MESSAGE TO CHURCHES IN REVELATION
LAODICEA
DR. JIM DIXON
MAY 16, 1982
REVELATION 3:14-22
Laodicea was a wealthy inland city only 40 miles from Ephesus. It was not a particularly old or ancient city. In fact, it had been built by the Greeks only two hundred years before Christ. It was built by Antiochus II, and it was named after his wife. It was an exceptionally affluent city and after the great earthquake of 80 A.D., the Laodiceans were able to rebuild the city with their own wealth, with no help from Rome. The Roman historian, Patatas spoke of the Laodiceans as “able to rise from the ruins through the strength of their own resources.” They were a proud people. They were a self-sufficient people, independent, and they were rich. They had three thriving industries and that included medicine, clothing manufacturing and banking.
In the midst of that community, there was a Christian church. It was established with prominence. The Apostle Paul himself had written a letter to the church at Laodicea. That letter is lost to us. The church at Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven churches of Asia. They had built three beautiful church buildings. Their foundations still exist today. They had never been persecuted by outsiders. They were accepted by Greeks, by Romans, and by Jews. From a worldly perspective, they had everything in their favor, and yet, our Lord Jesus Christ had nothing good to say about them.
He had three messages for them. His first message was a rebuke and a warning. He said, “I know your work. You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot, but because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth. You say, ‘I am rich. I am prosperous. I need nothing,’ not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” Here, then, is a strong rebuke from the risen Christ. He warned them regarding their spiritual mediocrity. They were lukewarm. They were neither cold nor hot. They had lost their first zeal and He warned them regarding their security. They were rich and they were trusting in their riches.
Unfortunately, it is often true that worldly wealth results in spiritual poverty. It doesn’t need to be that way but it’s often true because people begin to trust in their possessions rather than trusting in God. They begin to trust in their wealth and in their riches rather than trusting in the Living God. So, we have this warning to the church at Laodicea, a warning to Christians in all generations. “Do not trust in riches.”
Jesus Christ said that “a man’s life does not consist in the sum of his possessions” and He told this parable, saying that “the land of a rich man brought forth plentifully. He said to himself, ‘What shall I do for I have no place in which to store my crops?’ He said, ‘I will do this. I will tear down my barn and I will build larger barns and there I will store my grains and my goods. I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years. Take your ease. Eat, drink and be merry.’ But God shall say to him, ‘You fool. This very night your soul is required of you and the things which you have accumulated, whose shall they be? So shall it be for all who are rich to themselves and not rich towards God.’”
In 1976, there was the Big Thompson flood. I’m sure many of you, most of you, remember that. There was a group of college students who were camping in Big Thompson Canyon. It was raining. They were in their tent. A friend came to warn them, to tell them that a flood was coming, and they laughed. They said, “Who’s afraid of a little rain?” They said, “We’ll be fine in this tent.” The friend left. The flood came. A 20-foot wall of water swept over that tent. They found the bodies of those college students ten miles downriver. That tent provided no protection against the great forces of that torrent and flood, and God wants us to know that “worldly possessions, worldly wealth, offers no protection against the forces of life and death.”
The scriptures do not condemn worldly riches, but they do warn us regarding their danger. Paul wrote to Timothy and he said, “As for the rich of this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with all things to enjoy. They should do good and be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future that they might take hold of the life which is life indeed.”
The Christians at Laodicea had not learned to view their worldly possessions properly. They were trusting in them rather than trusting in God. They were living for them rather than living for God. They had become spiritually mediocre. They were lukewarm and Christ was sick, but Christ loved them. He longed for them to be restored so He had a second message for them. This message was a solution for their problems.
He said ,”Therefore, I counsel you to buy from Me gold, refined by fire, that you might be truly rich and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you might see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten.”
Now this solution has three parts. First, Christ told them to “seek spiritual wealth, seek spiritual riches.” “I counsel you to buy from me gold, refined by fire, that you might be truly rich.” Now Laodicea was the great banking center of Asia. Money poured into that city from all over Asia. They had all of this wealth, and yet, spiritually they were poor. Christ counselled them to “seek spiritual wealth.”
There’s no way this world can possibly understand the kind of wealth that Christ offers. This world cannot understand the kind of riches that Christ brings, that He longs to give us spiritual riches. It’s possible for somebody to be worldly poor, to have no possessions at all and still be spiritually rich, to have heavenly treasure.
Eighteen years ago, I went down with a group of 40 college students to Mexico. We went down to a Christian community called Chapingo. They were poor. We went down there to dig ditches and to lay pipe, that we might bring water into the community. We went down there as rich Americans. We were going to help our poor Mexican brothers and sisters. When we got down there, we saw that they had a kind of wealth that we didn’t have. They were poor. They lived in shacks, just wood piled on top of each other. You could see right through the walls of their dwelling. They had an average life expectancy of only 35 years of age. They had nothing to eat but corn, and they ground it on stone. Some of them actually had bugs that were living in their scalp, but they had joy beyond what I’ve ever seen. They had a love for Christ and a love for each other. There was a sense of purpose and community. They were bound together. They comforted one another in times of sorrow, and they rejoiced with each other in times of blessing. They had a deep love for Christ. They had a sure hope for the future. They were rich.
