WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.919 22 which addresses the church at Laodicea. 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:12.080 As I said at the start we're coming to the end of the section where the churches, 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:18.260 seven churches were being addressed by the Lord. Now you may be familiar with this section and 00:00:18.260 --> 00:00:25.900 heard sermons on all the different churches. If you go back to verse 1 of chapter 1 we see the 00:00:25.899 --> 00:00:32.439 reason for which John was given this revelation. What the Lord showed to him in the purpose followed, 00:00:32.519 --> 00:00:39.200 the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:48.399 take place. He made it known by sending his angels to his servant John who bore witness to the word 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:56.820 of God and so on. So as you go back to the beginning of the book you realize the purpose 00:00:56.820 --> 00:01:04.140 for which God was giving this word. So much of revelation looks way into the future to the coming 00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:09.480 of the Lord as you see towards the end but it also instructs us about things that will take place 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:16.920 before that time. And the first warning that we see in the book of Revelation is the warning 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:24.760 to the churches. And as always as we see in our own world a variety of churches with variety of 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:31.040 issues and varieties of works and all kinds of things. We see the variety that the revelation was 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:37.359 being given to these seven churches. We see the kind of different things that were going on in the 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:45.840 churches. Each church is addressed and it's characterized usually by one particular mark. The church at 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:55.380 Ephesus had begun to backslide. The church at Pergamon was compromised. It was holding to other 00:01:55.380 --> 00:02:01.500 teachings. The church at Thyatira was a church that it was saying it was on its last chance told 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:10.800 to repent. The church at Sardis is described as a dead church. The churches we see here there's so many 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:17.000 differences between them. But when you look at the last two that we read in Philadelphia had an open 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:23.840 door of opportunity there for them. The door was open. But what's interesting then as you read into 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:31.780 the church at Laodicea is the door is closed but the Lord Jesus is standing at the door and knocking. 00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:39.420 And perhaps the church at Laodicea is one we may be often called to mind. When we hear these words that 00:02:39.419 --> 00:02:47.639 describe the church in verse 15 I know your works you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:56.560 either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold I will spit you out of my mouth. 00:02:57.579 --> 00:03:04.859 There's a real warning in these words. And yet when you look at the church you think to yourself well 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:11.740 there's not really many major problems here. There's no real heresy in their midst. There's no 00:03:11.740 --> 00:03:17.820 persecution going on. There's no immorality mentioned. None of these things describe the great 00:03:17.820 --> 00:03:29.320 problem in the church at Laodicea. So what does mark it out? Mediocrity. They become complacent 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:35.500 in all that they see around them and all that they have in their lives. They've lost their focus 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:42.879 to the extent now that you see Christ on the outside standing at the door and knocking. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:52.759 And there's always a strong warning to ourselves there. There's opportunity for them. As it says here 00:03:52.759 --> 00:04:00.179 he is standing at the door and knocking. But they need to open this door that the Lord will come in 00:04:00.179 --> 00:04:09.399 and refresh them. Laodicea is a church that has problems. The other churches have both positives and 00:04:09.399 --> 00:04:17.039 negatives mentioned. But what is said about the church in Laodicea this lukewarmness is a negative. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:26.920 And so the question is why? What kind of place was Laodicea? What kind of problems did they have? And is it a 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:37.720 problem or problems that we are in danger of ourselves? The free church's vision at the moment is a healthy 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:46.740 gospel church for every community. So if you think of that in the case here, the purpose of writing to these 00:04:46.740 --> 00:04:53.560 churches in Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamon, Thyatira and so on would be to refresh them, to renew them, 00:04:53.639 --> 00:05:00.340 to reinvigorate them, reinvigorate them, to be a healthy church in their place. And that's the same as 00:05:00.340 --> 00:05:05.780 what we would long to see in our own country and other nations of the world. Healthy gospel church, 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:13.220 being strong witnesses in our communities. But in order for that to be the case, it doesn't matter 00:05:13.220 --> 00:05:20.900 what we do and how we're going about things. If the Lord is on the outside, it's no use. 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:30.860 So the answer to be refreshed and focused is with Jesus as our Lord. In the midst of everything that 00:05:30.860 --> 00:05:36.800 we do, that he would be with us, with us in our worship, with us in our homes, with us in our outreach, 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:43.439 and all that we seek to do for him, that he would be with us in the midst to bless. And so we're going 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:50.740 to look at this church at Laodicea and see what it has to say to us. First of all, we're just going 00:05:50.740 --> 00:06:01.160 to think about the place, this place that is Laodicea. What kind of place was it? Well, it's a tough 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:08.560 diagnosis that it's been given. John Stott in his commentary on this passage. He says, 00:06:09.340 --> 00:06:14.900 we shall need to brace ourselves to hear what Jesus thinks of the Laodicean church. 