Read Revelation 3:14-22.

Note: The Greek term (η αρχη), found in verse fourteen, has the meaning, “the ruler,” as well as, “the beginning.” The former meaning, “the Ruler of God’s creation,” is preferable here.

Introduction⤒🔗

There’s nothing better than a cup of steaming hot tea when you are sick with the flu and it’s a bitter cold winter day. When your throat is sore and your body is chilled, what really meets your need is a large mug of piping hot tea with a spoonful of honey; it’s soothing and it’s delicious!

There’s nothing better than a tall glass of iced tea when you are exhausted from laboring under the hot sun on a summer’s day. You just finished mowing the lawn on a hot and humid Saturday afternoon; now your dear wife brings you a tall glass of iced tea with lots of ice cubes and a sprig of mint; it’s soothing and it’s delicious!

There’s nothing worse than a cup of lukewarm tea. You were just about to enjoy your cup of piping hot tea when the telephone rings. Twenty minutes later you return to your cup of tea. Without giving it a thought, you lift it to your lips only to discover that it has turned lukewarm; it tastes awful!

There’s nothing worse than a glass of lukewarm tea. You were just about to enjoy your tall glass of iced tea when the neighbor called you over to view his garden. Twenty minutes later you finally break away from admiring his assortment of carrots and peas and return to your glass of iced tea. Without giving it a thought, you lift the glass to your lips only to discover that the ice has melted and the once-iced tea has become diluted and lukewarm; it tastes awful!

Is there anything worse than lukewarm tea? ‘Yes!” says the Lord Jesus Christ, “What’s worse than that is lukewarm Christianity!” Let us now give our attention to the church in Laodicea, a church that the Lord Jesus describes as being “lukewarm.”

The dictionary defines “lukewarm” as, “lacking conviction,” or, “believing half-heartedly.” What we learn from the church in Laodicea is that an attitude of self-confidence and self-satisfaction can produce a lukewarm Christianity. Let us beware of lukewarm Christianity, because such is repugnant to Christ.

Beware of Lukewarm Christianity, which is Utterly Distasteful to Christ←⤒🔗

To this church also, the Lord Jesus declares: “I know your works.” In this case He is referring to the church’s whole lifestyle, as opposed to individual and isolated acts. The Lord continues, “you are neither cold nor hot” (vs. 15). The church in Laodicea had not blatantly denied Christ nor had they departed from the faith. They had not renounced their Christian faith in order to return to Judaism.

They had not succumbed to the pressures of pagan neighbors and unbelieving family members and subsequently returned to Roman idolatry. But neither was this church wholly committed to Christ, offering themselves in service to Him, obeying His counsel and command: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).

The church was lukewarm; wavering somewhere between a state of faithfulness and apostasy. In the words of an old pop song, they were “caught between two lovers;” in this case, torn between their love for Christ and their love for the material benefits of the world. The condition of the church in Laodicea was much the same as was the condition of the nation of Israel in the days of Elijah the prophet, when he exhorted the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing” (1 Kg. 18:21).

The Lord Jesus agonizes over this present state of affairs: “I wish that you were [either] cold or hot” (vs. 15). Nothing is so distasteful to Christ as lukewarm Christianity. The man whose life is characterized by lukewarm Christianity has no desire to lose Christ for the sake of the world, but he has too much desire for the world to forsake its call in favor of discipleship to Christ! The Lord says to us what His servant Joshua said to Old Testament Israel:

Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Josh. 24:14-15

This state of spiritual fickleness, this state of being spiritually lukewarm, is extremely distasteful and revolting to the Lord because it is so contrary to His own character: “Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (Jn. 4:34). Addressing His Father in prayer, the Lord Jesus declared, “I glorified you on the earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do” (Jn. 17:4). The Lord Jesus testifies to His whole-hearted devotion to God the Father, a devotion stemming from His deep and abiding love for the Father.

The state of being spiritually lukewarm is so contrary to the purpose of Christ’s redeeming work: “our Savior Jesus Christ...gave himself for us, so that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, [a people] zealous for good works” (Titus 2:13-14). The state of being spiritually lukewarm is extremely distasteful and revolting to the Lord because the Lord is a jealous God: “You shall have no other gods besides me” (Ex. 20:3, 5a). The Lord Jesus defines the first great commandment in these terms: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).

The Lord now informs this church of the action He is about to take: “Because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (vs. 16). Because these people wavered between Christ and the world, because they “straddled the fence” and refused to make a radical, unconditional commitment to Christ, Christ is about to make the decision for them. Note that the Lord Jesus warns the church in advance what He is about to do, so that she may take to heart the seriousness of the situation and make the necessary commitment of giving her first and full allegiance to Christ the Lord. But if she continues in her present state of spiritual fickleness, wavering between interest in Christ and love for the world, Christ Himself will take decisive action.

