

Lukewarm churches have watered down the Message and are probably losing members.  Often, lukewarm churches have become nothing more than comfortable country clubs that mentions God when it is convenient. Scripture says that these churches “have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.”  (2 Timothy 3:5) And Christians are commanded to leave lukewarm churches and not be part of them! (2 Timothy 3:5)

 

 A lukewarm church probably doesn’t try to follow God’s commands in the Bible too closely especially if these commands don’t fit with modern worldly standards.  A lukewarm church is most likely a self-sufficient church.  Cultured Christians going through the motions.

 

A lukewarm church doesn’t need to wait on the Lord for answers to their problems since they are intelligent and educated and can figure things out on their own. They try to be independent from God’s interference and run their church and their lives themselves!  Instead of God molding them, they re-invent their god to be what they want.  Jesus is displeased and promises to spit them out of His mouth. 

 

Jesus tells the church in Laodicea that they are proud of themselves for being intelligent enough to be able to create all of their own wealth and to live their own lives in comfort and luxury. They don’t believe that they need anything. They can run their lives themselves. – without Him.  They judge their lives by how much money they have and how many things they possess. 

 

But Jesus tells them that the truth is that they are really wretched and pitiful and poor and blind and naked.  That also they are spiritually blind and can’t see that they are really wretched and pitiful and poor and naked!  There is a whole other spiritual realm that they are not able to see because they want to be lukewarm! All because they don’t want to let Jesus into their lives to change things around.  

 

Jesus advises the lukewarm Christians to buy gold from Him refined in the fire so they can be spiritually rich.  Jesus is the “Store” where we can go to “buy” everything we need for eternity.  You may say that we don’t have money to buy riches from Jesus.  You notice Jesus told the lukewarm church to “buy” gold from Him.  What does it cost us to “buy” refined gold from Jesus?

 

Scripture tells us that our faith in Jesus is more precious than gold, though it is tested in the fire.  The Bible says that our inheritance is kept for us through faith.  (1 Peter 1:3-7) Our faith in Him  is the “gold” that Jesus will sell us.  The cost to “buy” this faith from Jesus is to open our lives to His Will and allow Him to refine us from our sins.  The price to buy Jesus’ gold is to agree to let Him help us turn away from our sins.  To give them up - our pride and our self- reliance and all our other ugly thoughts and actions that so easily take us over.  It costs us to give these up to Jesus.  Are we willing to pay the price?  

 

Jesus also offers to “sell” white clothing to cover the nakedness for the lukewarm church – and to cover our nakedness also. Scripture says this “white clothing” is the righteousness of Jesus covering our sins – our nakedness.  Our sinfulness is not good enough for eternity.  We must buy Jesus’ righteousness or His “white clothing”.  He must cover our sins - our nakedness - for us to be presentable at heaven’s Wedding Feast.  And we must be willing to give up our nakedness (our sin) and wrap ourselves up in His marvelous Truths.    

 

In Jesus’ “Store” He also “sells” eye ointment.  And He calls on all lukewarm Christians to “buy” this eye salve from Him.  Only His eye salve will heal our blind eyes so we can see.  When we come to Jesus and let Him into our hearts and lives, He opens our spiritual eyes so that we can see a whole new wonderful spiritual realm. Jesus tells the lukewarm ones that He only rebukes them because He loves them and wants them to overcome in Him.

 

Jesus finishes His letter to Laodicea, the lukewarm church, by telling them (and us) that He is standing outside at our door knocking.  If we hear His Voice and open our door, He will come in and dine with us and we will dine with Him.  (Revelation 3:20) Are some of us are so lukewarm that we leave our Lord and Savior, the “Amen”, “the faithful and true witness and the Ruler of God’s creation”, standing outside knocking at our door?  He calls us to open up to Him and repent of our sins and “overcome” through Him.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”  (Revelation 3:22)

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

  

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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