Jesus Arrives in Jerusalem | A Sermon on Luke 19:28-40

Introduction
Just before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, He told a parable about a nobleman who was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. But his people hated him and said, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’  It seems, Jesus knew there were many people in Jerusalem who would not accept Him as the true Lord. They would cheer for Him, but they would misunderstand Him.  And when He didn’t live up to their expectations, they would crucify Him.

Luke 19:28-35
²⁸ After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. ²⁹ As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. ³⁰ “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. ³³ And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”

³⁴ And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵ So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

Jesus vs. Pilate
I want to pause here and point out a contrast we see.  There were two parades that happened that week.  The one not in Scripture, but known from history, is Pilates parade.  It was customary for the Romans to have a parade during religious festival times like the Passover.  This was a show of force that reminded the zealous Jewish crowds who was in charge.  It showcased Roman power with the obvious insinuation, "Don't forget, we are in control.  If you step out of line, we will put you back in your place by force."  Jesus rode on a donkey, but Pilate rode on a war horse, surrounded by armored soldiers and chariots.  Donkey's aren't rode into battle.  They're small and slow.  When a Jewish king came to a city in peace, he rode a donkey as a sign, because no one rides a donkey into battle.  They ride a war horse.  But Jesus came to Jerusalem in peace, on a donkey, to offer God's peace to Jerusalem.  That stands in stark contrast to the mighty and intimidating war horse of Pilate and the Romans.

Luke 19:36-40
³⁶ As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. ³⁷ When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

³⁸ “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”^[c]

³⁹ But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

⁴⁰ He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

Palms and Cloaks
You may have missed it.  The Gospel of Luke doesn’t mention the use of palm branches on “Palm” Sunday for Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all say the crowds had leafy branches or palm branches, but Luke focuses on how the crowd spread out their garments on the road ahead of Jesus.

Spreading your garments over the path of your king was an important symbolic act. 

In 2 Kings 9:13, people spread their cloaks in front of Jehu when was anointed the next king of Israel.  It was a common practice in many ancient Middle Eastern cultures.  It was a way to say,
“We will lay down our lives for you, our king.”  It’s a symbol of total submission; sort of like, “We submit to you completely.  You can walk all over us if you want.  You are our king.”

And so the people in Jerusalem say this of Jesus.  “We submit.  You are our king!”

But for many in Jerusalem, their submission was not unconditional.  It came with expectations.  They quote from Psalm 118:25 “Please, Lord, please save us!”  Which is the Hebrew expression “Hosanna!”  It literally means, “Save us now!”  

But, save us from what?

Try to imagine with me, who might be there in that crowd shouting hosanna.

The Overburdened Farmer
He has worked hard his whole life, but Roman taxes take most of what he earns. He can barely provide for his family, and every year feels harder than the last.  “Hosanna! Save us now!”  He wants a Messiah who will drive out Rome and make life easier, not one who calls him to surrender his heart.

The Zealous Nationalist
He dreams of Israel being strong again like in the days of David. He’s angry, tired of foreign rule, and ready for a revolution.  “Hosanna! Save us now!”  He wants a Messiah who will fight his enemies, not one who tells him to love them.

The Religious Insider
He faithfully works in the Temple and follows all the traditions. He takes pride in his knowledge and his place in the religious community.   “Hosanna! Save us now!”  He wants a Messiah who will affirm his system, not one who exposes his heart.

The Weary Father
He is trying to hold his family together in a world that feels unstable and unsafe. He wants security, peace, and a future for his children.   “Hosanna! Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will fix his circumstances, not one who asks him to trust God no matter what.

The Successful Merchant
His business is doing well, and he enjoys a comfortable life. Still, he worries about instability and wants protection for what he’s built.  “Hosanna! Save us now!”   He wants a Messiah who will secure his success, not one who might ask him to loosen his grip on it.

The Quietly Numb Believer
He still shows up. He still goes through the motions. But somewhere along the way, his passion has faded and his faith has grown cold.   “Hosanna! Save us now!” He wants a Messiah who will comfort him where he is, not one who calls him back to wholehearted devotion.