Let us beware of lukewarm Christianity, because it is utterly distasteful, indeed, it is detestable, to Christ. With regard to the allegiance of the heart, there is no place for moderation or a position of neutrality; the Lord Jesus declares, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Matt. 12:30). Religion is not just something to round out your life, true biblical religion must possess your life; the Lord Jesus Christ must be the Lord of every part of your life. We must give to the Lord Jesus Christ our full allegiance and make Him and His will our top priority.

Beware of Lukewarm Christianity, which Thrives in a Materially Affluent Environment←⤒🔗

In verse 17a, our Lord quotes this church’s own assessment of itself: “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and have need of nothing.” There was a sense of security and self-sufficiency derived from their riches. With these words the church in Laodicea was making an almost God-like claim. Compare their assessment of themselves with the LORD’s own declaration to Old Testament Israel. The LORD declares to Israel: “every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹I know every bird in the mountains, and the beasts of the field are mine. ¹²IfI were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that it contains” (Psl. 50:10-12). Note, too, the accusation the LORD brought against the arrogant, self-confident ruler of Tyre:

Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, This is what the LORD GOD says: In the pride of your heart you say, 'I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.' But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god... ⁴By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. ⁵By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. Ezek. 28:2,4-5

Laodicea was one of the richest commercial centers of the ancient world; it was famous for its banking as well as its woolen industry. By careful breeding, a soft, glossy black wool had been produced that brought international fame and fortune to this city. Like the church in Sardis, the church in Laodicea found itself wooed, enticed, and swept off its feet by the fabulous prosperity of the surrounding society.

It is important that we pay careful attention to Scripture’s warning concerning the dangers of wealth. First, wealth brings with it the danger of forgetting the LORD:

Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commandments, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹²[Be careful] for fear that, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴then your heart becomes proud and you forget the LORD your God.Deut. 8:11-14a

Second, wealth brings with it the danger of being seduced by material prosperity. In His parable of the seed falling on the various types of soil, the Lord Jesus describes the unfruitful seed in these terms:

Still others are like seed sown among the thorns: these are people who have heard the word; ¹⁹but the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the intense desires for other things come in and choke the word, and so it becomes unfruitful. Mk. 4:18-19

The people whom our Lord compares to “seed sown among the thorns” are those who first view wealth as the means of solving their problems and providing them with security: faced with “the cares of the world,” they view wealth as their savior and their protector. Then, having accumulated wealth, and having attained a measure of (financial) security, these people now view wealth as the means of granting them fulfillment: their wealth now enables them to pursuit “the good life” as defined by the world in the hopes of finding fulfillment. Such people fail to realize that the only true source of both security and fulfillment is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone.

There is a great disparity between the church’s self-evaluation (vs.17a) and Christ’s diagnosis of her condition: “you do not realize that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked” (vs.17b). In terms of material possessions and earthly wealth, the church might boast, “I am rich; I...have need of nothing!” But Christ describes their spiritual condition before God in these terms: “you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked.” Despite their material condition, indeed, because of it, they have become spiritually bankrupt and destitute; they are in a state of abject poverty before God. Compare this church’s self-assessment (“I am rich; I...have need of nothing”) with Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12:16-21,

And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. ¹⁷He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' ¹⁸Then he said, 'This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' ²⁰But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' ²¹This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.

The dilemma confronting the church in Laodicea was very similar to that faced by the rich young ruler:

As [Jesus] started on his way, a man ran up to him, and kneeled before him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁸Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? There is none that is good, except God. ¹⁹You know the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother. ²⁰[The man] said to him, Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth. ²¹Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, You lack one thing. Go; sell whatever you have and give [the proceeds] to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. ²²But when he heard [Jesus’] counsel, his face fell and he went away filled with sorrow, because he was a man who had great wealth. Mk. 10:17-22

This young man had the desire to inherit the kingdom of God. But in conflict with this, was the desire to make as his first priority the experience of the “good life” of this world. There was the desire, if possible, to have the best of both worlds, and there was a great reluctance to sacrifice either the present for the future or the future for the present. Here was the dilemma: An interest in the kingdom of God, but an addiction to the wealth of this world. He was a man who had everything, even room for God in his life; but he was a man who refused to give his heart to God, having given it to the wealth of the world. Being confronted with Jesus’ counsel to surrender all to the Savior and become His disciple, “his face fell and he went away filled with sorrow.”

