I remember going on a youth fellowship holiday to the Lake District in England. What a beautiful place it was, but there was one problem, the windy, long and narrow roads, coupled with travelling on an old school bus and with a different tasting water made almost every one sick.

The bus would have to stop and let people out to quite literally throw up. Praise God I was spared, but ninety percent at least were sick.

If one would have asked this group of ours, "How did you find the Lake District?"

We would have replied, "It was beautiful but it made us sick"

The church at Laodicea was loaded with money, I am sure it was packed with many people. They had meetings for every conceivable group within the church and yet in spite of its apparent outward beauty this church made the Lord sick.

There are churches in Ulster that make great boasts, but they make the Lord boke.

There are Christians that convince themselves of their own value, but in God’s eyes they cause him to vomit.

Could you or I be making the Lord sick?

Would your church make the Lord sick?

We have endeavoured to look at the prophetically aspect of these churches.

Ephesus representing the post apostolic church that left its first love.

Symrna the persecuted church that followed.

Pergamus the patronised church. Remember Constantine who caused the church to be married to the world. The church and state combined.

Thyatira depicted the papist or pagan church and it is still with us today.

Sardis could be called the Protestant church. Protestant churches following the reformation which once again preached salvation by faith and "sola scriptura," soon lost their way spiritually speaking. Many Protestants couldn’t care less about the word of God or salvation they are dead Protestants.

Philadelphia depicts the preaching church. Many revivals mark this period in church history; Wesley’s, Whitfield, Carey and Spurgeon to mention a few men associated with this period.

Laodicea could be called the professing church.

Laodicea means, "people’s rights or judgement," We live in an age when people’s rights are to the fore. The word of God must fall in with our own notions in this Laodicean age.

It depicts an age of compromise, an age of lukewarmness where they are neither hot nor cold.

The cry of this church was, "We have need of nothing."

This proud self-satisfaction is certainly symptomatic of many a church in the closing decades of the twentieth century and the twenty first century if anything it is even worse.

We could summarise this age as follows.

Lots of activity but no real devotion.

Profession without power.

Walvoord said of this age, "They have been touched by the gospel but it is not clear whether they really belong to Christ."

How near must the Lord’s return be, if we are seeing the Laodicean attitude today?

The next great event prophetically speaking is the rapture. We can all say, "Even so come Lord Jesus."

Laodicea was about forty miles south east of Philadelphia and about one hundred miles due east from Ephesus.

This city was very wealthy. Gold was brought here examined and confirmed as being pure. Laodicea was also a banking city.

The valleys around it were ideal for sheep. They had a peculiar black sheep, which led to the production of black woollen garments, which were very famous and very expensive.

They were also involved in medical remedies, the most famous being an eye salve, which was sold throughout the Roman Empire.

This was a city sure of its wealth and certain of its future. Laodicea was self sufficient and independent.

Laodicea had one flaw, it had no local water supply. As a consequence water had to be piped via aqueducts from six miles away. As a result this left the city very vulnerable and because of this vulnerability it was a compromising city. Laodicea never really stood its ground and sadly the church bore the cities fence sitting and compromising marks.

Antiochus the second named the city, about 250 BC, after his beautiful wife Laodice. He divorced her about two years after this but he didn’t change the name of the city. The city itself was not just a compromiser but evidence also of a lost love.

You will see the importance of this background as we delve further into this final letter.

Note the references to this church in the following verses.

As you can see Paul refers to this church, which was only ten miles away, in his letters to Colosse. The church at Colosse probably planted The Laodicean church.

Let us notice firstly the dependable saviour.

This church was filled with undependable members. The Lord presents himself in the introduction as the ever-dependable saviour. Look at verse fourteen.

Three features of the Lord are brought to our attention in this verse.

Look at the promises.

"These things saith the Amen."

When we say, "amen," we are affirming what has been said, if you like we are agreeing or saying, "let it be so." Look at the following example of this usage.

When Amen is used as a title of the Lord it is not us saying, "let it be so," but it is God saying, "it shall be so."

Amen was used as a title in the Old Testament for God.

Truth is the same as amen, amen means truthful, fixed and unchanging. It speaks of divine certainty. The Lord alone can add amen to every word he utters.

