Laodicea

Today we reach the final church on our journey through the 7 churches in Revelation.

As you will recall, the message was given to John while imprisoned on the island of Patmos and the order of the letters follows a clear travel route, one that Jesus told us he had walked to see the situation at each Church. Let’s begin with a video introduction to the Church at the final Church on the journey at Laodicea.

There are several contrasts mentioned in the video;

1. Hot v cold 

Hot water came from the hot spring at Hierapolis about 10km away and fresh cold water from the foot of the mountain at Colosse about 13km away.

2. Black v White

The valuable black wool from sheep in the valley was used to make expensive garments that had brought riches to the city.

3. Clothed v Naked

The Laodiceans in their expensive black coats thought they looked good but spiritually they were naked, they had no garments, nothing of true godliness in their character. People can see through fake Christianity. It’s a lot like the Emperors New Clothes. 

4. Rich v Poor

The people of Laodicea were very rich so much so that when an earthquake had destroyed the city in AD 60, the city told the Roman Emperor “No thanks” to financial relief - they could rebuild it themselves.

5. Sight v Blind

The city manufactured a special eye medicine or salve that was good for cleaning the eyes of infection.

6. Roman Soldier v Jesus knocking

It is also worth knowing that there was a Roman law that a Roman soldier could knock on a door of a house for a meal and the owners of the house were compelled to let them in and give them a meal.

With these things in mind, let’s read Jesus letter to the Church at Laodicea.

Revelation 3:14-22

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also 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.” ’ ”

To Sardis, Jesus has said they were dead but to Laodicea that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. They were delusional, their mental health was at risk. Alive but not all they thought they were cracked up to be.

Jesus used contrasts to show them their true condition was not good. As people we become deluded when we depart from Bible truth and drop our guard. As we have heard with Sardis, we need to be watchful. Our garments (our character) soon deteriorate as our actions follow our beliefs.

There are several commentators who believe that the letters to the churches follow the passage of time and that Laodicea is the last Church age before the return of Jesus, the one that we are in. 

For example, last weeks Church Philadelphia which Jesus had only good things to say about, is said to relate to the 18th and 19th centuries when the Church was sending missionaries all over the world. To this Church,  Jesus promised they would escape the tribulation.

(1) EPHESUS              =     33 ad, Loveless


(2) SMYRNA              =    73 ad, Persecuted


(3) PERGAMOS         =     325 ad, Compromising


(4) THYATIRA           =    1157 ad, Corrupt


(5) SARDIS                 =    1517 ad, Dead    


(6) PHILADELPHIA  =     1667 ad, Faithful


(7) LAODICEA           =    1874 ad, Lukewarm

In this teaching, the Laodicean Church is the final Church age before Christ comes. Certainly, characteristics of the Laodicean Church are prominent in New Zealand and in many Western Churches today.

There has to be some caution with this teaching though. For example, we cannot say that the Church in China is Laodicean, it is persecuted and it’s standing firm and growing so it is like the suffering church of Smyrna, one of 2 churches Jesus had nothing bad to say about. In every age it is better to understand that the 7 types of churches can exist and even as individuals, we may take both warning and encouragement.

The Laodicean Church is a lukewarm, self-sufficient Church, where Jesus isn’t even in the Church, he is outside knocking asking to come in. The Laodicean Church is man-centred Church rather than a Christ-centred Church. Jesus is not the Head. The man-centred Church asks the members what they would like to see in a Church and it delivers that. It does not consult Christ for what he wants at all. It’s not that the programs and fantastic visual presentations are necessarily wrong. It’s just that the Laodicean Church isn’t looking to Christ for what he wants and in fact Jesus is not even in the Church.

It mixes 2 things and it ends up being lukewarm, no good for anything. A lot of modern Christian music would be an example. It is neither holy nor profane, it’s a bit of both and the implication is that the 2 together make Jesus sick. It’s not acceptable as worship and it doesn’t help save anybody. Because of the money involved in making a movie, the temptation is always to entertain to increase ticket sales. Christian movies can’t be too holy or people won’t come and watch them, and they can’t be too profane otherwise the Christians would get offended. By mixing entertainment and outreach, very few hit the mark of challenging the culture with the Gospel, most are a bit second rate, a bit lukewarm.

We must be careful not to become like the World in trying to reach the World. We are to be  in the World but not of the World. If they can’t see a clear difference, they will stay right where they are.

