{"id":2113,"date":"2023-10-31T05:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T09:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/?post_type=resource&p=2113"},"modified":"2023-10-16T16:50:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T20:50:30","slug":"seven-letters-part-7-laodicea","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/seven-letters-part-7-laodicea\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Letters, Part 7: Laodicea"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this series of blog posts, we\u2019re diving into the seven letters from Jesus to the churches in Revelation chapters 2-3. As we do, we\u2019ll discover what Jesus has to say to these churches that, with one exception, needed to be revitalized.<\/p>\n

We come to the seventh and final letter. This is, perhaps, the most well-known and, at the same time, most misquoted of the seven letters.<\/p>\n

The church at Laodicea is given no commendation. There\u2019s no word of \u201cthis is what you\u2019re doing well.\u201d Instead Jesus, through John, jumps right into the serious matter at hand:<\/p>\n

\u201cI know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.\u201d (Rev. 3:15-16)<\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019ve heard this preached before and it went something like this, \u201cJesus is saying that he wishes the believers in Laodicea were either completely for Him or completely against Him. He hates that they are lukewarm.\u201d That\u2019s a powerful statement. Unfortunately, it\u2019s wrong. Both cold and hot water serve good purposes. Cold water is refreshing. Hot water is good for relaxing and cleansing. Lukewarm water is just kind of bleh. It\u2019s not really good for anything.<\/p>\n

In their fantastic commentary on this passage, Kenneth Priest et. al. says, \u201cBoth hot and cold are doing something for the Lord; both have a purpose. They\u2019re specific areas of ministry involvement in Christian service, and God has gifted us all differently.\u201d \u00b9<\/p>\n

However, they also write, \u201cThe danger for most of us is that, in a lukewarm condition, we miss opportunities for serving Christ. In a lukewarm condition, we may be turning people away from the cross. When people see a lukewarm Christian, they think, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing different in that person\u2019s life than in my life. Why would I need Jesus?\u201d \u00b2<\/p>\n

So, for this church, then, being lukewarm meant that they were not being effective in their proclamation of the gospel. They weren\u2019t making an impact at all. What would the result be if nothing changed? Jesus says, \u201cI am going to spew you out of my mouth.\u201d This is probably similar to the warning He gave to Ephesus: \u201cI will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.\u201d In other words, if they did not repent, they would cease to be a New Testament church of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

He then continues and says, \u201cYou say, \u2018I\u2019m rich! I have become wealthy and need nothing.\u2019\u201d Laodicea had a prosperous trade business, which meant that many of its citizens probably had considerable wealth. But they didn\u2019t realize they were spiritually \u201cwretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.\u201d Jesus advises them to buy from him \u201cgold refined in the fire so that you may be rich.\u201d He alone could meet their great spiritual need.<\/p>\n

Then He offers the church a wonderful invitation. You\u2019ve probably heard Revelation 3:20 used in the context of inviting nonbelievers to trust in Jesus. The problem with that interpretation is that this passage is written to a church. It\u2019s written to people who already claim to be believers. This is an invitation from Jesus to His people \u2013 His Church \u2013 to let Him back in.<\/p>\n

Has your church forgotten Jesus? Have you become so engrossed in other things that, like Ephesus, you\u2019ve lost for your love and, like Laodicea, you\u2019ve become lukewarm? If so, there\u2019s good news! Jesus is standing at the door, knocking. If you\u2019ll let Him back in, He\u2019ll restore His church and renew His people \u2013 \u201cI will come in to him and eat with him and he with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus closes this letter with an encouragement: \u201cTo the one who conquers, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on His throne.\u201d The picture of sitting down is one of rest, having completed the work. So Jesus is saying that, to those who remain faithful, there is victory and rest coming.<\/p>\n

So, pastor, don\u2019t lose heart! Lead your church to follow after Jesus. That may require some repentance and returning on your part and on the part of your people. But the end result can be a church that is no longer lukewarm, but actively pursuing Christ Jesus and His plans!<\/p>\n

You can find the other posts in this series here:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Ephesus<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Smyrna <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Pergamum<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Thyatira<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Sardis<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Philadelphia<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this series of blog posts, we\u2019re diving into the seven letters from Jesus to the …<\/p>\n

Seven Letters, Part 7: Laodicea<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1976,"template":"","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"channels":[],"topics":[53],"languages":[],"class_list":["post-2113","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_type-article","topics-replanting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSeven Letters, Part 7: Laodicea - 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