Monthly Archive for November, 1998

Revelation 4:1

Published on November 30, 1998 in Revelation. 2 Comments
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“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this‘”

Chapters 4 and 5 give a prologue perspective of the raptured church on the events of chapters 6 and following [the tribulation, coming of Christ to set up His Kingdom and the eternal state].

After these things I looked

For two chapters Jesus spoke to the churches, now John, the human author of the book of Revelation, is the speaker.

The phrase “after these things” indicates a change in succession of events. We now move to the category of future things. Two times in this verse, John uses the words “after this.” After Revelation deals with church issues, it now deals with the future. Revelation does not mention the church again until the final chapter (22:16).

Two times in this verse, John uses the words “after these things.” After Revelation deals with church issues, it deals with the future mainly regarding the nation of Israel. Revelation does not mention the church again until the final chapter (22:16).

and behold

“Behold” is a term of vivid exclamation. This vision of a heavenly throne surprises John and maybe even shocks him.

a door standing open in heaven.

John sees a vision “of a door standing open in heaven” (chapters 4-5). First Jesus shows to John the vision of the seven churches, then He shows him a vision of a throne room in heaven. This vision introduces a series of three sevens: seals (4:1-5:14), trumpets (8:1-5) and bowls (15:1-8). This is the longest of the visions of Revelation.

And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this’

With the words “Come up here,” a voice summons John not only to look into heaven but also to come to heaven itself. This voyage to heaven is via a vision. The remainder of Revelation is the perspective of John.

Now the book of Revelation shifts to dealing with the future — “things which must take place after this.” Remember that the apostle John gave the structure for Revelation in 1:19.

“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Revelation 1:19).

The things “which you have seen” were the past revelation of the person of Christ in chapter one. The things “which are” deals with the church, things present. The things “which will take place after this” are the things of the future [eschatology].

Chapter 4 is a transition verse from “things which are” to “the things which will take place after this.” Note that John uses the same terminology for future things in 1:19 and in this verse.

The structure of Revelation is crucial to understanding eschatology [future things]. First, John presents the church in heaven (4-5) then the tribulation (6-18), the Second Coming (19), the Millennium (20), and finally the eternal state (21-22). The climax of these events is the coming of Christ in chapter 19 for the centrality of Christ is the central idea of Revelation.

The seven seals of chapter 6 begins the chronological progress of the Great Tribulation culminating in the Second Coming. The seven trumpets follow the seventh seal and the seven bowls of the wrath of God follow the seventh trumpet. God designed the tribulation to bring Israel to her knees in order to prepare her for embracing Christ when He comes. When the nation of Israel receives Jesus as the Messiah, then Jesus will usher her into the Millennium. After the Millennium, Jesus will bring all His people into the eternal state.

The voice in heaven says that the things that will happen “must” take place. God’s sovereignty determines these events. No person or thing will deter God’s plans for creation.

The Second Coming is not the Rapture. The Rapture occurs at the beginning of the tribulation and the Second Coming comes at the end of the tribulation.


Principle:

Nothing will deter God’s plan for creation.


Application:

The events of time are not capricious; these events fall within the sovereignty of an eternal God. No transaction on earth takes place without God’s concurrence.

God reveals only what falls within the tolerance of what we can receive. He reveals what we need to know to orient to His program for time.

Revelation 3:22

Published on November 29, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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22“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” 

He who has an ear
 
Jesus closes this epistle with His redundant appeal to the churches. Seven times to seven churches He makes the same appeal. Never again in the book of Revelation does He make this application. Those churches that come with the mentality of being positive to Jesus’ challenge, He will do certain things for these churches. 
 
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches
 
We can expect Jesus to bless us has He has all the churches of history if we respond to His desire for fellowship. It is one thing to listen to Jesus and it is another thing to respond to what He says. 
 
Note that this is not what the apostle John says to the churches but what the "Spirit" says to the churches. 
 
PRINCIPLE: We not only need to listen to what the Spirit says, but we must respond to what the Spirit says to our hearts. 
 
APPLICATION: It is not enough to listen to Jesus, we must hear and apply truth to experience personally. In other words, we need to understand the principle and apply the principle to our experience. 
 
