“This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: I am the one called Amen. I am the faithful and true witness and the source of God’s creation. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. You claim to be rich and successful and to have everything you need. But you don’t know how bad off you are. You are pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Buy your gold from me. It has been refined in a fire, and it will make you rich.
Buy white clothes from me. Wear them and you can cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy medicine for your eyes, so that you will be able to see. I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins. Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together. Everyone who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne, just as I won the victory and sat with my Father on his throne. If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”(Revelation 3:14-22, CEV)
“Lukewarm people think about life on Earth much more
often than eternity in Heaven.” (Francis Chan)
Laodicea was located in the Lycus valley in the
province of Phrygia. The full name of the city was Laodicea ad Lyceum (Laodicea on the Lycus). Laodicea was 48
miles from Philadelphia, 96 miles from Ephesus, and at the crossroads of
north-south traffic between Sardis and Pergamum.A round trip visit to all the seven churches of Revelation would be 325 miles. The city, originally named Diospolis ('the city of Jupiter') and then Rhoas, Laodicea was originally founded by Antiochus II of Syria (261 BC - 246 BC), who named it after his wife, Laodike.
Like Rome, the city was built upon seven hills. Laodicea was a great center of banking and finance. It was one of the wealthiest cities of the ancient world. When Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 A.D., they refused aid from the Roman Empire and rebuilt the city from their own wealth. The principal deity worshipped in Laodicea was the Phrygian god Men Karou, the Carian Men. Along with the temple to Asklepios one could find the worship of Zeus and of Isis.
Laodicea was a great center for the manufacturing of
clothing. The sheep which grazed around Laodicea were famous for the soft,
black wool they produced. The city was also well known for its school of
medicine. They manufactured a Phrygian powder for the eyes,
and another compound used for strengthening the
ears that was made from Spikenard, an aromatic plant.
The hot springs at Hierapolis
(just six miles across the Lycus
River valley) and cool spring water also piped in through an aqueduct to the
south from Colosse. May have been what John had in mind when he spoke of
Laodicea’s lukewarmness.
No other city was as dependent on external water supplies as
Laodicea. Water piped into Laodicea by aqueduct from the south was so
concentrated with minerals that the Roman engineers designed vents, capped by
removable stones, so the aqueduct pipes could periodically be cleared of
deposits.
The church in Laodicea may have been founded by Epaphras of Colossi, a
companion of Paul, during Paul's third missionary journey. Just like the church
of Laodicea, Christians today can become lukewarm when there is financial
comfort, moral compromises, and apathy with our Christen mission.
“The tragedy of life is not in our failure,
but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our
doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living
below our capacities.” (Benjamin E. Mays)
How can Christians revive to a state of being alive once again? Don’t
resent your Heavenly Father s discipline. Respond to it. Run back to your God
in repentance (if needed). Constantly renew your relationship with Him.God is the best listener. You don’t need to shout, nor cry out loud…He hears even the very silent prayer of a sincere heart. “ (Anonymous)
“The greatest single cause of atheism in
the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out
the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world
simply finds unbelievable.”
(Brennan Manning) [i]
 |
| Ancient ruins of Laiodic |
[i] Inspired by the sermon “Dear Church, Heat Up” (installment
seven, final) Sunday, February 18, 2018 Pastor Dave Jansen CenterPoint
Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH
·
“Laodicea (The Lukewarm Church)” by Granby
Church of Christ
·
“Laodicea: The Seven Churches of Revelation” by www.biblestudy.org
·
“The Church at Laodicea in Asia Minor” by David Padfield
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