The Lukewarm Church at Laodicea

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2023 pm – MR GEORGE CONN

REVELATION 3 VERSES 14 – THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA

 

This is the seventh church in the 7 letters Christ wrote to the church in Revelation.  For some of these churches the Lord had something positive to say and something negative.  For some there was a mixture of both.  For the Laodiceans the Lord had not much to say that was positive, it was very negative.  He is addressed as “the Amen, the faithful one.”  He communicates the truth of this church to the people in it and he does the same to us today.  Laodicea means the rule or will of the people and that is how they governed it – not to the Lord but rather to the people.  There are a number of things the Lord says this church has lost along the way.

 

The first is you have lost your vigour.  There is an overlap between these 2 messages – Ephesus and Laodicea.  “You have lost your way because you are lukewarm”.  A spiritual view.  They are not hot for God.  They are tepid.  That unpleasant temperature.  I don’t like that temperature.  That makes me sick.  Because of it I will spew you out of my mouth.  That is not nice to say of any person or any church.  It is interesting that any description given by God suits them down to the ground.  He uses an illustration that is applicable to their lives.  They knew what it was to be lukewarm.  There were 2 places fairly near to Laodicea – first Hierapolis.  It had hot springs and it was in some way piped to Laodicea.  When it arrived it was no longer piping hot but lukewarm, it had cooled down.  Another town nearby was Colosse and it was renowned for the pure cold water it produced.  It was also brought to Laodicea and by the time it got there it was no longer ice cold, it had warmed up a bit.  They knew exactly what Jesus was saying.  There are 3 temperatures mentioned in scripture – burning heat Luke 24 verse 32.  Remember the 2 on the Emmaus Road when they said “did not our hearts burn within us as he walked with us along the way?”  Matthew 24 “many shall wax cold”.  And then there is this one – in between, lukewarm. 

 

The second is you have lost your values.  The dipstick is giving a false reading.  Reading wrongly from a spiritual view.  Your dipstick says you have everything – riches, increased in goods, in need of nothing.  This is what your dipstick is telling you.  Hardly more than realise that you are wretched, miserable, poor and then he goes on – you are blind and naked.  Laodicea was a wealthy place.  It had a banking centre, a medical school, a place that produced black wool for selling and making money.  Everything they needed, depending on material things.  Jesus was trying to tell them whilst they were good in their place it was not enough, you have lost your values because you are depending on what you have accumulating instead of what I have done for you. 

 

Thirdly, you have lost your vision.  You don’t know that you are wretched, poor, miserable and blind.  There is one thing that causes blindness – a poor diet.  Whenever our vision is impaired spiritually because of the wrong diet it might be like Laodicea depending on all these things and leaving the word of God to one side.  Putting something in place of bible study, daily devotions, prayer time.  The result was they had lost something of their vision spiritually speaking.  What the word of God is to our soul is what bread and water is to our bodies. 

 

Fourthly, they have lost their vesture.  To be partially clothed is to lose our modesty.  These people have lost out spiritually speaking.  He wants them to be clothed in white raiment signifying righteousness and grace.  He wants them to buy eye salve and gold, something really valuable, that will not perish.  “Gold tried in the fire” means purity.  These are the things I want you to buy from me, to give you something of lasting value.  Spiritually you have lost your way.  I want you to repent.  These are the things you have lost. 

 

Now there are a couple of things I want you to find – the victor and the victory.  The Lord is the victor.  He was victorious on the cross.  When I belong in the centre of your church I must also be the centre of our life.  Verse 20 is a verse used to preach the gospel from.  Initially it was written to those who knew God and had backslidden.  Perhaps they had never entered into a relationship with Christ or have backslidden.  This word is applicable to both.  “Behold” means seeing something or someone of a remarkable nature.  “I stand at the door and knock”.  It is an arresting picture.  “I will come in to him.” It is an assuring promise.  “and sup with him and he with me.”  It is an abiding presence.

 

An arresting picture.  Jesus is the light of the world.  In St Paul’s Cathedral there is a painting of a man standing knocking at a door.  The door is all covered with ivy and it looks like it had never been opened for a while.  He is standing knocking, patiently, persistently.  He has a lantern in his hand.  He wants to bring light.  The artist was Holman Hunt.  When the people gathered to critic his picture they talked about what he had done right and wrong.  One said to him – “you have made a mistake, there is no handle on that door, the man standing cannot gain entrance unless it is answered from the other side.”  Holman said it was no mistake, his painting was of the Lord, the sinless, spotless Son of God who died the just for the unjust.  He shed his blood that we might be forgiven.  The door represents the entrance into a person’s life.  There is no handle on the outside, it is on the inside.  The Lord Jesus who left the splendours of glory came into this world of woe.  He is so interested in us.  He knocks on our hearts door.  He pricks our conscience.  He shows us his amazing love.  He wants to bring light into our lives.  He wants to give us real life.  Don’t you hear him gently knocking?  Maybe you have never opened your heart to Jesus.  He wants to be the centre of these peoples lives just as he did at every other church.  An arresting picture – that the Lord loves me.  A man of great ability was dying.  Some of his students asked him “tell us before you pass what is the greatest thing you have ever discovered?”  “That Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.”  He stands wanting entrance in.

 

An assuring promise.  We know when we hear the voice of God.  He speaks in many many ways – through bereavement, tragedy, death, accident, a near shave with machinery or animals.  God stops us in our tracks.  What if he pricks our conscience?  He shows us clearly if we don’t read his word.  This word is alive and pricks our conscience.  “If any man hear my voice.”  Many have heard that voice of God but have never opened the door.  When God speaks there is a deadline for us.  How do you open the door?  Repent.  That is the key word in verse 19.  To do an about turn, a 180 degrees turn, to leave the way of the world and set out on God’s way, the way planned for your life.  Without repentance there is no salvation.  Peter said “repent and be converted that you sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3 verse 19)  I want to come in but I need to do a clean up.  You have to let me do that.  Sometimes we wonder if the church is in the world and the world is in the church.  A line of demarcation that comes to all. 

 

An abiding presence.  In the Old Testament we read “my presence shall go with you and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33 verse 14)  Purpose, meaning in life.  The spiritual dimension will never be filled in your life.  It can only be found in Christ. Then we know his abiding presence.  Peace with God.  Jesus wants to come into your life.  He is knocking at your door.  How long has he been knocking?  God has some patience today.  He wanted them to find the victor and the victory.  As the Lord died on the cross he conquered the world, flesh and the devil.  He provided a way back to God.  To experience his forgiveness and fullness as we walk with him in the light of his word.  John 16 verse 33 “In the world you will have tribulation”.  Revelation 12 verse 11 “and they overcame him with the blood of the lamb.”  1 Corinthians 15 verse 57 “but thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Overcoming power can be ours in the gospel as we walk with the Lord in the light of his word.