Revelation 3:15-16 Luke Warm Church!

Revelation 3:15-16   I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I would wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.

    

Jesus did not have one good word for the church at Laodicea.  Jesus says they are "lukewarm".  They are coming to church and going through the motions of worship.  There is a lot going on in the church, but it is largely mechanical and of a social nature.  They have committee meeting, social gatherings, club meetings and about any kind of meeting you can think of, but there is very little emphasis on revival meetings, prayer meetings or Sunday night meetings.

   

  If they do have a revival meeting the evangelist and singers are hired with emphasis on entertainment instead of soul winning.  Jesus said, "I wish you were either cold or hot in your service for me."

   

  If they were "cold" they would feel a need to grow closer to Jesus.  They would recognize their lost state and repent. Since they were "lukewarm" they felt they were O.K. and did not feel they had a need to repent and grow closer to Jesus.  If the church was "hot" it meant they were seeking the will of Jesus, repenting of their sins and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in their meetings every time they had church services.  They would seek to know what Jesus wanted them to do and work hard to meet the needs of the people around them.  Jesus said, "Because you are neither hot nor cold, but are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth."

In 11 Timothy 3:l-5 Paul describes the end-time church. "But know this, that in the last days, perilous time will come :  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters , proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power".

Revelation 3:17 Be a Church on Fire

Revelation 3:17  Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

    

Laodicea is condemned by Jesus more than any of the other seven churches. 

    

Some believe that each church stands for a church age.  If that is true Laodicea would stand for the present church age which began in 1900 A.D. and goes until the rapture of the church. 

  

   There has never been a time in history in which our churches have been so rich.  Yet many of our churches reject the inspiration of the scripture, the virgin birth of Jesus, the atonement and many basic doctrines of the Bible are openly denied.

    

 Many of our churches today are the finest money can buy.  We have fabulous architectures, million-dollar buildings, fund raising

, organizations, and strong church membership.  We think we do not need anything because all of our physical needs are met. We  do not realize we are in a poverty stricken state spiritually in the sight of Jesus.   Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing."  We can organize, teach, promote, but only the Holy Spirit can transform the lives of men.  (Matthew 7:22-25.)  Jesus says,

"Many will say to me in that day, have we not prophesied, cast out demons, and done many wonderful works, and I will profess unto them I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

    

In the view of this world Laodicea was very successful.  Jesus saw the church with spiritual eyes and He said Laodicea was  "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."  Jesus was looking at their spiritual condition.

The Seven Stages of the Church Age

Revelation 3:14   And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea's write.

     Some people believe that the seven churches not only represent seven actual churches in Asia, but they also represent the seven church ages.  

1. Ephesus:  "The Apostolic Church"  A.D.30 - A.D.100   This was the church age where the disciples and people who saw Jesus lived.

2. Smyrna:  "The Persecuted Church:  A.D.100 - A.D.312    Ten Roman Emperors severely persecuted the church, urged on by the Jewish synagogue Leaders,  The persecution began with Nero and ended with Diocletian.

3. Pergamum: "The Indulged Church"  A.D. 312 - A.D. 606  In 312 Constantine  made Christianity the religion of Rome.  Persecution ended, but many of the Pagan practices became part of the church.

4. Thyatira: "A Pagan church" A.D. 606 - A.D. 1500  This church depicts the "middle ages"  and the dominance of the Roman Catholic Church.  This age is know as the

"Dark  Ages" where paganism merged with Christianity.

5. Sardis: "The Dead Church"  A.D. 1500 - A.D. 1750   This age is known as  "The Reformation Period".  This age came to a crises when martin Luther, on Oct. 31, 1517 A.D. nailed his famous 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg, Germany. 

6. Philadelphia:  "The Church Jesus Loved" A.D. 1750 - A.D. 1900  This is the age where missionaries were going all over  the world preaching the gospel.  Jesus said, "I have set an open door before you and no man can shut it.  Jesus did not have one word of condemnation for this church.

7. Laodicea:  A.D. l900 - A.D. - to rapture   There are no words of praise given to this church.  Jesus said the church was lukewarm, just going through the motions of worship.  His presence was not in the church. They thought they were rich and increased in goods and in need of nothing spiritually.  They did not know that spiritually they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.  Jesus said, "Ask of me and I will give you gold tried by fire, white raiment to cloth you, and salve to anoint your eyes so you can see.

Revelation 3:10 God Will Save Us From the Hour Of Trial Coming Upon the World!

Revelation 3:10  Because you have kept my commandments to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.

