Seven Messages to Seven Churches; the Disgusting Church at Laodicea.

Revelation 3:14-22

• The Diagnosis of the Church

– The Laodicean Church is a compromising church
• The heart of man is described three different ways in the New Testament, a burning heart in Luke 24:32, and Matthew 24:12 speaks of a cold heart. But in the Laodicean church there was a lukewarm heart.

• A triad of cities (Colossians 4:12); A reference to the water situation, hot water springs in Hierapolis and cold water springs in Colosse, pipes and aqueducts transported the water result/lukewarm.

• The Laodicean Church is a conceited church.
– The church at Smyrna thought it was poor when in fact it was rich, the church at Laodicea though they were rich when in fact they were poor.
– “The Laodicea church was a half-hearted church, a Christianity which was both flabby and anemic. They had taken a lukewarm bath of religion.” –John Stott


• The Laodicean Church was a Christ less Church.
– Jesus is standing on the wrong side of the door. The Greek word for “dine” refers to the last meal before the dawning of a new day. He was ready to give the Church a new day but he had to be invited in.
– “When the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)


The Counsel to the last Church
• Prescription one for spiritual compromise: Repent (Revelation 3:19)
• Prescription two for spiritual poverty: Gold refined by suffering (Revelation 3:18)
• Prescription three for spiritual nakedness: White garments of righteousness (Revelation 3:18)
• Prescription four for spiritual blindness: Salve (Revelation 3:18)
• Prescription five for their Christlessness: Open the door (Revelation 3:20)


Open the door
The only cure for the lukewarmness is the readmission of the excluded Christ. Apostasy must be confronted with His fidelity, looseness with conviction born of His authority, poverty with the fact of His wealth, frost with the mighty fire of His enthusiasm, and death with the life divine that is in His gift. There is no other cure for the loneliness of heaven, for the malady of the world, for the lukewarmness of the Church than the readmitted Christ.” - G. Campbell Morgan


• What do the following scriptures reveal to us about fervency in one’s walk with the Lord?
– Acts 18:25
– Romans 12:11
– Colossians 4:12
– James 5:16
– 1 Peter 1:22
– 1 Peter 4:8

• How could you apply the concept of “fervent heat” to the spiritual life? (2 Peter 3:10, 12)

• Describe as many different elements as you can from 1 Corinthians 15:58 about what it means to be fervent for the Lord: