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Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church Revelation 3:14-22 Snug Gospel Chapel: October 25 th , 2015 Good morning! Before we begin, let’s come before the Lord in prayer. Father, as we open your Word this morning, I pray that you would send your Holy Spirit to make us a people who can truly hear, and truly see what your Spirit is saying to the church at Laodicea. Grant us the grace to see in Spirit and in Truth the reflection of our own condition in this book. Challenge us, chasten us, and drive us to our knees before the great King of Kings, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Father, my prayer this morning is that you would cause us to be a church that burns for you; a church whose love for the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the Dead, and the Ruler over the Kings of the Earth cannot and will not be satisfied until the light of Jesus Christ shines brightly in every aspect of our lives. Lord, grant in us a deep dissatisfaction – that we would be keenly and acutely aware that only you can satisfy; that only in the King of Kings can we find life – and life more abundant. In His Name, and in His power, we ask this morning that you would move among us, to glorify Your Name and to bring honour to the Lamb that was slain. Amen. After six amazing letters, some crushing in their chastisement, others filled with encouragement and grace from the Lord Jesus Christ, we’ve finally reached the end; the last of the seven letters written by the Lord Jesus Christ to the churches in Asia Minor. If, as I’ve argued throughout this series, these churches represent the entire breadth and length of church history throughout the ages, then Laodicea stands either upon the wave of a great crescendo of apostasy, or at the very pit of the deepest valley of failure. There is nothing whatsoever that the Lord has to say to this church that is positive; no commendation, no encouragement, no caveat of works or faith to cling to. If Laodicea represents, as I would suggest, the final climax of the history of the church, then the Last Days before the Lord’s return can be viewed in no other light than an emphatic, resounding anti-climax of weakness, faithlessness and worldliness. Laodicea, unlike any of the churches before it, appears to be almost entirely without Christ.

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Sermon on the letter to the church at Laodicea, preached at Snug Gospel Chapel, 25th of October, 2015.Revelation 3:14-22.

Transcript of 8 the Church at Laodicea - The Lukewarm Church

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Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church

Revelation 3:14-22 Snug Gospel Chapel: October 25th, 2015

Good morning!

Before we begin, let’s come before the Lord in prayer.

Father, as we open your Word this morning, I pray that you would send your Holy Spirit to make us a people who can

truly hear, and truly see what your Spirit is saying to the church at Laodicea. Grant us the grace to see in Spirit and in

Truth the reflection of our own condition in this book. Challenge us, chasten us, and drive us to our knees before the

great King of Kings, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Father, my prayer this morning is that you would cause us to be a church that burns for you; a church whose love for

the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the Dead, and the Ruler over the Kings of the Earth cannot and will not be

satisfied until the light of Jesus Christ shines brightly in every aspect of our lives. Lord, grant in us a deep dissatisfaction

– that we would be keenly and acutely aware that only you can satisfy; that only in the King of Kings can we find life –

and life more abundant.

In His Name, and in His power, we ask this morning that you would move among us, to glorify Your Name and to bring

honour to the Lamb that was slain.

Amen.

After six amazing letters, some crushing in their chastisement, others filled with encouragement and grace from the

Lord Jesus Christ, we’ve finally reached the end; the last of the seven letters written by the Lord Jesus Christ to the

churches in Asia Minor.

If, as I’ve argued throughout this series, these churches represent the entire breadth and length of church history

throughout the ages, then Laodicea stands either upon the wave of a great crescendo of apostasy, or at the very pit

of the deepest valley of failure. There is nothing whatsoever that the Lord has to say to this church that is positive; no

commendation, no encouragement, no caveat of works or faith to cling to. If Laodicea represents, as I would suggest,

the final climax of the history of the church, then the Last Days before the Lord’s return can be viewed in no other light

than an emphatic, resounding anti-climax of weakness, faithlessness and worldliness. Laodicea, unlike any of the

churches before it, appears to be almost entirely without Christ.

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Let’s jump straight in.

Turn with me to Revelation chapter 3 and verse 14.

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea 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.”’”

The History of Laodicea

As with each of the cities we’ve looked at in this series, the history of Laodicea is vitally important in seeking to

understand what it is the Lord is saying to this church. In each of the churches that we’ve studied, we’ve seen that the

history of the cities in which each church is located has been reflected within the text itself – and, more importantly,

that the Lord Jesus has used these histories in order to communicate His will for the church in a prophetic sense.

