Have you ever used the phrase “come to Jesus
meeting” in reference to a confrontation that you had with someone? I bring up that phrase because Jesus’ message
to the church at Laodicea was very much a “come to Jesus meeting.” Jesus has some very strong words for this
church. In Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus used strong words to call the church at
Laodicea to repentance because He loved them. Sometimes strong words are exactly what a
church or a person needs to hear. Believers
who fit the description given to this church today also need to see their sin
for what it is and repent. Strong words
may be the only thing that will wake such a person up. May we remember that strong words are loving words
when the come from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that we would hear the strong,
loving words of Jesus today and be moved to repentance and renewed passion for
God.
[14] “And
to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. [15] “‘I know
your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or
hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will
spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered,
and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind,
and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that
you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the
shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that
you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be
zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and
he with me. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on
my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation
3:14-22 ESV) So what does a lukewarm believer need to hear in order to come
to repentance?
I.
Understand that Jesus Knows Where We Truly Stand
Before Him (14-17)
This may be the one truth that is most like a
broken record in these seven letters, but it is one of the most important and
we see it in this description of Christ: that He knows where we really stand before Him. Jesus is described as “the Amen” and “the faithful
and true witness” (14a). We normally
say, “Amen!” in acknowledgement of something that is true. Since Jesus is “the Amen,” whatever He says about this
church is going to be true. No matter
how harsh His words are, they deserve an “Amen” because He is “the faithful and true witness.” The reason that’s important to see is because
what He is going to say is going to contradict
what this church is saying about itself.
Where these believers stood before Jesus was
important because He is “the beginning of
God’s creation” (14b). Let me first
say that this is not communicating that there was a point at which Jesus did
not exist and therefore He had a beginning.
“Beginning” can mean beginning of one’s existence, but in
Revelation it functions as a title: “I am
the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
(Revelation 22:13 ESV) Rather than
communicate that Jesus was created, it actually communicates that Jesus, as the
eternal God, is the ruler and originator of God’s creation. That is
the way this word is used here and elsewhere (John 1:1-4, Colossians 1:15-20).
It’s meant to heighten the gravity of WHO is it who knows where they
truly stand.
So where do these believers stand before
Christ? In a word, they are “lukewarm” (16). What does this mean? From this passage, it means at least three
things. First, to be lukewarm is to be ineffective (15-16a). They are said to be neither “hot” nor “cold” three times. I want
you to notice from the text that “hot” and
“cold” are desirable conditions (15). I
point that out because the way I’ve normally heard this preached was that to be
“hot” meant to be on fire for God and to be “cold” meant to be apathetic and
indifferent towards God. I don’t think
that is what being “hot” and “cold” means. Why would God want someone to be apathetic
and indifferent to Him?
So what do “hot”
and “cold” mean? I take “hot”
to mean healing and soothing and “cold” to mean refreshing and
thirst quenching. Why do I say this? Isn’t that what hot and cold water is used
for? We wash and disinfect things with
hot water, we soak in hot water, we make hot coffee and tea with hot water and
use them to sooth our sore throat.
Likewise, we find a glass of ice cold water refreshing. This meaning is
confirmed by the historical situation in Laodicea as well. Laodicea didn’t have a natural water supply. They depended upon water to be piped in through
an aqueduct system from hot springs in Denizli. By the time this water reached Laodicea, it would
become lukewarm and could literally
make someone sick due to calcium carbonate build up. The twin city of Colossae, located ten miles
to the east, was known for its abundant source of cool, natural spring water also. I believe that this historical
background, if correct, confirms that “cold”
communicated waters that were refreshing and
“hot” communicated waters that were healing and soothing. If this is
correct, then Jesus’ problem with this church is that they are not healing, soothing, refreshing, or
quenching the thirst of anyone. They are
simply not being useful for anything.
That is why I say that being lukewarm is being totally ineffective as a church or a Christian.
Second, to
be lukewarm is to be deceived (17). This
is not the first church to be deceived. Most
of Sardis thought they were alive when in reality they were dead (Revelation 3:1). Likewise, the church at Laodicea thought that
they were “rich,” had “prospered,” and “needed nothing,” when in reality they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” In contrast to Smyrna, which was a poor
church that God called rich, Laodicea was a rich church that God called
poor. They were totally deceived about their spiritual status. By the way, anytime Jesus’ assessment of you
contradicts your own, you’re wrong!
Finally, to
be lukewarm is to be self-sufficient (17).
Materially, they were a “rich” and
“prosperous” church, so much so that
they claimed to be in need of nothing. This is the essence of self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency is thinking that we don’t need
anything, including God.