They all shouted the same words, but they were not all asking for the same kind of salvation.

Jesus Riding Into Jerusalem
Perhaps you can imagine yourself in that crowd–waving palm branches, spreading your cloak on the ground in front of Jesus as a sign of submission and allegiance.  We all want solutions to our problems.  Stress and anxiety, financial pressure, health problems, broken relationships, loneliness, guilt and shame, addiction, uncertainty about the future, lack of purpose, loss and grief…  It would be great if Jesus would deliver us now and on our own terms.

Jesus brings the answers—but not according to our plans or expectations.  He brings them on His terms. He is Lord. And when we surrender, we experience His Kingdom.  We find peace, even when life in this world is still hard.  And we hope that we will be made right with God and, ultimately, every broken part of our world will be made right too.

But many in that crowd chanting hosanna were not ready to truly welcome the Messiah.
Within a week, many would chant “Crucify Him!” and “We have no king but Caesar!” 

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
And so, Jesus enters Jerusalem and weeps in Luke 19:42-44, “⁴² “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. ⁴⁴ They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.^[d]”

Closing
The crowd laid down their cloaks and shouted, “Hosanna!” But many were not ready to let Jesus truly be their King.  The question for us today as we clos is not what the crowd did, but it’s "what we will do."  Will we welcome Jesus as He is?  Or only as we want Him to be?

How will you respond to Jesus today?

Peace or Division | A Sermon on Luke 12:49-53

Introduction
Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus the Prince of Peace.
In Luke 2:14, we hear the angels singing, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  And many love the image of Jesus carrying a baby lamb, gently in His arms.  That’s why His words in our Scripture today are shocking.  Let’s look at them together in Luke 12:49-53.

Luke 12:49-53
⁴⁹ “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! ⁵⁰ I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. ⁵¹ Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! ⁵² From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

⁵³ ‘Father will be divided against son
    and son against father;
mother against daughter
    and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’^[a]”

A World on Fire
Jesus’ words in verse 49 are startling.  “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!” 

In Scripture, fire often represents judgement, purification, and the Holy Spirit.  The prophet Malachi foretold Jesus using the image of fire when he said: “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes.”

Jesus’ very existence confronts our lives.  When He enters our world, hypocrisy is exposed, sin is confronted, and hearts are revealed.  You can’t avoid it.  When He draws close it burns away the fake facades we wear like masks.  He reveals who we really are.

So, some try to avoid the Fire.  They stay far away.  They hide in the shadows, running from the Truth.  The Pharisees had a great public image.  Everyone looked up to them and though they were model citizens, the most holy in all the land.  However, their public image masked a lot of private sin and wrong attitudes and selfish motives.  Jesus' teachings exposed their hypocrisy.  So they tried discredit Him.  When they couldn't, they tried to kill Him, thinking that would hide their duplicity.  But Darkness can never overcome the Light. (John 1:5)  The Crucifixion only turned up the heat even more to burn the farce they called “peace”.

What is Peace?
Peace is a word people love to hear.  We pray for “peace in the middle east”.  “Peace” was the slogan and logo of the 1960s—used by people on all sides of the conflicts.  Ironically, “peace” is usually the reason powerful politicians justify going to war.
They drop bombs on each other until one side submits and there is “peace.”  So what exactly is peace?  What does that even mean?

According to our faith, “True peace is life made right with God.”  The Hebrew word for peace in the Bible is Shalom.  It means wholeness, completeness, harmony, a right relationship, and well-being under God’s blessing.  Peace is the perfect state in which Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden before they sinned.  It is the condition humans have been trying to find ever since we lost it, and it is the perfect peace God has been working in our world to restore as well.

But true peace, shalom, is always built upon a right relationship with God.  Apart from peace with God, all other peace is inferior and temporary or invalid.  It sounds good, but it does not deliver real harmony or wholeness.  And it does not last.

