LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

Revelation 3:14-22

Happy International Women’s month! Batiin at ngitian nyo naman po kung mayroon po kayong katabing
kababaihan. Sabihin nyo po sa inyong katabi, ang ganda mo. Pero mas maganda ang puso mo. Lagi pong
sinasabi sa atin na ang panlabas na ganda ay kumukupas, kaya nga po ang paalala sa atin ng Bibliya, sa
mga kababaihan na our beauty should not come from outward, pero ito nga raw po ay magmula sa ating
kaloob-looban, that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great
worth in God’s sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the
wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty
of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

This morning po, although hindi po tayo magfofocus sa mga kababaihan, pero ang atin pong pag-uusapan
ay may kinalaman sa ating kagandahan, o panlabas na anyo. Narining nyo na po ba yung kasabihan na
“Looks can be deceiving”?

Sino po sa inyo ang minsan na po kayong nadaya dahil kayo po ay napaniwala sa ganda o galing na
panlabas lamang naman pala?

Sino po ang nakakakailala kay Ben John son?

- Canadian, two time Olympian

- He was able to set a record on 1988 Summer Olympics kung saan sa 100 meter race ay nakapagtala siya
ng unbelievable record

- Dito ay natalo niya ang ilan sa mga greatest runners in the planet!

- He had broken the Olympic record at dahil dito siya ay talaga namang hinangaan at talagang
pinarangalan ng mundo. He was then considered the fastest human alive!

- But, he may looked good from the outside, but not on the inside. Dahil matapos po niyang mapanalunan
at makapagset ng records, the judges tested his blood and found steroids.

- Ben Johnson was called before the judges and forced to give up his gold medal, which went to another.
He was disqualified from any medal and sent back to Canada in disgrace!

- Ito po ay isang magandang halimbawa kung papaanong ang panlabas na anyo or even ang mga
ginagawa ng isang tao ay maaaring makapandaya. Hindi lamang po sa sports or anupamang mayroon dito
sa ating mundo, pero higit lahat po sa ating usaping spiritual.

INTRODUCTION
Kung natatandaan po ninyo ang mensahe last Sunday, ibinahagi po ni Pastor Nilo ito nga pong warning sa
book of Revelation kung saan inaddress po sa sulat para sa church in Ephesus, they were a serving,
sacrificing, steadfast church, but along the way, they have left their first love.

Sa 7 churches na inaddressan ng mga letters, four were called to repent. Others were somehow given a
commendation of the Lord, but four were rebuked and were called to repent.

When we come to Jesus’ last letter to the seven churches, we find a church for whom there were no words
of commendation; but only a call to repent. Ito nga po ang church ng Leodicea.

Revelation 3:14-22

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I
know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So,
because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are
wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so
you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and
salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that
person, and they with me.

21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was
victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.”

- The name "Laodicea" means "the rule of the people" and suggests a democratic church that no
longer follows spiritual leaders or the authority of the Word of God.
- As with some of the previous churches, the Lord adapted His words to something significant
about the city in which the church was located. In this case, Laodicea was known for its wealth
and its manufacture of a special eye medications, as well as of a glossy black wool cloth. It also
was located near Hieropolis, where there were famous hot springs, and Colossae, known for its
pure, cold water.
- God’s problem with this church was not that it was an inactive body of believers. The church at
Laodicea was very active. They were doing a lot of things (works and deeds).
- The problem seems to be in their motives. What they were doing wasn’t being done for the glory
of God. They weren’t serving God the way he wanted them to be serving.
- We can get so busy doing things for God that at some point, we stop doing them Him and begin
doing them for ourselves. If we’re doing something for recognition, then we’re not doing it for
God. If we’re doing something hoping that it will bring ourselves glory or or pats on the back,
 then we’re not doing for God. Whatever we’re doing, or however we’re serving, we need to
examine our hearts and our motives and see if we’re doing it for the right reason.
- He says, “I know your works . . .” He has said this same thing in the introduction of every one of
His letters to the other churches; and it is always true. The church may be mistaken about its true
condition; but He isn’t. He knows each one’s works; and is in no way fooled by outward
appearances.

I. THE LORD'S DIAGNOSIS

A. They have lost their vigor (vv.16-17)

16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that
you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Because it was a commercial center, this ancient city had developed a prosperous banking industry.

It was also known for having quality grazing land that allowed for careful breeding of sheep. As a result,
an industry developed in Laodicea around the production of garments woven from the sheep’s’ unique,
soft, glossy black wool. This wool was in high demand around the region; and it made Laodicea famous
for its garments.

It also had a reputation of being a substantial medical city. One of its most famous medical products was
a salve made from Phrygian powder mixed with certain oils. This salve became an important healing
product—specifically for eyes.

In spite of these things, it had one major disadvantage. Water had to be brought into the city from nearly
six miles away through a system of underground stone pipes. The water may have been cool and
refreshing at its source; but by the time it had reached the city, it was lukewarm and stale.

