Introduction:

One of the most famous paintings in the world is hanging in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The painting is called “Jesus the Light of the World”. The famous English artist Holman Hunt painted on canvas a picture of Christ wearing the crown of thorns knocking at a closed door. When his artist friends first saw it they began to criticize him because something was missing. There was no handle on the door on which Jesus was knocking. However, it really is a picture of the church of Christ in these last days. The Lord Jesus has been put out of his own Church. He is the Word and the Word is subtly being rejected. A survey of American Church leaders reveals: 59% survey reject the Virgin Birth; 71% don’t believe in life after death, 54% don’t believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus; 43% don’t believe in the local church or it leadership structure. Last, and 98% deny the personal return of the Lord.. The precepts of Bible doctrines are being rejected.

Laodicea represents the church of the last days. The Laodicea era is described by Paul in II Timothy Chapter 4:14, 15 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; & they shall turn away their ears from the truth”…

Charles Haddon Spurgen wrote over 138 years ago, “This Scripture was not meant to instruct the Laodicea’s church only, it has a wider aim. The actual church of Laodicea has passed away, but other Laodicea’s still exist, they are sadly multiplied in our day. There are too many lukewarm churches with lukewarm Christians. This letter to the Laodicea church contains our Lord’s harshest words. He offers no commendation to them, only condemnation.

I. The City vv.1 …“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans”

1. The actual city of Laodicea was rich, and so were the people of its church. The area thrived on three enterprises: finance, textiles, and eye salve. Pharmaceuticals were doing well because the eye salve made in the city was sold far and wide all over the Roman Empire. They had a significant Jewish population. Like other cities in the region, it was a center for Caesar worship and the worship of the healing god Asklepios. There was a famous temple of Asklepios in Laodicea, with a more famous medical school connected with the temple. The city is now utterly desolate and without inhabitants, the church died centuries ago, God having put its candlestick out and spewed her out because of her sickness. This age of the church is just as sick.

2) This is the period of the church age in which the majority of the people connected with Christianity hold beliefs such as the Bible is full of errors, there are no absolute truths, all good people will go to heaven, there is no hell or devil, Jesus wasn’t born of a virgin, the resurrection and the rapture are just fables and allegories. The local church isn’t important nor the structure of the local church and it’s ordained authority. The letter to the Laodicea’s is above all others the epistle for the end of the church age prior to the rapture…it is this present time. Many Bible scholar begin it began over lapping with the Philadelphia era around the time of WWI.

II The CondemnationVv.15-17
Here we see three characteristics of Jesus as he identifies himself to this church. He is the head!
“These things says the Amen, the Faithful an True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.”

1. Beginning of the creation of God: The idea behind the word for beginning [the ancient Greek word arche is that of a “ruler, source, or origin,” not of first in a sequential order. This verse does not teach that Jesus was the first being created, but that He is the ruler, source, and origin of all creation. It has the idea of first in prominence more than first in sequence. Colossians 1:13-16

In all the other letters Jesus refers to the churches good works however, the churches of the Laodicea good works are not mentioned. There were two problems in this church: First, there was something wrong with their commitment and doctrine of the local church. Today many do not see the relevant of the local New Testament church.

2. They were neither cold nor hot. Verse 16 Christ describes them as Lukewarm. The word “lukewarm,” is simply a word for tepid or lukewarm water. They were suffering from what someone once called “the leukemia of non-commitment.” The word our Lord actually uses here is not “spit out,” but the Greek word “emeo” / e-may-o meaning “to vomit.” It is where we get our English word “emetic” to induce vomiting. Thus the Greek word conveys, He will vomit out the church because it was nauseating to him. I wonder why? … Once it was unheard of in churches that abortion would be approved by evangelical believers- or that immorality, homosexuality would ever be acceptable within the leadership structure. Now this is increasingly accepted even by evangelical Christians in many places. This is truly the age of Laodicea.

The Laodicea church made Christ vomit. It was a sickening church. They were not cold, but they were not hot. The good being done was compromised to fit what the laity desires not what the Word of God expects. Good things are done, but no desire to do them God way. A Laodicean church had no notion of what that meant. The same is true for today’s church. What created this condition? There is only one answer. It is indifference! Indifference to God’s word and it is killing churches today!

