Mar. 16, 2025

Background:

• What makes a church lukewarm?
• Someone that is neither hot nor cold in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (their faith doesn't mean that much to them)
• Laodicea represents the church of this age, the worst of the churches
• Most of the churches in this age are lukewarm
• Jesus was speaking to the pastors of the 7 churches

Key Sermon Points:

1. The destination of the letter

• The church was located in the province of Asia-Minor
• It was the wealthiest location known for banking, wool, and medicine
• They had a water system where they piped water in from hot springs down to Laodicea...where it was lukewarm

2. The description of Jesus Christ

• Jesus is the One who affirms and guarantees all of God's promises (2 Corinthians 1:20)
• The Faithful and True Witness, God is presented as the reliable truth
• He never deviates from what is right
• God's truth is the foundation of everything
• Jesus is the Creator over creation (v. 14)
• Jesus as a Man had a beginning, but as God He is the Beginning

3. The Lord's omniscience

• God is all knowing and possess knowledge of everything past, present, and future
• He knows their works
• He has nothing good to say about this church
• This church had all the trappings of wealth, but something was missing
• This is the only place in the Bible where the word lukewarm is used
• Three heart temperatures:
• The heart that burns hot for the Lord (Luke 24:32)
• The cold heart (Matthew 24:12)
• The lukewarm heart (Revelation 3:16)
• This church made the Lord sick

4. The Lord Jesus Christ councils them

• They didn't need anybody or the Lord
• Sometimes we depend on things that are false and get false readings
• It's really jacked up when we are jacked up and don't know that we are jacked up
• They were such a mess that they thought that they could rely on their wealth...but wealth will not last nor save a person
• He told them what they are (wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked)
• Some churches will tip-toe around the true doctrine of the Word (and will preach around sin like homosexuality)
• They went along with every doctrine that went by...they let the world creep in
• He councils them to get the gold from him that is refined...faith that must be tested (1 Peter 1:7)
• Faith is no good until it's in the furnace to get rid of all of the impurities (Psalm 12:6)
• You won't know what you have until God has refined you
• They were not ashamed until after sin entered (Genesis 2:25; Genesis 3:7)
• Sin opened their eyes and they are no longer innocent (Genesis 3:7-11)
• We can't just cover up sin, there has to be confession and shedding of blood
• What we cover up with is not adequate (Genesis 3:21)
• God is True and Righteous and must depend totally on Him because we are clothed in his Righteousness (Revelation 16:7)
• Even though they had an eye salve, they were blind and didn't know it (2 Corinthians 4:4)
• Repent and turn from what you're doing and turn to Jesus

5. The invitation by Jesus

• Jesus is standing at and knocking at the door
• We have to let Jesus in...he will not force his way in
• The 1st and 2nd times of Jesus return was met with unbelief
• If anyone hears his voice, he will come in
• No one is saved against his/her will
• No one is compelled to obey
• This invitation is urgent...we don't know how long Jesus will stand at the door
• We must take advantage while he is still there
• Once you let him in, he is in
• He is going to build a relationship the way it needs to be built up
• When He comes down and sets up the millennial kingdom, he will give the authority to sit with him (Revelation 3:21)