1“And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write:
“He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things:
“I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God. 3Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you. 4Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
7“To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write:
“He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:
8“I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name. 9Behold, I make some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown. 12He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
14“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write:
“The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things:
15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 17Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. 21He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”
14 “To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write:“The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginningof God’s creation, says these things:15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
Jesus describes Himself as “faithful and true.” A faithful friend never gives up on you, and an honest friend helps you see yourself as you really are. He says to them, “I know your works, and they are neither hot nor cold”. He says that because they are lukewarm, He will spit them out of His mouth. It is an indictment of being a Christian without passion for the things of God. I once worked for a wonderful guy named Sal Frusco. I was selling new homes for him on a subdivision, and whenever he would pull away in his big red Cadillac, he would say in his strong New Jersey accent, “Heh…do sumpim, even if it’s wrong”. Sometimes we become so paralyzed that we do nothing. I used to tell my kids, “A boat that is not moving cannot be steered”. There is a lot of truth in that statement. If you’re sort of stuck in any area of your life, pray about which direction to go and start moving. God will steer a moving boat.
Curiously, lukewarm water is not very satisfying. Isn’t it strange that we like it cold and we like it hot, but we don’t like it lukewarm? What we’re really talking about is a picture of a person with no passion. When my father-in-law would have his kids help him in the garden, he would say, “Put your hands on it.” That means, if you’re going to do something, grab hold of it and do it.” Jesus points out the problem clearly. The Laodiceans were hung up on their stuff. They felt so self-sufficient, yet they were distracted from how spiritually impoverished they truly were. “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 of their apathy, Jesus has nothing to do with them. He says, I just want to spit you out. Are you spiritually needy, or are you self-sufficient?
This self-sufficient attitude is the exact opposite of what it means to be “poor in Spirit”. When we think we’ve got all that it takes, we’re really close to being impoverished without knowing what we lack. One of my co-pastors shared with me that, for years, his ministry to men in an affluent area had been frustrating. Why was it frustrating? It was frustrating because he was trying to minister to men who felt they had no need. They were rich and had become wealthy, and they felt in need of nothing, and yet they didn’t know that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. It is so hard for us to see our own faults. But if we listen, the Holy Spirit is constantly at work pushing us and directing us to become more Christ-like. Another close pastor friend calls these life details the “attractions and distractions” that get us off track. These details of life stunt our paths to holy, godly living. We are to be believers who serve Jesus on both knees. Reader, if you’ve lost your passion for the things of God, repent, and fall on your knees. Sometimes we need the Holy Spirit to catch us on fire once again. He is waiting.