4. There was something else wrong with this church, a second thing Christ mentions; namely their self-image. In Verse 17 they thought they were rich, but they were really poor. In this state of the church there is much self-glorification, 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The members say, “Everything going well, what more do we need? All is right with us.” It is still true today; worldly wealth is the measuring rod for the modern church today. Spiritual values, truth and doctrine have been lost sight of…it whatever floats your boat.

III The Command of Christ Vv.18-20

1. God counsel them to buy gold it refers to (faith / word) the wealth of the true believer. God’s said buy white raiment it is referring to the righteousness of Christ. I Peter 1:7 The people of this rich church bragged that they had “need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). How wrong they were! Jesus accused them of not only being spiritually “lukewarm but blind.

One of the main industries in the city was the making of fine clothing. But Jesus says you are dressing yourself in your own righteousness, what matters is His righteousness. Historians tell us that one of the products produced in Laodicea was eyes salve; it was an eye salve which could supposedly heal the blind. This refers to the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to sin and seek forgiveness. The sad part was that they were blind and didn’t even recognize it! They didn’t live for Him, they lived for themselves.

2. Jesus next urges the church to “be earnest and repent” (vs 19). He proves His love and concern by disciplining us. Verse 20 is often quoted as an invitation to non-Christians. It is true that Jesus wants people to open the door of their hearts to let Him come in. But in this letter He is speaking to the church. He tells these self-centered believers that they’ve left Him out.

3. They have shut Jesus out of the church. He established the Church, He designed the church, He is the head of the Church. He structured the leadership of the church. Some have no regards for the structure and leadership that He set in place for the local church. This is why the pastoral epistles are so important. He is the Chief Shepherd and is forever now sitting at the right hand of the father… He promised not to leave us or forsake us yet he has given special leadership to the local church. – Ephesians 4:11-14.

Remember the Church is the greatest intuition in the world purchase with the blood of Christ. Folk, lets follow his church and the mandates he has established in his word…buy gold! Not the radio or the television ministry. Beware of getting your resource from them at a Christian bookstore without pastoral guidance. Many questions are to be consider like, “Are they teaching form dispensation theology or covenant theology, are they A- mil, pre-mil or mid tri mil are they Baptist, and many more important issues. Jesus gave you His under shepherds. – I Peter 5: 1- 4

David was doing a good thing but in a wrong way he never consulted the High Priest and moved the Ark of the Covenant on a cart and a man died… Uzzah! The ark was designed to be carried (Exodus 25:12-15) and was only to be carried by Levites of the family of Koathites. You can be doing a good thing but using the wrong methodology. God wants to empower believers and give them guidance and blessing so that ministry will be done properly. Pastors and deacon were given for the profit of the local church and all its extended ministries. — “Bible Study Stories…

The local church is experiencing a leadership crisis. For every celebrity so called pastor who exits in the spotlight on radio, television and the web hundreds of unknown pastors and Churches have fallen. They become spiritual shells of who they once were because these usurped the local church.” This is because people follow celebrities, popularity and not true Christianity. The Church of Jesus Christ is being ravaged by this communicable disease I call it “celebrity iotas” and it is harmful to God’s people because it violates sound doctrine. The apostle Paul instructs Titus, “by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Therefore Titus must “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9 and 2:1).

Beware of working outside the administration of the Local New Testament Church. Ministries should be conducted under it leadership and guidance. Bad things happen when we do not! Why would you work outside the leadership given by Jesus Christ? Have you put Christ out of His own Church? Are you are Laodicean Christian?

4. Hebrews 13:17 and 21 & II Cor. 6:1 — We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

As members of the local church we made a covenant a vow before the congregation to sustain the worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give the church a sacred pre-eminence over all institution of human origin. There is no greater intuition than the church. Ministry should be a tentacle of the local church and guided by its under-shepherd. It should not be a church of the laity as was this one. Only as we follow Christ properly can we lead others in the right direction.

Conclusion:

Christ warned the Christians at Laodicea that they were in great spiritual peril because they couldn’t see themselves as they really were. Are you are Laodicean Christian? Do your physical goods and assets far outweigh your spiritual wealth? Christ stood at the door of the Laodicean church and kept knocking, waiting for them to recognize their need of Him (v.20).