When we gathered in the evenings, they would share their testimonies with us. Over and over again, you would hear them say “Yo tengo goso in mi corazon porque Christo mi salvo.” “I have a joy in my heart because Jesus saved me.” They did have a joy in their heart. They were filled with the Spirit. They had the fruit of the Spirit; they had the gifts of the Spirit, and they were rich.
Jesus said, “Do not lay up treasures on earth where rust and moths consume and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither rust nor moths consume and no thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.” Christ wrote to the church at Laodicea. He told them to “seek spiritual riches.” He says the same thing to us today.
And secondly, He told them to “seek spiritual clothing.” Laodicea was the great clothing manufacturing center of Asia. They were known for their raven wool. They had flocks of sheep that just surrounded the city, and their sheep were unique. They had a kind of dark, glossy wool which was made into blankets and robes and garments. They were much desired.
• A very rich women died a few years back. She was one of the richest women in the world. There was an estate sale of all of her clothing at the Cook County Probate Court. She had more than 25,000 pieces of clothing for sale. She had more than 1,000 dresses, and she had a different purse for every dress. Most of her dresses were elegant and beautiful. She had more than 500 coats. Many of them were minks and precious furs, and she had more than 1500 pairs of shoes. She could wear a different pair of shoes every day for more than four years. But when she died, she left all that behind and when she stood before the Living God, she had only her spiritual clothing. Christ says, “Seek spiritual clothing.”
I had a professor in college. His name was Dr. Robinson. He’s one of my favorite people. Outwardly he didn’t dress too well. In fact, he was something of a disaster. He always looked like he got dressed in front of an airplane propeller. When he came to school in the morning, he looked alright. I think his wife dressed him. He would just kind of begin to fall apart as the day wore on. Around midmorning, you’d see his shirttail kind of coming out back behind… back here… and then a little later in the day, somehow he always managed to get his pant cuff caught up on his leg. I don’t know how he did that, but he did. He never had any elastic in his socks, and they always drooped down to his shoes. There would always be about a 12-inch section of white leg just kind of exposed there as he walked around. By the end of the day, his hair—he looked like he’s just absorbed a couple of lightning bolts. It just looked really bad. His collar was in disarray and sometimes you’d find his tie thrown over his shoulder. It was kind of a source of humor on campus, and yet all the kids loved him because inwardly this man was richly clothed. He loved us and he loved Jesus Christ with all of his heart. He cared about us. He and his wife would have us into their home to help us with our studies, to help us with our life. They prayed for us. He was well clothed inwardly and that’s what Christ wants for us.
I don’t think He wants us to dress shabbily. I think He wants us to dress respectably but He wants us to know that He’s more concerned with our inward clothing. That’s why Paul wrote to the women in Asia and he said “Let not yours be the outward adorning with decorations of gold, the wearing of robes, the braiding of hair, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, the imperishable jewel of a quiet and gentle spirit, which in God’s sight, is very precious.” For both men and women, God is more concerned with our inward clothing, and so Christ speaks to the church at Laodicea, and He says, “Seek spiritual clothing.”
Finally, He says to them “Seek spiritual sight.” He said, “I counsel you to buy from Me salve to anoint your eyes that you might see.” This was kind of humorous really because in Laodicea they were known for their eye medicine. It was called “tefroperigea” and it was shipped all over the known world. It was believed to have healing and curative qualities and the Laodiceans were known for their ability to heal eyes and here Christ is writing to them and saying “Spiritually, you are blind. Seek spiritual sight.”
As Christians, we are those who have been called out of the darkness into God’s marvelous light. Jesus Christ said, “I am the light of the world,” and He wants us to walk in His light in order that we might see.
There are many different sources of light. Physically, one of the most famous sources of light that ever was the great lighthouse that was built on the island of Pharos. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was built in biblical times. It was built on the island of Phares just opposite the city of Alexandria, Egypt. It was built by Ptolemy Sotare, king of the Ptolemaic and Egyptian Empire. So powerful was that lighthouse that according to Josephus—one of the ancient historians—according to him, that lighthouse could be seen from 42 miles in every direction. The flames, the fire that burned on the top of that lighthouse burned for 1,000 years, guiding ships into the harbor at Alexandria that they might see.
I think in modern times, probably the most famous lighthouse is the lighthouse at Eddystone over in England, 14 miles southwest of Plymouth. In 1978 Barb and I saw that lighthouse. But compared to the light of Christ, the light that comes and radiates from those lighthouses pales when compared to the light of Christ. He offers light that we might see. His words are a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path. We do well to pay attention to his voice as to a lamp shining in a dark place. And yet the simple truth of the matter is this, that some people prefer the darkness to the light. They’d rather walk in darkness.
