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Powerful Ancient Words That Still Inspire Us · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: Did you know that Jesus once said a church made
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Speaker 1: him sick, not disappointed, not frustrated, sick. Of all the
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Speaker 1: seven churches he addressed in Revelation, Laodicea is the only
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Speaker 1: one he had nothing good to say about. No praise,
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Speaker 1: no encouragement, just a chilling warning. But because you are lukewarm,
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Speaker 1: neither hot nor cold, I'm about to spit you out
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Speaker 1: of my mouth Revelation three sixteen. Imagine that a church
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Speaker 1: so lost in its own self delusion that it didn't
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Speaker 1: even realize it was making Jesus want to vomit. Laodicea
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Speaker 1: wasn't a church of idle worshippers. It wasn't persecuted like Smyrna.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't teaching heresies like Pergamum. It wasn't openly tolerating
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Speaker 1: sin like Thiatera. So what made it worse than all
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Speaker 1: of these complacency, spiritual apathy disguised as faith. It was
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Speaker 1: a church that thought it was doing just for prosperous,
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Speaker 1: self sufficient, comfortable. But Jesus looked at them and saw
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Speaker 1: the truth. They were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
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Speaker 1: It's one of the most terrifying letters in the Bible,
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Speaker 1: because it shows how easy it is to drift into
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Speaker 1: a faith that looks good on the outside but is
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Speaker 1: completely empty on the inside. And here's the most unsettling part.
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Speaker 1: Laodicea is often seen as a picture of our generation,
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Speaker 1: a time when many churches have wealth, influence, and massive followings,
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Speaker 1: but are lacking in true devotion, true fire, true dependence
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Speaker 1: on Christ. Could it be that this letter wasn't just
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Speaker 1: for Lao Decea, but a prophetic message to the modern church.
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Speaker 1: Could Jesus be standing outside the doors of churches to day, knocking,
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Speaker 1: waiting to be let in. In this video, we're going
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Speaker 1: to break down the Letter to Laodicea like never for
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Speaker 1: we'll uncover why Jesus had nothing good to say about
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Speaker 1: this church, what it means to be lukewarm. Hint, it's
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Speaker 1: not what most people think, and what this letter teaches
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Speaker 1: us about the danger of comfortable Christianity. If you've ever
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Speaker 1: wondered what Jesus would say to today's churches, this message
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Speaker 1: is one you can't ignore. We've covered the first six
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Speaker 1: letters to the Churches in Revelation. If you haven't seen those,
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Speaker 1: we've left the full playlist in the description If you
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Speaker 1: want an in depth explanation of the entire Book of Revelation,
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Speaker 1: we've linked that too, And for those who love going deeper,
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Speaker 1: we've also put together ebooks that break down these letters
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Speaker 1: in powerful ways. Check the description to grab yours. This
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Speaker 1: message is going to challenge you, it's going to make
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Speaker 1: you uncomfortable, but most of all, it's going to open
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Speaker 1: your eyes, because the last thing you ever want to
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Speaker 1: hear from Jesus is you make me sick. What do
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Speaker 1: you think Jesus would say if he wrote a letter
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Speaker 1: to your church today, would he commend you or warn you?
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Speaker 1: Drop a comment below. If there's one thing more dangerous
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Speaker 1: than being spiritually lost, it's believing you're spiritually strong when
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Speaker 1: in reality you're blind. That was the problem with Laodicea.
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Speaker 1: They weren't openly rebellious, they weren't being persecuted, they weren't
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Speaker 1: even facing doctrinal corruption like some of the other churches.
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Speaker 1: But they were deceived, deceived into thinking they were fine,
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Speaker 1: when in reality they were in the worst possible spiritual condition.
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Speaker 1: And that's why Jesus introduced himself to them in a
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Speaker 1: way unlike any of the other churches. I am the Amen,
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Speaker 1: the Faithful and True Witness, Revelation three fourteen. At first glance,
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Speaker 1: this might not seem like a big deal, but think
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Speaker 1: about it. Why would Jesus introduce himself this way? Because
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Speaker 1: Laodicea was filled with people who had convinced themselves they
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Speaker 1: were spiritually rich, that they had everything they needed, that
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Speaker 1: they saw life clearly. But Jesus was saying, I am
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Speaker 1: the truth. I see things as they really are, and
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Speaker 1: you you're blind. It's terrifying, isn't it to think you're
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Speaker 1: doing well, only to find out you're completely off track,
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Speaker 1: to be so self assured, so self satisfied, that you
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Speaker 1: don't even realize you're on the verge of being rejected.
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Speaker 1: And that's why this letter should shake every single one
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Speaker 1: of us, Because if Laodicea didn't realize their true condition,
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Speaker 1: what makes us so sure we see ours? Think about
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Speaker 1: how this applies today. How many churches, how many believers
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Speaker 1: think they are spiritually thriving just because they have big buildings,
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Speaker 1: packed services, emotional worship, and large online platforms. How many
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Speaker 1: of us assume that just because we know a lot
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Speaker 1: about God, we actually know him, that just because we
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Speaker 1: do good things, we are truly right with him. But
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Speaker 1: Jesus looks at the heart, not our reputation, not our
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Speaker 1: bank accounts, not the size of our audience, but our
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Speaker 1: true spiritual condition. Jesus introduction is a warning, I am
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Speaker 1: the faithful and true witness. He is not fooled by appearances,
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Speaker 1: He is not impressed by outward success. He sees everything
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Speaker 1: who we truly are, not just who we pretend to be.
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Speaker 1: And the fact that he introduces himself as the are
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Speaker 1: Men is even more powerful. Amen isn't just a way
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Speaker 1: to end a prayer. It's a declaration of truth, a
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Speaker 1: statement of finality. It means, so be it. When Jesus speaks,
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Speaker 1: there is no debate, no argument. No, but Lord, I
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Speaker 1: thought just reality. Laodicea had created their own version of Christianity,
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Speaker 1: one that didn't cost them anything, one that may them comfortable.
