Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Revelation 3:20
Being Lukewarm
Jesus rebukes the church because as we know, God disciplines every child that He loves (Rev 3:19), so here is Jesus disciplining the church at Laodicea. They are neither hot nor cold, meaning they don’t have a heart that’s hot for God and neither are they cold, which is refreshing to those who are thirsty. Instead, like a lukewarm cup of coffee, Jesus will spew this church out if His mouth…unless they repent and turn back to Him.
Not Rich but in Poverty
Today the rich don’t even think about God, for the most part. There are exceptions of course, but those who are rich are entangled in the cares of the world and so the seed of the Word of God is choked out, but the church has no excuse, yet the church thinks, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17). They might have a lot of things…but if they don’t have Christ, they are worse than destitute…even if they don’t realize it.
Repentance and Revival
Jesus tells the church at Laodicea “buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see” (Rev 3:18-19), meaning they need to repent and confess their sins so that their nakedness before God is covered, and only through Jesus Christ can they be covered by His blood and reconciled back to God.
Let Him In
Finally, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20), so the problem is, the Laodiceans haven’t let Jesus into the church, so He stands there knocking on the door and it is up to the local church to let Him come in.
Conclusion
Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea is the same He may have for lukewarm Christians; repent and turn back to God, realize you’re (and my) impoverished state without Christ, confess your sins, and let Jesus come into your life and reign. Time may be short. Trust in Christ today.