Jesus is the “Prince of Peace”, because He came to restore complete wholeness to the world through a right relationship with God.  He came to bring us back into the perfect peace of the Garden of Eden.  But to bring us back to God, all our other idols and false gods and fake peace must be burned up in the fire of God’s refining flame.

Disturbing the Peace
The Pharisees and teachers of religious law, as well as the Romans, said Jesus was “disturbing the peace”.  And it’s true.  He was disturbing their peace so He could re-establish true peace.  In Jerusalem, they killed Jesus on a cross in a vain effort to protect their way of life—which was just a fake kind of peace that rejected God to benefit people in power at the expense of the weak.

But you cannot escape the refining fire of Jesus’ Truth.  His very existence demands everyone choose with whom they will live in peace.  Will you be on God’s side or the side of someone else?  Will you follow Jesus unconditionally as Lord, or will you follow some other lord?  No one can remain neutral.  It is not one of the options.

And we see from Jesus words that our surrender to God leaves no room for compromise.  It is an unconditional surrender.  “Families will be split apart… Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother…”

Why?  Because these close relatives sometimes choose differently—one for the Lord and the other for someone or something else.  And the truth is, you may experience this in your life too, if you end up differently aligned with Christ than the people you love.

Jesus absolutely did come to bring peace—peace with God.  But when people must decide whether to receive that peace, it inevitably creates division.

Our Own False Peace
Before we think too much about divisions out there in the world, we should probably ask a harder question.  Where have we made peace with things in our own lives that God never intended us to live with?  Because the truth is, many of us have made a kind of false peace with our brokenness.

We make peace with sins we know are there but don’t want to confront.  We make peace with bitterness we’ve carried for years.  We make peace with habits we know are unhealthy.  We make peace with relationships that are wounded but never healed.

We tell ourselves, “This is just the way I am.”Or “This is just the way life is.” Or "This is just the way the real world works."  And over time, the brokenness begins to feel normal.  It becomes familiar.  It becomes comfortable.  And strangely enough, it begins to feel like peace.

But it isn’t peace.  It’s just settling.  It is selling out.
It’s learning to live with the darkness rather than stepping into the light.
And this is exactly why Jesus says He came to bring fire.  Because sometimes the most loving thing God can do for us is to disturb the false peace we’ve made with sin.

Jesus refuses to leave us comfortable in the things that are destroying us.  
He comes like a refining fire.  Fire is uncomfortable.  Fire burns. 
Fire exposes what is real and what is fake.  But fire also purifies.

The fire of Christ burns away the lies we hide behind.  It burns away the idols we cling to.
It burns away the broken patterns we have learned to live with.  Not to destroy us, but to heal us.
Because on the other side of that refining fire is something far better than the fragile peace we try to manufacture for ourselves.  On the other side is true peace. 
Peace with God.  Peace that restores what sin has broken. 
Peace that brings us back into the wholeness God created us for in the first place.

And that leaves each of us with the same question Jesus placed before the crowds.
Will we hold on to the false peace we have built for ourselves?
Or will we surrender to the refining fire of Christ and receive the true peace only He can give?

Because Jesus didn’t come simply to make us comfortable.  He came to make us whole.

Abide in Me | A Sermon on John 15:1-11

Introduction
I am so ready for Spring to be here.  I’m ready to get my garden going.  I want to try out my luck with this red Georgia clay in Jackson, Georgia. 

Jesus told many parables about farming and gardening.  He also had a fondness for spending time in gardens.  The Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives was one place he frequenting for quiet reflection and prayer.  And it was a contrast to another garden from the beginning of the Bible, The Garden of Eden.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had everything they needed, but they chose to disobey God's one command not to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Jesus also had a choice in the Garden.  He didn't want to die the painful death on the cross, and He prayer, "Lord if it is possible for this cup of suffering to pass for me, let it.  But not my will, but Thine be done..."  Jesus chose His Father's will over His own.

I want to share a gardening story Jesus told.  

