Sermon Notes:

LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
VII.  Laodicea: Wholeheartedness
Revelation 3:14-22
September 24, 2006

INTRODUCTION
Ephesus-Love; Smyrna-Suffering; Pergamum-Truth; Thyatira-Holiness; Sardis-Reality; Philadelphia-Opportunity.
Just like the Church in Laodicea, the medieval church, the church in the early 21st century has become lukewarm, lazy and filled with heresy.  Our Lord Jesus combines a fierce denunciation with a tender appeal for wholeheartedness.
Laodicea was a great commercial and financial center, the home of a famous medical school.   Christ calls the Church to be wholeheartedly on fire for Him.

I.  CHRIST’S ANALYSIS OF THEIR PROBLEM.
The root cause of half-heartedness is complacency.  To be lukewarm is to be blind to our spiritual condition, our spiritual need.  The pride of the Laodiceans infected the whole church.  The Lord Jesus does not mince words as He deals with their condition.  He calls them naked, blind beggars.  Beggars despite their huge bank accounts.  Naked despite their clothing factories and commerce.  They had no idea of their poverty or of their spiritual danger. 

II.  CHRIST GIVES A PRESCRIPTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
Notice that Our Lord is content to give advice.  “…I counsel you…”  And at the same time, He warns of the consequences of neglecting to hear Him.  Christ is the AMEN…the Faithful and True Witness.  His words are trustworthy.  How can we ignore the counsel of Our Lord?  Notice His advice, “…I counsel you to buy from me…”  They thought themselves self-sufficient, but needed to find their sufficiency in Christ alone.  This is great good news for naked, blind beggars such as we are.  He tells them to take 2 steps:

• Repent – immediately and irrevocably and be continually fired with zeal

III. CHRIST’S PRIORTYAND PROMISE FOR THEM

• Faith – be shaken from your lethargy, your apathy, your half-heartedness, your self-centeredness.  Wake up before it’s too late! 

The final promise for those who come in faith believing, who believe on Christ, who live in accordance with His revealed will, is the assurance of sitting with Christ on His Throne. 
Are you a luke-warm, half-hearted, complacent Christian or are you on fire, zealous to do the work He has called us to do in His Name?  Let us all examine our hearts, repent of the sin we find there, and recommit our lives to Jesus Christ, so that we are loving Him with ALL our heart, mind, strength and soul.  The hour is late and the time is short.