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Speaker 1: And Jesus shattered their illusion with one statement. You think
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Speaker 1: you're rich, but you're poor. You think you see, but
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Speaker 1: you're blind. You think you have it all, but you
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Speaker 1: have nothing. Now take a moment and ask yourself, what
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Speaker 1: if Jesus is saying the same thing to us. What
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Speaker 1: if we too have settled into a version of Christianity
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Speaker 1: that looks good but lacks real power. What if we
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Speaker 1: have convinced ourselves that we are spiritually alive, but in
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Speaker 1: reality we're drifting. What if Jesus, the true and faithful Witness,
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Speaker 1: is looking at us and saying, you don't see things
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Speaker 1: as clearly as you think. This is why we can't
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Speaker 1: afford to ignore this letter, because if the deception was
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Speaker 1: real for them, it can be real for us. If
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Speaker 1: Jesus saw through their false confidence, he sees through ours too.
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Speaker 1: And if they needed to wake up, so do we.
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Speaker 1: And that's exactly what Jesus does. Next. He delivers a
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Speaker 1: diagnosis that is more brutal than any other letter in Revelation,
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Speaker 1: a statement that should terrify every believer and every church
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Speaker 1: that has become too comfortable. Your lukewarm and I'm about
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Speaker 1: to spit you out of my mouth. What does it
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Speaker 1: really mean to be lukewarm? It's probably not what you think.
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Speaker 1: And in the next section, we're going to unpack this
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Speaker 1: warning in a way that will change the way you
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Speaker 1: see your faith forever. Laodicea was everything a city could
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Speaker 1: dream of being. It was powerful, independent, and overflowing with wealth.
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Speaker 1: If you walk through its streets. You would see grand
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Speaker 1: market places filled with expensive textiles, banks overflowing with gold,
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Speaker 1: and a thriving medical industry that produced a famous I
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Speaker 1: salve said to restore sight. It was the kind of
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Speaker 1: place people longed to live, a city where success wasn't
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Speaker 1: just possible, it was expected. Yet in the eyes of Jesus,
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Speaker 1: Laodicea was the most miserable place of all. Jesus didn't
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Speaker 1: see the riches. He didn't see the booming economy. He
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Speaker 1: didn't see the luxurious clothing or the advanced medicine. He
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Speaker 1: looked at Laodicea and said, you think you are rich,
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Speaker 1: but you are poor. You think you can see, but
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Speaker 1: you are blind. You think you are clothed in fine garments,
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Speaker 1: but you are naked. Revelation three seventeen. It was a
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Speaker 1: devastating diagnosis. And the worst part they had no idea.
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Speaker 1: Laodicea wasn't like the other churches that were being persecuted.
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Speaker 1: They weren't suffering under false teachers. They weren't battling intense
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Speaker 1: spiritual attacks. Their greatest enemy wasn't Rome, it wasn't heresy,
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Speaker 1: it wasn't external oppression. It was their own comfort and
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Speaker 1: isn't that exactly where so many believers are to day,
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Speaker 1: in places where faith doesn't cost us much, where we
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Speaker 1: can worship freely, where we have access to more biblical
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Speaker 1: resources than any generation before us. Isn't it possible that
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Speaker 1: we've fallen into the same trap, that we have mistaken
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Speaker 1: comfort for blessing, that we have confused financial security with
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Speaker 1: spiritual strength, that we have assumed knowledge equals faith. Laodice
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Speaker 1: Sea had everything the world could offer, yet Jesus called
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Speaker 1: them wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked Revelation three seventeen.
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Speaker 1: And the most terrifying part of all they didn't see it.
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Speaker 1: They thought they were blessed, but they were actually in danger.
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Speaker 1: They thought they were thriving, but they were actually dying.
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Speaker 1: They thought they were clothed in the best garments, but
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Speaker 1: spiritually they were exposed and ashamed. Jesus words weren't just
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Speaker 1: a warning to a city two thousand years ago. They
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Speaker 1: are a wake up call to every believer to day
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Speaker 1: who has settled for a faith that requires nothing, costs nothing,
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Speaker 1: and demands nothing. Because a comfortable faith is a dying faith.
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Speaker 1: And Laodicea wasn't just comfortable. They were lukewarm. Now, this
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Speaker 1: is where most people misunderstand what Jesus was saying. Many
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Speaker 1: think that being lukewarm means being half way committed to Jesus,
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Speaker 1: that he wants us to be either on fire for
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Speaker 1: him or completely cold. But that's not what this passage means.
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Speaker 1: To truly understand what Jesus was saying, you have to
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Speaker 1: understand Laodicea's water problem. See, Laodicea had no water supply
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Speaker 1: of its own. It had to bring in water from
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Speaker 1: two nearby cities, Hiraplis, which was known for its hot
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Speaker 1: healing springs, and colosse A, which had cold, refreshing water.
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Speaker 1: But by the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm, stagnant, disgusting.
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Speaker 1: It was useless, not hot enough to bring healing, not
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Speaker 1: cold enough to be refreshing. So when Jesus told them,
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Speaker 1: because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am
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Speaker 1: about to spit you out of my mouth Revelation three sixteen,
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Speaker 1: he wasn't saying I'd rather you be against me than
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Speaker 1: half wakem. He was saying you are useless. Your faith
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Speaker 1: isn't bringing healing. Your faith isn't refreshing the weary you
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Speaker 1: have become stagnant, and I can't stand it. This changes everything,
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Speaker 1: doesn't it? Because Jesus isn't calling people to be cold
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Speaker 1: hearted unbelievers instead of lukewarm believers. He's calling people to
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Speaker 1: be useful, to be effective, to bring spiritual healing like
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Speaker 1: hot water, or spiritual refreshment like cold water. But Laodicea
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Speaker 1: had settled for something else. They thought their wealth made
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Speaker 1: them strong, They thought their success meant they were favored.
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Speaker 1: They thought their comfort was a sign of God's blessing.
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Speaker 1: And Jesus is standing in front of them saying, no,
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Speaker 1: you have nothing. How does this relate to us today?
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Speaker 1: Look around? How many churches are thriving in numbers but
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Speaker 1: dying in spirit? How many believers are financially secure but
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Speaker 1: spiritually bankrupt. How many Christians have gotten so comfortable that
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Speaker 1: they don't even realize their faith has become useless? And
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Speaker 1: perhaps the most terrifying question of all, could this be us?
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Speaker 1: Are we lukewarm? Have we settled for a Christianity that
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Speaker 1: looks good on the outside but lacks any real power?
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Speaker 1: Have we convinced ourselves that we are rich when in
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Speaker 1: reality we are poor laodice As wealth blinded them to
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Speaker 1: their spiritual poverty. Sufficiency made them useless in the kingdom,
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Speaker 1: and worst of all, they didn't even see the danger
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Speaker 1: they were in. Jesus words to them weren't just a rebuke.
