Lastly... we have...
7 □ The Church at Laodicea... the Apostate (backslider, deserter) church...
◇ Brief historical background...
▪︎ Laodicea means... "justice of the people."
▪︎ Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II (261–246 B.C.)
▪︎ It had a Seleucid foundation. Seleucus was one of the generals of Alexander the Great who took Syria.
▪︎ Laodicea was about forty miles east and inland from Ephesus on the Lycus River.
▪︎ It is located at what is known as the "Gate of Phrygia."
▪︎ Out of the Oriental East, the camel caravans came down through the Gate of Phrygia and Laodicea.
▪︎ Laodicea was in a valley.
▪︎ Today its ruins are largely covered up with the growth of what looks like wild oats.
▪︎ A valley between Laodicea and the Phrygian mountains, was a great Anatolian temple of the Phrygian god, Men Karou.
▪︎ The temple was the very center of all society, administration, trade, and religion.
▪︎ There was a market there... strangers came from everywhere to trade.
▪︎ Laodicea was a place of great wealth, commerce, and Greek culture.
▪︎ It was a place of science and literature.
▪︎ It boasted an excellent medical school which, was very primitive and very heathen.
▪︎ Here was developed what was known in the Roman world as Phrygian powder, a salve for the ears and eyes.
▪︎ Laodicea was also a center of industry with extensive banking operations.
▪︎ The city was finally abandoned because of earthquakes.
▪︎ The ruins of two Roman theaters, a large stadium, and three early Christian churches are still there.
▪︎ The city itself has not been excavated.
▪︎ Laodicea also produced clothing.
▪︎ People used clay from the local hills, mixed it with a spikenard, and made it into a salve for the eyes and ears.
▪︎ This salve was shipped all over the Roman Empire.
■ Christ's letter to the Church...
☆ Revelation 3:14-22...
"And unto 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 would you were cold or hot.
So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.
Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eyesalve, that you may see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches."
• "These things says the Amen..."
"Amen" is used as a proper name for Christ. The Lord Jesus is the AMEN. He has the last word. He is the Alpha And Omega and everything in between. He is going to fulfill all the promises of God. In Him, they are YES and AMEN!
He lets the Laodiceans know this because they have in effect rejected Him... His deity...
• "... the faithful and true witness..." Jesus will tell all and reveal all. We live in a a day and age where it is difficult to hear truth and know what is truth. We certainly don't get truth from the media or governments. Not all churches tell the truth either. Who can we believe?
There is One Who is the Faithful and True witness... Jesus Christ... He is still the same even in the days of apostasy. The liberal church has nothing to say today.
• "...the beginning of the creation of God." This tells us Jesus is the Creator. ☆ Colossians 1:16-17.
Today the myth of evolution is pushed big time in every field... science, education, literature, entertainment, media etc.
There are really only two explanations for the origin of the Universe... speculation and revelation.
Speculation... because nobody was there to see it and nobody was able to come up with an answer.
Revelation... what the Word of God has to say... the testimony of the One Who created it. Which one is the most reliable?
• "I know your works..." Jesus has nothing good to say about the works done by this church... in fact they were evil works.
• "... that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot." Interesting background with regards to water... Being down in a valley they had difficulty getting water in Laodicea. The Laodiceans built an aqueduct to bring cold water down from the mountains. The trip down the mountains to Laodicea left the water lukewarm.
There were also hot springs in the region... in fact the water was so hot it was steam. When this hot water was taken to Laodicea, by the time it arrived it was... you guessed it... lukewarm. When Jesus said that they were neither hot nor cold, the Laodiceans knew exactly what He meant.
• "So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth."
A "cold" church, actually means that they have denied every cardinal doctrine of faith. A cold church is a very formal church, working in opposition to the Word of God and to the Gospel.
Sorry, but the liberal church today is just like that.
On the other hand... "hot" speaks of spiritual fervour and passion in and for the things of God...
The Laodicean church was neither... hot nor cold.
Jesus described them as being lukewarm... insipid... "in the middle of the road" compromising Christians.
Because of their lukewarmness He said He would spew (vomit) them out of His mouth. This does not sound like a church that is going to be Raptured by the Lord.
Sadly the Church at Laodicea is a picture of many churches today. Big well known denominations (both fundamental and conservative) have departed from "the Faith" and have adopted a middle of the road position... wishy-washiness incorporated... The preaching has been watered down. These churches "have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof"... nothing short of hypocrisy. They have a name that they live... but are dead!
• "Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing..."
The city of Laodicea was rich... wealthy. This church boasted of material possessions. They believed that they had it made and that the "dollar" was the answer to all ills and problems. That is so far from the truth.
