I was reminded of a quote this week from Erwin Lutzer in his book, When a Nation Forgets God. Now this is rather sad, but bear with me as I proclaim what he had to say. He is talking about a conversation he had with a man who had lived in Hitler's Germany. And he had actually written some of his words and this is what he had written and Erwin Lutzer was rewriting and reliving this. This is what he had. I lived in Germany during the Nazi Holocaust. I considered myself a Christian. We heard stories of what was happening to the Jews, but we tried to distance ourselves from it, because what could anyone do to stop it? A railroad track ran behind our small church, and each Sunday morning we could hear the whistle in the distance, and then the wheels coming over the tracks. We became disturbed when we heard the cries coming from the train, As it passed by, we realized that it was carrying Jews like cattle in the cars. Week after week, the whistle would blow. We dreaded to hear the sound of the wheels because we knew that we would hear the cries of the Jews en route to a death camp. Their screams tormented us. We knew the time the train was coming, and when we heard the whistle blow, we began singing hymns. By the time the train came past our church, we were singing at the top of our voices. If we heard the screams, we sang more loudly, and soon we heard them no more. Wow. He continued, he says, years have passed and no one talks about it anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. God forgive me, forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians and yet did nothing to intervene. Now this man's story defines the word lukewarm, doesn't it? There's a growing number of stories in our current events today that depict what a lukewarm society we've become. You may be familiar with a story just out of New York this week where an illegal immigrant from Guatemala set a sleeping woman on fire in the subway station, and then callously sat there and watched her. A police officer even walked by on his duty and just continued walking on by and pretended that he didn't even see it. Other passengers watched and did nothing. Lukewarm, Lukewarm is a key word for our study this morning because Jesus used it to describe the church in the seventh and final letter in Revelations chapters two and three. We have been studying these letters for the past several weeks and we have seen many incredible parallels of what is contained in them and seven distinct periods of church history. The church age in its entirety represented by these seven letters to seven churches. And you know that the number seven represents completeness. These seven churches represent the complete history of the church from Pentecost when it began to the end of the church when it is raptured off of the earth. We've been seeing in each of these both a first century fulfillment to the things that were happening in that church during the time that John pinned them, and a prophetic future fulfillment. Last week's letter that we studied here was to the church at Philadelphia. As you probably already knew, even before last week, the word Philadelphia means brotherly love. It's what we call Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city of brotherly love. And it comes from two words, phyllis, which means love, and delphoi, which means brothers. We have been seeing how the names of each of these churches have played a significant part in describing what their corresponding period of church history would be like. The Philadelphia church era had characteristically loving churches. Philadelphia had an open door that no one could shut, as the letter in Revelation chapter three described for us. This period of church history experienced the greatest missionary outreach to the world, where missionaries, knowing when they were sent out, departed for places like India and Africa, and they knew the chances were slim for them to come back alive. And so they would pack up their belongings as they would leave for the mission field, all the belongings they would pack up in a coffin, their own coffins. You know, Jesus said, greater love is no man than to lay down his life for another. And what we see in this period, this church era that is depicted in this time period to the church that was written to the church at Philadelphia, there was brotherly love. They sacrificed their very life to send out the gospel of Jesus. A fervent love for Christ and his gospel message characterized the church of that time period. This morning, we are going to the next period of church history after this Philadelphia period. Today, we are looking at the latter and the church period of Laodicea. We are about to see that no two church periods could be more opposite than those of Philadelphia and Laodicea. Jesus did not have any condemnation for the Philadelphian church age. All he had to say were good things about the church of that time period. But with Laodicea, Jesus offers nothing by which he commends them. He only condemns them. Now, I need to be honest and tell you that there is about a 60 year difference among scholars as to when the Philadelphia Church period began, or ended, I should say, when the Philadelphia Church period ended and the Laodicean era began. Many believe it began on January 20, 1891. And I'll explain why in just a moment. But others recognize that many outstanding mission movements were still being started. Right after World Wars I and World War II, many of the servicemen who had served in the military in foreign lands developed a burden to take the gospel back to those lands. And so mission organizations were being formed after World War I and World War II, and they were thriving and sending the gospel out even still. And so those who recognize this, they say, well, I think the Philadelphia Age includes that, and perhaps the end of the Philadelphia Age might be in the 1960 range, where anti-establishmentarianism set in. You remember that? Question authority. I lean toward the 1960 view, but you know, it really doesn't matter. Because it is very obvious that we are in that final church period today that John described in his letter