Why is being lukewarm such a problem? It’s a serious problem because Jesus says
that being lukewarm makes Him sick
(16). In the Greek, this literally reads
that Jesus is going to “VOMIT” them
out of His mouth. Those are very strong words! Their ineffectiveness put the same taste in
God’s mouth that the lukewarm waters of Laodicea put in theirs.
This is scary.
It is possible for a church or a Christian to think they are rich and
blessed and yet be helping, reaching, and witnessing to no one. How is our witness
as a church? How is your witness as an
individual? Sometimes the sin we need to
repent of most is not something that we are doing, but something that we are not doing. Sometimes our sin is one of omission. Also, as Americans, we need to
remember that affluence almost always breeds self-sufficiency, and
self-sufficiency is a serious and deadly sin.
II. Understand
What Jesus Counsels You to Do (18)
Jesus tells this church to “buy” some things from Him (18).
What are these things and how do we “buy”
them? They are to first buy “gold refined by fire” so that they can
be truly, spiritually rich. These are spiritual riches or treasures. Since
Smyrna apparently had these riches (Revelation
2:9), I think they way one “buys”
these riches is by faithfully enduring rejection and persecution.
The second
item they are told to “buy” is “white garments” so that they can clothe
themselves and so that the shame of their nakedness may not be seen. In Revelation, white garments are the attire
of heaven, or spiritual clothing. They are a way of describing those who are
justified and who have faithfully endured persecution. Revelation
19:8 calls them “the righteous deeds
of the saints” and Revelation 7:14 says
that these garments are white because they have been washed “in the blood of the Lamb.” So again, to “buy” these one must have faith in and repentance towards Jesus and
then persevere.
The third item they are to “buy” is “salve” to
anoint their eyes so that they may see. From the text, this would refer to spiritual healing from Christ in order
to see spiritually. They have become blind to their own
neediness.
In a nutshell, I think Jesus is telling this
church that they must become desperate
for and dependent upon Christ
Himself. They need to recognize their need for what only He can supply. What I
find ironic is that while lukewarm people don’t think they need anything,
people who are truly passionate for God always recognize their neediness for God. That’s what true faith and repentance is: desperation for and dependence upon Jesus Christ for what He alone can supply. That’s the currency with which we “buy”
these things. Listen to the words of Isaiah 55:1-3: [1] “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who
has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and
without price. [2] Why do you spend your money for that which is not
bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me,
and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. [3] Incline
your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with
you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”
How desperate are you for God? Do verses like John 15:5 flavor the way you pray?
[5] I am the vine; you are
the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 ESV) Do you even have a decent prayer life? Nearly every Christian I talk to struggles to
have a consistent, quality prayer life, including myself. I want you to know that when that is the
case, we not expressing neediness and desperation before God, at least not
functionally. We don’t pray because deep
down we don’t think we need God for anything.
III. Understand
How Much Jesus Loves You (19-21)
This is such a comforting truth. As harsh as this letter has been, we see the
love of Christ in at least four places.
First, His love is seen in His
reproof and discipline (19). In
words reminiscent of Proverbs 3:11-12 and
Hebrews 12:5-11, Jesus tells His
people that He is reproving and disciplining them because He loves
them. This statement again reminds us
that love and unqualified tolerance is
not the same thing. Sometimes love,
because it loves, speaks truth that hurts, though intention is never to hurt
but to help. This is what fathers are
supposed to do with their children. What
they are to do with these hard but loving words is to see them as loving
instruction and become zealous and repentant.
Christ’s
love is also seen in His offer of fellowship (20). He tells them that He
is standing at the door and is knocking and that anyone who will listen to His
voice and open the door will enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. This picture is both tragic and encouraging. It is tragic
because Jesus is standing outside the door of His own church and knocking! What is encouraging,
however, is that He is knocking. He is
seeking them, an arrogant people who’ve put Him on the outside, who think
they don’t even need Him. What
grace! That is love of Christ!
Thirdly, Christ’s
love is seen in His promise to the conqueror (21). He promises those who do heed this warning
and repent that they will be granted the privilege of sitting with Jesus on His
throne, just as Jesus conquered and sat down with His Father on His
throne. This is another promise of
eternal life, one aspect of which will be reigning
with Christ forever in the new creation (2
Timothy 2:12) if we conquer.
Finally, Christ’s
love is seen in His call to hear what the Spirit says to the churches (22). Every letter to every church has ended this
way and we have pointed out that “churches”
is plural for a reason: each message is a message to all of the churches and is
a message for all churches throughout all of history to heed. Together with the call to hear Christ’s voice
in verse 20, it makes a double-whammy in this passage for readers to listen
carefully to what Jesus is saying to a church that thinks they don’t need
anything He is telling them they need.
May we too hear this message clearly today.
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