Summary: This church could not see itself as it really was.

INTRODUCTION

 SLIDE #1

 A young woman went to her preacher and said, "Preacher, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it." The preacher replied, "Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake." -- Haddon Robinson, "Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Us Guys," Preaching Today, Tape No. 80.

 Sometimes we are the last to know how we really are.

 In this last letter to the churches, the letter to the church at Laodicea, we have a picture of a church that really does not see itself as it really is.

 The setting for this church could be compared to having a church in Miami Florida.

 The city of Laodicea was a popular place to retire. The city was famous during its time for many things which include:

 Health resorts because of hot mineral springs

 A medical center that was a well-known source of eye salve.

 It’s fine black wool industry

 Banking center

 The city was so wealthy that when an earthquake destroyed the city in A.D. 60, the city rebuilt itself without any outside help.

 This was a nice city to live in.

 This church probably looked very nice, it was a church that really did not have any problems with specific sins, heretics or persecution.

 This church had struggled with a problem that is still running rampant in our churches and our lives today.

 Let’s take a look at a picture of a foolish church.

 SLIDE #2

SERMON

I. PICTURE OF THE LORD v 14

 The picture of the Lord is painted for us in verse 14. Let’s see what it tells us

 SLIDE #3

 Revelation 3:14 (NASB) 14“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the £Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

 SLIDE #4

 Jesus calls Himself the AMEN.

A. The Amen.

 Whenever we finish our prayers, we say AMEN. This means that we are affirming the truths that have been spoken.

 Sometimes during a sermon someone (who is awake) will say amen to something in the message, this means that we are affirming the truths that have been preached.

 Jesus is absolutely true and reliable.

 SLIDE #5

 Secondly Jesus calls Himself the faithful.

B. The Faithful.

 This statement means that Jesus is worthy of our faith. This is faith in the passive sense.

 How many things do people invest their lives in that are worthy of their faith?

 SLIDE #6

 Thirdly, Jesus says He is the true witness.

C. The True Witness.

 How many people claim the have the path to God?

 Jesus is the true witness to God.

 SLIDE #7

 Finally Jesus says He is the beginning of the creation of God.

D. The Beginning of the Creation of God.

 Why would people want to put their faith in the creation instead of the creator?

 In ROMANS 1:18-25, we are told that worshipping the creation is not what God had intended for man. The consequences of worshipping the creation over the creator are not good.

 Jesus is not a created being, but instead this statement means that Jesus is the source of creation.

 SLIDES #8-#9

 Colossians 1:15 - 18 (NASB) 15And He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

 This picture of Jesus points out that He is where people need to put their faith. We do not need to put our faith in money, position or power! We do not need to put our faith in comfort or material things. We do not need to put our faith in health; we must place our faith in Jesus!

 SLIDE #10

II. CONDEMNATION OF THE CHURCH v 15-17

 God has some issues with this church that He will spell out in verses 15-17.

 SLIDE #11

 Revelation 3:15 - 17 (NASB) 15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

 The first issue Jesus has with the church is that the church is lukewarm.

 SLIDE #12

A. The church was lukewarm. (v 15-16)

 Have you ever taken a drink of lukewarm coffee? What about a lukewarm soda? Luke warm water is good isn’t it!

 The church was located in a town that was close to hot springs that were known for their healing power. Hot water is good for drinking with coffee, but it also has some medicinal value. Cold water is refreshing. There is nothing like a cold glass of tea on a hot summer day.

 The church had gotten to the point that they were neither giving spiritual refreshment for the spiritually weary, nor were they giving spiritual healing to the spiritually sick. The church was ineffective and the Lord did not like it!

 The church lost its spiritual fervor.

 SLIDE #13

 The second problem with the church is that it had the wrong impression of itself.

B. The church had a wrong impression of itself (v 17)

 The church was the church of self. Self-satisfied, self-sufficient, and complacent.

 Rich, wealthy, had need of nothing! They were really poor. The fellow that has no money is poor. The fellow that has nothing but money is poorer still. -- Billy Sunday (1862-1935), American revivalist. "Money II," Christian History, Issue 19.

 They were blind. MEDICAL CENTER

 They were naked. Black wool industry.

 SLIDE #14

 Let us look at the advice Jesus has for the church.

III. ADVICE FOR THE CHURCH v 18-19

 The advice from Jesus is found in verses 18-19

 SLIDE #15

 Revelation 3:18 - 19 (NASB) 18I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

 First Jesus suggests they buy gold from Him that has been refined by fire.

 SLIDE #16

A. Buy from Jesus the gold refined by fire.

 The stuff that made the people comfortable was the stuff that would not stand the test of time or the test of fire. Fire purifies metals.

 SLIDE #17

 1PETER 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

 Spiritual riches only come from Jesus!

 SLIDE #18

 The second piece of advice from Jesus was to buy white garments.

B. Buy white garments.

 The city made black wool, Jesus is telling the church to buy pure white garments from Him.

 We should clothe ourselves in righteousness!

 SLIDE #19

 ROM 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

 The third piece of advice for the church is that they need to buy some eye salve.

 SLIDE #20

C. Buy Eye salve.

 The people were blind, they were blinded by complacency!

 Jesus could remove the scales from their eyes!

 The forth piece of advice is they need to be zealous.

 SLIDE #21

D. Be zealous.

 The core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but that we are not passionate enough about good things. -- Larry Crabb. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 2.

 What are you zealous for?

 Finally they are called to repent.

 SLIDE #22

E. Repent.

 The people needed to repent of putting their faith in their stuff! What do we need to repent of?

 SLIDE #23

IV. PROMISES FOR THE FAITHFUL v 20-22

 Let us look at verses 20-22 for the promises of the faithful

 SLIDE #24

 Revelation 3:20 - 22 (NASB) 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 will dine with him, and he with Me. 21‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame 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 first promise is that Jesus is at the door!

 SLIDE #25

A. Jesus is at the door. v20

 Jesus is waiting, this is a promise to all. It does not matter who you are or what you have done, Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart!

 Secondly, Jesus will come in if you open the door.

 SLIDE #26

B. If you open the door, Jesus will come in. v20

 Jesus will not run from you! TALK ABOUT BEING A KID!

 The last meal of the day was one that took a long time to eat, the last meal was a time of fellowship and relaxation. Jesus says that if we will open the door He will come in and dine with us.

 SLIDE #27

 MAT 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

 Finally, we will sit with Jesus on the throne.

 SLIDE #28

C. Sit with Jesus on the throne. v21

 Jesus defeated death and sat down at the right hand of the Father.

 After we overcome all the persecution and trials of this life, we too will sit with Jesus!

CONCLUSION

 How many people have a false read on their spiritual health?

 How many people mistake prosperity or health as a sign of spirituality?

 How many of us are neither hot nor cold. Many Christians are struggling with being complacent in their faith. What are you doing to grow in your faith?

 Would Jesus look at our church, would Jesus look at you and I and say that we are lukewarm?

 Let’s be on fire for Jesus. Let’s give Jesus all we have, He gave His all for us!