Appearances Are Deceptive (Revelation 3:14-22)                                                             2010. 01. 03                                  Pastor Richard Yu

        The church in Laodicea is self-deceived by its appearance. It appears prosperous and rich, yet is “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Their perilous condition is clear by Jesus’ words: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

        The hot, cold, and lukewarm waters are unique geological features of Laodicea and its surrounding region. Laodicea was located between Hierapolis and Colossae.  Hierapolis was well-known for its therapeutic hot springs, and Colossae was famous for its refreshing cold springs. Laodicea had only lukewarm water. This image is more appropriately understood this way: The church in Laodicea was providing neither refreshment for the spiritually weary, nor healing for the spiritually sick. It was totally ineffective in its mission, and thus distasteful to its Lord. The unbelievers of the city were receiving neither spiritual healing nor spiritual life from them because they were ineffective in their efforts to witness to Christ’s resurrection and his lordship over all.

        What causes this nauseating lukewarm condition? What we see in Laodicea is a problem typical of the seven messages to the seven churches; and that is the temptation to assimilate to the contemporary culture. Lukewarmness is caused by compromise. The believers in Laodicea had apparently succumbed to the pressure of the contemporary culture. And the tragedy of it all is that they were boasting about their condition! Jesus quotes their words: “You say, ‘I am rich, I have acquired wealth, and I do not need a thing.’” Imagine: people saved by grace are now boasting that they can make it without the help from the giver of grace!

        Out of his love, Jesus offers the antidote to their wretched condition, and that is for them to repent, which requires the buying of gold, clothing, and ointment from Jesus. Jesus uses language that the commercially minded Laodiceans understood. But he is advising them to buy what they could never buy on their own, thereby showing them that life's true riches come only by grace. It’s not about the goods – gold, fine clothes, or eye salve. It’s about who has the real stuff. Jesus has the true riches. He has the clothing that covers shame. He can give them eyes to see.

        There’s more. “Behold! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” The opening and closing of doors is a metaphor for access or denial of access to fellowship with Christ. Apparently, the Laodiceans have excluded Christ from its fellowship. Yet, Jesus’ conditional appeal holds out the promise of fellowship. Christ takes the initiative, but the church (or you and I) must respond. Holman Hunt's painting, "The Light of the World" captures this picture of divine initiative and human response, by painting Jesus knocking at a door without a door handle on the outside.

        Here we see that the root cause of lukewarmness is the exclusion of Jesus in the life of the church (or individual believer). Lukewarmness is fundamentally due to the fact that we have excluded Jesus from one or more areas of life. That is why there is no healing or refreshing. The source of life and healing is not present within them. We may appear okay on the outside. We may be doing all the right things that seem fitting for a Christian lifestyle. But remember, appearance may be deceptive. Don’t let what appears to be rich on the outside disguise the inner spiritual poverty and become lukewarm unknowingly.

        The solution to lukewarmness is not to jack up warm emotions, nor to exert more self-efforts. The solution is as simple as opening the door again to Jesus. He makes a wonderful promise: "I will come in and I will eat with you and you with me." That is a customary way of saying, "I will make a covenant to share with you all that I am." Furthermore, for those who listen attentively to what Jesus has to say and faithfully hold to it to the end, they are promised to sit with Jesus on his throne. Jesus who reigns with the Father will share his reign and victory with those who open the door to him.

        You may have opened the door to Jesus some time ago. But for various reasons have slowly excluded him. That is why you become lukewarm – ineffective and unfruitful; and your spiritual life feels so empty, stale and dry. Welcome him back in. He will come in! All the rooms to our lives were made for him. Only he can make all of them what they were made to be. He is knocking at the door. Will you open it for him and welcome him in again today?