We must beware of lukewarm Christianity, which thrives in a materially affluent environment. The Apostle Paul gives the following counsel to the church:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God... ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves...so that they may take hold of the life that truly is life. 1 Tim. 6:17-19

Beware of Lukewarm Christianity, and Obey the Lord’s Counsel←⤒🔗

The Lord’s counsel to the church is to buy from Him those things that are necessary for her spiritual health, (the items He lists in verse eighteen correspond to the material items in which they trusted and which they cherished): “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you may become rich.” Although their bank accounts were filled with the wealth of this world, Jesus instructs them (and us) to invest in heavenly treasure:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal; ²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:19-21

Our Lord is here speaking in absolute terms: When it comes to investing, for the sake of your soul, invest in the kingdom of God, not in this present world. In other words, give your heart and priority to Christ and His kingdom; put your trust in Him, seek His will, and follow His directives as found in the Scriptures. In practical terms, this means asking the Savior, “Lord, what do You want me to do for You?” It means dedicating our everyday lives to Him, asking, “Lord, help me to do my everyday tasks for You as an act of service and devotion to You.” This is how treasure is stored up in heaven. Note, again, the counsel the Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to give to the congregation he served: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves” (1 Tim. 6:18-19).

The Lord Jesus goes on to counsel the church in Laodicea, “buy from me...white garments, so that you may clothe yourself and not allow the shame of your nakedness to be exposed.” He is exhorting them to dress themselves in the pure white garments of righteous living, instead of the woolen garments by which these people gained their fame and fortune. We are to cherish the value of righteousness, Christ’s own righteousness and our conformity to that divine righteousness: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Tragically, often times the wealth of the world is accumulated at the expense of integrity and the sacrifice of righteousness. Righteousness, integrity, must be of far greater value to us than all the wealth of the world.

Proverbs 21:6 warns, “A fortune acquired by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.” Wealth accumulated by dishonest and unscrupulous means is described as “a fleeting vapor,” or, “a vapor driven by the wind;” i.e. it is very insubstantial and temporary. Men who resort to such means of accumulating wealth are described as “those who seek death.” Far from enjoying the “solid joys and lasting treasure” of the righteous, if you resort to unscrupulous practices you will not only find your wealth in jeopardy, but your soul as well. Whatever monetary and material gain you may temporarily achieve by means of deceit and unrighteousness is more than offset by your spiritual loss. By violating God’s standard of justice, you alienate yourself from Him. By violating the second great commandment of love, you alienate yourself from your neighbor. By violating the moral law, you de-sensitize and damage your own conscience.

Next, the Lord Jesus counsels the church, “buy from me...eye salve to put on your eyes, so that you may see.” What is stressed here is the importance of gaining understanding in the ways of God more than the ways of the stock market; the importance of having a proper perspective on the world and a clear focus on eternity. Jesus asks the question, “What profit is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet he himself is destroyed or lost?” (Lk. 9:25)

Without doubt, our Lord’s counsel is costly: We must “buy” from Him the things we need for spiritual life and health. We must understand that the salvation provided by Christ is costly; it will cost us nothing less than our will and our soul.

[Christ] died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Cor. 5:15

You do not belong to yourself; ²⁰you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body. 1 Cor. 6:19b-20

The Lord Jesus made a radical demand of the rich young ruler: “Go; sell whatever you have and give [the proceeds] to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mk. 10:21). We must understand that what Jesus required of the rich young ruler in fact, He also requires of each of us in heart. In Luke 14:33, (the parallel passage that gives the account of the rich young ruler), Jesus declares, “In the same way, any of you who does not renounce all that he has, cannot be my disciple.” The Greek word, αποτασσω, translated, “to renounce,” has the meaning, “to say goodbye to,” or, “to leave behind.” In effect, Jesus is saying to each of us who would receive Him as our Savior and have a share in the salvation He offers: “Whatever I give you, hold with an open hand. If I choose to take it back from you, you must be willing to release it to Me. Be ready to say, ‘I can live without those things, Lord; but I cannot live without You!’”

But it is important to realize that our Lord’s command is an expression of His love: “All those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” (vs. 19). It is an expression of divine love that we dare not take for granted or rebel against; it is one to which we must respond in submission. Our Lord commands: “Be earnest [as opposed to being lukewarm] and repent” (vs. 19b).