In the Christian life, there are three "spiritual temperatures": a burning heart, on fire for God (Luke
24:32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road
and opened the Scriptures to us?”), a cold heart (Matthew 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness,
the love of most will grow cold,), and a lukewarm heart (Rev 3:16). The lukewarm Christian is
comfortable, complacent, and does not realize his need.

We enjoy a beverage that is either hot or cold, but one that is tepid is flat and stale. That's why the
waitress keeps adding hot coffee or fresh iced tea to our cups and glasses.

Let’s look at this in the Laodicean perspective.

To look at being cold in context, we need to look at it from the Laodicean perspective. Cold water was
preferred for drinking. The residents would go there daily to fill their jars with the cold refreshing water
from Colossae. It was uncontaminated water straight from the mountains. It was the perfect water for
drinking, cooking, or even bathing.

The second thing we need to look at is what it means to be hot. Quite possibly, the Laodiceans may have
associated the word “hot” with the hot waters of Hierapolis. The hot mineral water was brought down
from Hierapolis and used by the textile industry. The mineral water was used to clean the wool and set, or
lock, the color of the dyes (this ensures the wool holds its color when washed).

The residents of Laodicea would have also traveled up to Hierapolis to sit in the hot mineral baths. But
hot water also had another use. The ancient Greeks liked to drink hot water. The also liked to add a little
hot water to their wine. The ancient Greeks thought that only a barbarian would drink undiluted wine. The
wine was almost always served either hot or warm, as the ancient Greeks had no efficient way to chill the
wine.

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

We find the Lord Jesus expressing His frustration with it. But its spiritual ‘lukewarmness’ made our Lord
want to spit it out of His mouth in disgust.

What did Christ mean when He said He would spit them out of His mouth if they did not change? The
focus of this verse is on deed or works. The whole point of this verse is that lukewarm has no use.

The verse is not talking about salvation; it is talking about usefulness or purpose. Coffee, for example,
can be served either hot or iced (cold). You don’t expect (or want) to have lukewarm coffee served to
you. You would probably spit it out at the first sip.

If you are living a self-reliant, self-sufficient life; relying on your strength rather than Christ’s, then you
are lukewarm. In this situation, you are not standing for Christ; you are standing for yourself. In God’s
eyes, anything not done for Him, has no value, no use, no purpose.

It’s like lukewarm coffee. Jesus is telling the church to have a purpose, to have a focus, and to make sure
that Jesus is the reason for their deeds and works.

B. They have lost their values (vv.17-18a)

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that
you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in
the fire, so you can become rich;

The church at Smyrna thought itself poor, when it was really rich (Rev 2:9); the Laodiceans boasted that
they were rich, when in fact they were poor. Perhaps we have here a hint of why this church declined
spiritually: they had become proud of their ministry and had begun to measure things by human standards
instead of by spiritual values. They were, in the eyes of the Lord, "wretched, and miserable, and poor."

Laodicea was a prosperous banking center; proud of its wealth, it refused Roman disaster relief after the
earthquake of A.D. 60 A.D., rebuilding from its own resources. It was also known for its textiles
(especially wool) and for its medical school and production of ear medicine and undoubtedly the highly
reputed Phrygian eye salve. Everything in which Laodicea could have confidence outwardly, its church,
which reflected its culture, lacked spiritually.

As far as the people in the church were concerned, everything was fine. The Christians who lived there
were rich and had made themselves wealthy; and so, they thought they didn’t need anything. But they
were dreadfully wrong. They had grown spiritually indifferent and apathetic toward Jesus. When He
came to them, they left Him standing outside the door—knocking to be let in.

The Lord goes on to describe how overly-confident this church was about things as they were. Notice
what they were saying about themselves:

‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’

“I am rich.” It may be that they were speaking in terms of their own sense of spiritual strength and
maturity; or it may be that they were literally “rich” in a material sense. It’s a sad fact that many churches
measure their blessedness before Christ on the basis of their financial prosperity.

This sense of being “rich” takes on an even more insidious tone in the Laodicean church’s next phrase; “I
have become wealthy.” In the Greek, this is phrased in such a way as to suggest the idea, “I have arrived
to the state of being wealthy through my own efforts.” It’s a deeply ‘self-reliant’ kind of statement, utterly
lacking in humility toward its divine Provider and Protector.

This independent spirit reaches its worst form when we read the next phrase; “and have need of
nothing”— no repentance was needed; no grieving over sin was needed; no pardon from Jesus was
needed. It was a church that almost thought it didn’t need the grace of the Lord Jesus anymore! What a
horrible state for our Lord’s church to be in!

These self-assured people didn’t know the truth of their situation, however. It as a truly desperate one. As
our Lord goes on to tell them, they didn’t know that—in reality—they were . . .

“Wretched”. This is a word that describes someone who is desperately unfortunate and helpless, and in
grave need of someone else to come and rescue them.