Since these commands come from Jesus personally communicated through the Holy Spirit, we should take special note of all seven messages to these churches. Are you in danger of losing your "first love" (2:10), caving into pressure (2:10), defecting doctrinally (2:14-15), developing moral problems (2:20), becoming temporally dead in a spiritual sense (3:1-2), in danger of losing your crown (3:11) or growing cold spiritually (3:15-16)?
 
1 Pe. 4:17 "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Revelation 3:21

Published on November 28, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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21“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

To him who overcomes
 
The person who "overcomes" here is the spiritual Christian. 
 
I will grant to sit with Me on My throne
 
A "throne" is a seat of authority. God has a "throne" because He is ultimate authority (He 4:16). God’s grace proceeds from that throne. He has the right to give you grace. It is a right that comes from Himself, His person. God is Sovereign and Ruler of the universe. 
 
Jesus delegates some of His authority to Christians. God gave David the "authority to rule" (Lk 1:32) and gave Jesus the "throne of David." Jesus grants spiritual victors the right to rule with Him in his Millennial Kingdom. These Christians will share some of the prerogatives of Jesus’ royalty. 
 
As I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne
 
Jesus fastens the victory of the spiritual Christian with His own victory on the cross. Jesus met with temptation and came out the victor. Because He did this, in His humanity, the Father gave Him authority to rule in the Father’s Kingdom. There is a parallel to Christ’s victory and our victory. 
 
There are two thrones in this verse: "My throne" and "His throne." There is the throne of Jesus and then there is the throne of the Father. The throne of the Father is His sovereign rule over the universe. There is nothing that is not under His control in the universe. Jesus sat down at the "right hand of the Majesty on high" with His Father, at His Father’s right hand (He 1:3). 
 
PRINCIPLE: Spiritual Christians will rule with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom. 
 
APPLICATION: Never to this day has Jesus sat upon His throne in the Millennial Kingdom. That is yet future (Mt 25:31). One day the victorious Christian will rule with Christ in His Kingdom. 
 
2 Ti 2:12 "If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself."

Revelation 3:20

Published on November 27, 1998 in Revelation. 3 Comments
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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 dine with him, and he with Me."

Behold, I stand at the door and knock
 
Jesus presents Himself as standing outside a house and knocking on the door. When Jesus approaches this house, He finds the door shut. He takes the initiative to break down the barrier to fellowship. His "knock" is His initiative to break that barrier. 
 
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door
 
Jesus invites us into fellowship with Him not only with His hand by knocking but with His voice. Jesus appeals to those inside the house by His knock. It is their responsibility to open the door. Jesus cannot fellowship with those inside the house unless they invite Him in. 
 
The "if" in the Greek indicates that Jesus is waiting on our choice. He will not compel fellowship by force. He will not break down the door of your heart to have fellowship with you. 
 
I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me
 
Jesus argues in the previous verse that He disciplines the Laodicean Christians because He loves them. He speaks to Christians who grew lukewarm in their ardor for fellowship with Him. Now He states that He wants fellowship with them. 
 
The word "dine" means to eat the chief meal of the day. Here Jesus speaks of spiritual dining (1 Co 11:25). Jesus appeals here to Christians, not non-Christians. He appeals to them for intimate, prolonged fellowship. He wants to get personal with us. The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe wants fellowship with each and every Christian. Especially, this is an invitation to those who are lukewarm to come back to Him. Jesus asks carnal Christians for their fellowship. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Jesus will not force fellowship upon us.  
 
APPLICATION: If we want fellowship with the Lord Jesus, we must invite Him into our lives. We invite Him to become the center of our worship. He will not force a relationship upon us. He will not violate our will. 
 
Is Jesus outside the door of your church? Your church is His very own church, yet He stands outside waiting to come in. 

Revelation 3:19

Published on November 26, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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19“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
 
Jesus rebukes and chastens us because He loves us. All ["as many as'] Jesus’ discipline emanates from love. We should never infer that because we receive discipline from Him that He does not love us. He loves us unconditionally, unadulteratedly, and in an undiminished sense. There are no strings attached to His love. Jesus says, "When I rebuke your tepid hearts, I do it for your good. If I left you on your course of destruction, I would be like the mother who does not keep her child from harm."
 