What has this got to do with his promises? Look at the following scripture to see the connection.

In Christ every promise of God is guaranteed. Had the Laodiceans forgotten about his promises?

Consider some of God’s promises to us.

Had they moved from depending on the certain to trusting in the uncertain?

He is the Amen and praise God we can depend on his promises.

Secondly had they failed to consider his practise? Look again at verse fourteen.

From the manger to the cross he was faithful and true.

Had they taken their eyes off the master?

Had they failed to follow his footsteps?

They had proved unfaithful, they had proved to be false, they were so unlike the Saviour.

We have noticed his promises and his practises, let us now think of his power.

Christ was not a created being as the following verses teach us.

The word ‘beginning’ found in verse fourteen of Revelation three is "arche," and can be taken in the active sense as source or origin. In other words, he was the beginner of creation.

Here was a church that boasted of its wealth, here they are reminded of the one who made all things and owned all things. Until we realise that every thing is Gods we will not have a proper relationship to things.

We could summarise this church as follows thinking especially of verse fourteen. His promises were unrequired, his practises were unnoticed and his power was unneeded.

This church, like the city, could go it alone. They were proud of their self-sufficiency.

We have noticed a dependable saviour, let us now consider the denunciation that was serious. Look at verse fifteen.

Rev. 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

The Lord Jesus once again with his omniscient eye says, "I know thy works." There is no commendation here. The Lord had nothing good to say about this church.

"You are neither cold nor hot."

Cold would indicate that one was out and out antagonistic and against Christ. It would speak of those who were against the gospel. The cold are in their sin and they know it.

In Colosse, about ten miles away the pure cold water was refreshing.

The Lord is saying in this verse, "If people are cold, at least we know where we stand."

We all know something about being cold. If we are cold, physically, we want some heat because cold people will feel the need. Apply this spiritually. The cold can be reached because they can feel the sting of coldness and the sting of sin.

Now let us think of those whom the Lord calls hot. Over in Hierapolis there were hot water springs. These waters were of great value and this place was about six miles away. So they could easily understand the picture the Lord was presenting.

"Hot" is zestos from zoe to boil, this is the root of our English word ‘zest.’

It is translated ‘fervent’ in the following scriptures.

To be hot [spiritually speaking] is to be enthusiastic, to be willing and on fire for God. It means you are zealous and keen for the work of God.

Around this church at Laodicea there are many that are cold. They are dead spiritually and have no interest in the things of God. They would never come into a church building as they are, but praise God, the spirit of God can burn a desire in their hearts for the things of God. At least there is no hypocrisy among such. There is no covering up they are out and out sinners.

Some believers are hot and on fire for God. They are always at the place of prayer and always at the meetings on the Lord’s day. They are always engaged in witnessing wherever and whenever possible, they are always reading the word of God, they are always praying. Spiritually speaking they are hot. With this in mind let’s see this denunciation that is severe.

Think back to what I said about this city. Remember the great aqueduct that brought the water for six miles. What effect would the sun have on the water?

The sun would heat the water along the way, also the water would pick up dirt and become contaminated. When the water arrived at Laodicea it was tepid, filthy and very unpleasant. When one would take a drink of it, instinctively they would spit it out.

The church at Laodicea wasn’t expecting to be compared with lukewarm water. Look at the beginning of verse seventeen.

We could picture the scene in this church, as perhaps they knew the Lord was going to write to them. The committee of this church had surely held a meeting and decided that every thing looked well. They examined themselves, remember Laodicea means ‘people judging’ or ‘the rights of the people.’ They figured they were in for a blessed report from the Lord. Instead the Lord says, "You make me sick."

Some churches make the Lord weep, some churches make the Lord angry but Laodicea made the Lord sick.

Could we apply this to some professing believers?

You are lukewarm, that is nether cold nor hot.

You are at church but not at all the meetings

You are at church but not every Sunday.

You do pray but only once in a while.

You do read the Bible, but again, only once in a while.

You get involved in outreach but only occasionally.

You attend enough prayer meetings and just enough to be able to say, "I have been there."

You are lukewarm and you make the Lord sick.

The problem with lukewarm, professing Christians, is that you don’t know whether they are hot ones who have cooled down, or cold sinners warmed up a little by a false profession. Some Baptist church members could go to hell.

