Dr.Lukewarm

I. Apostasy – Rev.3:16 The church of Laodicea termed the Apostate Church (God used terms familiar to John in describing the apostate church).

A. Example of Apostasy – The church of Laodicea - Rev.3:14-22 (NASB)

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the [k]Beginning of the creation of God, (Christ is the beginning and the end, Rev.1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who [f]is to come, the Almighty), says this:

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. Hierapolis nearby had hot baths and mineral baths and Colossae nearby boasted of a refreshing cold water supply. Christ wants us to be hot for Him or as a cold drink of water to a man dying of thirst. (John 4:13,14 - Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit (emeo-vomit) you out of My mouth. (the water supplied to Laodicea was by aqueduct, it was tepid and full of minerals. The bodies response is to vomit it up. Christ cannot stand tepid, lukewarm Christians.

17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

• Wretched and miserable – talaiporos- misery or hardship

• Poor – Ptochos- poor as a beggar

• Blind – Tuphlos – a blind man

• Naked – Gumnotes – sad condition of a church – no wedding garments.

18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire (James 5:1-4) so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

1. The water supply in Laodicea was by aqueduct, high in mineral content and almost undrinkable and would result in vomiting . A very effective eye salve was also produced in this town.

2. Church of Laodicea was in a town that worshipped Domitian as God and had a temple dedicated to Appolo, Aphrodite and Artemis. It produced textiles and banking.

3. Jews and monotheistic religions were protected from protection under Pax Romanus. A law of the Roman empire. Christians began as a sect of Judaism but as the church grew, including gentiles and understood by the Jews to worship 3 God’s (the trinity). They lost their protected status and started to waiver in their Christian faith. This resulted in an apostasy of the church and subsequent lukewarmness. They left Jesus standing at the door, they were not good hosts.

• They were killed for not worshipping Domitian as God.

• They were not permitted to buy or sell.

4. Weeds and thorns choke out the faith that they had. Matt.?

5. Luke 14:33 – Repent and Put your life in His hands, start walking by faith.

B. Reason for Apostasy – II Thess. 2:1-4 – Man of Lawlessness revealed then a great falling away (Apotasso).

C. Definition of Apostasy – Apo – From; Tasso – To arrange. (Arranging your beliefs and setting them from you. Synonyms – Taking leave, Setting apart, to forsake, revolt, renounce, bid farewell and to leave.

1. Acts 18:18 - Paul took leave (Apotasso) of the brethren and left them behind.

2. It is an act of man and an act of God. Rev.18:21 – Babylon is thrown down (Apotasso) by God.

3. Acts 21:21 – They forsook Moses (Apotasso).