We must beware of lukewarm Christianity, and obey the Lord’s counsel. Whenever we have a craving for more of what this world has to offer; let us stop, let us ask God to give us more of Christ, and to give us what is best. Whenever we become dissatisfied with what we have; let us stop, let us thank God that He has met our needs, and let us thank Him for all that we have in Christ. The Apostle Paul leads the Ephesian church in this doxology: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Verse twenty describes a very peculiar and incongruous situation: the Lord Jesus Christ stands outside, at the door, seeking re-admittance into the life of His church and the hearts of His people. These Christian people, having become infatuated with the wealth of the world, filled their lives so much with the “good things” of the world that there was no room for their Lord and Savior: He was “squeezed out of one room after another” until He was finally “pushed out the back door!”

In all honesty, must we identify ourselves with the Laodicean church? Have we followed the pursuit of wealth and exhibited a life-dominating desire to attain and enjoy the “good life” as it is defined by the world? If the Holy Spirit causes us to see a reflection of ourselves in the Laodicean church, then may He also give us the grace to hear and to obey the Lord’s urgent invitation: “Behold! I am standing at the door, knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him. I will dine with him, and he [will dine] with me” (Rev. 3:20). Do not miss the reversal of roles, from Christ being the invited guest (“I will come in to him. I will dine with him”), to Christ assuming His rightful place as Host and Lord of the Christian’s life: “he [will dine] with me.”

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How does the Lord Jesus describe the church in Laodicea? See Rev. 3:15-16. What question does the prophet Elijah ask the people of Israel? See 1 Kgs. 18:21. How did the people answer? Does an indecisive commitment to Christ also characterize your life?

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were [either] cold or hot. ¹⁶Because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Rev. 3:15-16

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, 'How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' And the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kgs. 18:21

2. What does Christ go onto say about the Laodicean congregation? See Rev. 3:17a; cp. Lk. 12:16-19. Has the Lord blessed you with prosperity and material abundance? Do you thank Him for His gracious provisions; or have you switched your confidence and devotion from the LORD your God to your God-given riches?

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and have need of nothing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked.Rev. 3:17

Then he spoke a parable to them, saying: The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' ¹⁸So he said, 'This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.¹⁹And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ Lk. 12:16­-19

3. What does Christ inform this congregation is the true state of affairs? See Rev. 3:17b; cp. Lk. 12:20-21. Men dream of becoming millionaires; but the Lord Jesus tells them to dream really big dreams! ...and then He tells them to wake up! See Matt. 16:26. What is the true state of affairs in your life? To whom, or to what, are you devoted? Note Matt. 6:24,

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and have need of nothing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked. Rev. 3:17

But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul is be required of you; then whose will those things be that you have prepared?' ²¹So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Lk. 12:20-21

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Matt. 16:26

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matt. 6:24

4. What counsel does the Lord Jesus give to the church in Laodicea? See Rev. 3:18. How has he just described the church (cf. vs. 17b); yet, what does He now tell them to do (cf. vs. 18a)? Why does our Lord present this anomaly? Does He not do so to make us realize the cost of discipleship? Note Lk. 14:33,

[Therefore], I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you may become rich; and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself and not allow the shame of your nakedness to be exposed; and eye salve to put on your eyes, so that you may see. Rev. 3:18

But you do not realize that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked. Rev. 3:17b

The one whose worldly wealth has caused him to become spiritually impoverished, is counseled to relinquish his wealth that belongs to this world for the true wealth that is found only in a discipleship relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whoever of you that does not renounce all that he has, cannot be my disciple. Lk. 14:33

As disciples of Christ, we must hold in an open hand whatever He has seen fit to give us, willing to relinquish it at His command, acknowledging His sovereign lordship over our lives and trusting in His covenantal faithfulness.

5. What does our Lord offer to “sell” us at the price of placing our faith in Him and committing ourselves to Him? See Rev. 3:18. What is the “refined gold” that is only found in a relationship with Him? Cp. Eph. 1:3; 2 Thess. 2:14. What are the “white garments” that He bestows upon those who place their faith in Him? Cp. Isa. 61:10; 2 Cor. 5:21. What will we see when the “eye salve” the Lord offers us is applied to our eyes? Cp. Rev. 22:3b-4,

[Therefore], I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you may become rich; and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself and not allow the shame of your nakedness to be exposed; and eye salve to put on your eyes, so that you may see. Rev. 3:18

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... Eph. 1:3

...[God] called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:14

I rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul exults in my God; because he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, like a bridegroom adorns his head [with a turban] like a priest and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels... Isa. 61:10

 ...[God] made [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. 5:21

The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be there, and his servants shall serve him. ⁴They shall see his face, and his name [shall be written] on their foreheads. Rev. 22:3b-4