REVELATIONS
God has a word to
the church – are you listening?
The church at
Laodicea is one of two churches where Jesus identifies no positive qualities.
He gives another beautiful description of Himself, then jumps right into
Laodicea’s lackluster attitude toward spiritual things. No one took a stand for
Jesus. Everyone came to church and left without a genuine and passionate desire
to pursue God.
The Laodiceans are
so apathetic that the theologians are split on whether the congregation is lost
or saved. This condition shows that religious activity and claiming the title
“church” does not prove a person is a follower of Christ. The evidence of
following Christ is the outpouring of the Spirit. The outpouring of the Spirit
is evidenced by a passion for Christ and His glory.
According to Jesus
and His letter, apathy within the church renders it useless to the Kingdom of
God. The greater problem is that the Laodiceans have no idea their condition is
wretched and see no need for repentance. However, Jesus instructs the church to
repent and open the door when He knocks. Jesus does not leave the church in a
lukewarm state. He will make all things new, but until that day, Jesus desires
His church to resist worldly comfort and passionately serve Him.
This is the
Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Opening Questions:
In the past week,
what did you do that most excited you?
How would you
describe someone with an apathetic heart?
The Point:
Evaluate
your passion for Christ.
Revelation
3:14-22
14 “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.
15 “‘I know your
works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of
my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not
realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 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 yourself and the shame of your nakedness may
not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom
I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 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. 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. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches.’”
The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Revelation
3:14-22.
STUDY
NOTES
No one is excited
about everything, but apathy in our relationship with Jesus has no place in the
life of His disciples or the church. In fact, Jesus used extreme imagery when
He spoke about those who failed to give Him their full affection. Jesus expects
and deserves whole-hearted devotion from His people. We all have moments where
the fire does not burn as brightly as others. However, a believer who lives a
lifestyle of apathy toward following Christ is not right with God.
As you go through
the text, notice how Jesus evaluates these churches. He genuinely cares about
how the church operates. Some aspects of the church should remain, and some the
church should change. Jesus looks at the activity, then digs deep into the
heart of that activity. For instance, at Ephesus, the church is active, but at
the heart, they lose their first love. They serve God for the wrong reasons.
Though Jesus’
message to the church at Laodicea contained no praise, it did contain grace.
Their problem had a solution in Christ. He urged the believers to repent and
open their lives to Him as Lord, promising that if they did so, they would
enjoy spiritual victory and intimate fellowship with Him.
The letter to the
church concludes with a positive and even urgent invitation to the Laodiceans
to return to a close relationship with Him. The invitation is for believers to
open the door of their hearts to their Lord for intimate fellowship. The image of
a meal is important. Eating together is a sign of fellowship and complete
acceptance. That is what Jesus earnestly offers and desires. Although Jesus’
invitation is to the church, if anyone repents, He will come to that person
with the most majestic reward possible — to sit at the divine banquet with
Jesus on His throne.
In short, Jesus
gives these three instructions:
1. The church needs
to confess.
2. The church needs
conviction to serve Christ.
3. The church needs
communion with Christ.
Quotes:
“When Jesus says something, you don’t need a second opinion.” – Stephen Williams
“The self-sufficient man is no man at all for Christ.” – Corey Watson
“Apathy is most recognizable in the actions of the unrepentant.” – Ashley Moore
“Our usefulness to the kingdom is less about our capabilities, and more about our commitment to the King.” – Wayne Bray
Bottom Line
Apathy towards Christ will send you to Hell.
Jesus describes the Laodicean Church:
They are useless.
They are self-dependent.
They are unrepentant.
QUESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION
How would you
describe a church that is lukewarm?
What are the
dangers of this type of spiritual apathy for a church and individual
Christians?
What causes a
church to lose its fervor for ministry and outreach?
What would happen
to spiritual apathy if people continually remained aware of God’s greatness?
Describe repentance
in your own words. Why is this something God values so highly?
Are you lukewarm in
your devotion to God? If so, how do you sense Him drawing you back to Himself?
What does it look
like to “eat with” Jesus (v. 20)? Why is this an appropriate picture of
spiritual intimacy with Him?
END
Teacher Notes:
What did Jesus say
the Church of Ephesus had lost last week?
What did Jesus tell the Church of Ephesus to do?
1.
To consider how far you have fallen.
2.
Repent
3.
To do the things you did at first.
To the Church of Laodicea
“I know your works:
you are neither cold nor hot. … So, because you are lukewarm, … I will spit you
out of my mouth.”
“Apathy towards
Christ will send you to Hell.”
Bottom Line
Revelation
3:14-22
14 “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.
15 “‘I know your
works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of
my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not
realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 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 yourself and the shame of your nakedness may
not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom
I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 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. 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. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches.’”
The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Revelation
3:14-22.
The
Church of Laodicea – What do you know?
Laodicea was the
wealthiest of the seven cities, known for its banking industry, manufacture of
wool, and a medical school that produced eye salve. But the city had always had
a problem with its water supply. At one time an aqueduct was built to bring
water to the city from hot springs. But by the time the water reached the city,
it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool – only lukewarm. The church had become
as bland as the tepid water that came into the city.
Laodicea was a
wealthy city, and the church was also wealthy. But what the Laodiceans could
see, and buy had become more valuable to them than what is unseen and eternal.
Wealth, luxury, and
ease can make people feel confident, satisfied, and complacent. But no matter
how much you possess or how much money you make, you have nothing if you don’t
have a vital relationship with Christ.
What are
the dangers of this type of spiritual apathy for a church and individual
Christians?
The
Laodiceans are so apathetic that theologians are split on whether the
congregation is lost or saved.
What do
you think?
What
causes a church to lose its fervor for ministry and outreach?
What did
Jesus say to the Church?
You are
useless.
You are
self-dependent.
You are
unrepentant.
“Apathy
is most recognizable in the actions of the unrepentant.” – Ashley Moore
Are you
lukewarm in your devotion to God today?
What
could cause a Christian to lose their devotion to God?
“The
self-sufficient man is no man at all for Christ.”
– Corey
Watson
NOTHING
ABOUT ME IS
SELF-MADE.
I OWE GOD
EVERYTHING.
Do you agree with
this? Is this how you feel? Are you living this way today?
The Laodicean
church was complacent and rich. They felt self-satisfied, but they didn’t have
Christ’s presence among them. Christ knocked at the door of their hearts, but
they were so busy enjoying worldly pleasures that they didn’t notice that He
was trying to enter. The pleasures of this world – money, security, material
possessions – can be dangerous, because their temporary satisfaction make us
indifferent to God’s offer of lasting satisfaction.
Jesus said in
short:
1. The church needs
to confess and repent.
2. The church needs
conviction to serve Christ.
3. The church needs
communion with Christ.
What does it look
like to “eat with” Jesus (v. 20)?
Why is this an
appropriate picture of spiritual intimacy with Him?
Conclusion
You must evaluate
your passion for Christ.