In chapter 1, we saw the Lord depicted as having “eyes like a flame of fire”. I connected this with Hebrews 4:13,

wherein the Holy Spirit wrote that “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight, but all things are naked and open

to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”.

Laodicea is no exception to this; and as with each letter that precedes it, it is the uncompromised ability of the Lord

Jesus Christ to see, both historically and prophetically, the challenges, failings and successes of each church, and His

ability to portray those attributes through the written word – through puns, allusions and wordplay, that demonstrates

the divine origin of the text. In fact, were these letters in any other order, the distinctive layering of the prophetic

over the historical would fail to apply. As it is, these seven letters are not merely vaguely representative of the span

of church history, but specifically, insightfully accurate in a manner that repeatedly hammers home the divine

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authorship of the text. These are not the insights of the apostle John, nor any other human mind – they are the insights

of the Holy Spirit, expressed through the Word of God Himself: Jesus Christ.

With that in mind, we’re going to look this morning primarily at two aspects of the history of Laodicea, each of which

will inform our understanding of the verses that we’ve just read. These two aspects are the city’s water, and its wealth.

Its water, and its wealth.

Let’s look first at Laodicea’s water supply.

I think it would be fair to state that it is the water supply to the city of Laodicea that has become synonymous with its

name.

In verse 15, the Lord Jesus states,

”I know your works; that you are neither cold not hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are

lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

Laodicea was a city that seemed to have everything going for it. It was prosperous, exceedingly wealthy, and culturally

vibrant. There was just one thing lacking, however: a reliable water supply. Laodicea’s water was derived entirely

from a series of underground aqueducts that were fed by hot springs in Hieropolis, another major city around 10

kilometers to the north. These aqueducts had been built by Antiochus II shortly after the founding of the city, and

ferried water between Hieropolis, Laodicea, and Colossae, which lay another 15 kilometers to the south of Laodicea.

There are numerous commentaries on this subject, many of which have drawn a comparison between hot water as

being representative of those who are zealous for Christ, while cold water is those who “knew God, but did not

glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

(Romans 1:21) while the lukewarm are somewhere in the middle: saved, but without zeal. This is the suggestion

contained within the book that you’ve received today, and present in the vast majority of commentaries – but I’d like

to suggest to you that this view, while not entirely incorrect in practical terms, is nonetheless missing the point. You

see, there are two problems with this view. The first is that it suggests that the King of Kings would be happier with

the unsaved than the lukewarm. This is problematic, primarily because it is inconsistent with the remainder of the

letter. As we will see further on, the image of lukewarm Laodiceans relates to a church that is composed almost

exclusively of unbelievers that merely pay lip service to Jesus Christ. Such a church would not be lukewarm, but cold

– with the mere appearance of warmth. This is essentially what we saw in Sardis, who “had a name that they were

alive, but were dead”. That is not the case here, however. We must also remember that “God is not willing that any

should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). This means that there is no circumstance in which

a refusal to repent would ever be a good thing, or the better of a series of outcomes – even in the face of inconsistent

Christianity. The second problem here is that this view ignores the historical context that so dominates each of these

seven letters. When we have that context in view, the Biblical picture stands out. The Lord is not discussing the

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salvation of the Laodiceans here (which he will indeed deal with later), but as he explicitly states, their works… and

they have been found wanting. Allow me to explain.

I mentioned a moment ago that the water that sprung from the ground in Hieropolis was hot (around 35 degrees

Celcius) and mineral rich. In antiquity, these hot springs fed a series of warm pools incorporated into the various

temples and medicinal facilities that Hieropolis became famous for.

In Colossae to the south, that same water, having been fed through a network of underground caverns, emerged cool,

pure and filtered, perfect for drinking.

Laodicea, with no readily available water source, built at great expense, with great effort, a series of aqueducts

designed to draw water over 10 kilometers into the heart of the city. This great feat of engineering produced a liquid

caught halfway between the hot, healing waters of Hieropolis and the cool, refreshing chill at Colossae. And so it was

that despite all the effort, despite all the work, despite all the hard endeavor and technical brilliance required to

transport water over such great distances, what arrived at Laodicea was of little use to anyone. You see, it is not a

lack of good works that the Lord is referring to in this church, nor a lack of zeal, but a complete lack of usefulness. The

church at Laodicea had not abandoned works - and in fact, if their water is a symbol of their works, the history reveals

that they were indeed laboring greatly - but that their works were futile, fruitless and without merit before the Lord

Jesus Christ, because they were done neither for His name, nor for His sake.

Let’s move on, and look at Laodicea’s wealth.

Turn to verse 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-“

This verse makes reference to three very specific elements of Laodicea’s wealth. He says that the people are “poor,

blind and naked”, and each of these points correlates to a source of great financial strength in the region.

The first of these stems in part from Laodicea’s location. Built on the Roman Road that ran West to the Ephesian Gate

(the gateway to the great coastal cities) and East to the Syrian Gate, Laodicea was perfectly positioned in geographical

terms to serve as a financial and banking center for the most prominent cities of Asia Minor. It is perhaps no

coincidence that Laodicea also served as home to one of the largest Jewish communities outside of Israel itself; a

community that grew so wealthy, so quickly, that in the late first century, the Roman Governor placed an embargo on

the export of the Temple Tax that had flowed from Laodicea to Jerusalem over concerns that the amount of wealth

flowing out of the city had become too great to control.

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The second element alluded to here is Laodicea’s blindness. There is some sense of irony here, in that the hot,

mineralized waters of Hieroplolis, from which the Laodiceans had worked so hard to obtain water, were indeed used

in the healing of eye complaints. Not to be outdone, however, the people of Laodicea established their own medical

centers, which rapidly became known throughout the ancient world as the foremost authorities in the healing of

ailments of the ear, and of the eye. The production of an eye ointment, known as tephraphyrgia, and the city’s great

reputation as a medical center, became such an important calling card for the city that the names and faces of two

doctors, Alexander and Zeuxis, remain immortalized on coins that still exist today.

The third element in this passage is the nakedness of the people before a Holy God. Laodicea was also known

throughout the ancient world for the production of a particularly distinctive black wool. Laodicea’s situation in the

fertile Lycus valley provided excellent pasture for flocks, and a process of selective breeding allowed the city’s

shepherds to produce a breed of sheep that produced a pitch black wool with a beautiful violet hue. This wool was

used to produce clothing generally – but more specifically, an outer garment known as a ‘trimira’.

These three industries combined to make Laodicea an exceedingly wealthy city. There is one particular event,

however, that illustrates this point very clearly.

You may remember that in our study on the church of Sardis, we learned of an earthquake in AD17. In that instance,

many of the cities throughout Asia Minor had been devastated by the effects of the quake. The emperor Tiberias

stepped in to fill the gap financially, and aid in the rebuilding efforts in several of the cities we’ve studied throughout

this series. Sardis, however, rebuilt itself from the ruins using the wealth derived from its own great resources.

Laodicea found itself in a similar position in AD61. A massive earthquake centered almost entirely on the city left the

vast majority of its buildings in utter ruins. Like Sardis, however, Laodicea was by this point so wealthy, and so

prosperous, that the city actively refused the help of the Roman Government, choosing instead to rebuild on its own

terms. The historian Tacitus details these events for us, stating that:

“One of the most famous cities of Asia, Laodicea, was in that same year (AD61), overthrown by an earthquake, and

without any relief from us, recovered itself from its own resources.”

Laodicea was indeed rich, and had become wealthy. It was truly in need of nothing – not even in the face of such a

disastrous earthquake. The Lord leaves us in no doubt, however, as to His conclusions. Verse 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.

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I want you to notice the marked distinction here between the church’s perception of itself, and the righteous judgment

of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a church that thinks it is doing well. “We are rich!” “We have become wealthy!” “We

have need of nothing!”.

You can see the picture being painted here, can’t you. To put it in modern terms, this is a church that has thousands

of members attending every Sunday. The offering plates are full to overflowing, their worship is soulful and moving,

and their CDs sell in the thousands. People flock to their services, celebrities sit in the front row and endorse them

without hesitation. This is a church on the forefront of the world stage, at the crossroads of the world, prosperous,

thriving, strong.

But look at the Lord’s analysis.

You “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”.

Ouch.

That’s quite a brutal response. You think you’re doing well. You think you have the world at your feet – that you are

shining lights on a hill, a powerful army for the Lord, a chosen generation!

…but you’re not.