Even though the Laodicean Church is delusional about it’s true condition, notice the encouragement that Jesus gives;

Revelation 3:19

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

Discipline from Jesus hurts but it is proof that he loves us. If like me, as we read these letters to the Churches, God is chastening you, that’s a good thing ! 

The solution is to be zealous (hot) and repent.

To this Church Jesus says

Revelation 3:14

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Jesus tells the Laodicean Church who he is. The One True God. Jesus is Almighty God. This is a Church that hasn’t grasped what it means that Jesus is Lord. It is mixing and allowing all kinds of other gods in the Church. In reality,  there are no other gods. Demons like us to think there are other gods but there are not. They have no power over you unless you submit to them. False gods like those of Hinduism and Islam have power over us only when we bow to them. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life.

This is why we don’t do yoga health classes or learn about enneagrams at PCC as some Churches are doing, or say Muslim prayers at PCC like NZ did after the Mosque shooting. 

It is why we teach Genesis 1 and 2 as actual history and reject Evolution as explaining life and the universe. It’s why we teach all parts of the Apostles Creed as the truth.

We shouldn’t mix hot and cold. The lukewarm water of Laodicea  will make you vomit. It can only be drunk piping hot or icy cold but never lukewarm.

We tend to think hot means on fire for Jesus and that cold means someone who is a non-believer but Jesus is indicating that both hot and cold water are useful so this may well not be what he meant. The hot mineral spas at Rotorua are known to be good for your health, as are the beautiful deep fresh water springs that come up from the ground. We are fortunate in New Zealand to have both in one city ! 

Hot water takes energy to heat. Unless you live in Alaska or somewhere like it, cold water from the fridge also takes energy. Without the energy, hot water turns to room temperature as does icy cold water. Without the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, the same will happen to a Church. Because Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Almighty God.

So what is the doctors prescription for the condition of the Laodicean Church ?

1. Buy gold refined in the fire

2. Buy white garments

3. Buy eye salve to anoint the eyes

4. Be zealous and repent

5. Open the door !

The first 3 things are financial advice.

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

It used to be said that you could tell where someone’s  treasure was by their chequebook. They also say that time is money. So where are we spending our time and money? 

1. What is gold refined by fire? The apostle Peter described faith, approved by the test of fire, as much more valuable than gold (1 Peter 1:7). The Laodiceans boasted about their wealth, but they needed genuine faith that was far more valuable than material wealth. So part of the remedy was to be tested by fire! If Laodicea really is the last Church age, then it will not be surprising that it will go through trials and tribulations so that it will be refined like pure gold.

2. We discussed the meaning of white garments 2 weeks ago. The Laodiceans needed to take an honest look at their character which had become darkened by the world. They looked cool but they weren’t pure. They needed to separate themselves from the World and be pure. They needed to redirect their time and money away from entertainment like the amphitheatres, the pubs and the nightclubs towards the things of eternal value such as time spent in Church and in the Bible. 

3. What did Jesus mean by eye salve? Symbolically speaking, if the Laodiceans applied the eye salve Jesus offered, they would be able to see their lukewarm condition and subsequently repent. But without taking the eye medicine, they would remain blind.

4. Jesus told the Laodiceans to be zealous and repent. They were indifferent to the things of God, more interested in worldly luxuries. That zeal for God is  what’s needed in this country. We are New Zealand but we are missing the zeal for God in our land. We need to repent and become New Zeal Land again ! It is very difficult to go against the tide alone but it is much easier when we row together as we can in the Church. If we are all zealous at PCC we can be very fruitful for God. It was so encouraging at Ela’s funeral to see so many of us enthusiastically supporting Ela’s family on that day, what a great day it was.

5. But most important of all, we have to open the door and welcome Jesus into the Church and into our lives. Behold I stand at the door and knock has echoes of Matthew 25 about it. How does Jesus come to us. Disguised as a beggar, a homeless one on the streets, looking for food. The Rich man ended up on Hell because he ignored Lazarus laid at his gates. How we respond to poverty as a Church is an indicator of where our heart is at. In the famous painting of Jesus knocking at the door, the handle is on the inside. Jesus doesn’t demand to enter like a Roman soldier would have done. But what a tragedy to turn away the King, and to miss out only opportunity for salvation !

John 15:5

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

They say an old dog can’t learn new tricks. But a new dog can ! May the Lord give us all Grace to repent and live fervently for Him. Amen.