    

 The church is promised deliverance from the hour of trial which will come upon the whole world. The word "trial" means the same thing as "tribulation."  This does not refer to normal "trials" or "tribulations" that we all face each day, but to a special hour of trial that will involve the whole world.  In some countries Christians are going through great tribulation and facing death each and every day.  This does not fulfill this verse because the persecution is not world wide.  The promise of the Lord is that the church will be kept from that hour of tribulation.

   

  This verse seems to indicate the church will be taken up to heaven  (ruptured) from the earth before the 'hour' of trial comes upon the whole earth. In the rapture Jesus meets His church in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.) The word rapture isn't used here, but it says in verse 17 "Then we which are alive shall be "caught up".  The dead in Christ will be raised first to meet Jesus in the air and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

    

There are three main views of the rapture. l. Jesus will rapture the church before the tribulation. 2. Jesus will rapture the church in the middle of the tribulation 4. Jesus will rapture the church at the end of the tribulation.  The tribulation period will last seven years.

The most important thing to remember: "Jesus is coming for those who are looking for His coming.  We should be looking for Him to come at any moment.  Hebrews 9:28  'Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.'

Revelation 3:11-13 Jesus is coming quickly! Hold Fast to What you Have!

Revelation 3:11-13 Behold, I am coming quickly!  Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.  he who overcomes, I will make him a pillow in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more.  I will write on him My new name.  He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.

    

Jesus promised to come quickly.  Two thousand years is a very short time for Jesus, who has always existed.

    

Jesus has another warning.  "Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."  It isn't a question of someone stealing your crown.  It is a question of God taking your crown and giving it to someone else, because we are not worthy to wear the crown.  We must overcome the world.  All sin can be put in three categories, lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life.  Sometimes God gives us a task to do for Him.  For some reason we do not depend upon Jesus to help us and we get discouraged and do not complete the task God has given us to do.  God will give the task to someone else and we loose the blessing Jesus had planned for us. 

    

 Even if we fail Jesus will forgive us and give us another chance to follow His plan.  Jesus says,  "He will make the overcome a pillar in the temple of God and he shall go out no more".  A pillar speaks of stability and going out no more speaks of security.  We can have stability and feel secure in Jesus all our life only in serving Jesus.  Christians are often persecuted for their faith.  Jesus will identify us with the seal of His name and we will see Jesus face to face.  Jesus said,  "If you have  an ear listen to what the Sprit says.  We need to kneel and ask Jesus to come into our life, to cleanse us of all our sins, and save our soul. 

Revelation 3:9 The Synagogue of Satan

Revelation 3:9  Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

    

Jesus spoke these same words to the church of Smyrna.  Jesus said to Smyrna, "I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  When Jesus came as the promised Messiah, the religious leaders who belonged to the synagogue did not believe Jesus was the Messiah.  They persecuted and tried to kill Jesus before it was time for Him to die on the cross for our sins.  

 It was the Jewish religious leaders who convinced the Roman government to crucify Jesus on the cross.  After Jesus' death, resurrection and  assertion into heaven to be with His heavenly Father, these same Jewish leaders began to persecute the Christians.  Paul was part of this persecution of the Christians until his conversion on the way to Damascus to arrest and kill more Christians.

    

These Jewish religious leaders were also persecuting the church  at Philadelphia.  Jesus again says these Jewish leaders belong to the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, and belong to Satan.  Jesus adds, "I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you."

God Gave to Them An Open Door

Revelation 3:8  I know your works.  See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;  for you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name.

    

Jesus recognizes what we do as we serve Him.  Not one moment of what we do for Him is forgotten or lost.  Jesus told the church of Philadelphia, "I know your works.  Because of this assurance from Jesus, we should never get discouraged or give up.  Jesus set an open door before the church at Philadelphia and no one can shut the door.

    

 Jesus commends the church for their strength.  They do not have a lot of strength, only a little strength.   We do not need a lot of strength because Jesus will be our strength.  We need a willing heart to serve Him.

   

  Jesus commends the church because they have kept the word of God and did not deny the name of Jesus.  They not only believed the word of God, but obeyed the word of God.  Satan believes and trembles at the word of God.  (James 2:19)   We are to be doers of the word, not just hears of the word.  (James 2:22)

   

  We need to study the word of God and then put the word of God into our daily lives.  In our present life there is a temptation to compromise in order to gain opportunities in business.  It is our responsibility to do what is right and God will open doors of opportunity for us. Jesus told the church of Philadelphia, "You have kept my word, and have not denied my name.