You are wretched. Miserable. Poor. Blind. Naked.

Why is this church in such a miserable state? How can they possibly be so disconnected from the reality of their

situation? Well, the Lord doesn’t leave us wondering; in fact, the very next phrase from His lips clarifies this for us

beyond question.

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich.”

This is a particular thing to say. Obviously it’s a reference to Laodicea’s wealth, but in spiritual terms, what is the Lord

counselling them to obtain?

1 Peter 1 answers this question for us, using the same image of gold refined by fire.

Turn with me to that passage. 1 Peter 1, beginning at verse 3.

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again

to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled

and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation

ready to be revealed in the last time.

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In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the

genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found

to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen, you love.”

What are the people at Laodicea lacking? It’s faith! We’ve seen throughout this series that the Lord has permitted

the tares to grow with the wheat, as it were. In every instance, in every letter, we’ve seen the faithful spoken to

alongside the faithless in each church. Here, for the first time, we see that dynamic shift markedly. There are indeed

those who have faith in Christ in this church, as we’ll see in a moment, but in Laodicea, they are in a distinct minority.

The overwhelming spiritual condition of the church at Laodicea is marked by a wholehearted lack of faith in Jesus

Christ. This is the unsaved church.

Now, in case you doubt that, the Lord continues. Back to Revelation, chapter 3 and verse 18.

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…

We’ve covered the gold, refined in the fire, but what about the garments? Well, we’ve seen white robes in this book

before, haven’t we. Allow me to remind you.

Turn with me to Revelation chapter 4 verse 4.

“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white

robes.”

…and now Revelation 7, starting at verse 9:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples,

and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their

hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the

Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces

before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,

Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,

Be to our God forever and ever.

Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come

from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

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So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them

white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Now let’s draw this all together. Turn back to Revelation 3 and verse 5.

5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will

confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

We’ve seen repeatedly throughout this series that the overcomers are those who place their faith and trust in Jesus

Christ. If then, those who are clothed in white robes are in Christ, and the Laodiceans are declared naked and wretched

in the eyes of the King, what does that suggest?

These white garments are the mark of salvation for the believer. They are a gift to the overcomer; the symbol of the

precious blood of Jesus Christ, the sign of the redeemed and the covering of the saints.

And yet here, within the very walls of this church, the Laodiceans are naked. Wretched. Miserable.

Why?

Because they don’t… have… Christ.

They’re lost. Lost!

…but in case even that isn’t enough for you, the Lord makes His point abundantly clear. Look at verse 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.”

We’ve no doubt all heard this verse before – and usually in the context of evangelism. In fact, a church here in Hobart

has a beautiful stained glass window of this very image, with the text below. That’s fine, of course – there’s nothing

particularly wrong with that application, but it’s actually not what is occurring here. What should strike us in these

verses isn’t the fact that the Lord knocks on the door seeking fellowship – after all, we saw Him in the letter to the

church at Ephesus walking among the lampstands, and promising the restoration of fellowship with echoes of Eden –

but what should give us pause is the fact that the Lord is seen here knocking on the door of a church.

Let me remind you of Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20; where the Lord says:

“Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

And so if, as we see here in Laodicea, Jesus Christ is not in the midst of the church… what conclusion must we draw?

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The imagery is consistent. Whether it be a lack of gold, refined by fire, suggesting a lack of faith in the risen King, or

white robes, representing salvation for those who are in Christ, who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb… or

the Alpha and Omega Himself, standing outside the door and knocking, there is a single point being made here in

multiple ways. This is a church that is – at least in very large part – without Jesus Christ.

Without salvation, without sight, without wealth, without Christ.

And this, it must be said, is why the Lord’s reaction is so violent in verse 16. “Because you are neither hot, nor cold, I

will vomit you out of my mouth.”

There can be no question here that this is a damning indictment on the church at Laodicea. This is a church so devoid

of the life of Christ that it cannot be tolerated in the body of Christ.

Laodicea: the Church of the Last Days

So, we’ve covered the history of this church. We’ve covered the unadulterated truth as presented by the One who

sees all things as they are, the True and Faithful Witness. …but how does this all apply to us, and how does it apply to

our own day and age?

In some respects, I’d rather not even address this. …and it’s not because I’m unwilling to speak about the falsehood

and heresy of the modern church, but because many of these teachings don’t even deserve to see the light of day.