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Speaker 1: They were a plea, a wake up call, a desperate
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Speaker 1: warning before it was too late. And what Jesus says
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Speaker 1: next is even more shocking because instead of immediately condemning them,
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Speaker 1: he offers them a way back. He tells them exactly
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Speaker 1: what they need, exactly how to fix their condition, exactly
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Speaker 1: what it will take for them to become useful again.
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Speaker 1: And that's where we're heading next, because if Laodicea had
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Speaker 1: a way out, so do we. Laodicea had everything, wealth, status, influence,
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Speaker 1: but there was one thing they didn't have, and it
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Speaker 1: was the very thing Jesus used to expose their spiritual condition. Water. See.
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Speaker 1: Laodicea was built in an inconvenient place. Unlike other major cities,
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Speaker 1: it had no natural water supply of its own, no
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Speaker 1: fresh springs, no rite, no wells. The people of Laodicea
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Speaker 1: had to import their water from hyrapalis. They received hot,
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Speaker 1: mineral rich water, famous for its healing properties people traveled
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Speaker 1: from all over to sit in the hot springs of Hyrapalis,
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Speaker 1: believing they could cure sickness and bring restoration. From coloss A,
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Speaker 1: they received cold, refreshing water, perfect for quenching thirst and
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Speaker 1: bringing life on a scorching day. In the Middle East,
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Speaker 1: nothing was more valuable than cold, clean water. But by
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Speaker 1: the time either water source reached Laodicea, something happened. It
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Speaker 1: became lukewarm. The hot water lost its healing power, the
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Speaker 1: cold water lost its refreshing strength. Neither was useful anymore.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't good for drinking, it wasn't good for bathing,
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Speaker 1: it wasn't good for healing. It was just there. And
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Speaker 1: the people of Laodicea knew it. They knew their water
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Speaker 1: was useless. They we were reminded of it every single day.
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Speaker 1: So when Jesus said you are neither hot nor cold,
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Speaker 1: I wish you were one or the other. But since
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Speaker 1: you are lukewarm, I'm about to spit you out of
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Speaker 1: my mouth Revelation three fifteen to sixteen, it hit them hard.
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Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't saying I'd rather you reject me than follow
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Speaker 1: me half heartedly. He was saying, I designed you to
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Speaker 1: bring healing, but you don't. I designed you to refresh
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Speaker 1: the weary, but you don't. You have become useless in
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Speaker 1: my kingdom, and I can't stand it. Let that sink in.
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Speaker 1: Jesus would rather his people be hot, bringing healing, restoring
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Speaker 1: the broken, being a source of spiritual power, or he
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Speaker 1: would rather them be cold, offering refreshment, reviving the weary,
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Speaker 1: being a source of strength to those who are weak.
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Speaker 1: But he cannot stand a faith that does nothing, and
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Speaker 1: he will not tolerate a church that has lost its purpose.
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Speaker 1: So he says something shocking. I am about to spit
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Speaker 1: you out of my mouth. The word Jesus used here
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Speaker 1: for spit is actually stronger than that. In Greek, it
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Speaker 1: means to vomit. He isn't just saying he doesn't like
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Speaker 1: lukewarm faith. He's saying it makes him sick. Imagine that
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Speaker 1: a church so confident in itself, so secure in its wealth,
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Speaker 1: so convinced that it was strong, and yet Jesus says,
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Speaker 1: you make me nauseous. And before we judge laodice her
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Speaker 1: too harshly, we have to ask the question, is this us?
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Speaker 1: Have we become so comfortable in our faith that we
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Speaker 1: have lost our impact. Have we convinced ourselves that being
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Speaker 1: present in church is enough while we ignore the broken
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Speaker 1: world around us? Have we settled for a version of
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Speaker 1: Christianity that requires nothing, risks nothing, and changes nothing. Because
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Speaker 1: here's the terrifying truth. The enemy doesn't have to destroy
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Speaker 1: a church to make it useless. He just has to
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Speaker 1: make it comfortable. Satan didn't need to attack Laodiceer with
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Speaker 1: persecution like he did in Smyrna. He didn't need to
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Speaker 1: deceive them with false teaching like he did in Pergamum.
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Speaker 1: All he had to do was convince them that they
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Speaker 1: were fine just the way they were. And if he
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Speaker 1: can do the same thing to us, if he can
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Speaker 1: make us content with a faith that never moves, never fights,
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Speaker 1: never risks anything for the kingdom, then we too have
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Speaker 1: become lukewarm and Jesus hates it. But here's the most
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Speaker 1: important part. He doesn't just rebuke them, he calls them
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Speaker 1: to something greater. Because while lukewarm faith makes Jesus sick,
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Speaker 1: revival makes him move. And that's exactly where we're heading next.
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Speaker 1: Because Jesus didn't leave Laodicea in their condition. He told
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Speaker 1: them exactly what they needed to do to be restored,
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Speaker 1: and if we're willing to listen, he's telling us the
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Speaker 1: same thing today. The most dangerous kind of deception isn't
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Speaker 1: when someone lies to you, it's when you lie to yourself.
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Speaker 1: That's what made Laodicea's condition so tragic. They weren't just failing,
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Speaker 1: They didn't even realize they were failing. They thought they
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Speaker 1: were rich, they thought they were strong, they thought they
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Speaker 1: were self sufficient. And Jesus looks at them and says,
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Speaker 1: you have no idea how broken you really are. You
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Speaker 1: say I am rich, I've acquired wealth and do not
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Speaker 1: need a thing, But you do not realize that you
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Speaker 1: are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked Revelation three seventeen.
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Speaker 1: Think about that for a second. Jesus doesn't just disagree
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Speaker 1: with their self evaluation. He completely flips it upside down.
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Speaker 1: They thought they had everything, Jesus says they have nothing.
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Speaker 1: They thought they were success. Jesus says they are pitiful.
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Speaker 1: They thought they could see clearly. Jesus says they are blind.
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Speaker 1: They thought they were well clothed in fine garments. Jesus
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Speaker 1: says they are naked. This isn't just a minor difference
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Speaker 1: in opinion. This is a complete spiritual delusion. And what
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Speaker 1: made it worse they actually believed it. See, Laodicea was
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Speaker 1: a city that had everything the world values. It was
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Speaker 1: one of the wealthiest cities in the Roman Empire. Its
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Speaker 1: banking industry was powerful, its textile industry was famous. It
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Speaker 1: even had a medical school that developed an eye salve,
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Speaker 1: which people traveled from all over the empire to obtain.