John 15:1-11
¹ “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

⁹ “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

A Simple Lesson, Hard to Live
You don’t have to be a master gardener to understand what Jesus is saying.  If you cut a branch off a plant, it won’t bear fruit.  It will die.  

Jesus is saying if you don’t stay connected to Him, you cannot bear worthwhile fruit.  Just like those branches, you will dry up and die.  

For me, that is simple to understand, but hard to live because I often feel pressure to perform. And there’s often this nagging anxiety in the back of my mind:   “Am I doing enough?  Am I successful?”  And I often feel like I have to prove myself to others.  Do you ever feel like that? 

That’s often the way you feel when you are doing things in your own strength.  You feel the heavy burden because whether you succeed or fail is all up to you.

But that has never been God’s plan–not from the beginning of the Bible until the end.

Scripture has always been about trusting God to make it happen while we are faithful to Him.

What did Adam and Eve do to survive in the Garden of Eden?  Nothing.  Everything was provided.  They just had to be faithful to God.

How did the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt?  Was it by their own might?  No.  It was by the mighty hand of God who brought 10 plagues on the Egyptians.

How did the walls of Jericho fall down?  Was it a great battle plan?  No!  It was a ludicrous battle plan. (Walk around the walls of the city a bunch opf times and then blow trumpets.)  God is the one who did the fighting.

How did Israel survive as a kingdom?  Was it because they had a mighty army? No!  They were an insignificant, tiny kingdom surrounded by superpowers.  But they thrived when they were faithful to God and suffered when they weren't.

Psalm 33:16-17 - “The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.  Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.  But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love."

Zechariah 4:6 - “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Are you Abiding?
What about you?  Are you abiding in Jesus or trying to do everything on your own power?

When we try to do things in our own power:

• There is pressure to perform
• A subtle anxiety about outcomes
• A need to prove fruitfulness
• An inward heaviness, even while doing “good” things

But when we Abide in Jesus:

• There is peace beneath the activity
• Freedom from comparison
• Openness to interruption
• A quiet confidence that Jesus is at work

Jesus wants us to grow spiritually and be fruitful for His Kingdom.  But we cannot grow or really be fruitful by our own effort apart from Christ.  We must abide in Him.

Jesus said in John 15:5 - “Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

How Do You Abide in Jesus?
So how do we stay connected to Jesus?  There are a number of Holy H.A.B.I.T.S. that can help us stay connected (to abide) in Jesus.         

Hang Time with God - We need to spend time with God and prayer & Scripture are 2 essential ways we spend time with Him.

Accountability with Other Christians - We need other people to keep us in check.

Bible Study - Scripture is the most reliable and unchanging revelation of who God is.  We need to study  Scripture to really know God. 

Involvement in the Church - A true relationship with God requires relationships with other people.

Tithing - Tithing is the spiritual practice of financial giving God gave us to strengthen our trust in Him.

Service - Jesus said He came not to be served, but to serve and that we should follow His example.

Back to the Garden
Imagine you are in a garden working.  You have just planted some seeds.  You hope these seeds will grow to become a healthy patch of sunflowers 5-6 feet tall with beautiful broad yellow flowers and a dark brown center.

See the dark garden soil at your feet where you just planted the seeds.  Can you make those seeds grow?  Suppose you concentrate really hard, can you make flowers grow just by gritting your teeth and willing them to grow?

Of course not.  We can’t.  Only God can make flowers grow and bloom.  We can plant the seeds, but only God can make them grow.  However, there are things you can do in your garden that will create an environment where growth is more likely to happen.  

What can you do?  You can water your garden.  You can fertilize the soil.  You can tend the garden every day and pull out any weeds.  You can protect the young flowers from bugs and pests and disease. But it is God who makes a garden grow.

It is the same with your spiritual life.  You cannot make yourself grow spiritually–even if you grit your teeth and try real hard.  Only God can make you grow.  However, you can create an environment in your life where growth is more possible.  You can pray.  You can read the Bible.  You can worship and spend time with other Christians, and tithe, and volunteer.  These things help you abide in Christ.  And then Christ can make you grow.

