Laodicean Church

I have to tell you this message today burdens my heart. The message today is a grave warning to the apostate church in Laodicea. And a grave warning to self deceived unbelievers. We have seen a progression as we have moved through the church’s getting worse and worse and we have ultimately come to the Church with no believers and a complete rejection from Christ. They are in worst possible state and that is they believe they are Christians but are deceived.

In the past weeks we have seen out of the seven Church’s there were two good churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, and the Lord doesn't say anything negative to them.  There were five bad churches.  Five of them were tainted by sin to one degree or another.  And as you go through the five, Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Laodicea, they get progressively worse until finally Laodicea is fully apostate.
 
     You remember Bill told us the church at Ephesus had left its first love.  Then Danny told us that the church at Pergamos tolerated sin.  Then Ed told us the church at Thyatira had engaged in full-blown compromise with evil.  Then Pastor Fred told us that the church at Sardis was dead. But at least there was still a remnant of believers in Sardis.   And now the Laodicean church, unsaved and doomed.  This is the apostate church.

Please open your Bible to: Matthew 7:21-23 The passage we are going to look at should cause each one of us to do some serious self examination. Paul even writes in 2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

Now to Matthew 7:21-23 I personally have found this passage as such a serious warning. I never want to hear these words. They are the direct opposite of the words I want to hear and that is great job my faithful and good servant, take rest in the kingdom of God.

Lets Read from Matthew 7:21-23
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

This is the Church of Laodicea that they think they have a relationship with Christ but He has rejected them. They are rich in the world but spiritually bankrupt. Christ vomits them out of his mouth as we are going to read. The imagery is disturbing to say the least.

I know several people who claim to be Christians but their lives don’t match their profession of faith. I wonder in my mind what is their true relationship with Christ. Now I want to make it clear God is the only one who can judge a persons or church to salvation but we are to be fruit inspectors. Like Pastor Fred and Pastor John even spoke this weekend in Ezekiel have spoke about being a watchman warning people of the dangers of not repenting and turning to Christ.

But all is not completely lost in this passage we are going to read. Jesus’ heart is for them to repent and turn to Him. Even when He rejects us He desires for us to repent and turn back to Him.

Lets turn in our Bibles and read from Revelation 3:14-22

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: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 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— 18 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. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore 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 dine with him, and he with Me. 21 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.
22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

Verse 14 Establishes who is writing this letter. I have gone back through all the Church’s and written down what what Christ states about Himself and I will be speaking on that next week.

So since we have a lot to cover today I want to move strait to verse 15 and 16.

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

God is so good in His wisdom His message to Laodicea Church makes perfect sense to the people of those days. He uses symbols to communicate His truths to the Church. They will know exactly what Christ is communicating to them. Just like He does today for us through His Bible. He is going to use imagery that the people of Laodicea would know and understand.

“I know your works” Christ says like in so many passages in this study of the Church’s. For Smyrna this was a blessing the persecuted Church who stood up for Christ knowing their ultimate doom could be death. He knows Laodiceas works. And they were nothing. The works of Laodicea were self serving and did not glorify Christ in any matter. Ed Price always makes the statement if we are not focused on the will of Christ we might as well be the rotary club. Our deeds always reveal what a person is, if we do not have deeds then is our faith true? Can we have faith without works? Paul makes it as clear in Romans 2:6-8


6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

You may be saying hang on I thought we were saved by grace and faith and God’s mercy. But we know James also confirms this when he tells us that our faith without works is dead. Our true saving faith will represent itself with demonstrations of our works. We know that works will not save us but they are the outcome of our true salvation. Christ is telling the Church at Laodicea I know your works and they are dead because you have no Faith.

Then comes the hammer. say what verse You are neither hot nor cold so I will vomit you out of my mouth.

Laodicea is located in a very unique geographical location. 6 miles to the north of them was the city of Hierapolis who had healing hot springs and 10 miles to the south of them Colossae had cold clear refreshing water brought to the city via mountain river that was always cold.

But what was the water like in Laodecia? Nasty it is brought to the city through and underground aqueduct that caused the water to be tepid and so impure to have an emetic effect (causing someone to vomit if they were not use to it)

What is the spiritual significance of these three catagories? What does cold represent just that it is an open outright rejection of Christ. Now Christ is saying they the Laodicea church is not outright openly rejecting Christ.

