The Self-Sufficient Church (Revelation 3:14-22)

Big Idea: Trade our self-sufficiency for what only Jesus can provide, allowing us to receive what we truly need: Jesus himself.

We had a GFC Essentials class a couple of weeks ago. It’s a class that introduces GFC to people who are interested in joining.

Whenever I meet someone who’s new to GFC, I’m happy for them. I say that because I was new to GFC just a year ago. We’re not a perfect church by any means, but I’ve been watching this church for a long time now, and it’s a good one. I could make a list of all the strengths we have as a church:

• We’re young. Well, you are, anyway.
• We’re biblical. We really care what the Bible has to say.
• We’re passionate.
• We have amazing people.
• We prioritize substance over style.

We’re not an ordinary church. For whatever reason — mostly God’s grace — God has blessed this church in an unusual way.

Here’s where I’m going with this. These strengths can, if we’re not careful, become our downfall. A church can become complacent and overly self-sufficient, which poses a spiritual risk.

Introducing Laodicea

Today, we're discussing Jesus' final letter to the Laodicean church from the book of Revelation, as we continue exploring the seven letters.

Let me introduce you to this church.

Laodicea was an ancient city located in modern-day Turkey that had great historical and biblical significance. It was located on a plateau near the Lycus River valley and was a key trade and commerce center.

Laodicea was an important trade city in its day. It was on the road that connected the Roman Empire to India. If you wanted to go to India, you had to go through Laodicea.

Laodicea was a wealthy city famous for four things: its textiles, banking, medical school, and water shortages. Because of its location, it lacked a reliable water supply. To address this issue, the Laodiceans constructed an extensive aqueduct system that brought water to the city from hot springs located several miles away in Hierapolis.

There’s one other detail about Laodicea that’s important. The city experienced a severe earthquake around 60 AD. After the earthquake, the city demonstrated its wealth and self-sufficiency by declining financial aid offered by the Roman Empire. Instead of accepting the assistance, the Laodiceans chose to finance the city's reconstruction using their own resources. This decision showcased the city's pride, financial stability, and independence.

It was a city with a lot of strengths, a lot of pride and self-sufficiency, and not great water.

What about the church? We don’t know a lot about this church other than from this letter from Jesus. In Colossians 4:13, Paul wrote that Epaphras, who was part of the Colossian church, “worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.” Epaphras may have founded the Colossian church and was a key evangelist for two other communities in the Lycus valley.

Who Jesus Is

Jesus has an important message for this church. But first, Jesus introduces himself to the church in verse 14: “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”

“In this last of the seven, Jesus gives us the clearest statement of who he thinks he is and why he has the right to come on as strong as he does” (Darrell Johnson). Darrell Johnson points out that in every other letter, Jesus introduces himself in terms of what he has or does. But to Laodicea, Jesus introduces himself by who he is.

• He is the Amen. Amen comes from a Hebrew term that means surely. It’s a way of viewing someone or something as valid and binding. Saying “amen” is a way of indicating that something is completely trustworthy. That is the essence of who Jesus is. He can be completely trusted.
• He is the faithful and true witness. This echoes Revelation 1:5, which describes Jesus as "the faithful witness." Jesus is a faithful witness to who God is because he is God. The word true means genuine as opposed to counterfeit. Jesus is the genuine article. He genuinely and truly shows us what God is like.
• He is also the beginning of God’s creation. This doesn’t mean that Jesus was created. It does mean that all creation had its beginning in him. “He is the source, the first principle, the moving cause of all of life — of the first creation and of the new creation… Everything in the universe has the stamp of Jesus on it. From microscopic existence to the far-flung reaches of interstellar space, it all bears the imprint of Jesus” (Johnson).

That’s who Jesus is. Why does Jesus reveal himself in such glorious terms? Because, as we’re about to see, he has something to say to this church. Not only does he have the authority to speak to this church, but who he is is exactly what this church needs.

Jesus’ Message

Here’s Jesus’ message to the church. No commendations as with most of the other churches. Jesus gets straight down to business in verses 15 to 17.

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Remember the four unique things about Laodicea?

