Revelation 3:14 - Homiletics

Laodicea: self-conceit and self-deceit.

Here is a Church which has an utterly mistaken view of itself. It thinks itself as well off as need be. Our Lord declares it to be in a desperately bad condition. It is addressed by Christ as by the "faithful and true Witness," as the "Beginning of the creation of God;" not as the beginning in the sense of "the first part of," but in the sense of the Beginner, in whom the creation had its beginning, and still has its continuance, meaning, plan, and end. He, to whom all created being stands open, deigns to give his clear, searching testimony to a self-deceived Church as to its state before him. There are three matters at which we must glance—the Witness, the testimony, the counsels.

I. THE WITNESS . "Faithful," i.e. trusty and trustworthy. "True," answering to the ideal, being all that a witness can be. Whatever can make a witness valuable belongs to Christ. We speak because we believe; he speaks because he knows. He is the "Amen." He alone can speak with absolute positiveness that there can be no inaccuracy in his words. In bearing testimony to the occurrence of an external fact, a very moderate amount of ability, combined with fidelity, might suffice. But when testimony is borne concerning the inward and spiritual state of a Church, infinitely more is needed than such commonplace requirements. He only can be a competent witness of the spiritual state of any man, and afortiori of the spiritual state of any body of men, who can discern the thoughts and intents of the heart; who knows in the case of each the relation between privilege, capacity, and attainment; who understands perfectly the difference between what is and what ought to be, and the entire bearings of the spiritual state of today on eternal interests. Evidently, therefore, no one is a competent witness in such matters but he who says, "I the Lord Search the heart, and try the reins of the children of men." But he is. And he who is thus perfectly competent is also absolutely true. Nor was it only of this particular Church, at this particular time, that Christ was a faithful and true Witness; he is this to every Church at every time. A Divinely rigid inspection of every Church is ever going on. It is not only true that we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, it is also true that we do all stand before it now. There is a royal judgment of professors and of Churches going on at every moment, and the value of each Church is not what it is in the eyes of man, but what it is in the eye of the heart searching Lord. The most solemn inquiry we can put is, "What does Christ think of us?" We may stand well before other Churches, but, oh, if Christ thinks ill of us, that spoils all! Let us therefore consider—

II. THE TESTIMONY BORNE BY THIS WITNESS . In the judgment here pronounced as to the state of the Church at Laodicea, there is a principle expressed which may he detached from the special details of Laodicean Church life, because it holds good whatever those details may be; it may be looked at quite independently of time or place, because it bears equally on all Churches at every time and in every place. That principle is indicated by the words, "I would thou wert cold or hot." Evidently, to be fervent in religion is so blessed that it is perfectly easy to understand why our Lord should say he would rather we were hot than lukewarm; but it is not, at first sight, so clear why he would rather we were cold than lukewarm. Yet our Lord declares that lukewarmness is more offensive to him than entire coldness would be. Let us inquire:

1 . What this lukewarmness is. In answering this question, our safest course will be to follow the evidence given in this letter as to what Christ saw, from which, perhaps, we may gather what he means. Four features.

(a) When in its fellowship respectability is thought more of than fervour;

(b) when in the pulpit eloquence is extolled more than the truth is appreciated;

(c) when talent is more craved than spiritual power;

(d) when wealth and status are recognized, and growth in grace is not.

We know a Church which makes its boast, of the number of mayors of the borough who have been members with it; and another that boasted that it had not a single tradesman on its Church roll! Oh this worldliness! it is killing Churches. Christ is not in them, and will not be, till they repent. It is no uncommon thing to name the name of Christ with the tongue, even when the Spirit of Christ is not in the heart. It is clear enough, then, what Christ means by lukewarmness. There was care enough and interest enough to hold together an external fellowship, and to maintain all outward Church proprieties; but the soul was lacking—the living Christ was not there. Let us now inquire:

2 . What entire coldness would have been . A few words will suffice here. If the Laodiceans had either never heard the gospel at all, or if, having heard it, it had never convinced their understanding, or if, although mentally persuaded of its work and of its Divine origin, they had never had sufficient glow of soul to unite in a Christian fellowship, and had never made any avowal whatever of any attachment to the Lord Jesus,—in such a ease there surely would have been coldness. Let us now ask:

3 . Why lukewarmness is more offensive to Christ than coldness. Why is a man who has just warmth enough to lead him to take some interest in religious services, and to keep his place in a Christian congregation, and no more, more displeasing to Christ than one without any warmth at all? For many reasons.

(4) Such a one is more guilty than others, for he has made a vow which he does not pay. He confesses his responsibilities, and yet takes no pains to discharge them.

III. THE COUNSELS OF THIS FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS . Although the heavenly Witness is severely faithful, there is in his words a ground-tone of the deepest tenderness. In them, and indeed in each one of them, there is enough for a separate homily; but space can only be found for a few words. Note:

(a) he convicts;

(b) he chastens.

Hence his gracious counsels.

1 . They are called on to be zealous. There are ways and means of reviving a flagging zeal. "He that would be warm must keep near the fire;" and he that would become spiritually warmer must get near the cross, and keep there.

2 . Repent. A lukewarm Christian has need to repent as much as though he had never repented at all; for he has "lost his roll," and cannot then indeed tell whether he ever had one.

3 . They are urged to get all their need supplied. Laodicea was a thriving commercial town. Christ speaks to the people there in their own familiar dialect. "Buy"—where? what?

4 . They are reminded that the door must be opened to Christ. It is terrible beyond all power of expression when Church-doors are closed against Christ, and when he is kept outside the very community whose only raison d'etre is that it may entertain and honour its Lord.

5 . They are entreated to open the door and to admit the living Lord. What can this mean? Surely nothing less than to let his Spirit rather than the world-spirit have the supreme control. In a word, the Church is exhorted to become true to its profession, and to let him, whose sacred Name it avows, be once again its sovereign Lord. But we must not forget the next point.

6 . The Church is to open its doors to Christ, by individual members opening their own hearts to him. "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Finally, if, listening to the counsels of Infinite Wisdom and Love, they, receiving a living Christ again, become once more a living Church, ,and overcome this downward tendency, then Christ will cause them to share with him his own honour at last. The Master conquered, and he expects the disciple to do the same. The Lord overcame for us; we may overcome in him and by him. Note: Victory is possible only when Christ is within us. If we keep him outside, not all the sanctuary teaching, nor the services, nor songs, nor ordinances, nor forms of godliness, nor parental virtue, can ever prevent us from falling miserably back to perdition. If we keep Christ out of our hearts, he will spue us out of his mouth.