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Speaker 1: The city was so wealthy that when an earthquake destroyed
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Speaker 1: it in sixty a d. The Roman government offered financial
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Speaker 1: assistance to help rebuild. Do you know what, Laodicea said, No, thanks,
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Speaker 1: we can take care of ourselves. Let that sink in.
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Speaker 1: While other cities needed help support outside resources, Laodicea was
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Speaker 1: so wealthy, so self reliant, so independent, that they literally
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Speaker 1: told Rome, we don't need you. And that same self
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Speaker 1: sufficient attitude had crept into the church. They looked around
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Speaker 1: at their wealth, their buildings, their resources, their prosperity, and
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Speaker 1: they said to themselves, we're doing great. We don't need anything.
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Speaker 1: And Jesus says, you are the poorest people I've ever seen.
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Speaker 1: Imagine thinking you have everything only for God himself to
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Speaker 1: say you have nothing. This is the greatest deception, not
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Speaker 1: when Satan attacks the church, but when the church convinces
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Speaker 1: itself that it's fine without God. And if we're honest,
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Speaker 1: this is happening today. We live in a time where
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Speaker 1: churches are wealthier than ever, where we have bigger buildings,
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Speaker 1: better technology, more resources, more knowledge than at any other
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Speaker 1: point in history, where we have seminars, conferences, leadership training,
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Speaker 1: marketing strategies, social media engagement. And yet are we spiritually
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Speaker 1: thriving or are we spiritually bankrupt? Have we become so
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Speaker 1: focused on the external signs of success that we've completely
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Speaker 1: lost sight of what actually matters? Because here's the truth.
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Speaker 1: A church can be packed with people and still be
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Speaker 1: empty of God. A Christian can memorize scripture and still
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Speaker 1: be blind to their spiritual condition. A believer can be
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Speaker 1: surrounded by religious activity and still be completely naked before God.
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Speaker 1: And that's exactly what happened in Laodicea. They had everything
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Speaker 1: the world could offer, but nothing that God desired. And
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Speaker 1: Jesus didn't sugarcoat it. He didn't say, well, at least
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Speaker 1: you're doing some things right. He didn't say you're a
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Speaker 1: work in progress. He looked at them, and with absolute clarity,
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Speaker 1: he told them the truth. You do not realize that
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Speaker 1: you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. And the
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Speaker 1: worst part, they had no idea. They had convinced themselves
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Speaker 1: that they were doing fine. They were so comfortable that
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Speaker 1: they had no clue how much danger they were in.
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Speaker 1: How many of us are in the same position. How
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Speaker 1: many of us have become so confident in what we
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Speaker 1: have that we don't even realize what we're lacking. How
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Speaker 1: many of us are so busy building our own kingdoms
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Speaker 1: that we've stopped seeking His kingdom. Jesus wasn't harsh because
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Speaker 1: he hated them. He was harsh because he loved them
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Speaker 1: too much to let them stay deceived. And if we're
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Speaker 1: willing to listen, he's telling us the same thing to day.
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Speaker 1: But here's the good news. Jesus didn't just diagnose the problem.
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Speaker 1: He gave the solution. Because the same Jesus who said
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Speaker 1: you are poor, blind and naked or also said, come
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Speaker 1: to me and I will make you rich, I will
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Speaker 1: heal your blindness, I will clothe you in righteousness. And
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Speaker 1: that's exactly what we're going to uncover next. Because Jesus
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Speaker 1: didn't just expose their condition. He gave them a way out.
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Speaker 1: And if we're willing to hear him, he's offering us
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Speaker 1: the same invitation today. The most loving thing Jesus can
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Speaker 1: ever do for us is tell us the truth about ourselves.
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Speaker 1: That's exactly what he did with laodice Here. He didn't
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Speaker 1: hold back, and he didn't soften the message. You are wretched, pitiful, poor,
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Speaker 1: blind and naked. But here's the thing. Jesus didn't say
23:48
Speaker 1: that just to condemn them. He said it to wake
23:51
Speaker 1: them up. He never exposes a problem without offering a solution.
23:56
Speaker 1: And his solution gold white garments and eyes salve. It's
24:01
Speaker 1: not random, it's not symbolic for the sake of being poetic.
24:05
Speaker 1: These were three things Laodicea prided itself on. They were
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Speaker 1: known for their wealth, but Jesus says you're poor, Come
24:14
Speaker 1: to me and get real riches. They were famous for
24:18
Speaker 1: their clothing industry, but Jesus says you're naked. Come to
24:22
Speaker 1: me and I'll clothe you in something better. They had
24:26
Speaker 1: a medical school that produced an eye salve, but Jesus
24:30
Speaker 1: says you're blind, Let me give you true sight. Do
24:35
Speaker 1: you See what Jesus is doing. He's flipping their confidence
24:38
Speaker 1: upside down. The very things they thought made them strong
24:42
Speaker 1: were the very things that were keeping them spiritually weak.
24:46
Speaker 1: And what's crazy, they didn't even realize it. But Jesus
24:49
Speaker 1: offers them a way out. Buy from me gold refined
24:54
Speaker 1: in fire. Laodicea was a wealthy city. They had banks, commerce, trade.
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Speaker 1: But Jesus says, your gold means nothing. Let me give
25:05
Speaker 1: you something better. What is gold refined in fire. It's
25:10
Speaker 1: faith that has been tested, purified, and proven genuine. These
25:14
Speaker 1: trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is
25:17
Speaker 1: being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. First Peter
25:23
Speaker 1: one seven. Laodicea had earthly riches, but no faith. Their
25:28
Speaker 1: success made them comfortable, and comfort made them spiritually weak.
25:32
Speaker 1: Sound familiar. How many of us have been so comfortable
25:36
Speaker 1: that we've never actually had our faith tested. See gold
25:40
Speaker 1: refined in fire is faith that has gone through something.
25:44
Speaker 1: It's the kind of faith that has been through storms
25:47
Speaker 1: but still stands. It's the kind of faith that has
25:51
Speaker 1: been shaken but never let go of God. Jesus is saying,
25:55
Speaker 1: your riches won't save you, your comfort won't keep you.