Nine years ago, when I came to Denver, I met Dean Wolf, Pastor at Faith Presbyterian Church at a restaurant on Colfax Avenue in Aurora. It was called Pfeiffer’s Restaurant. It was really kind of a bar, but Dean used to like to eat there because they had great cinnamon rolls. You’d go into Pfeiffer’s, and you couldn’t see a thing. It was so dark. You’d look across the room and if there were people you knew on the other side, you’d never see them because it was so dark. But after you sat in there and you began to eat your meal, you’d begin to grow accustomed to the dark. You’d begin to adapt and pretty soon you didn’t even know you were in darkness anymore until you were ready to leave the restaurant. You’d open the door and that bright Colorado sun shined down on you and it hurt. That bright sun hurt. You wanted to go right back into that restaurant.
Sometimes it’s like that when people encounter the light of Christ. When His light shines on their darkness and they see themselves as they really are for the first time and they see the world as it really is for the first time, they want to retreat back into their darkness. But a Christian is one who has welcomed the light of Christ and has chosen to walk in it.
John says, “This is the message we have heard from the beginning, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie, we do not live in accordance with the truth.” He said, “If anyone loves his brother, he is in the light and in it there is no cause for stumbling but if anyone hates his brother, he is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, does not know where he’s going because the darkness blinded his eyes.”
Jesus Christ offers light that we might see. He speaks to the church at Laodicea. He says “Seek spiritual sight. Seek My light.” He counsels them to, “seek spiritual wealth, spiritual clothing and spiritual sight.” This is His solution to their problems.
Finally, His message to them is one of promise. He said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with Me. He who conquers, I will grant him to sit down with Me on My throne even as I 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.” This was a great promise and has two parts.
First of all, Christ offers eternal fellowship. He says “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I will come in and sup with him and He with Me.” Now this verse is often used for the purpose of evangelism, to invite Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior, to open the door, to invite Him in. I think that’s the proper use of this verse. Certainly, if you have never received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, then He is knocking at your door. He’s a gentleman. He’ll never force that door open. He knocks. If you open the door, He will come in by His Spirit. He wants to hear you say “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I want to live for You.”
But this verse has a broader application because Christ was not only speaking to non-Christians, but He was also speaking to Christians in the church. They have broken fellowship with Him, and they needed to be restored. They needed to rededicate their life. They needed to restore that fellowship and so He said, “If you open the door, I will come in and have supper with you.”
That’s beautiful imagery because there were three Greek meals. The first meal was called the “ocrateisma” and it was a breakfast meal. It was really a light meal. It was no more than a little bread dipped in wine. The second meal was called the “aristan” and it was the noon meal. It was the ancient equivalent of the sack lunch and people ate that out in the fields or they ate it in the city square. It also was a light meal, but the third meal was called the “diepnon” and it was the evening feast. This was the word that Christ uses in this verse. This meal was taken after the work was done, when you’d gather with your family and with your loved ones and your friends. There would be a feast on the table and there would be warm fellowship and joy. It would be festive. This is what Christ is saying “If you’ll open the door, I want to share that kind of joy, that kind of feast with you, if you would but open the door.”
Finally, Christ promises eternal dominion. He said, “To him who conquers, I will grant you to sit down with Me on My throne even as I conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Now this promise is not new to us because we saw it with the church at Thyatira. Christ said to the church at Thyatira “To him who conquers, I will give him power over the nations. He shall shepherd them with a rod of iron.”
As Christians, we are destined to reign and rule throughout the new heavens and the new earth. This life is a time of preparation. Queen Victoria was only 12 years old when she was first told that she would one day sit on the throne of England. When she heard those words, she wept. She cried because she felt the great burden of her future responsibility. She resolved in that moment that she would begin right then to prepare herself for the future reign that was to be hers. For six years, she prepared, and at age 18, she ascended the throne. She ruled over England for 63 years, one of the greatest queens in English history. How much more should you and I prepare now for a future reign which is eternal? For a dominion which is to be exercised in the spirit of Christ? This is a time of preparation.
Paul says “Train yourselves in godliness. Bodily training is of some value. Training in godliness is a value in every way as it holds promise not only for this present life but also for the life to come. This thing is sure, worthy of full acceptance, for to this end we toil and strive for our hope is set on the Living God.”
We have, then, this letter to the church at Laodicea. It is a warning against spiritual mediocrity. God doesn’t want lukewarm Christians. It’s a warning against trusting in worldly possessions and worldly riches. It’s an exhortation to seek the riches of Christ, to let Christ clothe our soul and to walk in the light of Christ that we might see. It’s a promise of eternal fellowship, a promise of eternal dominion. Shall we pray?