They are, however, an accurate reflection of the age in which we live, and the state of the modern church, and for that

reason, if no other, they do need to be addressed. Today’s church finds itself in the same position as Laocidea. Poor,

blind and naked.

The Poverty of the Church

The first point that we must address is the poverty of the modern church. We could talk at length here about the

literal wealth of the church: the Catholic Church’s hidden hoard of gold, antiques and valuables pillaged through the

centuries, the televangelists buying multi-million dollar aircraft, or the TV ‘healers’ in Italian suits and Rolex watches;

but I suspect the error that is even more dangerous, and perhaps even more pervasive in these last days is the sense

in which the church truly believes that it has everything, and is in need of nothing – both literally and spiritually.

Now, I’m not going to have time to address any of these issues at length, but I will provide a few choice quotes that

will hopefully highlight for you the position that the church finds herself in today.

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So, to wealth. We’ll all be familiar no doubt with this doctrine. The church today cries out “I am rich, and have become

wealthy! I have need of nothing!”. ...and I’m going to apologise to you in advance here, I’m going to be quoting Joel

Osteen a lot – and not because I enjoy picking on the man, but because he is at the forefront of many of these heretical

teachings in the church today, and thus quite useful for pressing the point. He says, and I quote:

“If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you’re going to have to do more

than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family.”

You see, according to Osteen, and again, I quote, “God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions,

fresh ideas, and creativity. …He wants to pour out His ‘far and beyond’ favour. God wants this to be the best time of

your life!”.

Well, that’s all fine, of course, but is that really God’s will for your life, to prosper you here and now with material

things? I would suggest to you that the reason that this teaching has such great allure is because it appeals so

powerfully to the desperate greed in the heart of man. We want to be great. We want to be loved. We want to be

rich, and blessed, don’t we. We all struggle with these things.

…but what does Scripture say? Allow me to quote to you.

Romans 12:2. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you

may prove what the will of God is; that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Ephesians 2:10. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so

that we would walk in them.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19. ”Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of

God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Do you see it here? Do you see the will of God for you? The will of God is that through the blood of Jesus Christ, and

the power of the Holy Spirit, you should become more like Christ; in faith, in good works, in holiness.

More to the point, if material wealth is the mark of a life that glorifies the King of Kings, then Scripture is littered with

the corpses of penniless prophets that died in vain. Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded. John was

imprisoned. Stephen was stoned. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said “foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but

the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” before turning His face toward Jerusalem and marching toward the cross.

And as we saw in the church to Smyrna, that church who had suffered so greatly under the Romans, and endured such

great persecution, and such great poverty, the Lord declared to them that they were indeed rich – because when all

you have is Christ, you cannot help but to cling to the only thing you ever really had - the “depth of the riches of the

wisdom and the knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33) in all its glory. And if we would be rich, so it is with us. We must

cast aside the things of this world, and the sin that so easily entangles, and pursue Christ, and no other.

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What does the hymn say?

Now none but Christ can satisfy,

No other name for me;

There’s life, and love, and lasting joy,

Lord Jesus, found in thee.

There is your wealth! There is the great and abiding wealth of the church, in all the blessings, and all the power, and

all the majesty that is given unto Jesus Christ, and Him alone. Worship Him!

…but the problem here is not simply that this church is poor. This is a church that is blind… that can see neither the

glory of the risen Christ nor the truth of the gospel; for if they did, they would see that they were naked, and wretched,

and repent. Now, there are a thousand quotes I could provide for this malady in the modern church – but I’m just

going to give you one. I’m going to give you one that’s quite explicit in its error, and then I’m going to highlight for

you the subtle way in which this attitude pervades the church today.

Allow me to quote to you from Joel Osteen’s wife. No doubt some of you will have heard this already, but it bears

repeating. She said this before a church audience in excess of 16,000 people, who cheered wildly in support of what

she had to say.

"I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God - I mean, that's one

way to look at it - we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we're happy.

So I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy.

When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God really. You're doing it for yourself,

because that's what makes God happy. Amen?"

Do you know what this is? Of course, this is an extreme example, but this attitude, this ideology, is rampant in our

churches today. It’s humanism. It’s humanism! This is not so much a doctrine, nor a theology, nor even an ideology,

but an unspoken bias that suggests that the chief end of God is the happiness of man. …and it’s heresy. It’s heresy,

and it blinds us to the truth, because it presents to us a God that is made in the image of man… and it tugs at the very

heart of the problem inherent in us all. It’s sin – and not just that, but the very oldest of sins - that we should seek to

demote God and place our own selves on that throne. Where the gospel cries out, “you alone are worthy”, Revelation

5:9, the modern church cries out “we are a chosen generation; we are worthy”.

If this church would dare to compare themselves with Christ, then they need look no further than Scripture itself.

Isaiah 53, verses 2-3, states:

He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

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3 He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

While Psalm 22 is perhaps even more graphic:

But I am a worm, and no man;

A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

…and if we look here, if we really look into the teaching of the church on the person of Jesus Christ, in the light of the

gospel, we can see just why it is that the church today looks so much like the world…

Because what man or woman wants to look like that:

“Despised, and rejected by men.”

“A worm, and not a man… a reproach of men, and despised by the people.”

My friends, if you want to know why the Lord Jesus Christ rejected the church at Laodicea, if you want to know why

His reaction was so visceral, so graphic, so violent that He would spew them out of His mouth, then you need look no

further than this:

…because it didn’t look like Him.

And the chief end of man, to the praise of Almighty God, is that you might be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ,

for His glory, and for His name’s sake.

I wonder, does that describe your life this morning?

…because if not, then the truth of the gospel lies right here before you, purely and simply. Without Jesus Christ, you

are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. …and I don’t care if you’re hidden behind the doors of the church, I

don’t care if you’re in your best Sunday clothes… I don’t even care if you’re standing in the pulpit once a month and

hosting prayer meetings on a Monday. If you don’t have Jesus Christ, you’re lost. …and all your works, all your striving

and effort, all your painstaking attempts at being good enough are just lipstick on a pig – or lukewarm water in your

glass. It’s useless.

It’s useless.

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So what’s the remedy?

Well, as ever, the King of Kings doesn’t leave us in the dark.

Turn back to the beginning of our passage – Revelation 3 and verse 14.

“These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God…”

Do you see what the Lord is saying here? Can you see the remedy prescribed for this church? It’s Christ! As in every

letter, in every situation, in every trial and temptation –

In the loveless church, in the persecuted church, in the compromised church, in the corrupt church, in the dead church,

in the faithful church, in the lukewarm church – it’s all the same, the solution is the One whose voice calls out in every

letter from beginning to end and everything in between… it’s Jesus Christ.

Verse 14.

“I am the Amen”, He says…

“I am the Faithful and True Witness”…

“I am the Beginning”, the origin “…of the creation of God”

I would suggest to you that in these three chapters, in each of the letters we’ve studied so far, and in the Revelation

of the King, both in chapter 1 and throughout chapters 2 and 3, you will find in every letter, in every word, in every

name and every deed, the person of Jesus Christ represented in a way that no other book of Scripture can present:

glorified, triumphant, exalted and holy.

Throughout this series, we’ve seen Him as judge, we’ve seen Him as King, and over and over again we’ve seen Him as

the One and Only remedy for the fallen state of man. There truly is no other name in Heaven or on earth given amongst

men by which we must be saved.

And so it is that if you’re lost this morning… if you’re without Christ… if you are relying upon your own merit for

salvation, relying upon your own riches, or works, like the church at Laodicea, then to you, the Lord Jesus Christ extends

this invitation – and in a very real way, He does so this very morning.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

…and as always, it starts right here, with Jesus Christ. He is the Amen. The Faithful and True Witness. The beginning

of the creation of God – and all you’re asked to do is to open that door when you hear His voice.

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This is why we pray when we open the Word together every week – that you would hear – not my voice – but His voice

when I preach – that you would hear and respond to the calling of Jesus Christ upon your life. And why?

…because if you are naked before God this morning, wretched and miserable, He will clothe you.

…and If you are blind, He will open your eyes that you might see the King of Kings for who He is.

If you are poor, He will grant you all the riches of the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

…and when you do open that door, or if you are already saved through the blood of the Lamb, then the promises here

are yours.

“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.”

Do you know Him this morning? Is Jesus Christ your King, your God, your Saviour? Or are you, like the Laodiceans,

locked behind the doors of this church with the only hope you’ll ever have left pleading in the cold?

“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.”

Amen.

Let’s pray.