00:06:15.900 --> 00:06:22.500 We need to brace ourselves. Can you imagine what it would have been like for them to hear 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:29.800 this message? A church that maybe thinks all is well. Everything is going well for them. They're 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:39.060 prospering in so many ways. And yet this word comes like an arrow. You are neither hot nor cold. 00:06:39.060 --> 00:06:49.139 Would that you are either hot or cold, but not lukewarm. Imagine what it would be like for them 00:06:49.139 --> 00:06:57.300 receiving this word. What would the Lord say to ourselves as a congregation, as a church? 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:03.600 What words would he use to describe us? Would he describe us in our good works and all that we 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:10.060 were doing? Or would he come with negatives and challenges to us? I'm sure there would be a mixture 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:17.840 of all good works, but also areas we need to improve on, things we need to refocus on and maybe do better. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:24.480 Because you see, the danger here is maybe they think that there's nothing wrong. We're okay. 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:29.100 But what's the danger there? What's the serious danger there is pride. 00:07:30.520 --> 00:07:36.259 Pride. Because they think, well, we're doing all right. We're getting on well. And Psalm 75, 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:45.600 we sang these words, boast not, I tell the proud. We're not to be proud. That's always the danger that 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:53.500 the Lord would humble us. And that's what the Lord is doing to the church at Laodicea. He's humbling them. 00:07:54.640 --> 00:08:00.820 And we see the authority of the word that comes to them. We see that in verse 14. 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:07.160 It comes with all authority. To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the words of the 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:15.240 Amen. The faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. This is a word from the Lord. And as you see, 00:08:15.700 --> 00:08:19.360 towards the end of this section in verse 21, it says, 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:39.659 It is the Lord's church. It is his church, his body, which he has fought and come victorious for. 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:47.620 He has conquered and sat down with his father on his throne. Where do we look back? We look back to the 00:08:47.620 --> 00:08:56.299 cross where Christ was victorious and he ascended to his father to sit at the right hand until he comes 00:08:56.299 --> 00:09:03.000 again. So this is the word with authority from the Lord himself, the one who is victorious. And when we 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:12.179 think of all that the Lord has done for us, there's no way then we should be lukewarm for him. We should be on fire 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:22.539 for him. The challenge here is to the church at Laodicea, what are you doing for my church? What are you doing 00:09:22.539 --> 00:09:32.440 for my people, my bride? The different ways he describes his church throughout scripture. What are you doing for my 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:41.720 church? And that's the challenge for ourselves as well today? Who is he writing to? What kind of place 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:50.060 is Laodicea? Well, you see, as you go through this, it is a rich place. They have plenty of wealth, plenty 00:09:50.060 --> 00:09:56.580 of prosperity. And in particular, there was three major factors that made them rich. 00:09:56.580 --> 00:10:07.879 He describes here in verse 17 that they were rich, but I have prospered and I need nothing. 00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:18.940 This is their attitude. I have prospered and I need nothing. But there's a warning then in verse 18, 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:26.760 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich. So there's this problem. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:32.080 They thought they were wealthy and rich, but actually the Lord is saying you're poor. 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:40.620 So they had all this commerce and banking going on. It was a place, Laodicea, that was the center, 00:10:40.760 --> 00:10:47.740 the hub of the banking world at the time. Trade came from north, south, east, and west through this 00:10:47.740 --> 00:10:55.240 great city. And much wealth came with it. It was also a place that was rich because of its textile 00:10:55.240 --> 00:11:02.240 industry. As we'll see as we go on, he speaks about clothes. He says, you've got all of this cloth, 00:11:02.299 --> 00:11:09.440 all of this clothes, and yet you're naked. So they had all of these things. They had great wealth. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:15.320 They had the textile industry, and they also had a special ointment that they got in this place, 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:20.900 an ointment that was produced there, that was put on people's eyes to cure blindness. 00:11:21.940 --> 00:11:28.720 And this would have brought great wealth to them as well. There's these three positives in this place. 