The Laodicean Legacy | Revelation 3:14-22 | J. Allen Mashburn

Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

This passage contains the last of seven letters the Lord Jesus sent to the seven churches of Asia Minor. This letter is harsher than all the others. The Lord Jesus comes to this church with no words of blessing and no words of commendation. He examines this church and sees nothing in it that is worthy of praise.

This letter is 2,000 years old, yet it is still very important today. We may wonder what a 2,000 year old letter could possibly teach us in 2012. The reason this letter still speaks is because the modern church is very much like the ancient church in Laodicea. While individual churches might not perfectly fit the mold of the church in Laodicea, elements of the problems that existed in Laodicea can be found in many churches. Those same problems can be found here, if we are not careful. They might even be found here, if we were honest!

Before we begin to look into these verses, let me give you a little background on the city of Laodicea.

• This city was founded by Antiochus II sometime before 253 BC. It was named after his wife Laodice.

• The city was located on a high plateau and it was very secure from enemy attack.

• One problem in Laodicea was the fact that there was no ready source of water in the city. The Lycus River was nearby, but the waters were too muddy to drink. Water had to be piped in through aqueducts. Water from the hot springs in Hierapolis six miles to the north was brought into the city. Water was also piped in from Colossae, which was located 10 miles to the east.

• Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in 61 AD. The city was so wealthy and so self-sufficient that they rebuilt their city with their own resources, refusing an offer of aid from Caesar and the Roman government.

• Laodicea was famous for three things:

1. Laodicea was famous as a center of Finance - Laodicea was a center of banking and finance. The city renowned throughout the Roman Empire for its wealth and financial power.

2. Laodicea was famous as a center of Fashion - Laodicea was renowned for the soft, black wool produced there. This wool was considered a luxury item and was sought after for clothing and rugs. Laodicea was the center of fashion in its day. The newest styles appeared here first. It was like modern Paris, Milan, or New York in that regard.

3. Laodicea was famous as a center of Medicine - There was a large medical school in Laodicea which produced a tablet that was sold all over the Roman Empire. This tablet was crushed, mixed with water to form a paste. This paste was rubbed into the eyes and was reported to cure a variety of eye problems.

Laodicea was a very important city. The church that existed in Laodicea was important as well. It was very important to God. This church was the human representation of the invisible God. How the church was perceived, was how God would be perceived. That is why the spiritual condition of every local church is important to God.

The Lord’s words to this church are particularly relevant in our day. Churches like Laodicea, dominate the landscape in our world. We need to our church and place it alongside the church of Laodicea. We need to compare this church to that church, and see if there are any similarities between us and them. If there are, then we need to deal with those areas and bring them into line with God’s Word and His will.

It’s easy to tell if a church has inherited a Laodicean mindset. The characteristics of that kind of church are revealed here.