to the church at Laodicea. Let me go back now and just kind of fill you in, explain why January 20, 1891 is pointed to as the start of this era, the Laodicean era, by a lot of theologians that I have high regard for. They look to this date, January 20, 1891. Why? Because on January 20, 1891, a very prominent seminary, which produced many wonderful pastors and theologians worldwide, who were participating fully in the Philadelphia church period, that seminary installed a new president on that day. On that day, the incoming president, Charles Augustus Briggs, gave his inaugural address at the once highly esteemed Union Theological Seminary. In it, he made the six following points, which are destructive heresies. from which the Christian church has never fully recovered. These underlie most mainline churches and denominations to some degree or another. You'll recognize them as I tell them to you. Here are the six points that he chiseled into the Laodicean church period. They are, number one, there are three great fountains of truth. the Bible, the church, and reason. Reason and the church, he went on to say, are equal in authority with scripture. You see, once we say the church is equal in authority with Scripture, what we're saying is, indirectly, human understanding, because churches are led by fallible human beings, are put on par with Scripture. But even more directly, he says, reason also. You know what the name Laodicea means? The very word Laodicea comes from two Greek words, laos meaning people. And dikia, that means judgment. Or judgment by the people. What a picture of the Church of Laodicea. Judgment by the people. People rule. Decide your own truth through reason. Here's the second point he made in his inaugural speech back in 1891. Number two, not only were some of the Old Testament prophecies left unfulfilled, but they were also reversed. So in other words, use your own reasoning and you decide which ones are true. Which ones you wanna believe and why those prophecies and how they were fulfilled. Again, judgment by the people. People rule. Number three, Moses did not write the first five books of the Bible. Go ahead and decide which ones are worthy of your attention. Judgment by the people. People rule. Number four, The book of Isaiah is not a unit. This Bible book which lays the foundation for such a solid faith that Jesus is indeed the Messiah is all now in question. You're gonna have to decide. Judgment by the people. People rule. Number five, those who die unsaved will have a second chance of salvation. Ah, you see, there's no need to warn others. Let them live as they wish. Judgment by the people. People rule. And number six, sanctification is not complete at death. You know what he's saying there? He's saying you'll still have time even after you die to become a better person. Go ahead, live as you wish for right now. Don't allow anybody to tell you that you can't. Judgment by the people. People rule. Well, I think you can see if the Laodicean Church did not start in the 1960s, These seeds were definitely planted and given a very vital root system by which they flourish today. Those of us who disagree with Charles Augustus Briggs are in the minority of what is called Christendom today, the church of the Laodicean age. Surely the church is lukewarm today, but yet it judges itself as just fine. It's neither on fire for God, nor is it completely cold. It's self-satisfied, it's self-righteous, it's indifferent. Such is the overall condition of Christendom. There are fancy church buildings, large denominations, elaborate programs, but the church is poor. Now, before we turn to our passage and dig into it, let me tell you a little bit about first century Laodicea, the city. Remember, the way that biblical prophecy works is very often here is that there is an immediate fulfillment within the generation to which it was first written. And then there is another different kind of fulfillment much later on. And this letter addressed an actual church and its circumstances. It was the literal city of Laodicea. And during the first century, he wrote these things, but yet it addresses our church age. And I think you will see that as we look at it. At the time John pinned this, Laodicea was one of the wealthiest cities of the first century. It was the Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo of John's day. Laodicea was a city of money and influence because it sat on three important trade routes through the city. The many millionaires in the city combined their financial strength to build theaters, huge stadiums, lavish public baths, fabulous shopping centers, and a medical school. They also bred excellent sheep that was known for its remarkable softness of wool. Laodicea set a very high standard of dress for the entire Roman Empire. People of the first century looked to them very much like how people look at Paris today, the fashion center of style. Laodicea was also important for its medicine. A certain ointment made of nard was used to cure eye sores. Silurium was a famous eye salve that was made in Laodicea. And eye powder, known as Phrygian powder, was the remedy for weak and ailing eyes and ears. And the people would take clay from the hills and they would mix it with spikenard. And they would make it into a salve for these ailing eyes and ailing ears. And the salve was shipped all over the Roman Empire. Today, chemical analysis, this is kind of interesting, that they've found that there's nothing healing in the clay at all. But the people of Laodicea made good money of selling it and putting it out during their day. You know, we like to think that we are such a civilized society in our own right. But there is a lot of Laodicean eye salve medicine on the market today. That won't do you a bit of good either. I'm kind of amazed as I've been out of the news. I haven't been watching it for the last several years, and suddenly I'm starting to watch news again, and I'm just amazed at how many commercials there are for all these Laodicean I sell. Maybe they work, I don't know. But I have my suspicions. Trading routes. Clothing. Medicine. Banks. made Laodicea the wealthiest Phrygian city. But in AD 60, a massive earthquake leveled the region and many cities, including Philadelphia and Hierapolis, experienced the earthquake. And when it happened, Rome donated lots of money to help rebuild these cities, but the Laodiceans refused Rome's help. They were too proud. They told Rome they didn't need their money. Laodicea seems to have demonstrated a certain proud self-sufficiency as they rebuilt their own city by themselves. So Laodicea was this luxurious place to live except for one thing. There was something they sorely lacked. It did not have its own water supply. So they built an aqueduct from a nearby city, Hierapolis, which had boiling hot springs water, water that tasted even worse because it was so full of sediment. And by the time it followed almost six miles of aqueduct to Laodicea, it was tepid. It was lukewarm. And undoubtedly, a standard complaint by those who would otherwise enjoy all the affluence of Laodicea would have to put up with that nasty water. Nevertheless, the wealth and luxuries of Laodicea attracted Rome's attention, and Laodicea was abused by their Roman overlords. Roman army officers treated Laodicea as their personal destination resort. They would come and the people of Laodicea were forced to house and feed them. And they could choose whatever house they wanted and force the homeowner to host them for as long as they wanted to stay. Laodiceans had to provide dinner for the soldiers and whatever guests they would bring in. They would have to clothe them and give them daily subsidies to the Roman officers who would come to Laodicea to enjoy all that they had to offer. bad water, big banks, self-sufficiency, pride, stylish garments, eye doctors, people demanding supper and to lodge with them. Jesus speaks to them as they are. And he takes all of these things I've just told you about this city and we'll see them now. in this letter. He speaks to the needs they have. So let's take a look now at what it is that he says to them. Our letter is Revelation chapter 3, verses 14 through 22, and this is how it reads. and to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, the words of the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot, would that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments, so that you may clothe yourselves, and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen. and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me. The one who conquers I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." It seems that the affluence of Laodicea made the church there particularly vulnerable to self-reliance. Kind of like the church today, wouldn't you say? Given the enormous affluence of our own culture, we need to hear what Jesus says to that church in Laodicea. The church of our day often fails to tell the non-believer, for example, that he or she is a sinner. The church today can be characterized as failing to deal with unbelievers as lost individuals. The church often fails to offer salvation in Jesus Christ alone. It fails to tell the horrible consequences of sin, the certainty of hell, and the fact that Jesus Christ alone can save. It's indifferent. just as we saw in the church under Hitler's Holocaust. As I mentioned before, the name Laodicea means judgment by the people. Here at Laodicea, the people's opinions were more important than God's word. This is certainly the case with today's churches as a whole. Timothy described what would be this last church age in this way. Second Timothy 4.3, he writes, for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. Does that not Describe what we see today, where America's largest churches are declaring, God wants you wealthy and healthy. And they've changed the gospel to a message like that. Many today are not interested in biblical truth. This is the postmodern era, where the truth is whatever you want it to be. It's all subjective. opinions, preferences, man-made traditions are the only things that matter. And this is also what we are seeing in the church today. One day after class, it happened to be the very last day of class of one particular term at the college where I teach, A young man hung around, he was waiting for several of the other students to say their goodbyes to me. And I could tell that he had a private matter that he wanted to talk about. And finally, when everybody had laughed, he said, okay, now I wanna ask you something unrelated to what our class has been about. I said, okay. You're a pastor, right? I said, yes. What do you believe about hell? I spent a few minutes telling him what I believe the Bible teaches about it. And then he said to me, so you believe hell is a real place? Of course I do. Good! He said, my family and I painfully left a church two years ago because the pastor started preaching that God will not damn anyone to hell. He is too loving for that. Judgment by the people. Human reasoning over scripture. You know, this pastor, was deciding to replace biblical teaching with his own understanding and wishful thinking. And there's probably something else I should probably tell you about this. This might even shock you. The pastor that we were discussing is the lead pastor of one of our sister churches. At the time, it was in our association of churches. here in Central Oregon. I'm not certain whether or not they still belong to our association, I don't know. This pastor even graduated from the same seminary that I did. Just a few years ago, the elders of our church and I watched a video of a professor at our very own seminary, the one that I graduated from. As he was teaching that he doesn't believe in hell, for the same reason. Loving God just wouldn't do that to anybody. Folks, Laodicea is right before our eyes. It isn't just those other churches. Opinions and preferences and human reasoning take priority over the clear teaching of the Word of God. More and more seminaries and more and more churches that once used to be solid ministries are part of Laodicean church now. This is judgment or discernment by the people. This is Laodicea. First Timothy 4.1, now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. I believe