Laodicea - Be Hot or Cold | A Sermon on Revelation 3:14-22

Introduction
Whenever I’m traveling around, people will often ask me, “Where did you come from?” or “Where are you traveling from?” I find myself all over Georgia—sometimes for conferences, meetings, or simply visiting family. Just yesterday, for example, we went down to visit my mother-in-law.

When people ask, “How long did it take you to get here?” or “Where are you from?” I usually say, “Dalton.” Sometimes people know where that is, and sometimes they don’t. So I’ll add, “It’s just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee.” That usually helps them get their bearings.

Every now and then, they’ll respond, “Oh! Dalton—the carpet capital of the world.” I remember back in college, before I became a pastor, I was studying textile engineering. Professors would mention Dalton, saying, “Seventy-five to eighty percent of the world’s carpet comes from there.”

I used to raise my hand and ask, “Don’t you mean Georgia?” No. “Don’t you mean the United States?” No. They meant the world—literally the world. Dalton earned its reputation as the carpet capital of the world because so much of the world’s carpet is made here. And now, not just carpet, but all kinds of flooring materials as well.

Cities often become known for something—Chicago, for instance, is called the Windy City. Hopefully, what we’re known for is good and not something bad.

Laodicea was a wealthy city in ancient Turkey where a group of Christians comprised a church.  They were known around the region for banking, eye ointment, and fine textiles.  Unfortunately, they were also known for their lukewarm water supply that was neither cold and good for drinking (like nearby Colossae’s cold drinking water) nor hot and good for healing (like Hierapolis’ hot springs). Laodicea’s water supply was lukewarm and Jesus said so was their faith.

Revelation 3:14-22
¹⁴ “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning^[e] of God’s new creation:

¹⁵ “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! ¹⁶ But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. ¹⁸ So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. ¹⁹ I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

²⁰ “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. ²¹ Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

²² “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Neither Hot nor Cold
Jesus said in verse 15 – “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!”

Those words: “I wish that you were either hot or that you were cold.” Of course, what is He talking about? He’s not talking about water. He’s talking about their spiritual life—their faith.

To be hot is a good thing, to have a hot faith. That means you are on fire for Jesus, excited to be serving Him. You don’t mind coming to church, you don’t mind volunteering, and you don’t mind giving, because you’re excited and on fire for what Jesus is doing in your own life and in your community. You want to share that with others. It’s easy for us to understand that having a hot faith is a good thing. Jesus is the most important thing to such a person.

But Jesus says, “If you’re not hot, I wish you were cold.” And we might think, Well, how can being cold be a good thing? Why would Jesus want someone to be either hot or cold? Because if you’re cold, it means you don’t care about Jesus at all. You might not even be thinking about Him. You’re just living your life however you want, without faith. All you’re doing is living for yourself, often doing the wrong things—even bad things.

So why is that good? Because if you’re living like that, at least there’s a chance something will shake you and snap you out of it. If you’re sinning all the time, doing terrible things, and then something happens—maybe you get into a car wreck that rocks your world, or you’re diagnosed with a disease—it might shake you awake. You realize, Oh my gosh, I need to start getting my life right with God. I’ve been living a coldhearted life, but now I know it. Then, the next step is repentance and turning to God.

So, living a cold, dark life can at least give you the chance to change. But Jesus says the Laodiceans were not hot and not cold. They were lukewarm. And that is very, very dangerous.

If you are lukewarm in your faith, you claim to follow Jesus. You look like you’re following Jesus. You may act like you’re following Jesus. But you lack true passion and commitment. You’re not fully obedient to Him. Maybe you’re doing it for show, but not for real.

It’s dangerous because it blinds you to your need for repentance. It blinds you to the fact that you need renewal. And it risks giving you an excuse to keep going in the wrong direction—walking away from Christ when you should be turning back to Him.

See, if you were cold, you would know it. You don’t have to tell a drunk that he’s not doing the right thing. He’s ashamed of it. He knows it. He knows he needs to change. The struggle is being able to change, but at least he knows.