25:59
Speaker 1: But if you come to me, I will give you
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Speaker 1: faith that can withstand anything. And here's what's terrifying. If
26:07
Speaker 1: you don't choose to be refined, you will be forced
26:10
Speaker 1: into refinement because one way or another, God will strip
26:14
Speaker 1: away everything that's keeping you from truly depending on him.
26:18
Speaker 1: Some people choose surrender, others are brought to surrender and
26:23
Speaker 1: white garments so you may clothe yourself. Laodicea was famous
26:29
Speaker 1: for its textiles. They produced a luxurious black wool that
26:33
Speaker 1: was highly sought after in the ancient world. People came
26:36
Speaker 1: from all over to buy their fine, expensive clothing. But
26:40
Speaker 1: Jesus says, you are naked. What does this mean? In
26:43
Speaker 1: the Bible, clothing represents righteousness, and Jesus is saying you
26:48
Speaker 1: may be dressed in the finest garments, but spiritually you
26:52
Speaker 1: have nothing. And so he tells them, come to me
26:56
Speaker 1: and I will give you white garments. Whit sense purity, righteousness,
27:01
Speaker 1: and victory. In other words, Jesus is saying, your self
27:05
Speaker 1: righteousness won't save you, Your reputation won't save you. You
27:10
Speaker 1: need to be clothed in my righteousness. This is so
27:14
Speaker 1: important because a lot of Christians look covered, but they're
27:18
Speaker 1: actually naked. They're covered in religion, but not in righteousness.
27:22
Speaker 1: They're covered in church activity, but not in intimacy with God.
27:27
Speaker 1: They're covered in good deeds, but not in a transformed heart.
27:31
Speaker 1: Jesus is offering true covering, not just an outward appearance
27:35
Speaker 1: of faith, but a new identity in Him. And salve
27:41
Speaker 1: to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Laodicea's
27:47
Speaker 1: biggest industry was its eye medicine. They produced a special
27:51
Speaker 1: eye salve that was exported all over the Roman world.
27:55
Speaker 1: And yet Jesus says you are blind. Think about how
27:59
Speaker 1: I run this is. The people producing medicine for physical
28:03
Speaker 1: blindness were completely blind to their spiritual condition. And before
28:08
Speaker 1: we judge them, let's be honest. How many of us
28:11
Speaker 1: are walking through life blind to our own condition. We
28:15
Speaker 1: think we see clearly, but we don't. We think we
28:18
Speaker 1: know where we're going, but we don't. We think we
28:21
Speaker 1: understand our own hearts, but we don't. That's why we
28:25
Speaker 1: need Jesus to open our eyes. Because spiritual blindness isn't
28:29
Speaker 1: just about not seeing. It's about thinking you can see
28:33
Speaker 1: when you actually can't. It's about being so convinced you're
28:37
Speaker 1: fine that you don't even realize you're walking toward destruction.
28:41
Speaker 1: That's why pride is so dangerous, because pride makes you blind,
28:46
Speaker 1: and blind people don't realize they're blind. So Jesus says,
28:50
Speaker 1: come to me, let me anoint your eyes, let me
28:53
Speaker 1: show you what you can't see. Because the truth is,
28:57
Speaker 1: we all have blind spots, as we all have it
29:00
Speaker 1: where we're deceived. We all have things we think we
29:03
Speaker 1: understand but actually don't. And Jesus isn't waiting to shame
29:08
Speaker 1: us for it. He's waiting to heal us from it.
29:12
Speaker 1: The warning and the invitation jesus words to Laodicea were harsh,
29:18
Speaker 1: but they were filled with love. He wasn't saying you're
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Speaker 1: too far gone. He wasn't saying I've given up on you.
29:26
Speaker 1: He was saying, come to me before it's too late.
29:29
Speaker 1: And that same invitation is open to us because the
29:33
Speaker 1: truth is we are Laodicea. We are comfortable, we are
29:37
Speaker 1: self sufficient, We think we're fine when we're actually blind.
29:42
Speaker 1: But Jesus is saying, wake up, open your eyes, stop
29:45
Speaker 1: trusting in what the world values, and start depending on me.
29:50
Speaker 1: Because the scariest thing in the world isn't persecution it's
29:54
Speaker 1: thinking you're right with God when you're not. It's walking
29:58
Speaker 1: in blindness but being convinced you can see. That's why
30:02
Speaker 1: Jesus tells them those whom I love, I rebuke and
30:05
Speaker 1: discipline Revelation three nineteen. Because when God corrects you, it's
30:11
Speaker 1: not to shame you. It's to save you. And that's
30:15
Speaker 1: what he's doing right now. So the question is will
30:18
Speaker 1: we listen or will we keep convincing ourselves that we're fine.
30:23
Speaker 1: Because the only way to be truly rich, truly clothed,
30:27
Speaker 1: and truly able to see is to go to Jesus
30:30
Speaker 1: and let him give us what we could never find
30:32
Speaker 1: on our own. The hardest truth to hear is often
30:36
Speaker 1: the one we need the most. Jesus had just stripped
30:39
Speaker 1: away everything Laodicea thought was true about itself. He had
30:44
Speaker 1: shattered their illusion of self sufficiency, exposed their spiritual blindness,
30:49
Speaker 1: and laid bare their desperate need for him. And yet
30:53
Speaker 1: after all that, he doesn't reject them, He doesn't abandon them. Instead,
30:59
Speaker 1: he does something come completely unexpected. He stands at the
31:03
Speaker 1: door and knocks. Think about this for a moment. Jesus,
31:07
Speaker 1: the Son of God, the King of Kings, the Alpha,
31:09
Speaker 1: and Omega is standing outside the church, not inside, not leading,
31:15
Speaker 1: not being worshiped. He's outside and he's knocking. This is
31:20
Speaker 1: one of the most shocking images in all of Scripture.
31:23
Speaker 1: How does Jesus, the very one the church is supposed
31:26
Speaker 1: to be centered around, end up on the outside looking in.
31:30
Speaker 1: Laodicea was doing church without Jesus. They had services but
31:35
Speaker 1: no presence. They had reputation but no relationship. They had
31:40
Speaker 1: wealth but no worship. And Jesus is standing outside knocking.
31:44
Speaker 1: How does this happen? How does a church, a body
31:47
Speaker 1: of believers push Jesus out without even realizing it. It
31:52
Speaker 1: doesn't happen overnight. It happens slowly. It happens when comfort
31:56
Speaker 1: replaces conviction, when reputation replaced repentance, when routine replaces relationship.