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:37.760 A place of wealth, a place of commerce, a place of everything going well. And they come to the point, 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:47.659 they say, I am rich. I have prospered. I need nothing. And it's such a dangerous place to be. 00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:54.039 When we look around our own town here, we look at the past and present examples of what has brought 00:11:54.039 --> 00:12:02.319 wealth to this island. You see pictures and images of the herring girls and the industry that was booming 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:08.879 for years here. In the past, you see Arnish that brought so much work, and at times still does. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:15.800 You see a new cruise terminal growing up. You see wave and wind energy being harnessed. You see food 00:12:15.800 --> 00:12:21.640 experts going out. There's so much going on in so many different ways. That's not to say that we're 00:12:21.640 --> 00:12:28.300 not in need. We know there are great needs around us too. But what happens in these booms and slumps, 00:12:28.299 --> 00:12:39.899 what we see here, the church becomes lukewarm. The Christian freshness, the Christian witness was 00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:49.620 dying. And that is always the danger that we have to guard against ourselves. There is a rebuke for them 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:56.579 here. Something that we have to always consider for ourselves. And yet when we look at what we have here, 00:12:56.580 --> 00:13:05.020 our greatest richness, our greatest heritage is our Christian heritage. The Word of God, the Spirit of God 00:13:05.020 --> 00:13:11.560 that we need to come back to and harness for ourselves. Not to end up being like the church 00:13:11.560 --> 00:13:20.700 at Laodicea, pushing the Lord outside the door, but making sure that the Lord is in. So the place was a 00:13:20.700 --> 00:13:31.759 place that was booming. And this led to so many problems. So many problems in this city. But in the 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:40.000 midst of all that was going on, their greatest problem is their water supply. For all that this was a booming 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:49.879 place of commerce and industry. Their water supply was poor. And that's what the Lord uses to describe how 00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:59.159 they are as God's people. He says, I know your works. You're neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:09.759 cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. But all that they 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:18.960 had that was good, the water was lukewarm. Other places nearby were famous for hot springs. Other 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:26.000 places were famous for cold springs. And in order to get a water supply to the city, to Laodicea, 00:14:26.059 --> 00:14:31.379 they would bring water from both these places. But the problem was, if they brought hot water, 00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:39.539 it would cool down before it reached and be lukewarm. The cool, refreshing water, it would warm up as it 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:46.000 was coming to Laodicea and be lukewarm. So this was a great problem. And this is what he's using to 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:53.539 describe their spiritual state. We maybe often think of hot as in on fire for the Lord and cold as in 00:14:53.539 --> 00:14:59.159 being away from the Lord. But that's not the point he's making here at all. He's saying, would that you 00:14:59.159 --> 00:15:07.459 were either cold or hot? Because the hot water brings refreshing and healing in the same way that 00:15:07.459 --> 00:15:16.240 cool water quenches a thirst and brings refreshing as well. So it's be one or the other, not lukewarm. 00:15:17.500 --> 00:15:25.039 And this is what leads to the image of being spat out. I'm sure you've all picked up maybe a cup of tea 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:29.120 thinking it's hot and put it to your mouth only to find that it's cooled down and you just 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:36.220 spit it out. Or water that's gone warm and it's just not refreshing. You spit it out. And this is the 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:44.720 way the Lord is describing the church here. And what's the problem? They've trusted their wealth. 00:15:45.779 --> 00:15:54.539 They say, I am rich. I have prospered. I need nothing. So what a dangerous place to be. 00:15:54.539 --> 00:16:04.039 And may the Lord guard us against ever thinking that ourselves. That we become complacent and say we 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:13.379 have nothing that we need of the Lord. Because apart from him, we can do nothing. So what is 00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:24.419 their condemnation? Well, he says, you think you are rich. You think all this wealth is going to help you 00:16:24.419 --> 00:16:31.479 and be there for you all the time. But he's actually saying you are poor. He says, you think you have 00:16:31.479 --> 00:16:40.059 great cure for eye problems, but you're blind. Look at verse 17. When you say, I am rich. I have 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:46.339 prospered. I need nothing. Realizing that you're rich, pitiable, poor. You have this eye salve, 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:53.060 but you're blind. You have this great textiles, but you're naked. You think you have everything, 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:59.519 but you have nothing. So the very things that they had built their lives on and thought that they were 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:07.579 secure was actually their downfall. They were, as it were, building their house upon the sand and not 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:17.839 upon the rock. So the Lord comes with the warning. And that's when we turn and see the cure that is 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:24.339 here. They say they need nothing. They have been accustomed with selling for a great profit, but now 00:17:24.339 --> 00:17:29.379 Jesus comes to them like a merchant with an offer that could change everything for them. He says in 00:17:29.380 --> 00:17:38.480 verse 18, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich. So he's saying here, 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:46.780 come and buy this gold, this precious gold I have to offer that you may be rich. Come and have these 00:17:46.780 --> 00:17:52.400 white garments, the white garments that you see throughout Revelation as those who are washed 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:59.040 in the blood of the Lamb. Come, take these white garments so that you may clothe yourselves. 