Jesus told them...
• "... and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
Jesus tells them the truth. He uses 5 very descriptive inglorious words as to what they really were... wretched... miserable... poor... blind and naked. They were the opposite to those in the Smyrnian Church... who thought they were poor, but Jesus said they were rich... rich in the things of God.
And today... well, we have numerous churches who boast large numbers of people attending, prominent people in the congregation, generous giving and ornate buildings.
Worldly wealth appears to be the measuring rod for the modern church. Spiritual values have been lost sight of or totally ignored.
The rich church at Laodicea is to be pitied because of their spiritual poverty. They were blind to the situation.
No study of the Word of God, no love of Jesus, no witnessing of His saving grace.
• "I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich..."
To rectify the problem Jesus counsels them to buy from Him... gold tried in the fire... that is the precious blood of Christ. His death on the Cross (the ultimate in riches) was the greatest trial by fire the world has ever witnessed... the greatest riches we could ever have is to be washed in the blood of the Lamb.
• "... and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear..."
This speaks of being clothed with the righteousness of Christ... the greatest, longest lasting, best "designer clothes available."
• "... and anoint your eyes with eyesalve, that you may see."
The Laodiceans were very familiar with physical eyesalve... because they produced is commercially.
Jesus speaks now of spiritual eyesalve.
This speaks of the anointing... the Holy Spirit Who opens the eyes of the believers. The best sight we can have is Holy Spirit sight...
• "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
When we become born again, we are adopted into God's family. We become His children. He loves us with an everlasting love... and because He loves us, He chastens us... He disciplines us... He rebukes us... when needed. We are not to despise His chastenings.
Read ☆ Hebrews 12:5-11.
Jesus exhorts the church to be "zealous"... be hot for God! Get on fire for God!
And... He tells them to repent! To totally do an about face from what they are doing.
The Church (of all time) needs to be in a continual state of repentance. Not a popular word or message in today's contemporary Church.
The worldly doctrine of humanism is firmly rooted in the Church today... "I can and I will do it my way."
In the meantime Jesus stands outside the door of the Church... His church... asking to be allowed in.
How sad is that?
Jesus shut outside His own church.
• "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."
Jesus tells the Laodiceans that things can be different... the situation can be totally turned around.
Jesus gives a very personal invitation to whoever hears Him knocking on the door of their heart and hears His voice. His promise? He will come in to Him... and sup with Him.
Jesus sees the problem, but He is always proactive in solving it. He is not willing that any should perish... even a cold or lukewarm Christian!
"Supping" with Him?... speaks of fellowship, feeding on the Word of God and getting to know Him better.
• "To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."
"... even as I also overcame"... Jesus gained victory over the world, and over the power of the tempter...
Jesus is preparing for the overcomer the next scene that will be coming up... when He says... "I will grant to sit with me in My throne."
Wow!
That is some honour... to sit with Christ "in His throne."
We will share His honors and His triumphs.
• "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches."
And once again (7th time now), the Saviour concludes His letter to the Church with taking heed to what the Spirit of God has to say. Reader, listener... hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church... hear what He is saying to you.
*******
For the Church... Jesus's Church... the most important chapters in the book of Revelation are chapters 2 and 3... "the things which are." Jesus is doing some straight talking about the state of His Church.
Jesus desires for His church to be without blemish, without spot... without wrinkle. ☆ Ephesians 5:27...
He, the Groom, is coming for His Bride... He is coming for His Church. He is coming for His own.
He is coming to Rapture His Church!
In chapters 2 and 3 Jesus gives us a clear X-ray view of the state of His church... He reveals "the good the bad and the ugly."
He commends and He condemns.
He pinpoints the problems and He gives the solutions.
The Church of all time... of all ages... is to listen clearly to His voice and to sort them selves out where necessary.
We are not to become over absorbed about what's happening on the earth in chapters 6 to 19, simply because the Church won't be there... it is in Heaven!
The picture painted in those chapters however, should jolt the Christian into sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the unbeliever to save them from their sin and to spare them from the coming holocaust... from the Great Tribulation... from the Hell that will be unleashed upon the Earth... "such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
The last thing I want to say... is actually a series of questions...
• Have you accepted Christ as your Saviour?
• Do you have Eternal Life?
• Are you ready for the Rapture?
• Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life?
• Where will you spend eternity? Heaven or Hell?
• Are you going to face the wrath of God... face His judgements... that He will unleash on the earth as described in the book of Revelation?
Selah!
Think on these things... seriously... very seriously!