with all my heart that's exactly what we're seeing. We're seeing that now, it's shocking. It's shocking to me. A Laodicean church considers herself rich, but in the eyes of God, she's poor. This is a church that Christ is going to vomit out of his mouth. Revelation 3.14, And to the angel of the church at Laodicea write the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. Though with their life they denied Christ as their Lord, they will answer to him nonetheless. Jesus Christ is the final word, amen. Our verse says he is the amen. And the word amen refers to something that is established, is definite, is true. The Lord was about to tell this church the truth about its spiritual condition. Unfortunately, they would not believe his diagnosis. The Laodicean church was blind to its own needs and unwilling to face the truth. And yet, honestly, that is what the beginning of true blessing is, once we admit that we are what we are and confess our sins and receive from God all that we need. If we want God's best for our lives and for our churches, we've got to be honest with God and let God be honest with us. Jesus speaks with unswerving faithfulness. He's also the head, the beginner of God's creation. As such, Jesus has all authority to judge what he has created. Now verse 15 says, I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. would that you were either cold or hot. As I said earlier, Christ has no word of commendation for this church. All is condemnation here. Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and it was distasteful, it was repugnant. The believers did not take a stand for anything. Indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and yet it was destroying itself. There's nothing more disgusting than a half-hearted nominal Christian who is self-sufficient. These are people who give lip service to the things of God, but they have no heart in their worship, no heart for the Lord in the way they live through the week. To be lukewarm reflects compromise, loss of zeal, loss of direction. They're fence straddlers. with a diminished, hardly noticeable love for the Savior. This is a church that is more interested in convenience than comfort. It's a description of people sitting in church pews, hearing sermon after sermon, and then going on as though the word of God means nothing to them. They're church-going people, and yet there is no sense of sin, no conviction. These churchgoers observe Jesus's convenient commands and ignore the difficult ones. They're self-satisfied, self-secure, and they're proud of it. Lukewarm Christians confuse and mislead unbelievers more than people who reject Christ completely. Spiritually lukewarm Christians pose a greater threat to the spread of the gospel than any atheist. The Lord loves wholehearted, sold-out servants, but if a servant is cold, they would at least be uncomfortable enough that maybe they would move closer to the fire. Lukewarm, no. winning, smug, proud, religious people. It's very difficult because they tend to rely on their religion rather than the Lord. Jesus would rather they be spiritually dead or boiling hot for him. If God were to take your spiritual temperature right now, what would it be? Are you burning hot for the Lord? Are you as hot as you have been in years past? How would God evaluate your temperature? Are you cold, hot, or just lukewarm? The Laodiceans were rich, well-to-do people. They needed no help from man or from God. They were people much like Americans today. They believed that money could buy anything. The faithful and true witness now steps forward and testifies. He rejects their lukewarm, I'm okay, and you're okay, philosophy. He answers their proud boasting with the straight and startling words that we see here in verses 16 and 17. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. You know, this week marks the beginning of a new year. As you're looking at this new year that's gonna begin on Wednesday, What's your hope? What are your aspirations? Is it the hope for a more spendable income? A better society? Good things happening on the political horizon now? Or is it the thought of deepening your relationship with Jesus? Do you think that More common sense in government will increase your happiness? Or do you think that it will come from a deeper understanding of God's character? And the wise plan that God is infallibly bringing to pass. Have recent political hopes made you smug at all? Are hopes for a better financial situation driving your hopes or maybe dashing them for the coming year? Dr. Kent Hughes, one of those theologians I was saying earlier I have a high regard for, he writes this. Perhaps Jesus's claim that these Laodiceans were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked is shocking to you because it seems incomprehensible. Perhaps you're a person who hasn't thought much beyond your physical life, and you have not really wrestled with the idea that you could have everything and yet have nothing. Have you noticed that the wealthiest nation in the world, the USA, is also the nation with the most psychologists and psychotherapists in the world? If money made people happy, would Americans be so unhappy? More money is not what we need. Just ask someone who has more. The problem is deeper. The problem is that we were made to know and love God, but we rebel against God and worship ourselves and other created things. The Laodiceans were full of pride. They glorified in their material prosperity, but of all things, they were poor. And the Lord strikes a terrific blow to them by calling them naked. Remember, the Laodicea was the clothing center, and I'm sure there was a lot of smugness in this Laodicean church by the way they dressed. It was probably the most well-dressed congregation, probably the swankiest crowd in all of Asia. Verse 18, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich and white garments, that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I counsel you to buy from me. You know, Jesus even enters into their lingo, their language of their activities. He's using merchant terms here. Pay the price to get gold tried in the fire. And that suggests