32:04
Speaker 1: It happens when we become so self sufficient that we
32:07
Speaker 1: no longer desperately need him. Leodicea had everything except the
32:12
Speaker 1: one thing that mattered, and Jesus is standing outside knocking.
32:17
Speaker 1: What does this tell us about his character? It tells
32:20
Speaker 1: us that even when we push him away, he doesn't
32:23
Speaker 1: walk away. Even when we ignore him, he waits, even
32:27
Speaker 1: when we shut the door in his face, he knocks.
32:30
Speaker 1: Jesus could have forced his way in, he could have
32:33
Speaker 1: demanded worship, he could have torn down the door. But
32:36
Speaker 1: he doesn't because love doesn't force itself in. Love waits
32:41
Speaker 1: to be invited. And so he stands there, knocking, waiting, calling.
32:46
Speaker 1: But will we let him in? And that's the real question,
32:49
Speaker 1: isn't it? Because Jesus isn't just talking to Lao de Sea.
32:53
Speaker 1: He's talking to you. He's talking to me. How many
32:57
Speaker 1: of us go through the motions of Christianity but have
33:00
Speaker 1: left Jesus standing outside. How many of us show up
33:03
Speaker 1: to church, sing the songs, listen to the sermons, but
33:07
Speaker 1: never actually invite him into our hearts. How many of
33:10
Speaker 1: us pray to him, talk about him, post about him,
33:14
Speaker 1: but don't actually walk with him. Jesus isn't knocking on
33:19
Speaker 1: the door of unbelievers. He's knocking on the door of
33:22
Speaker 1: his own people. And that should terrify us because it
33:26
Speaker 1: means it's possible to think we're close to him when
33:28
Speaker 1: we're actually far away. It means it's possible to look
33:32
Speaker 1: alive but be dead inside. It means it's possible to
33:37
Speaker 1: go through all the right motions and still miss him completely.
33:42
Speaker 1: That's why this call to repentance is so urgent. Jesus says,
33:46
Speaker 1: those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline, so be
33:50
Speaker 1: earnest and repent. He doesn't say this because he's angry.
33:55
Speaker 1: He says it because he loves them. He rebukes because
33:59
Speaker 1: he wants to restore. He disciplines because he wants to heal.
34:04
Speaker 1: And he's telling them and us, wake up before it's
34:07
Speaker 1: too late, because there will come a time when the
34:10
Speaker 1: knocking stops. There will come a time when the opportunity
34:15
Speaker 1: to repent is gone. And when that moment comes, where
34:18
Speaker 1: will we be. Will we have let him in? Or
34:21
Speaker 1: will we have spent our lives keeping the door shut,
34:24
Speaker 1: convincing ourselves that we were fine all along. Jesus isn't
34:29
Speaker 1: asking for a casual response. He's not saying think about
34:33
Speaker 1: it and get back to me. He says, be earnest,
34:37
Speaker 1: repent now, because nothing is more dangerous than thinking you
34:41
Speaker 1: have time when you don't. So what does it mean
34:44
Speaker 1: to let Jesus in? It means we stop pretending. It
34:49
Speaker 1: means we stop trying to do life on our own.
34:51
Speaker 1: It means we surrender fully, completely and without conditions. It
34:56
Speaker 1: means we stop treating him like a guest in our
34:59
Speaker 1: lives and start treating him like the king that he is.
35:03
Speaker 1: Because when Jesus comes in, everything changes. Darkness leaves, chains, break,
35:10
Speaker 1: blind eyes open, hearts that were once cold burn with
35:13
Speaker 1: passion again. But we have to open the door. And
35:17
Speaker 1: the scary truth is some people will never do it.
35:20
Speaker 1: Some will stay in their comfort, some will ignore the knocking,
35:24
Speaker 1: some will keep pretending they're fine and they'll miss everything.
35:28
Speaker 1: But for those who do open the door, for those
35:31
Speaker 1: who say, Jesus, I don't want to do life without
35:34
Speaker 1: you anymore, he gives a promise. I will come in
35:38
Speaker 1: and eat with them, and they with me. Revelation three twenty.
35:43
Speaker 1: Do you see it. Jesus doesn't just want to visit.
35:46
Speaker 1: He wants to dine. He wants intimacy, relationship connection. He
35:52
Speaker 1: wants to sit at the table of your life and
35:54
Speaker 1: become everything to you. But he won't break in. He's
35:58
Speaker 1: waiting for an invitation to the question is will you
36:01
Speaker 1: open the door. The most beautiful thing about Jesus is
36:05
Speaker 1: that he never just calls us to repentance. He always
36:09
Speaker 1: calls us into something greater. After exposing Laodicea's spiritual poverty.
36:15
Speaker 1: After warning them about their luke warmness, after standing at
36:18
Speaker 1: the door knocking, he now makes them an offer that
36:21
Speaker 1: defies logic. He doesn't just forgive, he doesn't just restore.
36:27
Speaker 1: He invites them to rule with him. To the one
36:31
Speaker 1: who is victorious, I will give the right to sit
36:34
Speaker 1: with me on my throne, just as I was victorious
36:37
Speaker 1: and sat down with my father on his throne Revelation
36:42
Speaker 1: three twenty one. Let that sink in for a moment.
36:46
Speaker 1: The same people who had shut Jesus out, the same
36:48
Speaker 1: people who had become blind, complaisant, and self sufficient, the
36:52
Speaker 1: same people who had made him want to spit them out,
36:55
Speaker 1: He now offers them a throne, not just any throne.
37:00
Speaker 1: This is grace beyond comprehension. Most of us would have
37:04
Speaker 1: expected Jesus to say, you don't deserve anything from me. Instead,
37:09
Speaker 1: he says, if you overcome, you'll sit with me. This
37:14
Speaker 1: is the great reversal of the Gospel. Those who are
37:17
Speaker 1: poor in spirit are made rich in Christ. Those who
37:20
Speaker 1: are blind are given true sight, those who are naked
37:24
Speaker 1: are clothed in His righteousness. Those who are useless are
37:27
Speaker 1: given authority. It is the exact opposite of what they deserved.
