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A Look at The Church of Laodicea

November 19, 2006

Revelation 3:14-22 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The book of revelation is written to churches

Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendent of David, the bright morning star!”

Unto the angel of the church

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel (Greek – aggelos – a messenger) of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

John the Baptist was a messenger

Matthew 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

The apostles were messengers

Luke 9:52 And sent messengers (aggelos) before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

The two spies of Israel were messengers

James 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers,(aggelos) and had sent them out another way?

A lukewarm church

Revelation 3:15 I (Jesus, the head of the body) know thy works, that thou (My body) art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Reward is according to works

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

The Lord does not like His people to be in the middle

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you go on balancing between two opinions? if the Lord is God, then give worship to him; but if Baal, give worship to him. And the people said not a word in answer. (BBE)

The warning against lukewarmness

Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

To be “spued out” means to lose your inheritance

Leviticus 18:28 That the land [the inheritance] spue not you out also, when ye [Israel] defile it [through sin and disobedience], as it spued out the nations that were before you.

Leviticus 20:22 Ye [Israel] shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them [obedience]: that the land [the inheritance], whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

The cause of lukewarmness

Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

“I counsel thee to buy of me…”

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rich in faith

James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

An approved or tested faith through trials

1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold [many sided or many colors] temptations [or trials, testings]: 7 That the trial [or testing] of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto [or result in] praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ

A glorified Christ

Mark 9:3 And his (Christ’s) raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

Changed into the likeness of His glorious body

Philippians 3:21 Who (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall change our vile body [our body of humiliation], that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Glorify God now in your body

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Worthy to clothed in white raiment – a glorious body

Revelation 3:4-5 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment;(a glorious body) and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The bride made herself ready by righteous acts

Revelation 19:7-8 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed [or clothed] in fine linen, clean and bright,(a glorious body) for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints

The righteous shine in the kingdom

Matthew 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear

Shame and nakedness before the Lord

Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (naked – unglorified), when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed (naked - unglorified) before him at his coming.

To be found naked is to be raised in an unglorified body

2 Corinthians 5:1-2 For we know that if our earthly house (corruptible body) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God (a glorious body), an house not made with hands, ~~eternal~~ age-lasting in the heavens. 2 For in this (our earthly house) we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (a glorious body): 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.(an unglorified body – unfaithful - shame) 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Keep your garments don’t be found naked!

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (unglorified), and they see his shame

Outer darkness is for the unfaithful – unglorified

Matthew 22:11-14 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: (unglorified)12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen

The eyesalve OF SELF-EXAMINATION

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves (present active imperative) as to whether you are in the faith (Are you esteeming things hoped for and things not seen?). Test yourselves (present active imperative). Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you (“the hope of glory,” Col.1:27)? -- unless indeed you are disqualified (unfit).

BE ZEALOUS!! REPENT!!

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love (present, active,subjunctive), I rebuke (present, active) and chasten (present, active): be zealous (imperative) therefore, and repent (imperative).

Websters 1828 defines zealous as: Warmly engaged or ardent (hot or passionate) in the pursuit of an object.

Be fervent in spirit

Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Put your heart into it!

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

An invitation back to covenant fellowship

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock (present tense – a continuous action): if any man (in the church) hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup [or dine] with him, and he with me.

The promise to members of the church that overcome

Revelation 3:21-22 To him (an individual member of the church) that overcometh (as a lifestyle) will I grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches