The Lukewarm Church

Revelation 3:14, 20
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Application: 

Revelation 3:14–22 The church in Laodicea can be labeled the carnal church (3:14). The key sentence here is this: Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth (3:16). The Everyday English Tony Evans Translation puts it this way: “Y’all make me want to throw up!” Nobody orders a lukewarm drink. They want iced tea or hot coffee. In the spiritual realm, God finds tepidness unappealing as well.

Jesus debunks a prominent lie of prosperity theology: being materially successful means God has blessed you. Not so. The Laodiceans said, I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing. But the external appearance of prosperity was not indicative of the condition of their hearts or their level of fellowship with God. They were spiritually uncommitted, carnal, and compromising. As Jesus put it, they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked spiritually.

They needed to acquire from Jesus true wealth—those character traits, behaviors, and beliefs that have eternal value. Then they truly would be rich (3:18). By stating, be zealous and repent, Christ gave this carnal church an opportunity to get right with God (3:19). See! I stand at the door and knock was an invitation. Jesus will not force himself into a church. But if any member of a congregation will open the door by submitting to his will, he will come in and eat (3:20)—that is, he will have intimate fellowship with believers who respond to his invitation.

To the one who conquers, Christ offers a high position of rulership and an elevated level of personal experience with him (3:21). He uses rewards here, as with the other six churches, as a motivation to conquer sin and slackness—not as a motivation to salvation.

Reference: Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1400–1401.

To God be the glory!

Our Lord Jesus Christ created everything! By Him, For Him!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Disclaimer

When God inspires me, I write or post articles that glorify God. I invite you to view this post as a Bible study. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, I encourage you to search the Scriptures to determine whether what I have posted is true. Always consult your church ministers regarding biblical matters. I am not a professional writer, so there may be grammatical or spelling errors. I strive to write as clearly and efficiently as possible. My prayer is that this message will inspire you to seek the Lord with all your heart and bring glory to His Holy name. Your brother in Christ, Ricardo.