Revelation 3:14-22

¹⁴ 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; ¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 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: 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. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ 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. ²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

“The rights of the people” was the meaning of the name of the city that the church of the seventh letter of Revelation 2-3 lived in. It was a fitting name of the self-sufficient city of Laodicea that had plenty of money, clothing, and medicine. However, it was also fitting for the church that trusted in their own self-sufficiency. The church had their own righteousness, their own resources, and their own plan. They had left the Lord out of everything. Like the water of their city, they were “lukewarm” and their pride was sickening to Jesus. What does this look like today? It comes in the form of substituting our creativity, cleverness, and schemes for obedience to Christ in order to reach people. It shows up in self-righteousness that leads to a condescending attitude in the church. It shows up in consumeristic Christianity where everyone demands their own preferences be adhered to in how the church does things. The church of Laodicea was a church that would claim to help people, but they themselves needed help. Could it be that we offer advice, counsel, and truth to those around us, but are ourselves in desperate need of it first? How could such a situation be remedied? There are four things you and I must consider to avoid the catastrophe of the church of Laodicea. Last week, we learned that we must recognize that Christ alone is supreme and that He alone is sufficient. We left off in that second point in verse 18 where Jesus offered the church all that it needed to be restored. This week, we will conclude that second point about Christ’s sufficiency and look at two additional considerations as we finish our series on the seven letters to the churches of Revelation.

Christ alone is sufficient. To the church that thought they were “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” Jesus said that they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” They thought they had it all, but in fact they had nothing. What did they need? In verse 18, He listed out three things that they needed that only He could supply. First, they needed “gold tried in the fire” so that they could be truly “rich.” In Job 23:10; Isaiah 13:12; and 1 Peter 1:7, God likens tested faith to “gold” that has been “tried with fire.” It describes true, genuine faith that has been purified and molded. Next, Jesus offered “white raiment.” The city was known for black wool and it was highly sought after throughout the world. However, the church needed the righteousness of Christ as the only covering for their nakedness (Revelation 7:9-10, 14; 19:8). Like the clean garments that God provided for Joshua in Zechariah 3:1-5, only Christ can supply true righteousness. Our own righteousness and the best that we can do is described as “filthy rags” before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). The last thing Jesus offered was “eyesalve” so that they could truly see. They had to have their eyes opened so that they could see the truth. They needed to see who they truly were and the glory of the One they professed faith in. Only He could open and heal their blinded eyes. Jesus alone is sufficient. If we trust in anything or anyone else, we will find ourselves in the same destitute place as the church of Laodicea. Without Him we “can do nothing” (John 15:5).

The third consideration we must give is that Christ alone is satisfying. Coming full circle to the church at Ephesus that left its “first love,” we now understand where it all begins and ends in a genuine love for the Savior. That must be our motive and driving passion for all we do. If we drift from that, we will soon find ourselves in the prideful self-sufficiency of the church of Laodicea. Jesus called the church to repent and “open the door” that He stood knocking at in verses 19-20. While many see this as an evangelistic plea (and there is certainly an application there), the real emphasis is not an individual human heart, but a church. This is a church that has left Jesus out because they have chosen to trust in themselves and their resources instead. The offer to “dine” with Jesus uses a word that referred to the evening meal of the day. It described the time of most intimate fellowship. Further, in the context of Revelation, it likely alluded to the final banquet in Revelation 19:1-10, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The key to eternal fellowship with Christ then is fellowship with Christ now. Eating with Jesus now is the only indication that we will eat with Jesus then. If we do not enjoy Christ’s fellowship and His Word now, we certainly won’t enjoy fellowship or His Word’s promises on that day. If we don’t intentionally pursue Jesus, we will unintentionally pursue sin. Our goal must be knowing and loving Him. Otherwise even our service becomes self-serving and our doctrine becomes dead orthodoxy. We don’t serve just to serve. We don’t study just to know more stuff. We do all that we do to know Him because we love Him. Otherwise, we do all that we do in vain. Do you enjoy fellowship with Christ now? Is He what satisfies you or are you satisfied with the things of this world?

Lastly, we must remember that Jesus alone is sovereign. As with each of the churches, Jesus gave a promise to true believers. Those who overcome are granted to “sit with” Jesus on His “throne” just as He “set down with” His “Father in His throne.” The promise there is that those who persevere in true faith in Christ will share in His eternal rule. We are made “kings and priests unto God” (Revelation 1:6) and we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Paul promised that, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12).  We do not rule with Him if we do not first bow to Him as Lord. He is sovereign overall and has all authority to do as He pleases. His desire is that one day we will rule with Him.

“Lukewarmness” comes when we pursue anything other than Him and when we trust in anything other than Him. The singular message of the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2-3 is that Christ is more than enough. He is higher than the highest. He is supreme, sufficient, satisfying, and sovereign. Nothing else in life is worth our highest affections. Let us pursue Christ. The first church at Ephesus lost its love for Christ and the other four churches that were reprimanded, compromised, tolerated sin, were dying, or became lukewarm as a result of committing that initial trespass. When our motives are off, every evil will follow. We compromise when our love for Christ fades. We tolerate sin when our loves for Christ fades. We lose our spiritual vitality and have our lives governed by sin when our love for Christ fades. We become prideful and self-sufficient when our love for Christ fades. Let us own the words of the Apostle Paul for ourselves when he wrote so many years ago:

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:7-14).

Perhaps today, there is no true love for Christ in your soul. Perhaps you recognize that you are truly “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” There is good news and there is hope because Jesus offers true riches, true vision, and true righteousness in Himself. Trust in Him today.