The second and third chapters of Revelation contain messages to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. The message to the seventh church, the one in Laodicea, seems pertinent to our circumstances in 2024. That message was a stark warning about the danger of becoming lukewarm in your service to the Lord.
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 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: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest 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 overcometh 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 hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Rev. 3:14-22.
We seem to be living in a Laodicean era, because most Christian churches are lukewarm. Materially, they are rich; but spiritually, they are poor and wretched and blind and naked. The danger is that the lukewarmness of modern Christianity can infiltrate into the churches in the body of Christ.
The problem isn’t just the lukewarmness of so-called Christians, but the decline of Christianity as a life-controlling belief system. Our society in North America is probably the least Christian, the least godly, and the most unrighteous, since colonial times.
A recent survey by NORC, the University of Chicago research organization, found that less than half of Americans even believe God exists. As recently as 2008, the number of believers topped 60%. In
1993, it was more than 67%. Only 39% of Americans in 2023 consider religion to be very important. 25 years ago, 62% did. I suspect the percentage was even higher in the 1950s, although this survey wasn’t taken that long ago. That survey also found that 29% of Americans claim no religion in 2021, up from 23% in 2018, and from just 5% in 1972.
Gallup polling from 2020 also confirms that the percentage of Americans who belong to a church or synagogue or mosque dropped below 50% - probably for the first time in history. George Gallup started measuring church membership during the Depression, when 70% of Americans belonged to a house of worship. Since the 1970s the percentage of Americans who identify with Protestant churches declined from almost 1 in 3 to just 1 in 10.
Religion was once a thread that kept the fabric of our society intact. Other important threads in that fabric were an emphasis on the family, and patriotism. But the family structure is breaking down under the influences of LGTBQ+, wokeness, high levels of divorce, and reluctance to get married or have children.
It is getting harder to be patriotic in support of an increasingly woke, increasingly antichristian, and increasingly beastly government. But my subject is the loss of authentic, life-changing and life-directing Christianity. So I will only focus on that thread of our social fabric.
Among those who still claim to be Christians, there is a generalized, Laodicean lukewarmness. Christianity now sees sporadic attendance, churchless religion, entertainment – lights and smoke and Hollywood dramatics, and non-participatory religion. Those who do attend services come to hear – good music, good messages; but not to enter in to sing, worship, testify, work in church departments.
But true worship is participatory. A church building is not a theater, and a congregation is not an audience. There are no performers in a real church. People may think they are worshipping, but are they?
Worship is more than just praising the Lord. Several different Hebrew and Greek words are translated as worship in the KJV. The most common Hebrew word is “Shachah” (shaw-khaw’) – to depress, i.e. – prostrate in homage. Inwardly, we should be bowing down and acknowledging the greatness of God in our worship. We are to realize He is the master, and we are His slaves.
The most frequent Greek word in the New Testament for worship is “Proskuneo” (pros-koo-neh’-o) – to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand; to fawn or crouch to – i.e. to prostrate oneself in homage. Other Hebrew and Greek words rendered as worship mean to serve or to revere. The concept of worship isn’t something you say with words, but an action of complete submission.
Worship is a life submitted to the Lord. It includes volunteering to work in church departments, volunteering to serve others, preparing a meal for someone who is just home from the hospital, etc. Does your worship include Christian service? Where and how are you serving the Lord by serving your brothers and sisters? Where are you volunteering your time and efforts – not just for yourself and your own family – but for the saints? These seemingly nonspiritual acts are worship, too. You worship the Lord by doing good deeds.
Smyrna thought it was poor, but it
was rich. Laodicea thought it was
We don’t want the spirit of the age to infiltrate into our church. Again, Christianity, generally has become lukewarm in our society. But our concern is our church, and our body of churches. The church age will end – and apparently end in a Laodicean environment. The last era of church operation will be in a very dangerous environment. Jesus asked, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8.
This era is one of lukewarm Christianity. It is a society where many are CHINO – “Christians In Name Only.” It is a materially-rich, spiritually-poor church. Rev 3:17: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing…”
Laodicea was in the opposite position of Smyrna. The Lord said to the Smyrna church in Revelation 2:9, “ I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)…” Smyrna thought it was poor, but it was rich. Laodicea thought it was rich, but it was poor.
True riches aren’t measured in dollars. True riches are found in the blessings of the Lord. Laodicea had plenty of material wealth, but was in poverty - measured by spiritual wealth. Laodicea was a selfcentered church, glorying over itself. It was boastful – loudly proclaiming its own greatness. It is a dangerous attitude. The church, itself, can almost become an idol. We can worship the body of Christ when we should be worshipping the head of the body – Jesus Himself.
The problem was, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.” Verse 15. The next verse calls them lukewarm. That was both an accusation and a lament. The Lord didn’t want them to be that way. The Laodiceans were not on fire for God, but not totally backslidden either. They were believers, they came to church, but were not as serious about their service as they had once been.
They were familiar with the term lukewarm. Near the city were some hot springs. They thought it would be good to pipe that hot water into town. But by the time the water had traveled from the springs to Laodicea, it had lost much of its heat. Instead of being hot, it was tepid; lukewarm.
rich, but it was poor.
This letter was written in the 90s. The church had likely been founded around the same time as the one in Ephesus, Colossae, and other nearby cities. That was approximately AD 52. So the church was maybe 40 years old by this point.
Some of the founding saints, and original ministry were possibly deceased through age or martyrdom. Children had grown up. New staff was taking over from those who were aging. The next generation was taking the place of the original pioneers, and they were not as zealous.