The word "rebuke" means to confute, refute. To rebuke someone is more than telling them their faults, it is of convicting them of their of sin (Jn 8:46; 16:8; 1 Co 14:24). Here Jesus rebukes by action rather than by His mouth. He will bring to light and expose the sin of the Laodiceans. He will demonstrate and prove conclusively that they are off base spiritually. People will not argue otherwise for He will convince them without question. After Jesus cross-examines us with the kind of questions He can ask, no one will challenge Him. We will stand patently guilty. He will bring convincing proof of this. 
 
"Chasten" means primarily to train children. We train children by our words or corporeal punishment. This is their first and basic form of education. God trains His children as well (He 12:6, 7, 10). A basic idea behind "chastening" is correction, or guidance. This instruction has to do with the purpose of forming proper habits of behavior (Ac 7:22). Ephesians 6:4 uses this "chasten" for training children. 
 
Therefore be zealous and repent
 
Jesus challenges the Laodicean church to be "zealous." This word means to be eager, earnest. Jesus wants them to be deeply committed to His values with the accompanying desire to do it. He wants them to set their heart on His plan for them. 
 
If we do not go positive signals to Jesus discipline in our lives, then we will head into spiritual ruin. We need to take His rebuke and chastening as from His love. Better is the wounds of a friend than the flattery of an enemy. 
 
The word "repent" is literally to perceive afterwards. This implies changes after previously thinking about something. This is the basis of moral and spiritual choice of values. Repentance is a complete change of view and way of life as a result of looking at what Jesus values. The English conveys the idea of sorrow or contrition but the Greek does not necessarily portray this idea. The Greek idea is more on total change in thought and behavior based on a fundamental change in terminal values, the values of God (Lk 3.8, He 6.1, and Ac 26.20). The Greek indicates that we are to make a decision decisively. "Do not delay. Come to grips with this immediately." 
 
To repent is not to vow that we will never do it again. Neither is it a promise to do better next time. It is not a promise to serve the Lord. It does not mean that we have to crawl our way back to God. Nor is repentance a guilt complex whereby we feel bad about sins. All these things are legalistic ways of trying to get God’s approval. They are attempts at paying for our sin by self rather than trusting what God did for our sins. We have God’s approval because of what Jesus did on the cross. 
 
PRINCIPLE: God always disciplines the church because He loves the church. 
 
APPLICATION: The modern church is typically unconscious of its spiritual needs. It deals more in buildings and programs rather than in the reality of what Jesus offers. Jesus penetrates this fallacy by rebuking and even chastening the church for this. 
 
He 12: 4 "You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.’
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
 
Jesus in context talks about disciplining churches that step out of fellowship. Repentance is the answer to a lukewarm attitude toward Christ. The purpose of all discipline is to bring the church or believer back into fellowship with the Lord Jesus. 
 
When a Christian turns back to fellowship with the Lord Jesus, God immediately turns suffering into blessing. He takes the pain that we suffering for our sin and produces blessing in our lives. If we fail to restore fellowship with the Lord, then we carry misery with us. The most obnoxious believers in the world are those who know Christ but are out of fellowship with Him. Many of them wonder why God allows certain things to happen to them. They are oblivious to God’s purposes in suffering. 
 
When Christians stay out of fellowship for a long period, they develop self-inflicted grief. When the combination of God’s discipline and self-inflicted misery comes together, then you have a very wretched person. Carnal Christians are very miserable people. The issue here is not the people who stay out of fellowship for a short while, but these are people who go into prolonged alienation from God. 
 
The Christian can do nothing to destroy God’s love for them. No matter how carnal they may become, no matter how long they remain carnal, God still loves them. Although God may inflict misery upon us and we may inflict misery upon ourselves, we need to remember that we are not persona non grata with God. He loves us through it all. 
 
Above all, we need to change our mind about our most basic value of all — the value of staying in fellowship with Jesus personally.

Revelation 3:18

Published on November 25, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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18“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see."

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich
 
The word "counsel" means to take counsel together, give advice, deliberate. There is only one market from which you can buy the goods Jesus offers –"from Me." The Laodiceans do not have to run to the malls of wealth in Laodicea to obtain satisfaction. 
 