that the church needed some persecution. They were too comfortable. You know, nothing makes God's people examine their priorities faster than suffering. Then Jesus adapts once again to their activities. The Laodiceans could go to the market, they could purchase woolen garments, but that would not meet their real need. They needed the white garments of God's righteousness and grace. They needed to clothe themselves with a righteousness that doesn't come from themselves, but from a full dependence on God. Then lastly, he uses another Laodicean activities, the chest. the necessary solution. Anoint your eyes with an effective eye salve. The Laodiceans were blind. They could not see reality. They were living in a fool's paradise, proud of a church that was about to be rejected. The fact was, they could not see that they had a problem, let alone look for a remedy for it. Verses 19 and 20. Those whom I love I reprove and discipline, so 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 eat with him and he with me. Verse 19 is often overlooked because it is in the shadows of the more famous Revelation 3.20. But I want you to stop and consider how Jesus, right in the middle of a harsh rebuke, boy, he's been rebuking them, but right in the middle of his harsh, hurtful condemnation, he extends a hand of mercy and love. He's reproving them, just as a father reproves the children he loves. His purpose is not to punish, but to bring his people back to him. Are you lukewarm in your devotion to God? God may discipline you out of your uncaring attitude, but he uses only loving discipline. You can avoid God's discipline by drawing near to him again through confession, admit that you've wronged him, and then start serving him, worshiping him, and studying his word. Indeed, Jesus doesn't want to reject you. He wants to have dinner with you. Jesus is inviting the Laodicean Christians to realize how they have shut them out of their lives with their own self-sufficiency and refused to show him the most basic hospitality. There's a stark contrast. between Jesus standing at the door and knocking and the Roman soldiers forcing the Laodiceans to house and feed them. The Romans force their way in and take food from the people, the Laodiceans. Jesus knocks and waits to be invited in. And you know what else? He provides the meal. Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. You know, that's one of the saddest pictures imaginable. The Lord has been locked out of the church of Laodicea. And he patiently and lovingly waits to gain entrance. Through all my years with Campus Crusade for Christ, I've used this verse, Revelation 3.20, in gospel presentation to non-believers. You know what, I'm convinced today that that's not a proper verse for that. I've told them that Jesus is knocking on their heart's door. But Jesus, in this verse here, is speaking primarily to the church. And so he's speaking to those who've already considered themselves to be Christians. It's to Christians that he is speaking in this verse. And to whom he now rebukes. Verse 21. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. Favor with Rome would result in influence in the empire, but ultimately Rome would always be in charge. Rome was not about sharing power, but taking it and holding onto it. They thought it better to receive than to give. But look how different Jesus is. He promises to people that they will sit with him on his throne. He's not threatened by rivals. He's not concerned to protect his own influence and his own right to rule. He is so completely secure in his sovereignty that he can share. None can compare with him, he is matchless. Trust him, fervently worship him. Verse 22, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. We are living in an age today known as Laodicea. You saw the descriptions, it matches very well the churches today. Jesus says the church of this age needs eye salve. Eye salve has to do with the ability to see spiritual realities. Now here are a few questions that might help you determine whether or not you need an ophthalmologist from Laodicea, or if you have applied the eye salve that Jesus offers. Which do you view as more pressing? More urgent activity. Reading or watching the news or reading and studying the Bible. Obviously both are valuable. But on a day-to-day basis, if you only have time to do one or the other, which gets done? Point number two. If you only had time to do one thing or the other and your choices were between taking time to pray and checking your email or Facebook or X, whatever, which would you view as the more pressing activity? Now I just realized we have a Facebook employee with us today. If you could choose between two things, a lottery ticket that was guaranteed to win a billion dollars or an empty bank account with the assurance that God will provide for you to meet your needs if you trust him, which would you choose? Would you choose to have more money than you could ever spend or would you choose the opportunity to trust God? These are some hard-hitting questions, folks. All right, last one. Which would you choose to have your hopes and dreams realized in the American political scene by seeing all of your candidates elected and all your political issues dealt with in the way that you want to see them handled? or the opportunity to identify yourself as an alien and a stranger for whom this world is not home? These questions are trying to get at four significant keys. What shapes your thinking, the world or the Bible? What communication do you view as non-negotiable, horizontal with other people? or vertical with God? What do you trust, money or Jesus? What do you ultimately identify with, a political party or the kingdom of God? We need the gold that Jesus sells. We need the white garments that he offers. We need the salve that he offers. We need him. Be zealous. Be boiling. You cannot be lukewarm and not expect to be spit out by Christ. Christianity of false is of no importance. And if true, of infinite importance, the one thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis. I think he sums up that letter to the church at Laodicea very well. Let's pray.