“Miserable.” This word describes someone who is an object of pity. “Pitiful” might be a way of
translating this word.

“Poor.” This word doesn’t simply describe someone who is below the poverty level. It describes extreme
poverty to the point of beggarliness. ”I know all about your so-called ‘riches’; but you are really in
extreme poverty and don’t even have a clue!”

C. They have lost their vision (v18)

These people could not see themselves as they really were. Nor could they see their Lord as He stood
outside the door of the church. Nor could they see the open doors of opportunity. They were so wrapped
up in building their own kingdom that they had become lukewarm in their concern for a lost world.

Blindness is often presented in the Bible as a figure of speech for an absence of spiritual insight (2 Peter
1:5-9). These folks thought that they had great insight; but in reality, they were utterly ignorant of their
true condition. Blindness about one’s own condition before God is the worst kind of blindness there is!

As far as the Laodiceans were concerned, they thought that they were walking about in robes of wealth
and prosperity—in need of nothing to cover themselves. but Jesus tells them that, as far as He was
concerned, they’re walking about in shameful nakedness and didn’t even know it!
B. THE LORD’S CURE

A. He counsels them to buy true riches from Him. The riches of Jesus’ grace are always free for the
asking (see Isaiah 55:1-2; Revelation 22:17). But here, Jesus is saying something with a bit of sarcasm to
it: “You who are ‘so rich’; I advise you to ‘buy’ certain necessary things from Me.”

1. “Gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich . . .” Such refined gold is an illustration of the godly
product that comes from going faithfully through times of trial (see 1 Peter 1:6-7; Matthew 5:11-12). To
acknowledge the worthlessness of all the things in this world. They are passing away. We see our need of
true spiritual riches.

2. “And white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be
revealed . . .” White robes have a special significance in the Scriptures. They symbolize the
righteousness of Jesus applied to the believer (see Revelation 3:4-5; 7:14; 16:15). Jesus counsels these
believers to put on once again His righteousness and to live in a consistent pattern of personal holiness.

3. “And anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” There’s no blindness more terrible than
blindness to someone’s own real condition before God. They needed to see things as Jesus saw them. The
truth is always there for the asking.

CONCLUSION

===

In a sermon, Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is harder a great deal to work for Jesus with a church
which is lukewarm than it would be to begin without a church. Give me a dozen earnest spirits and
put me down anywhere in London, and by God’s good help we will soon cause the wilderness and
the solitary place to rejoice; but give me the whole lot of you, half-hearted, undecided, and
unconcerned, what can I do? You will only be a drag upon a man’s zeal and earnestness. Five
thousand members of a church all lukewarm will be five thousand impediments, but a dozen
earnest, passionate spirits, determined that Christ shall be glorified and souls won, must be more
than conquerors; in their very weakness and fewness will reside capacities for being the more
largely blessed of God. Better nothing than lukewarmness” (from Treasury of The Bible, vol. 8, p.
719).

There is no divine commendation given to this church. Of course, the Laodiceans were busy commending
themselves! They thought they were glorifying God, when in reality they were disgracing His name just
as though they had been walking around naked.

The Lord presented Himself as "the Amen," which is an Old Testament title for God (see Isa 65:16, where
the word truth is the Hebrew word amen). He is the truth and speaks the truth, because He is "the faithful
and true Witness" (Rev 3:14). He’s the only competent Judge of our spirituality. Our opinion of ourselves
and Christ's opinion of us may be very different. The Lord is the only competent judge to tell His this
church the truth about its spiritual condition.

Just as these churches existed in John's day, so they all exist today. We have busy churches that have left
their first love (Ephesus) that often end up as churches that are lukewarm toward Christ (Laodicea).
The Lord closed this letter with these special statements (vv.19-20)

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that
person, and they with me.

1. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” He still loved these lukewarm saints, even
though their love for Him had grown cold.
2. “So be earnest and repent.” Repent their pride and humble themselves before the Lord. They
had to "stir up that inner fire” and cultivate a burning heart.

- Repent of neglecting our time with Him in prayer and private worship. Repent of allowing the
cares and demands of this life to take over His primary place in our hearts.
- Repent of refusing to say ‘no’ when this world seeks to entertain us with or conform us to its own
values and priorities.
- Repent of the way we sometimes try to live our lives without a sense of total dependency upon
Him.

V 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I
will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

We often use these verses to lead lost people to Christ, but the basic application is to the believer. The
Lord was outside the Laodicean church! For what is He appealing? Fellowship and communion, the
people's desire to abide in Him. The Laodiceans were an independent church that had need of nothing, but
they were not abiding in Christ and drawing their power from Him. They had a "successful program" but
it was not fruit that comes from abiding in Christ (John 15:1-8).

The letters to the seven churches are God's X rays, given to us so that we might examine our own lives
and ministries. In these letters we find encouragement as well as rebuke. May the Lord help us to hear
what the Spirit is saying today to the church, and to the individuals in the churches!