Jesus wants to do business with the Laodiceans. First, He counsels them "to buy" a certain kind of "gold," a "refined" gold of character that comes from the fires of testing. This is not a monetary transaction but a spiritual transaction, a spiritual transaction in exchange for a quality of life. 
 
and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed
 
Secondly, Jesus not only wants the Laodiceans to buy gold but He wants them to purchase "white garments" from Him. If they do this, their nakedness they will not expose their nakedness to others and they will not be ashamed. Laodiceans were famous for their glossy black goat’s wool. Ignominy always comes from sin. We will not disgrace ourselves with our sin if we enter into transaction with the Lord Jesus. With clothes that Jesus gives them, they will carry a sense of modesty.  This will save us a lot of pain from our disgraceful acts, from exposure while sinning. Jesus saves from behavior that brings embarrassment. These Christians will not hide their face in shame. 
 
and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see
 
The third thing that Jesus wants the church to buy is an "eye salve" that allows us to see spiritually. There was a famous medical school at Laodicea. This "eye salve" was a Phygian powder used by oculists at the temple of Asclepius. They did not need to go to occultists; they only need to go to Jesus. If we use Jesus’ salve, we will acquire true knowledge of our spiritual condition and we will see the claims of Christ to correct that condition. We need to open our eyes to spiritual truth. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Jesus gives true riches as over against illusory wealth.
 
APPLICATION: Jesus gives counsel to those who previously rejected His counsel. His counsel to sinful people is that they drop their illusion that wealth satisfies and accept His true wealth. Our sinful condition, no matter how desperate, has a remedy. 
 
There is only one market for this remedy, the Lord Jesus Himself ["from Me"]. We get His goods by purchasing them from Him. The true gold of character comes from Him. How do we get it from Him? "Without money and without price."
 
Is 55: 1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price."
 
Sin is the only commodity that we must part with. When we do this, we make room for true riches. Our eyes will open to eternal and terminal values found only in Jesus’ market place. 
 
The church today needs to repent of the mentality of tolerance and compromise. Churches today are neither cold nor hot. We like moderation and comfort. "Don’t disturb me. Don’t ask me to move out of my comfort zone." We love moderate temperatures. We want to be the most comfortable possible. Comfort drives our values. This is very much like the value "peace at all costs." It is possible to attend churches like this for years with a sense of pleasure but without any serious confrontation of sin. Compromise lies at the core value of these churches. 
 
Jesus vomits when He thinks of churches like this. They are repulsive to Him. People love these churches but Jesus rejects them. They are religious Country Clubs that exist only for the benefit of their members. Smug complacency does more damage than these churches imagine. These churches may please their community but do they please their Lord? Public approval drives many values of churches today. This is their standard of how well they are doing as a church. 
 
Jesus’ mall has anything that anyone could possibly want. What we need, we can only find in Jesus. 

Revelation 3:17

Published on November 24, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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17 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— …"

Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—
 
The Laodicean church claimed material wealth. The word "wealthy" means opulence. They felt that they did not lack anything. Because of that, they deemed that they needed nothing, as if all that there is to life is material wealth. They do not require God in their lives. They do not need Him for they have "everything." 
 
and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
 
The word "wretched" carries the idea of a distressed, miserable and wretched person (Ro 7:24). These people were "distressed" but they did not know it. Material things can make us depressed if we make them the center of our lives.
 
The word "miserable" means pitiable (1 Co 15:19). Jesus pitied these people but they do not know it. 
 
The church at Laodicea was wealthy in terms of material wealth but poor in terms of spiritual wealth. The word "poor" describes someone who crouches and cowers, a beggar. This church was spiritually poverty-stricken. They were powerless to enrich their own lives or anyone else. They went begging spiritually. They were impotent to make any eternal impact. They were destitute of the wealth that comes from God. 
 
The church at Laodicea was also "blind." They were blind to the reality of a godly life. They were in the dark spiritually. Spiritual things were obscure to them. Spiritual values were as clear as mud. They did not have the capacity to comprehend God’s plan for their lives (Mt 15:14). 
 
The last characteristic of the church at Laodicea was that it was "naked." This was a church without spiritual clothes. They thought that they had a complete wardrobe by their material wealth but Jesus saw them as walking around naked. They were not even like the poor who at least had some clothes to cover themselves. This church had nothing to cover themselves spiritually. 
 
PRINCIPLE: God’s estimation of us is often very different from our estimation of ourselves.
 