There is no evidence of spiritual life. They are part time believers and part time atheists.

Literally it reads, "I am about to spue you out." Could this be a reference to the Lord’s return?

Oh there are many false professors who will find out that when the Lord comes back they will not be caught up but rather they will be spewed out.

Of course no true believer will ever face this dilemma but the difficulty is, and commentators argue over whether these are believers or unbelievers, you cannot tell the difference when there is no clear devotion and no steady commitment.

Could we classify the age in which we live as the Laodicean age?

Do we live in an age when many people call themselves Christians but are lukewarm?

Do we live in an age when Christians can stay away from the meetings and feel no shame about it?

Do we live in an age when Christians are not hot for Jesus Christ?

Could we instead say that there is no clear testimony, there is religion and ritual but no reality?

The Lord said to this church at Laodicea, "you make me sick."

If you are in anyway lukewarm please listen to what the Lord says.

You and I can show and we can talk all we like, but Jesus says, "I know."

The Lord says, "Either hate me or give me your heart." He doesn’t want this in between, fence sitting Christianity that we find today.

We have looked at the dependable saviour; we have noticed the denunciation that is severe, now we come to the delusion that was sad.

Here are people in this church at Laodicea who will tell you how well they are doing? You know the type they could talk all night about themselves.

Remember the church in Philadelphia? It had nothing to say about itself, but look at this church, here are the marks of a church that is lukewarm. It has a lot to say about itself. We can almost imagine their publicity. Read the pamphlet ‘we have great facilities’ and we have ‘this and that.’

One man visiting a church on one occasion was told, "You name it and we have it."

He was asked, "What about Holy Ghost power?"

"I am rich," just like the city they trusted in their gold.

"And increased with goods." It’s getting even better, we are getting richer by the day.

"And have need of nothing."

Do you see the spiritual pride and self-sufficient arrogance?

Spiritually we are gifted and we show to the world spiritual graces. We have a full programme of events for all ages and to meet all needs, we have need of nothing.

That’s how they saw it. What a sad delusion.

Dear believer let me ask you a personal question, "Do you feel like that?"

Some Christians are so spiritual they don’t have to come to the meetings, they cannot be taught, they say in effect, "I have need of nothing."

They are so strong they don’t come to pray. They say also, "I have need of nothing."

Oh that we might realise that without Christ we are nothing, we can do nothing and all we have to offer is nothing.

Praise God he takes our nothingness and makes it something. Look again at verse seventeen thinking of the sad delusion.

"And knowest not," they were being deluded.

The Lord says, "Thou art wretched."

The word rendered "wretched" is the same one Paul used when speaking of himself.

The word in the original language was used of an emergency case. If you like it was used of a person in a hospital ward.

The believers in Laodicea thought they were spiritual physicians and would, I am sure have been happy to give advice to others, and yet they are sick themselves and in dire need of help.

I saw on the BBC on one occasion a programme about men who set themselves up as Harley street specialists. They pretended to be doctors but were nothing of the sort. The believers in Laodicea thought they had everything and that they were specialists in spiritual matters. Instead they had a bad dose of spiritual delusion.

"And miserable," this means pitiable. They were a pitiful sight. That’s what believers are who are depending on their materialism. Paul used this word in Corinthians.

The word is used about Christians if Christ were not risen.

The word ‘miserable’ was used of a workhouse or a prison. It spoke of a hopeless place.

This city of Laodicea had three assets; their wealth, their wool and their ointment. The Lord shows how, spiritually, this church was bereft of all three.

They were poor. The word means penniless and of no value.

They were blind and in need of eyesalve. They couldn’t even see their own need. They had no vision.

They were naked, in a city famous for its black garments, and yet spiritually they had nothing to show people. The world could see through them, there was no visible testimony, and they had no virtues.

No value, no vision and no virtues.

Let’s get personal again. Is there nothing in your life of any value to God?

Have you no real vision for the work of God or for the lost souls of men?

Have you no virtues in your life to commend you to Christ?

The saddest thing of all about this church at Laodicea was that they thought they were tops. They thought that they needed nothing while in reality they had nothing of any eternal value.

Let us now concentrate on the directions that are sound. Look at verse eighteen.