Those saints were not living in gross sin. They were a lukewarm church. Unlike some of the other six churches, the Lord doesn’t condemn heresy in His message to Laodicea. They hadn’t drifted doctrinally. They probably had what they considered to be really good church services.
The city of Laodicea was known for commerce, banking, and industry. It was very prosperous – much like our society today. The church members, themselves, were probably well-off, able to live well. The elegant pagans of Laodicea probably didn’t persecute them – because from the outside, it was hard to tell who was a Christian and who wasn’t.
Is it getting to be that way today? Is there a true difference in lifestyle between members of the body of Christ and everyone else? Do we dress the same as everyone around us? Do we go to the same ball games and movies? Do we laugh at the same jokes? Do our Christian principles make us stand out, or do we blend in with the world?
The lukewarm can mix well with the hot or the cold. They can fit in with the zealous at church meetings, and fit in with the world other times. What a dangerous spiritual condition! Other than attending church services, how is our lifestyle any different from an unsaved neighbor, or a member of a Babylonish church?
The Laodicean saints had compromised; they’d become worldly and materialistic. The sad thing is, they didn’t know they even had a problem. Verse 17: “… and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” It is so utterly dangerous for the saints to believe they are fine, when the Lord sees them as wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
What was really sad was that the Lord wasn’t dwelling in the midst of that
Laodicean church. Verse 20: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock…” We use this in a good sense, telling people that He stands and knocks on the door of your heart – and that is true. But don’t forget that He was outside the Laodicean church, asking to be let back in.
They had material things – probably nice buildings, money, enjoyable fellowship; but Jesus was outside the church, knocking. I don’t believe the Lord is outside our body of churches. But I do think we should always be aware of the danger.
The Laodiceans thought they were fine; but the reality was that they were in grave spiritual danger. Don’t ever discount the risk. We must still walk circumspectly. We must ever be vigilant. We must guard against the inroads of worldliness and of pleasure and of comfort. Have we begun to compromise with the world? Are we losing our standing with the Lord? I don’t think we are; but we still should ask ourselves these questions from time to time. All ten virgins in Matthew 25 slept. We must stay spiritually awake.
The Lord was displeased with the worldliness and compromise of the Laodiceans. And yet, ever gracious, He offers them a solution out of their sad state. Verse 20: “… 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.” He wasn’t talking to the lost; He was begging the saved to open up and let Him back in. We all need to pay attention to what the Spirit is saying to the church today. Don’t succumb to spiritual deafness. Listen, consider, meditate.
What would the Lord ask you today as far as your relationship with Him and His own ransomed church? Before He removes the candlestick, or sees any saint lose their hot zeal, the Lord first offers a chance to repent and recover. Verse 19: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
The remedy is in verse 18: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
What is gold refined by fire? I think it is Christ Jesus. His gold was refined by the fire of His suffering on Mount Calvary. It costs you nothing to buy this gold. Isaiah 55:1:
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
I said it costs you nothing, and that is true – in terms of dollars and cents. But it costs you everything to be a true Christ-follower. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
In the parable, a man had to sell all that he had to purchase the pearl of great price. Matthew 13:45-46. Jesus sold all that He had, He gave up His rights and prerogatives in heaven to be born to Mary, in order to purchase the redeemed.
But the gold tried in the fire could also refer to our saving relationship with Jesus. The fire could be the sufferings of life under the curse. Our gold is tried in the fire. The fires of adversities and hardships burn out the dross and purify our relationship with Him.
But we have to be willing to sell out also, to gain eternal bliss with our Lord.
A rich young ruler in Mark 10:20-21 was unwilling to pay the price. What are you willing to give up in order to burn with hot passion for the Lord and His service? Then pay that price, and gain the true riches of the Lord.
Maybe the gold refined by fire also means the truth of the Word of God. The Lord said in Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD.” If so, then be sure you buy life-altering, transforming, directing truth that leads you into an evercloser relationship with your Lord.
It wasn’t only gold tried by fire that they needed, but some in Laodicea needed to buy white raiment, in order to be clothed. Why? Because some of the saints were depending on their own righteous acts, rather than the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. But as Paul showed in the opening chapters of the book of Romans, there is none righteous, no not one. See Romans 3:10.
Laodicean Christians gloried in their goodness, their good deeds, their righteous thoughts, their refraining from sin. But it was all voluntary will-worship. They were like the self-righteous Job: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.” Job 29:14.
But our righteousnesses are never enough to meet God’s standard. Isaiah 64:6 declares plainly, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Never rely on your own goodness. Purchase white raiment from Jesus. Be like that multitude in Revelation 7:14 who “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Finally, some in that church needed to anoint their eyes with spiritual eyesalve. Unless the Lord anoints our eyes, we never will see our need of Him. “Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.” Deuteronomy 29:4.
Remember He was offering eyesalve to Laodicean Christians. I believe the offer is still open today. Take advantage of the offer! God is gracious. He still will stand at the door and knock, asking you to open up and let Him in.
God’s grace teaches us what He expects: “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:12. The Laodiceans forgot this lesson. They didn’t deny ungodliness (which may not always mean gross, awful sins) but compromised with ungodliness and worldly lusts. And they did not live soberly, righteously, and godly.
Soberly means a temperate, wise and prudent lifestyle. Righteously means acting right – doing good, being fair and just. Godly means acting as the Lord would act were He in your shoes – kind, compassionate, friendly.
These characteristics, sobriety, righteousness and godliness, are a reflection of what was said in Micah 6:8: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
To do justly is to be righteous. To love mercy is to be godly, and to walk humbly with God is an example of Christian sobriety. This is our calling – what the Lord requires of us.