APPLICATION: We can be in a deplorable spiritual state and not even know it. Our pride so blinds us that we can not see what we are. Self-conceit brings self-delusion. There is a big difference between how we view ourselves and how Jesus views us. We think that we do not have any needs. Jesus sees us as totally needy. A materialistic worldview makes us blind to a spiritual worldview. Care of our bodies blinds us to care of our souls. 
 
This condition of things calls for pity. Our souls starve while our bodies are full. We are blind to all this. We can not see our state. We think that we know ourselves. Yet we are naked and lay exposed to embarrassment to Jesus. Riches of the body cannot enrich the soul.

Revelation 3:16

Published on November 23, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."

So then
 
Jesus draws an implication of tepid Christianity. 
 
because you are lukewarm
 
The word "lukewarm" means tepid. The tepid church at Laodicea did not furnish any refreshment to the Lord. 
 
and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth
 
We get our English word "emit" from the Greek word for "vomit." We also get the word "emetic" from this word. An emetic is a mixture of glob that doctors give a person when they swallow poison; it makes them vomit. A tepid church makes Jesus vomit. Jesus rejects passable Christianity. There is nothing mediocre about Jesus. 
 
The implication in this statement by Jesus is that we care about what makes Jesus nauseous. He spits out this kind of spirituality; it makes Him throw up. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Complacent spirituality is repugnant to Jesus.
 
APPLICATION: Jesus rejects tepid Christianity. A lukewarm church makes Jesus sick to His stomach. Jesus wants to get this kind of church out of His system. Complacent Christianity is utterly repugnant to Him. 
 
A church with no enthusiasm, no passion, no compassion or urgency is no innocuous situation to Jesus. Many churches are thoroughly evangelical but have little passion for evangelism. Tepid Christianity that is neither more nor less nauseates the Lord Jesus.

Revelation 3:15

Published on November 22, 1998 in Revelation. 4 Comments
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“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot."

 
I know your works
 
Jesus gives no commendation to the church at Laodicea. 
 
Jesus is attentive to everything that goes on in every church. He discerns your church as well. He knows whether your church is good, bad or indifferent. 
 
that you are neither cold nor hot
 
The word "cold" metaphorically means without enthusiasm. This church did not have an absolute cold chill on its spirituality. It was not so frigid that we could characterize their walk with God spirituality as in a deep freeze. They were neutral in their walk. They did not have unmistakable reality to their Christianity. It was surreal and unreal. Their hearts were cold and without heart. 
 
Neither was the church at Laodicea "hot." The word "hot" means to boil, to be fervent. The idea is boiling hot. Metaphorically, the church was not at the boiling point in their spirituality. Their heart was not favorable to God’s plan for their lives. 
 
This rebuke by Jesus had special impact on the church Laodicea because their city water supply started out hot from Hierapolis but by the time it arrived in Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Like their water supply, they were tepid in their spirituality because they were content with material things. Self-satisfaction leads to spiritual death. 
 
I could wish you were cold or hot
 
The church at Laodicea was neither cold nor hot; it was lukewarm. As a lukewarm church, their spiritual water was unpalatable and Jesus spits it out. Jesus is not in the casual business. 
 
The word "wish" indicates an unattainable wish and carries the idea of ought. This ought to be done if one had one’s wish. Jesus wishes they would come to grips with where they were spiritually. They diluted themselves into thinking they were right in taking this middle of the road position. Taking no clear position always leads ultimately to spiritual disaster. 
 
PRINCIPLE: A tepid heart is an indication of spiritual indifference; a boiling heart for God is an indication of spiritual dynamic.
 
APPLICATION: Can Jesus draw the charge of a cold heart against you? Being cold or hot is better than being in-between. If Jesus is real to us, our hearts cannot be anything but boiling hot toward Him. It is impossible to maintain a neutral spirituality. An aggressive enemy is better than treacherous barrenness. 
 
As long as we live an in-between life, we will never live a dynamic Christian life. Apathetic and mediocre spirituality is delusional. Some churches feel that they dare not go to any extreme. They would never be as cold as ice nor hot as fire. They love being halfhearted. Middle of the road Christianity never accomplishes anything much. Passionate people always outstrip indifferent people. A neutral church is nauseating, as we will see in the next verse. 
 
The dynamic Christian boils. This person walks in the Spirit on a constant basis. A boiling hot believer constantly confesses his sin and keeps short account with God (1 Jn 1:9). 