37:31
Speaker 1: But this is who Jesus is. He doesn't just take
37:35
Speaker 1: us from sin to forgiveness. He takes us from dead
37:38
Speaker 1: to reigning. This is the ultimate transformation. Think about the
37:43
Speaker 1: contrast here. Laodicea was a wealthy, powerful city that saw
37:48
Speaker 1: itself as superior to others. Yet Jesus called them poor, blind,
37:54
Speaker 1: and naked. Now he's saying, if you overcome, you'll reign
37:58
Speaker 1: with me. He doesn't just restore them, he elevates them
38:01
Speaker 1: beyond what they could have ever imagined. But what does
38:04
Speaker 1: it mean to overcome? Because this promise isn't for everyone.
38:09
Speaker 1: It's for those who are victorious. It means they repent
38:13
Speaker 1: and turn back to him. It means they open the
38:15
Speaker 1: door and let him in. It means they stop being
38:18
Speaker 1: self sufficient and start depending on him completely. Jesus isn't
38:23
Speaker 1: promising this reward to everyone in Laodicea. He's promising it
38:28
Speaker 1: to those who hear his voice, respond and change. Because
38:34
Speaker 1: grace is free, but transformation is not optional. This is
38:38
Speaker 1: the difference between those who are religious and those who
38:42
Speaker 1: are truly surrendered. Religious people say I go to church,
38:46
Speaker 1: I believe in God, I'm a good person, but surrendered.
38:50
Speaker 1: People say, Jesus, I need you. I can't do this
38:53
Speaker 1: without you. I don't just want to know about you,
38:56
Speaker 1: I want to walk with you. Those are the ones
38:59
Speaker 1: who over come, and Jesus says, I will give them
39:02
Speaker 1: the right to sit with me on my throne. What
39:05
Speaker 1: does that mean? Think about it. Jesus is the king
39:09
Speaker 1: of kings. His throne represents authority, dominion, and rulership, and
39:15
Speaker 1: he's saying, if you remain faithful, you will share in
39:18
Speaker 1: my authority. This is one of the greatest promises in
39:22
Speaker 1: all of Scripture. It's the final reward of all the
39:26
Speaker 1: letters to the churches, and it's the highest honor imaginable
39:31
Speaker 1: to sit with Jesus, to reign with him, to be
39:35
Speaker 1: more than just forgiven, to be glorified with him. This
39:39
Speaker 1: is the ultimate destiny of every true believer. But here's
39:43
Speaker 1: the part that should shake us to the core. The
39:46
Speaker 1: very ones who were the most distant from him are
39:49
Speaker 1: the ones he offers the greatest reward to. Because grace
39:54
Speaker 1: doesn't just redeem, it restores. It doesn't just rescue us
39:58
Speaker 1: from sin, It lifts us into sonship. It doesn't just
40:03
Speaker 1: save us from judgment. It invites us into the throne room.
40:07
Speaker 1: This is why Jesus never gives up on us. This
40:11
Speaker 1: is why he keeps knocking, because he's not just trying
40:14
Speaker 1: to fix your life. He's trying to make you royalty.
40:18
Speaker 1: This is why he disciplines. This is why he rebukes,
40:21
Speaker 1: This is why he warns, because he's not okay with
40:25
Speaker 1: you settling for less than what he created you to be.
40:29
Speaker 1: So let's ask ourselves honestly. Are we overcoming or are
40:33
Speaker 1: we staying the same. Are we walking in victory or
40:36
Speaker 1: are we stuck in complacency? Are we pressing into Jesus
40:40
Speaker 1: or are we still keeping him at a distance. Because
40:43
Speaker 1: this promise is waiting, but it's only for those who
40:47
Speaker 1: answer the knock, only for those who wake up, only
40:51
Speaker 1: for those who surrender fully. Jesus ends this letter with
40:56
Speaker 1: the same words he says to every church whoever has
41:00
Speaker 1: let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
41:04
Speaker 1: This isn't just for Laodicea. This is for you. So
41:07
Speaker 1: will you hear it or will you keep pretending you're fine?
41:11
Speaker 1: Because the throne is waiting, but only for those who
41:14
Speaker 1: are willing to wake up and overcome. If there is
41:18
Speaker 1: one thing we cannot afford to ignore, it is this
41:22
Speaker 1: Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, not at
41:26
Speaker 1: the door of some atheist's heart, not at the door
41:29
Speaker 1: of some godless culture, but at the door of his
41:32
Speaker 1: own church. Think about that. The church in Laodicea thought
41:37
Speaker 1: they were doing fine. They had resources, they had status,
41:41
Speaker 1: they had success. But the one thing they did not
41:45
Speaker 1: have was the presence of Jesus inside their midst and
41:49
Speaker 1: the terrifying part, they didn't even notice he was missing.
41:53
Speaker 1: Imagine that for a second. Imagine going to church every Sunday,
41:57
Speaker 1: lifting your hands, reading your Bible, saying all the right
42:01
Speaker 1: Christian phrases, and yet Jesus isn't even inside the house.
42:06
Speaker 1: That's what it means to be lukewarm. It's not just
42:09
Speaker 1: about a lack of passion. It's about living under the
42:12
Speaker 1: illusion of faith while being disconnected from the one we
42:16
Speaker 1: claim to worship. And that is why Jesus said, I
42:20
Speaker 1: am about to spit you out of my mouth. That
42:23
Speaker 1: is not gentle language. That is violent rejection. Jesus wasn't
42:28
Speaker 1: mildly disappointed. He was disgusted, not because they were outright
42:33
Speaker 1: rejecting him, but because they were treating him as if
42:36
Speaker 1: he were optional. And if we're honest, how many of
42:40
Speaker 1: us have done the same. How many of us have
42:43
Speaker 1: treated Jesus like someone we call on when we need
42:46
Speaker 1: help rather than someone we desperately depend on. How many
42:50
Speaker 1: of us have allowed our faith to become a comfortable
42:53
Speaker 1: routine instead of a burning passion. How many of us
42:57
Speaker 1: have found ourselves spiritually numb, going through the motions, knowing
43:02
Speaker 1: deep down that something is missing, but instead of pressing in,
43:06
Speaker 1: we just settle. This is what made Laodicea different from
43:11
Speaker 1: every other church, Jesus addressed. They weren't being persecuted like Smyrna.
43:16
Speaker 1: They weren't dealing with false teaching like Pergamum. They weren't
43:20
Speaker 1: facing outright sin like Thiatera. Their problem was spiritual apathy.
