“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 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.” – Revelation 3:19, 20
INTRODUCTION
Last week we ended that the Laodicea church, whose members had once burned with zeal were not aware of their spiritual decline and true condition. Lukewarm from complacency, they then claimed the wealth of their city into their spiritual life and saw themselves as rich, wealthy, and in need of nothing. After all, they had gold, black wool, and produced eye salve for customers far and wide.
Rich in earthly goods they might have been, as citizens of a prosperous city with wealthy neighbors, but in the sight of God they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The gold that was in abundance in their banks were not enough to buy their salvation. The black wool they spun into many rich garments was the wrong color and type for their nakedness. And the eye salve they produced had no power to open their eyes to discern the spiritual things of God. They were blind, wretched, naked, and poor, but arrogantly saw themselves as rich and in need of nothing. Alas so are some of our churches today.
We bring you the concluding part of Letter # 7
So, what was Christ’s prescription for this lukewarm and wretched church?
PRESCRIPTION FOR THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA
Christ was not content to leave this church alone in their spiritual death. “As the resurrection and the life”- Revelation 1:18, He could raise them back to life again, and transform them back to health from the wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked state they were in.
Malachi had earlier testified that God is the Master Refiner of gold – Malachi 3:3. Paul had reminded that true wealth comes from the poverty Christ endured for our sake – 2 Corinthians 8:9 and that even nakedness cannot separate anyone from the love Christ has for us – Romans 8:35. David had also testified that God is the One who gives sight to the blind – Psalm 146:8.
Against this background, what did Christ prescribe for this wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked, and lukewarm church that believed they were fine and needed nothing from God?
“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.”– Rev3:18.
But if they were truly wretched and poor, how would they buy their prescription?
The prophet Isaiah had earlier introduced us to the Lord who sells in a currency that is different from that which we know: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” – Isaiah 55:1,8.
The cost of the healing and restoration that this dead, complacent Laodicean church needed was actually free! Jesus loves us too much to ask of us what He knows we cannot afford, so He offers it to us free of charge. When He rebukes, as He did the Laodiceans, it is not because He hates us. There is a reason for it: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”– Rev. 3:19
All the Laodiceans needed to do was to promptly repent from their long-term neglect of the One who had once been their Lord and Master, and Whom they had pledged to love and obey. Through their complacency, Jesus had departed from their midst, and they had not even realized it.
Fortunately, the Lord had not departed fully. He was still standing at the door of their church and hearts. They had not heard Him, hence the letter to them. Whatever they were doing within the doors did not matter as long as the One in whose name they gathered was no longer in their midst. So, He told them: “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. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” – Rev 3:20, 21. What comforting and encouraging words!
A WARNING TO 21ST CENTURY BELIEVERS
This letter, like the others, closes with the famous warning: “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” – Rev. 3:22Perhaps the spiritual condition of the Laodicean church more accurately describes the spiritual condition of many Christians today. How many profess Christ in name but do not make Him a part of their lives? How many believe Him to live in their hearts but are actually spiritually wretched, blind, naked, and poor? How many churches still open their doors to sing and pray but are spiritually dead and grievous to the heavenly hosts?
The message is not only for the 1st Century Laodicea Christians, who have all been long dead and buried. The message is for us in this 21st Century who are as lukewarm as they were. What challenge do we face that Jesus did not experience? Yet He overcame. And He said “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
We can fool ourselves that we are still Christians, but the “True and Faithful Witness” knows the real Christians from fake ones. We can rely on our past conversion experiences when we burned with zeal and fervent heat for the Lord, but God is concerned about now, not yesterday. He cannot tolerate lukewarmness and He will spew us out of His mouth if we are. He cannot handle the spiritual arrogance that puffs us up to believe that we have no need of Him, and He calls us urgently to repent. We might be dead, but He can raise us up to life again. Why not respond to His knock now?
THINK ABOUT THIS: Francis Chan, American Pastor and writer, reframed God’s poignant warning: “Lukewarm living and claiming Christ’s name simultaneously is utterly disgusting to God.” Why should our lives make Him feel that way?
Let us therefore strengthen our resolve to serve the Lord with this prayerful hymn by Albert Midlane, (1825-1909)
- Revive thy work, O Lord, Thy mighty arm make bare;
Speak with the voice that wakes the dead,And make thy people hear.
Refrain
Revive thy work, O Lord,While here to Thee we bow;
Descend, O gracious Lord, ascend! Oh come and bless us now.
- Revive thy work, O Lord,Create soul-thirst for thee;
And hungering for the Bread of Life;O may our spirits be. - Revive thy work, O Lord,Exalt thy precious Name;
And, by the Holy Ghost, our love,For thee and Thine inflame. - Revive thy work, O Lord,Give power unto Thy word;
Grant that Thy blessed Gospel may, In living faith be heard.
- Revive Thy work, O Lord, And give refreshing showers;
The glory shall be all Thine own, The blessing, Lord, be ours.
Stay Blessed!
Please note that the preaching program on Sunny 88.7 FM – Tuesdays at 5:30 am has been temporarily put on hold. However, please continue to join us on Asempa 94.7 FM – Sundays at 5:30 am and YFM 107.9 – Sundays at 6:30 am for our Radio Bible Study, as well as on Sunny 88.7 FM every Sunday at 3:30 pm for Hymns and Their Stories.