Revelation 3:14

Published on November 21, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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14 “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’"
 
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write
 
Laodicea was an important city of Phrygia in Asia Minor on the Lycus River strategically situated where three highways intersect. A large colony of Jews resided there. Christianity took footing there (Co 2:1; 4:13,15f). Laodicea was the most prosperous, commercial city of the seven. It situated on a plateau in the fertile southern Lycus River valley. It was an important banking center. The city also produced glossy black wool. It was a medical center especially famed for ophthalmology. Today, doctors in the military of the United States wear the symbol of a staff with two serpents wrapped around it. This is the symbol of Aesculapius, a medical cult in Laodicea. 
 
Antiochus II named Laodicea after his wife Laodice in the third century BC. Nero supplied aid after a calamitous earthquake in AD 60 (Tacitus, Ann. 14.27). 
 
Laodicea did not have a good supply of water in its own region so it caught its water through an aqueduct from a spring four miles to the north. These waters came from the waters of Hierapolis [the famous hot springs] and probably arrived lukewarm.
 
The gospel came to Laodicea probably while Paul was in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). Although Paul mentions the church (Co 4:12-16), he may have never visited the city personally. The cities of Colossi and Hierapolis (Co 2:1; 4:13-16) were in the Lycus Valley as well. Epaphras, a companion of Paul, worked in these three cities.
 
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God’
 
Jesus calls Himself by three descriptions. First, He refers to Himself as "the Amen." "Amen" means so be it, it is true. God’s promises find their fulfillment in Christ (2 Co 1:20). He is the culmination of all history. Jesus is true to His Word. He is unchangeable in His promises. He is true to His Word. 
 
Is 65: 16 "So that he who blesses himself in the earth
Shall bless himself in the God of truth;
And he who swears in the earth
Shall swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My eyes."
 
Jesus calls Himself "the Amen" to authenticate His message to this church. His message was authoritative. Whenever Jesus uses the term "Amen," it always indicates some significant truth. Jesus is the object of faith and the foundation for all truth. We can trust Him because He keeps His promises.
 
Secondly, Jesus calls Himself "the Faithful and True Witness." Jesus’ testimony about revelation was true to truth. We can fully and confidently believe Him. There is nothing false or pretentious about Him. God is unchangeable in the truth of His revelations. Whatever He says in this message, the Laodiceans can count on His attestations. Jesus not only tells the truth but He tells all the truth — He is "faithful" to the truth. He does not hide behind "partial truths." Jesus faithfully reveals what God is like. God is invisible so to understand Him we must receive faithful revelation of Him. 
 
Thirdly, Jesus calls Himself "the Beginning of the creation of God." Does this mean that Jesus was created? The word "creation" means a founding, foundation, ordained. Jesus is origin of all history. History begins and ends with Him. He is the first cause, the Creator and Sustainer of creation. The word "Beginning" is the word first. Jesus is first in priority (Jn 1:3; Co 1:16-17; Re 1:8; 21:6). Jesus is the source of all creation; He is the Creator of time and space. Jesus is not here the beginning of natural creation but the beginning of supernatural creation (Jn 1:3; Co 1:15-18; He 1:2). 
 
Again, Jesus’ threefold affirmation about Himself to the Laodiceans focuses on His Person. These attestations about Himself give gravity to His statements to follow.  
 
PRINCIPLE: Materialism spawns a lukewarm spirituality but Christ centeredness puts us at the core of Christianity.
 
APPLICATION: The wealth of the church in Laodicea produced a self-satisfied, lukewarm attitude toward Jesus. The “hot” springs of Hierapolis were famous for their medicinal properties, and the “cold” waters of Colossi were prized for their purity. The tepid waters of Laodicea, however, were both abundant and bad. Though the church thinks itself rich and lacking nothing, it is actually “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked” (v. 17).
 
North American culture is consumed in consumerism. Materialism dominates the core values of these societies. Materialism gives an allusion of self-sufficiency, of autonomy from God. This weakens individual Christian living at its core. Lukewarmness vetoes deep fellowship with the Lord. 
 
God’s answer to materialism is to place Christ at the center of our lives. He will satisfy our core and true need. He does not promise us an easy life but a fulfilling life.