One is that they didn’t have a natural water source. They brought water to the in from hot springs located several miles away in Hierapolis. The mineral-rich water started out hot. It was also rich in calcium carbonate, which would have made it taste a little chalky, bitter, and flat. By the time it reached Laodicea it would have tasted unpleasant and un-refreshing. And Jesus says that this is a good picture of the church, that the church is so unappetizing that it makes him want to spit them out of his mouth.

Jesus picks up on the other unique characteristics of this city: its textiles, its banking industry, its medical school. Jesus says that despite its wealth and banking, they’re poor. Despite their medical expertise, famous for its ophthalmology and eye ointments, they were blind. Despite their clothing industry, they were naked.

The very things that made them proud were the source of their downfall. Jesus puts his finger on the problem: they were self-sufficient and self-satisfied. They thought they had it made. This is deadly for a church.

There are few things worse than a church that’s self-satisfied. One of the worst things that can happen to a church is that it thinks it’s something, that it begins to think that it’s something special. When we begin to find our strength in anything other than Jesus, we’re in danger.

Spurgeon observes:

It was the general, unanimous feeling, from the minister down to the latest convert, that they were a most wonderful church… that is they could look back upon years of great prosperity and progress in their past history; and at that present time, if they were not absolutely perfect, they were getting close to the edge of it, for they had “need of nothing”; they did not know of anything which the church lacked; they had the best deacons, the best elders, the best members, always ready to do anything and everything that was proposed to them. They were rich, and increased with goods, and had need of nothing. The present was all right, the past was eminently satisfactory, and they had reached a point of all but absolute perfection, for they needed nothing…
They were sincere in this glorying… But now see what was their actual state: they were altogether mistaken.

One of the greatest dangers is a church that has real strengths, but that can begin to trust in these strengths and not even know it. A church can begin to trust in its strengths and begin to overestimate itself. What a horror to be a church like this, where Jesus is ready to spit the church out of his mouth, and where he’s standing on the outside wanting to be let in, and they don’t even know it.

Jesus’ Prescription

Jesus has a prescription for this church. Two of them, actually.

Stop being so self-reliant.

To the city that refused help, to the church that thought they had everything they needed, Jesus says in verse 19, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

Stop thinking you have everything you need! The first step to health for a self-reliant church is to realize they don’t have what they need, but they can find what they need in Jesus. Despite their wealth, they don’t have the spiritual riches they need. Despite their textiles, they’re naked. Despite their medicine, they can’t fix their blindness. But Jesus can! All they have to do is receive with empty hands what only Jesus can give. But first they have to turn away from themselves.

What does it mean to buy the things they need from Jesus? It doesn’t imply they have any means of payment. I think it’s a reference to Isaiah 55:1: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Come buy what you can only get for free. Jesus is willing to give it to you. And it’s much better than what you have. It’s gold that’s been refined. It’s the purest gold. They’re white garments that hide our shame. It’s eye balm that gives us the eyesight we really need.

The risen Lord is saying to the Laodiceans, and to us: If you will just recognize your poverty, I will enrich you with my riches. If you will just recognize your nakedness, I will clothe you with my garments. If you will just recognize your blindness, I will make you see with my eyes. (Johnson)

In fact, Jesus’ words of rebuke are not because he’s stopped loving the church. In verse 19 he says, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Jesus’ intention is for that they stop being so self-sufficient, so apathetic, and return to him. Stop being so self-reliant.

Here’s his second prescription:

Open the door to Jesus.

Verse 20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

What a verse. You may have heard this offered as an evangelistic call to unbelievers. It’s a beautiful thing if someone hears this verse, and through it becomes a Christian. But that’s not the context in which Jesus said these words. Jesus is on the outside of that church, and he wants back in. Not only does he want back in, but he wants the intimacy and honor and acceptance that come with eating together.

If they stop being so self-reliant, if they let Jesus back in, he’ll not only give the church what they need, but they’ll know his presence and enjoy a close relationship with him.

If that wasn’t enough, look at what verses 21 and 22 say:

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus not only offers the church relationship but will allow the dependent church to sit on his throne with his access to resources and his right to rule.

GFC is a great church, and that scares me. Because a great church can easily become a self-sufficient church and not even know it. The answer is to trade our self-sufficiency for only what Jesus can give so that we will have what we need most: Jesus himself, the Amen, the faithful and reliable witness, the beginning of all things. That’s who we really need.