Laodicea

"Laodicea" – Revelation 3:14-22 Close of the series on the seven churches of Revelation. First, the promise to Thyatira: “I will give him the morning star,” which Jesus Himself explains in Revelation 22:16: the morning star is Christ Himself, full communion with Him, a share in His glory and the hope of a new dawn; the greatest prize is not power or authority, but Christ. Then Laodicea: the wealthy city of banking, black wool and eye salve, whose church was lukewarm, with a faith without passion, believing itself rich when it was poor, blind and naked. It is the only church in which Jesus finds nothing good, and yet He gives it the most loving invitation — “I stand at the door, and knock” — and the greatest promise: to sit with Him in His throne.

I. Working on oneself.

A. In the blender of this earth we stumble; we must be clear according to the Scriptures.

1. Ten people will tell you ten different things; the mind of Christ has no two meanings.

2. It takes courage to work on oneself instead of finding fault in everyone else.

3. Life is a war fought without fear, and each one faces it individually.

II. The morning star: Christ Himself (Revelation 2:28; 22:16).

A. It is the promise to the believers of Thyatira who overcome and remain faithful.

1. We are no ornaments on this earth: we are useful warriors, and heaven speaks to us in the Scriptures.

2. It is given only to the righteous, to the one who has let himself be washed in the blood of Christ.

3. Every day you count is a day you prepare for the rapture.

B. Jesus Himself explains the symbol: “I am the bright and morning star.”

1. He is the One who gets us up; in fright and trouble we forget He is in us twenty-four hours a day.

2. Let go of the tribulation and tell Him: here I am for You to live fully in me; I will believe, obey, love and serve You.

3. The decision is to let Scripture enter the ears, rise to the mind and descend to the heart.

C. Full communion, a share in His glory, and hope.

1. No one is faithful like Christ; He makes us partakers of His glory at a costly price, the cross.

2. The star appears before dawn: always present, the end of the night, the start of a new day.

3. When hope goes, faith is nullified; rise every morning with hope, because there is a new dawn.

III. The three promises to the overcomer of Thyatira.

A. Power over the nations.

1. The righteous do good to the nations: at work, to the neighbor, on the road; where there is a righteous person there is benefit.

2. The work is not done from political office: it is done on one's knees and by answering the door to the one in need.

3. Leaders are not to be criticized but prayed for, because the miracle is God's, not man's.

B. Ruling with Christ.

1. When the Spirit stirs a strong urge to pray for someone, do you? That is the problem.

2. To rule with Christ is to work with understanding, wholly given to doing good.

C. The morning star: the greatest prize is not power or authority, but Christ Himself.

1. At conversion Christ gave Himself entirely; with Him comes the Holy Spirit, and angels and demons see it.

2. The greatest gift of heaven is not heaven: it is Jesus Christ; one does not fight for trophies.

3. Every prayer is carried in the name of Jesus, the only One who pleads with the Father; if you do not pray, you stay in yourself.

IV. Laodicea: the lukewarm church (Revelation 3:14-17).

A. “He that hath an ear, let him hear”: everyone has an ear; the problem is not wanting to hear.

1. Nothing is worse than being lukewarm: neither cold nor hot, mediocre; spiritually one cannot be lukewarm.

2. “I will spue thee out of my mouth” describes a faith without passion; without passion there is no miracle in your family.

3. The lukewarm seem to have a flame and deceive ordinary eyes; songs stir emotion, but only the Word works by the Spirit.

B. A rich city: banking, fine black wool and the eye salve of its medical school.

1. Jesus uses those three things to expose its spiritual condition.

2. They said “I am rich and have need of nothing,” and were poor, blind and naked from dwelling on the physical.

V. The invitation and the promise (Revelation 3:20-21).

A. “I stand at the door, and knock”: a call of love where there could have been rebuke.

1. What must be opened is the door of the mind and heart; Christ still wants to come in and restore.

2. It is the only church with nothing good, and the one given the greatest promise: to sit with Him in His throne.

3. He did not say “fix this,” but “come, and I will do it all”; no one can do anything by himself.

B. The overcomers are the brave; if Jesus comes in, He makes us strong and resolute.

1. We tremble because there is no action, and without action there are no deeds.

2. Laodicea: material comfort without spiritual fervor; one carnal reply snuffs out the fervor for the whole day.

C. Repentance and renewal.

1. Repentance must lead to renewal: all that is good, just, lovely, and love for one's neighbor.

2. What is not renewed affects those around us; the Lord's Prayer is the pattern for daily renewal.

3. The devil deceives so that we will not pray and the church will be lukewarm.

D. The Word is always alive, and only the truth sets free.

1. If it is not reasoned through, it darkens and the heart hardens; it is God who hardens and God who casts away.

2. The morning star does not touch unbelief: one touches it oneself through repentance.

3. The blood is activated for forgiveness when we ask and plead, not on our own terms.