Is Cold Toward God Ever Good?

Today, we come to the last of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, which we know to be modern-day Turkey. We have looked at churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia.  Our last church is in Laodicea. 

 

For most of these churches, it is imperative to know something about the particular city of the church because Jesus often spoke with symbolism in His messages to them, and if you don’t understand some unique realities about these communities, then you will find it very difficult to understand His messages. 

 

For the city of Laodicea, you need to remember three words: money, material, and medicine.  Because it was at a very well-traveled crossroads, Laodicea was known for its banking industry which translated into being a very wealthy city. 

 

Laodicea was also known for its shepherds raising black wool sheep that produced some amazing black wool garments.  Therefore, the city was famous for its material.  

 

Thirdly, Laodicea was known for medicine, especially medicine for the eyes.  The medical industry of Laodicea was thriving along with the banking industry and the garment industry. 

 

Remember that most of Jesus’ messages included a praise, a rebuke, and instruction.  Most included a compliment and a complaint and counsel. 

 

However, the churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia were compliments only.  Unfortunately, Sardis, and we will see today, Laodicea were complaints only.

 

Beginning in verse fourteen, we once again see that Jesus was the one speaking, and He was speaking to the pastor of the church at Laodicea who would eventually share this message with the church members.  He reminded the pastor of His authority because what He was about to say was going to be very critical and heart-breaking to these church members.   

 

Jesus is the Amen.  Amen literally “so be it.”  Therefore, Jesus is saying that what is about to come is valid and sure.

 

Jesus is also a faithful and true witness.  He is going to be faithful to show up and testify.  He is also going to be truthful in everything that He says.

 

Third, He is the source of all creation.  Our English translations don’t do us any favors here in understanding the meaning of the original author.  It sounds as if Jesus said God was created. 

 

However, in the language of NT, it is clear.  He is saying that He was before God began creating.  John’s gospel affirms such as well.

 

John 1:1, 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

Again, Jesus’ description of Himself is to remind the Laodicean pastor and church members that He has the authority and right to say what is about to be said.

 

 

1. The Laodicean Church was offensive in her operation, Revelation 3:15-16.

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

 

Jesus had been watching them.  He knew their works or how they operated.  They were neither hot or cold. 

 

Upon first reading, the normal reader might assume that hot deeds were good as in on fire for Christ.  They might also assume that cold deeds were bad as in against the ways of Christ. 

 

However, that is not true here.  Laodicea was almost exactly centered between Hierapolis to the north and Colossae to the south.

 

Hierapolis was known for her hot mineral springs.  Colossae was known for her cold mountain streams that were refreshing to the taste.  In this case, both hot and cold were good.  They were positive. 

 

Unfortunately, Laodicea was known for not having either.  They had to have their water piped in because the Laodicean water was full of mineral deposits.

 

Lukewarm here means unusable, and that was the water found naturally in Laodicea.  It was neither the hot water from Hierapolis required for medicines, and it was not the cold water from Colossae that was refreshing.  It was lukewarm and unusable. 

 

Jesus said because your deeds or operations are lukewarm or unusable, I am going to spit vomit you or spit you out of my mouth.  I have heard pastors say that God would either have you completely for Him, meaning hot for God, or completely against Him, meaning cold for God, instead of having you lukewarm and in the middle. 

 

That makes no sense.  God would not rather you be completely against Him.  That is foolish, but you may have heard a preacher say such.  Therefore, it is never good to be cold for God.

 

Furthermore, this verse certainly warns against complacency.  The Laodicean Church had become complacent or stagnant and unusable to God. 

 

Please understand Jesus’ complaint.  It wasn’t that they were doing bad stuff per say.  However, they weren’t really doing any good stuff either. 

 

In their minds, they had become self-sufficient.  They had moved Jesus completely out of the picture.

 

 

2. The Laodicean Church was oblivious to her situation, Revelation 3:17.

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

 

Remember that Laodicea was known for money, material, and medicine.  They thought they were rich, that is financially rich.  They thought they were right where they need to be, and had no needs whatsoever. 

 

However, in reality, from Jesus’ perspective, in spiritual matters, they were wretched and miserable and poor.  They may have been financially rich, but they spiritually poor.  They were oblivious to their situation. 

 

As for their material, they loved to wear their black wool garments that were the talk of the town, but in reality, they were naked. 

 

They believed that they were dressed as fine as they could be dressed, but they weren’t wearing anything.  In the eyes of Christ, they were naked, wearing nothing.  They were oblivious to their situation. 

 

They were known for their eye medicines that could help all kinds of illnesses and conditions, but in reality, they couldn’t even see their own spiritual state.  They were blind.  They were oblivious to their situation. 

 

The Laodicean Christians had a very high and lofty view of themselves.  They were self-sufficient, but in the eyes of Christ, they were oblivious to the reality of their situation and condition.

 

 

3. The Laodicean Church was offered an invitation, Revelation 3:18-21.

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

 

Even though Jesus didn’t offer any compliments to this local body of believers, He did offer some counsel.  He invited them to repent. 

 

Because they were spiritually poor, He invited them to buy gold from Him.  Because they were naked and miserable and wretched, He invited them to buy white garments from Him as opposed to their black garments that would represent holiness and purity and not sin.  Because they couldn’t see and were blind, He invited them to buy eye salve from Him to see the things of God. 

 

He offered them this invitation to repent, to turn from their self-sufficiency to dependence on Him because He loved them.  He loved them because they were His children, and He had to discipline them for their wayward living.  

 

By the way, what would Jesus and God be saying to you and me if He didn’t discipline us?  With His lack of action, He would be saying, “Go to hell.”

 

In verse twenty, He invited them to receive Him again.  Here is a picture of Jesus standing at the door of the church wanting to come in. 

 

This church had gotten to the point where they could do everything they were doing but without Jesus.  They were self-sufficient. 

 

Jesus was outside the church and wanted to come in so He was knocking and wanting to come back and have intimate fellowship again as pictured in eating a meal together. 

 

The last invitation is in verse twenty one, and it is an invitation to be revived.  To the one who overcomes and goes to heaven, Jesus invites you to sit down with Him on His throne after your mission on this earth is done.

 

Because of their self-sufficiency, the Laodicean Church was offensive in their operation, oblivious to their situation, but offered an invitation.  They had everything you could ever possible need to do the most effective ministry ever. 

 

However, they had put Jesus out of their church.  They thought they didn’t need Him anymore.

 

 

Illustration

It sounds a lot like Israel.  They were God’s chosen people.  He had made promises to them and covenants with them to prosper them and succeed them like no other nation on the planet. 

 

However, because of their self-sufficiency, they felt like they didn’t need God. See Isaiah 5:1-2, 4 and 48:17-19.

 

1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.  2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine.  He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.

 

4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it?  Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?

 

17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.  18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments!  Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.  19 Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.”

 

 

Conclusion

Are we at EBC guilty of also thinking we are self-sufficient?  We’re Emory Baptist Church.  We’re the downtown church.  We’ve got plenty of possessions.  We’ve got some of the finest facilities.  We own the block.  We have no debt.

 

And we’ve got the people.  We’ve got young and old and families and singles and blue collars and white collars. 

 

And we’ve got pride.  We’ve got pride in what we have and what we’ve done through the years. 

 

But what about Jesus?  Have we become so self-sufficient that we’ve put Jesus on the outside and He’s desperately trying to get back in? 

 

God doesn’t care a lick about our buildings and our budgets if we’ve decided we don’t need Jesus! 

 

EBC when will we get desperate for Jesus again?  Today, Jesus is offering us an invitation to repent.  Will you cry out for Jesus this morning?