Date written: October 3rd, 2004<\/p>\n
Scripture ref: Revelation 3:14-22<\/p>\n
SUBJECT: Church<\/p>\n
TITLE: Asian Churches — Laodicea<\/p>\n
PROPOSITION: In this lesson we will briefly look at the asian church of Laodicea. We will note: 1) Some facts regarding the city, 2) Some facts regarding the church at Laodicea, 3) Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea.<\/p>\n
OBJECTIVES: Each should be able to discuss Revelation 3:14-22 in its historical and spiritual context.<\/p>\n
AIM: To increase awareness of the church at Laodicea and the lessons we can learn from her mistakes.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION:<\/p>\n
1. Read: Revelation 3:14-22<\/p>\n
2. About the Text:<\/p>\n
1) The church at Laodicea is the last church of the seven that Jesus addresses in the book of Revelation.<\/p>\n
2) It appears in contrast to the church at Philadelphia regarding whom Jesus had no criticism.<\/p>\n
3) Nothing positive was said regarding this church.<\/p>\n
4) We can learn much from the correction she received.<\/p>\n
3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.<\/p>\n
DISCUSSION:<\/p>\n
I. THE CITY OF LAODICEA<\/p>\n
1. The City of Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II in 261-246 B.C.<\/p>\n
2. The city of Laodicea is located about 11 miles west of Colossae and about 40 miles east of Ephesus.<\/p>\n
3. The city was built along the river Lychus and was on a primary trade route from Ephesus eastward.<\/p>\n
4. Laodicea’s principle industries were…<\/p>\n
1) Banking<\/p>\n
2) Black wool.<\/p>\n
3) Eye Salve.<\/p>\n
5. The city sported a great reputation in these industries.<\/p>\n
1) The banking industry here made the occupants so wealthy that they refused aid from Rome in 70 A.D. when an earthquake destroyed their town.<\/p>\n
2) As a medical center, the eye-salve that was manufactured was sent throughout the known world in tablet form.<\/p>\n
3) Black wool supplied material to make warm winter coats.<\/p>\n
6. Jewish people were numbered among the Gentiles here; in fact, so much gold was sent to the temple in Jerusalem from Laodicea that a limit had to be placed on the Jewish businessmen lest they cause a local depression.<\/p>\n
7. Nearby the town was a warm spring that became a sort of “health spa” for the people of the day. The city was a resort for the wealthy upper class.<\/p>\n
II. THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA.<\/p>\n
1. We don’t know when the church began, but it was in existence at the time of the writing of the book of Colossians60 or 61 A.D.<\/p>\n
2. Paul wrote the book of Colossians with the church at Laodicea in mind as well.<\/p>\n
3. He refers to that church in …<\/p>\n
1) Col. 2:1 – Paul speaks concerning his desire for them to be rich in Christ.<\/p>\n
2) Col. 4:13 – Epaphras evidently was a strong worker with the church there.<\/p>\n
3) Col. 4:15 – The church seems to have initially met in the house of Nymphas.<\/p>\n
4) Col. 4:16 – The epistle to the Colossians was to be read to the Laodiceans as well.<\/p>\n
5) This indicates that they may have experienced some of the same problems that the church at Colossae experienced with the doctrine of Gnosticism.<\/p>\n
4. The book of Revelation contains the only other New Testament message addressed to them.<\/p>\n
III. JESUS MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH.<\/p>\n
1. They were spiritually complacent.<\/p>\n
1) They were characterized as being neither hot nor cold.<\/p>\n
2) They were the church that merely “got by.”<\/p>\n
3) They were lukewarmroom temperature.<\/p>\n
a. The church there was like a tepid cup of coffee or a room temperature glass of milk. They needed heating up or cooling down before they would be palatable again.<\/p>\n
b. Or perhaps the image of drinking the nearby warm springs with its odious mineral water was that to which Jesus referred.<\/p>\n
4) Regardless, Jesus said he would spew them out of his mouth because of their lackadaisical attitude.<\/p>\n
5) God desires his people to be zealous – Titus 2:11-14.<\/p>\n
2. They were physical wealthy, but spiritually impoverished.<\/p>\n
1) They said, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”<\/p>\n
2) Their attitude was that since we are rich, we are saved.<\/p>\n
3) They thought that physical prosperity indicated spirituality.<\/p>\n
4) Jesus indicated otherwise.<\/p>\n
5) Regarding their true spiritual condition, He said, “You are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”<\/p>\n
6) Their physical prosperity had no bearing upon their spiritual welfare.<\/p>\n
7) God desires his people to be rich toward Him – Luke 12:15-21<\/p>\n
3. Jesus had the answer to their spiritual poverty. He counseled them to take action regarding their spiritual neglect. They needed to buy from Jesus…<\/p>\n
1) Gold (which the banking industry had much) refined by fire. They needed spiritual riches, not physicaltreasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20).<\/p>\n
2) White raiment (contrast black wool) to be clothed (Revelation 7:13, 14).<\/p>\n
3) Eye salve (which was abundant there) to cure their blindness (2 Peter 1:5-9).<\/p>\n
4. Jesus calls upon them to repent.<\/p>\n
1) He loved them, so he rebuked and chastened them.<\/p>\n
2) He stands at the door knocking for them, longing for fellowship with them.<\/p>\n
3) The one who overcomes will sit with Jesus on his throne.<\/p>\n
CONCLUSION:<\/p>\n
1. We learn from the church at Laodicea…<\/p>\n
1) Jesus vehemently rejects spiritual complacency, but he loves zealous Christians.<\/p>\n
2) Physical wealth is no indication of spiritual welfare.<\/p>\n
3) Jesus is the answer to spiritual povertythere is no physical substitution for spirituality in the life of the Christian.<\/p>\n
4) But we must repent.<\/p>\n
2. Invitation<\/p>\n
1) Are you a Christian?<\/p>\n
2) If you are, then what is your spiritual situation? Lukewarm? Overconfident? Unrepentant?<\/p>\n
3) If you are not a Christian …<\/p>\n
a. Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing …”<\/p>\n
b. Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible …”<\/p>\n
c. Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).<\/p>\n
d. Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16).<\/p>\n
e. Be Baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15-16).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Date written: October 3rd, 2004 Scripture ref: Revelation 3:14-22 SUBJECT: Church TITLE: Asian Churches — Laodicea PROPOSITION: In this lesson we will briefly look at the asian church of Laodicea. We will note: 1) Some facts regarding the city, 2) Some facts regarding the church at Laodicea, 3) Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea. … Continue reading “Asian Churches — Laodicea – Bible Outlines”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43364\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}