But on the other end you are not hot on fire for Christ living your life completely for Him. They are not denying themselves and picking up their crosses daily.

Who is this Church of Laodicea? They are obviously not like the Hot waters of Heirapolis on fire for God nor are they completely cold like the river in Colassae. At least those people are real even if they are against God. So who are these believers? They are professing Christians, go to church, claim to know the Lord but are not saved. They are self content with self-righteous religion. Mathew 7 rings in my ears “I never knew you, depart from Me” They nauseate Christ, they make Him SICK.


John Sott once wrote,
"The Laodicean church was a half-hearted church.  Perhaps none of the seven letters is more appropriate to the twentieth century church than this.  It describes vividly the respectable, sentimental, nominal, skin-deep religiosity which is so wide spread among us today.  Our Christianity is flabby and anemic, we appear to have taken a lukewarm bath."

These are people who are not saved. Its not the outright rejection of Christ but if we think about the Pharisee in Luke who went to pray at the temple. Who do you think God was more pleased with the Pharisee who prayed and said Thank you that I’m not like that tax collector. Or like the tax collector a sinner beating on his chest begging God to be merciful to me, a sinner who feels the coldness of his separation from Christ.

God rather we be a sinners who knows his sin than a hypocrite who doesn’t recognize it.

Verse 17
17 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—

Here is the second condemnation. There is something even worse than being lukewarm and that is their Self Deception. They believe they are rich but don’t even know they are spiritually bankrupt. They have no idea that they are in complete apostasy.

I think about the people who are around me who fall in this catagory. I have family and friends who tell me their Church is going to save them, their dad is an Episcopalian Pastor and live for the world, Me and JC are like this (cross fingers) but go to Church twice a year. These are the people who have no “fruits” in their lives. They have just enough religion to believe they are saved but they are so far from the truth and Christ will vomit them out.

What is the key phrase in that verse. It is the “I”. I have done it all, I have become wealthy and need nothing. I believe the Laodicean Church thought they had it all. They were spiritual wealthy but they were so far from the truth. John MacArthur writes the following:

This is the hardest person to reach.  The intellectual apostate, the intellectual unsaved hypocrite who stays in the church.  Liberal churches flood our country, Europe, Canada, the world...full of people who think they have ascended beyond.  They have an aberrant view of Christ.  They see Him not as the creator God.  They have an infatuation with their own intellect and assume that they have been elevated beyond the simplicity of fundamental truth.  And they have developed a self-righteous work system that makes them think they are the spiritually elite who need absolutely nothing.  And when you come with the simple gospel, they laugh.

Can you say wide gate? This is the road that leads to hell.

But thank heavens there is still hope. Lets read the hope that Jesus gives the Laodicean Church in verses 18-20.

18 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. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore 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 dine with him, and he with Me.

Jesus tells us to buy His refined gold this represents spiritual gold this is gold refined by the fire with NO impurities. They were rich in the world but absolutely bankrupt with God but God was offering them true spiritual richness.

Jesus in Matthew tells us, Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The apostles say who than can be saved and Christ answers with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. It is God who changes the heart and draws men to him.

Clothe yourselves with white garments. Did you know the Laodiceans were famous for shiny black wool. God is telling them to put on the righteousness of Christ. Get rid of the worldly things and put on the things of Christ. Robe ourselves in His mercy and grace.

Anoint your eyes, again the Laodiceans had developed a powder eye ointment that they were know for. They would mix this powder with dough and place it on the eyes of individuals who were suffering with eye ailments. Christ is telling them you think you see but you don’t see. But if you come to Me I’ll give you my eye salve and you’ll see.

Salvation is the gold that makes people spiritually rich in faith.  Salvation is the white robe that covers our sinful nakedness.  Salvation is the eye salve that gives us the knowledge of God and of His truth.

He is telling them to Repent from their sins and turn and be zeolous for Him. This is the message for the Church of Laodicea and the message for us today. It is a message of turning from our own ways to the repentance of God who calls us to Him.

Jesus tells us in Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Paul re-affirms this in Acts 26:20 in the second half of the verse saying Repent, turn to God and do the works befitting repentance.

Repent and be zealous for God.