When we think of buying we should apply it as it is found in Isaiah chapter fifty-five and verse one. The resources are available and the Lord doesn’t command. He counsels here in verse eighteen. The choice belonged to the Laodiceans.

Their values needed to be reviewed.

"Gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich."

Let me mention one aspect of gold as it is used in scripture, something that gold speaks of. Look at Psalm nineteen.

Gold is used sometimes to picture the word of God. This is good advice for the believers in this place. Get back to the word of God and you will become valuable not in your own eyes but in God’s eyes.

Remember this city could spot fools gold a mile away. Get back to reality, get back to the Bible.

"Gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich." The word ‘mayest’ looks ahead to the judgement seat of Christ. Will we have gold, silver and precious stones or wood hay and stubble?

We are looking at the directions that are sound. Their values had to be reviewed and we see also the virtues that are required.

"And white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear."

The black garments would do well in Laodicea, but in God’s eyes he wants to see pure lives for his glory.

White garments speak of the righteous acts of believers.

"And white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear."

Again the word ‘mayest’ points to the future. How sad it would be if we stand before him naked and all our works burned up.

As we think of the direction that are sound we can also see that their vision needs to be repaired. Look again at verse eighteen.

They needed a fresh vision.

Above all they needed to get their eyes back on the Amen, the faithful and true and the beginner of creation.

"That thou mayest see."

The word ‘mayest’ in this verse is present tense. It’s now that you need the vision. At the judgement seat it will be too late.

They also needed vibrancy renewed. Look at the nineteenth verse.

"Be zealous," That is get on fire for God.

"Repent." Sin is the problem and it must be dealt with.

Could you be described as being lukewarm?

You could not say that you don’t give, but you don’t give much in any area of your life.

We have looked at the dependable saviour, the denunciation that was severe, the delusion that was sad, the direction that are sound. Now we will notice a desperate situation. Look at the twentieth verse.

This is a very good gospel text but the context is Christ standing outside the believers hear seeking entrance that he may to occupy the throne of their hearts.

"If any man." The Lord needs, the Lord wants, for the day and age in which we live, men and woman who will set him upon the throne of their hearts.

Lukewarmness makes him sick, lukewarmness is of no use.

Is the Lord standing outside your hearts door?

Is he knocking at your hearts door?

Will you hear and open to him?

"Be zealous and repent." It’s time to get on fire for God. God’s people need a fresh vision of hell. Souls are going to perish and the Lord is standing at our heart’s door looking to occupy the throne of your life and mine.

He counsels, now he knocks. He doesn’t command or break down the door. You and I must open it and make that decision to go all out for Jesus Christ.

"I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me."

This phrase speaks of intimate communion and fellowship.

So many churches have shut the Lord out of their services. So many believers have closed their hearts door to the Lord saying, "so far and no further." Lukewarmness is the order of the day.

"Be zealous and repent," the Lord says. The Lord is knocking, what a blessing if you will open to him. The following verses from Song of Solomon show the danger and cost of delaying.

Don’t wait and miss out on further blessing.

The word for ‘sup’ means supper. It was the last meal of the day. This reminds us that Jesus is coming soon Christians need to really enthrone him now.

The Lord has been knocking and speaking for far too long. It’s time you and I let him in.

Look at the promise to the overcomer again.

Christ through his obedience to the fathers will laid down his life and was raised again from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the father. In a future day he will set up his kingdom on earth, he will establish his own throne, notice the words, "my throne."

Remember what we read about in Thyatira?

In these verses we were taught that we will share his rule, in Revelation three-verse twenty-one we are sharing his royalty.

A church building caught fire on one occasion. The town atheist watched the blaze.

Some believer said this, "I never though I would see you at church."

The atheist replied, "I have never seen a church on fire before."

Let us recap some of the lessons we have learned.

Ephesus, the danger of leaving our first love.

Smyrna, we are exhorted to fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.

Pergamos stands as a warning against doctrinal compromise.

Thyatira warns us against moral compromise.

Sardis is forever a warning of the danger of spiritual deadness.

Philadelphia encourages the faithful to hold fast.

Laodicea is certainly a lesson on the danger of lukewarmness.

We could not finish with a better note than the words of our Saviour.