SEVEN SERIES INTRODUCTION
To
accompany our ‘SEVEN’ teaching series at Community Church Putney, over seven
weeks (this is week 7) I have put out a blog each Monday, looking at the seven
letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 -3. These letters are
hard-hitting and very relevant and useful in the times that we find ourselves.
LETTER 7: HOT, COLD OR LUKEWARM?
The letter to the church of Laodicea
(3:14-22)
Explanation and daily studies for
personal/family use week beginning 20/2/17
1) Explanatory notes
Probably the most famous of
the seven letters for being the only church in which Jesus finds nothing to
commend! To them Jesus makes this famous and striking rebuke,
“…you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of
my mouth.”
Water for the city had to be
brought from hot springs by aqueduct some 5 miles away rendering it tepid and
barely drinkable. The desire for us to be hot or cold, contrary to some
teachers, means that both hot and
cold represent positive spiritual life, while ‘lukewarm’ is metaphorical of
Christians who are lacking vibrant love and gospel clarity. Let’s learn from
this church and seek to be pleasing to God.
i) Description
of Jesus – Having power to complete God’s purposes
Read Revelation 3:14
“The Amen”
– ‘Amen’ means ‘that is true’. It points to Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s
promises. Jesus is the Amen in that He has serves God completely and will
fulfill, to the end, all the plans of heaven (2 Cor. 1:20).
“Faithful
and true witness” – All that Jesus says or ‘witnesses’ to us is true.
“Ruler of
God’s creation” – Speaks of Jesus’ power over all of creation, in heaven
and on earth; indeed He is King of all kings! (Rev. 1:5; Heb. 1:3)
Knowing Jesus as the “Amen, the faithful and true
witness, ruler of God’s creation” will help us to remain trusting and
faithful. How could anyone be anything other than totally devoted and full of
zeal for such a Saviour?
ii) Praise
There is no praise for this church. Being Lukewarm
about Jesus and the gospel may well receive praise from the community around us
who love it when a church meets social needs. But if we become serious about
sin and salvation in Christ, many in the community will not like it, but such a
church is praised by God!
iii) Criticism
– “You are Lukewarm”
Read Revelation 3:15-17. Jesus is
displeased that they are ‘lukewarm’. In a desert situation, hot water is good
for washing and heating (on cold nights) and cool water is good for quenching
the thirst and cooling off, but lukewarm water is awful. Jesus points to their
deeds as an indication of their spiritual bankruptcy. They may have done
spiritual looking activity, but it was not done with love and faith toward God.
Deeds done without active faith are dead!
3:17 – Unlike the church in Smyrna (2:9), they
think they are rich but are, in fact in spiritual poverty, which is true
poverty. Their material wealth had caused them to neglect their devotion to
Christ. Ones relationship with God is always challenged when we are
comfortable. The culture around them worshipped material wealth and this
attitude was infecting this church community (See 1 Tim. 6:16).
iv) Solution
– Salvation by faith alone
Read Revelation 3:18-19. We could
summarize the solution as: go back to the gospel of grace! Faith in Christ is
how we ‘buy’ spiritual beauty and vision (Isa. 55:1-2). One needs to take the
opposite attitude to what quenched their love for Jesus when it is said of
them, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have
acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” (Rev. 3:17) This speaks of
self-righteousness, the self-made attitude, which is not a Christian attitude!
They and we need to stay close to the gospel of grace, having a ‘God-made’
attitude which says “To him who loves us
and freed us from our sin by his blood.” (1:5) Only here are we truly rich, having salvation in Christ alone.
Read Revelation 3:19-20. They also
needed to repent – turn in thinking and behaviour. This turning is made easier
if we will embrace the truth that we are turning away from danger and toward a
loving Saviour – “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline”. Let’s turn to Jesus again, embracing that we are powerless
sinners who are saved by grace alone. As we do so we will be just the right
temperature!
v) Warning
– “I will spit you out”
Read Revelation 3:16. Hot is good, Cold is
good, but lukewarm is appalling to God.
Jesus’ warning of their being spat out of His mouth, speaks of His
displeasure and discipline on them. Jesus demands a ‘seek first’ attitude. This
is right but He also knows, as a loving God, that it’s also good for us.
vi)
Promise – satisfying relationship with Christ now and forever
Read Revelation 3:20-21. What a
beautiful promise to such a failing church! No matter how lukewarm they had
become, there was opportunity of feasting with Jesus. This illustration of
eating with Christ speaks of enjoying a close, satisfying, strengthening
relationship.
3:21 – This astounding promise to the “victorious” that they will “sit with me on my throne” again (see
2:18 and notes there) this speaks of the incredible of truth that Christians
will, in some manner, be ruling with Christ in the new creation (2 Tim. 2:12).
Just as Adam and Eve were to rule and steward creation so Christians will in
the new.
2) Daily Studies (for personal or
family use)
This is our last week in the study of these letters. We began by looking
at whether we had, like the Ephesian church, fallen from our first love. This
last letter, again, challenges our hearts – are we loving God – are we ‘hot’
for Him?
Monday – Memory
verse for this week
Take time to memorise,
meditate upon and pray based upon this text.
Matthew 22:37-39 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’”
Tuesday – Hot or
cold?
In this desert context, both hot and cold
water was useful; we could put it another way, are we devoted followers of
Jesus? Are we seeking to make our lives an act of worship? Read Acts 13:22 and
pray that you and this church would be like David.
Wednesday – Luke
warm?
God is not pleased when we are half-hearted about
Him. But how do we know? Galatians 5:6 is a helpful: ‘The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.’ In
order for our ‘deeds’ to be pleasing, they must spring from love and faith in
God. Let’s endeavor to avoid things that we don’t have faith for – things that
we know are sin or things done to make us look good or feel better about
ourselves. Let’s repent of sin, stop dead things, and endeavor to do things
with a God-centered attitude.
Thursday – You are
not rich by your own strength
Doing more is not necessarily God’s will. Was
it God’s will for Moses to do more when He put him in the dessert for 40 years?
Doing more can often be a symptom of seeking self-righteousness, trying to earn
our acceptance with God or people. God rebukes this church for their pride, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth
and do not need a thing…” (3:17). This
is not a Christian attitude! A Christian knows they are justified by faith in
Jesus apart from works. Read Matthew 5:3. Christians remain ‘poor in Spirit’
knowing that they are ever the recipients of Jesus’ gift of righteousness.
Friday – Buy
true gold
Read Revelation 3:18. God tells them to “buy gold…so you can become rich…” Does
this mean that the ‘poor, blind and
naked’ Laodiceans had to somehow buy salvation! Certainly not! These things
are ‘bought’ by faith in Christ (See Isaiah 55:1-4). John uses another metaphor
when Jesus says “Here I am! I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with that person, and they with me.” Salvation, restoration and joy are offered
freely to anyone who will come to Him, without money and open the door to
Jesus.
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