43:26
Speaker 1: They had just enough of God to feel comfortable, but
43:29
Speaker 1: not enough to be transformed. And Jesus says, that makes
43:34
Speaker 1: me sick. Now, we could walk away from this letter
43:37
Speaker 1: feeling condemned, or we could take it as an invitation,
43:42
Speaker 1: because this is not a letter of rejection, this is
43:45
Speaker 1: a plea to return. Jesus doesn't just rebuke Laodicea. He
43:50
Speaker 1: calls them back. He says, those whom I love I
43:54
Speaker 1: rebuke and discipline, so be earnest and repent Revelation three nineteen.
44:02
Speaker 1: This is not a threat. This is a rescue mission.
44:05
Speaker 1: Jesus is saying, I love you too much to let
44:08
Speaker 1: you stay asleep. I love you too much to let
44:11
Speaker 1: you drift into complacency. I love you too much to
44:15
Speaker 1: let you live under the illusion of faith while missing
44:19
Speaker 1: real intimacy with me. And then he gives one of
44:23
Speaker 1: the most beautiful invitations in all of Scripture. Here I am.
44:28
Speaker 1: I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
44:31
Speaker 1: my voice and opens the door, I will come in
44:33
Speaker 1: and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation
44:38
Speaker 1: three twenty. Pause for a second and let that sink in.
44:42
Speaker 1: The God of the universe is standing at the door
44:45
Speaker 1: of your heart right now, knocking. He is not forcing
44:48
Speaker 1: his way in. He is not screaming in anger, He
44:51
Speaker 1: is not walking away. He is waiting, and he is saying,
44:55
Speaker 1: if you open the door, I will come in, not
44:58
Speaker 1: just visit, not just drop by, but dwell. The only
45:02
Speaker 1: thing standing between you and deeper intimacy with Jesus is
45:05
Speaker 1: whether or not you're willing to let him in. And
45:08
Speaker 1: that's the question we all have to answer. Will we
45:11
Speaker 1: keep pretending we're okay, Will we keep numbing ourselves with distractions,
45:16
Speaker 1: Will we keep making excuses for why we aren't fully surrendered?
45:20
Speaker 1: Or will we finally wake up? Because this letter isn't
45:24
Speaker 1: just for low to see her. It's for us. It's
45:27
Speaker 1: for every believer who has ever drifted. It's for every
45:31
Speaker 1: church that has lost its fire, It's for every generation
45:35
Speaker 1: that has chosen comfort over calling. And Jesus is still knocking.
45:40
Speaker 1: So what will you do? Will you open the door
45:43
Speaker 1: or will you ignore his voice and keep living half awake,
45:46
Speaker 1: half engaged, half hearted? Because the most dangerous thing we
45:51
Speaker 1: can do is assume we have more time. Jesus said
45:56
Speaker 1: he would come like a thief, suddenly, unexpectedly, And when
45:59
Speaker 1: he does, will he find us ready or will he
46:02
Speaker 1: find us asleep? This is our moment, our wake up call.
46:06
Speaker 1: Let's not waste it. If this message stirred something in you,
46:09
Speaker 1: don't ignore it. Drop a comment below. Let us know
46:13
Speaker 1: what stood out to you the most from this letter,
46:16
Speaker 1: And more than anything, opened the door because Jesus isn't
46:20
Speaker 1: far away he's right here, waiting, knocking, calling you back
46:24
Speaker 1: to the fire you were always meant to have. Before
46:27
Speaker 1: we close, let's take a moment. If you're still here,
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Speaker 1: If something in this message stirred you, don't ignore it.
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Speaker 1: Maybe you've felt that drift that's slow fade into spiritual apathy.
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Speaker 1: Maybe you've been going through the motions, but deep down
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Speaker 1: you know something is missing. Maybe you've convinced yourself that
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Speaker 1: you're fine, that you don't really need to change, but
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Speaker 1: there's this unsettling feeling that you're not as close to
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Speaker 1: God as you once were. That's not condemnation, that's conviction.
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Speaker 1: That's ease as knocking, and the most dangerous thing we
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Speaker 1: can do ignore him, because lukewarm faith doesn't fix itself.
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Speaker 1: You don't just wake up one day and suddenly feel
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Speaker 1: on fire for God. You have to choose to open
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Speaker 1: the door. And so right now, let's choose wherever you are,
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Speaker 1: whether you're sitting in your room, driving in your car,
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Speaker 1: or watching this on your lunch break, Let's pray together,
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Speaker 1: because this isn't just about a video, this isn't just
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Speaker 1: about knowledge. This is about your soul, your eternity, your
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Speaker 1: relationship with the God who is right now standing at
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Speaker 1: the door of your heart waiting for you to let
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Speaker 1: him in. So close your eyes, take a deep breath,
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Speaker 1: and let's pray. Father. We come before you, humbled, convicted,
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Speaker 1: and desperate for more of you. We don't want to
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Speaker 1: be lukewarm. We don't want to live under the illusion
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Speaker 1: of faith while missing true intimacy with you. We repent, Lord,
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Speaker 1: for every time we have put other things before you,
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Speaker 1: for every time we have treated you as optional, for
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Speaker 1: every time we have silenced your voice and ignored your knock.
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Speaker 1: Wake us up, God, set our hearts on fire again.
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Speaker 1: Remove the distractions, remove the self deception, remove anything in
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Speaker 1: our lives that is keeping us from being fully surrendered
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Speaker 1: to you. Lord. We invite you in come and do
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Speaker 1: whatever you need to do in us. Shake us, refine us,
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Speaker 1: revive us. We don't want to be Christians in name only.
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Speaker 1: We want to walk in power, in holiness, in truth. Jesus,
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Speaker 1: you are standing at the door knocking and to day
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Speaker 1: right now, we open the door. Come in, fill us,
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Speaker 1: transform us, lead us. We surrender fully completely, and we say,
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Speaker 1: have your way in us in Jesus Mighty name. Amen,
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Speaker 1: If you just prayed that this is your moment, and
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Speaker 1: don't walk away and forget. Don't let this just be
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Speaker 1: another video you watched. Make a decision to day that
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Speaker 1: you will not go back to being lukewarm. If this
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Speaker 1: message spoke to you, share it, send it to some
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Speaker 1: one who needs this wake up call. And if you
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Speaker 1: want to go deeper, check out our ebooks. We've created
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Speaker 1: in depth studies to help you grow in your faith
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Speaker 1: and truly live the life God has called you to.
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Speaker 1: Jesus is knocking, and to day you opened the door.
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Speaker 1: Now let him lead you where you were always meant
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Speaker 1: to go. Stay blessed