00:17:59.380 --> 00:18:06.980 And he goes on then to say, the shame of your nakedness may not be seen and salve to anoint your 00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:16.660 eyes so that you may see. Come and take what I have to offer you because what you have is going to do 00:18:16.660 --> 00:18:25.920 nothing for you. You need what I have to offer. And he is standing at the door and knocking. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:33.740 He wants to come in to them. There's a call here to repentance. This is where we see the cure. It's 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:42.259 about turning to the Lord. But you also see the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ here. There's a note of 00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:52.640 tenderness in these words as well. He says in verse 19, those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:19:02.500 And isn't it great that we have the Lord as our God in that way. Those who he loves, he reproves. 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:14.360 He challenges, he disciplines. So be zealous and repent, he says. Come to me. If anyone hears my voice, 00:19:14.580 --> 00:19:21.040 I will come in. I will come in to him. We see verse 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:28.200 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. 00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:35.420 That is the beauty of this fellowship with the Lord Jesus, that he longs to be in the midst 00:19:35.420 --> 00:19:44.819 of his people. Christ longs to be with his people. Without Christ in our midst, we have nothing. 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:51.700 And so it's always to remind ourselves that everything that we are doing for the Lord is with 00:19:51.700 --> 00:20:00.379 him in view. To keep our eyes on him. With Christ, the one who is welcomed in, we enjoy fellowship and 00:20:00.379 --> 00:20:08.559 blessing with him and through him. He offers the cure of what we really need. It's in him. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:16.119 The riches that he has to offer. The clean garments that he has to offer. The 2020 vision that he has 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:23.839 to offer. He has all of these things. So that we would see him, the one who has conquered and sat down 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:32.019 at the Father's throne. And so we are to look to him. That is the hope of the church at Laodicea 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:40.099 and ourselves that he will come in and sit with us and we with him. When you look through the scriptures 00:20:40.099 --> 00:20:47.160 and you see dining so often with the Lord Jesus, it's a time of fellowship and blessing. And so often 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:54.299 Jesus was seen with those who others would rebuke, the tax collectors and the sinners and women who had 00:20:54.299 --> 00:21:00.900 bad reputations, all these kinds of things. Jesus came and sat with them and ate with them and 00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:06.480 fellowshiped with them. And he is saying to the church here at Laodicea as to ourselves, 00:21:07.280 --> 00:21:15.340 remember, I stand at the door and knock. Open and I will come in to you and eat with you and fellowship 00:21:15.340 --> 00:21:24.100 with you. You will enjoy my blessing. A shared meal in ancient times was a symbol of loving fellowship. 00:21:24.620 --> 00:21:30.660 And it's still the promise that the Lord has to give to his people today, that he will be in the midst 00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:39.460 to bless. I'll leave you with a story of a pastor in America who went to visit a very wealthy man in 00:21:39.460 --> 00:21:46.360 Texas. He was invited to dinner in this man's home. The pastor was invited in. And after the meal, 00:21:46.840 --> 00:21:53.080 this businessman invited him to go outside with him. And he took him outside and he started showing 00:21:53.079 --> 00:22:00.960 him everything that was his. He pointed to the landscape in front of them where there were oil wells scattered. 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:10.859 And he said, all that is mine. 25 years ago, I had nothing, but all that is mine. 00:22:11.699 --> 00:22:18.859 Looking in the opposite direction, there were fields filled with grain. And he said, all that is mine too. 00:22:18.859 --> 00:22:26.959 Turning east, he saw this huge herd of cattle. And he said, all that is mine. 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:36.240 And then he pointed to the west and a beautiful forest. And he said, all that is mine too. 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:44.740 And the businessman paused for a moment, expecting the preacher to say a great word of compliment to him, 00:22:44.740 --> 00:22:52.319 how well he had done in his life. But the preacher instead put one hand on the man's shoulder and said 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:59.880 to him, pointing heavenward. He said, how much do you have in that direction? 00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:07.560 And the man's head bowed. And he said, I never thought of that. 00:23:09.100 --> 00:23:17.340 Sometimes we need a rebuke, just like the church at Laodicea. A church who said, we are rich. 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:24.220 I need nothing. Just like that businessman who the pastor went to thought he was rich. 00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:31.860 He needed nothing. And yet he was missing out on everything because he had no thought of Christ. 00:23:32.819 --> 00:23:40.720 Without Christ, we have nothing. But as it says, he stands at the door and knocks. 00:23:41.860 --> 00:23:49.420 Let's keep the door open. That the Lord Jesus would be in the midst of us and everything that we do, 00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:55.560 that he would be in the midst to bless. May God bless his word to us. 00:23:58.019 --> 00:23:59.759 We're going to conclude by singing.