But there are many people in the world—and maybe even some of you reading this—who fall into this category. You’re not hot. You’re not cold. You’re lukewarm. From the outside, people might look at your life and say, “Well, they go to church, they give money, they do good things, they dress nice, they act like a good person, they say they follow Jesus. Looks like they’re a Christian.”

You may even look at your own life and say, “Well, I’m not a saint, but I’m not a sinner either. I’m somewhere in the middle. I go to church. I do the right things. I’m pretty good.”

But you don’t realize Jesus is not number one in you life. You have other things ahead of Him. That’s idolatry—putting something before God.

So if you are lukewarm, it’s dangerous because it gives you an excuse to keep coasting, to avoid change. Everyone else thinks you’re a good Christian. You even say that about yourself. But you don’t realize there are serious problems you need to address.

The lukewarm faith of the Laodicean Christians blinded them to their true spiritual condition. Jesus spoke the hard truth they needed to hear. And maybe it’s a hard truth some of us here today also need to hear.

Rich, but Actually Poor
Jesus said in verse 17, “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

You know, sometimes there can be in us a false sense of self-sufficiency.

Now, I’m the kind of person who believes in self-sufficiency. I like the idea of being able to do for myself. I like being independent, and that can be a good thing. But there are times when that sense of self-sufficiency crosses a line—when you feel like you can do it all yourself. And that’s not a good thing.

I think for many people, this is a natural progression in life. When you start out young, you struggle. You don’t have much income. You don’t have much knowledge. It’s hard to get a good job because you don’t yet have the training or experience you need. So, in those early years, you often realize just how vulnerable you are. You rely on others, and life feels difficult.

Maybe you’re going into debt because you don’t make enough money. You’re borrowing, struggling because you can’t do things on your own. You don’t know how. And so, many people at the beginning of life find themselves praying: “Lord, please help me. Please help me. I don’t know how I’m going to pay the bills at the end of the month. I don’t know what I’ll do if my car breaks down. It’s old, it’s secondhand, it’s got lots of problems—it’s constantly giving me trouble. Lord, please don’t let my car break down. I can’t afford to fix it.”

Have any of you ever been through that kind of life? Maybe you’re in it right now. You pray: “Lord, please help me. Don’t let my tire go flat. I can’t afford to buy another one.”

But then what happens? God answers prayers. Over time, you may get to a point in life where you’ve saved up a little money. Now, you still don’t want that tire to go flat, but not because you couldn’t survive it—rather, because you’d rather spend that money on something fun, like going to see the Braves. If you get a flat now, you can handle it. You don’t like it, but you’ll be okay.

And that’s when the shift begins. You start to think: “Well, it’s okay. I can handle it myself. I don’t need anyone to step in and save me.” Of course, you’d never say that out loud—especially in church. Church people don’t talk like that. But somewhere, way in the back of your mind, a thought creeps in: “It’s okay. I don’t need God to bail me out of this one. I can handle it myself.”

And that is where the danger comes. You start to develop this false feeling of self-sufficiency: “I’ve got insurance. I’ve got money in savings. I can do it myself.” And when that happens, you start to think you don’t need anyone else—and you don’t need Jesus.

That is a very dangerous place to be. Because our hope is not in our talents, not in our insurance, not in our savings, and not in our money. Our hope is in God. We don’t need to walk around constantly feeling fearful and vulnerable—but neither do we need to walk around with the false pride that says, “I can handle this life all by myself.”

Because the truth is: we can’t.

And that’s exactly where the Laodiceans found themselves. They were known for their wealth, and they believed they could handle life on their own.

Our hope is not in our money.

Well Clothed, but Actually Naked
The Laodicean's were known for their textile industry, making fine clothing that everyone around admired. People wanted clothing as good as the Laodiceans’. But Jesus said they were naked. Isn’t that interesting? He says, “You’re naked. You need to buy some white robes from me.”

In Scripture, nakedness symbolizes shame, exposure, and vulnerability.

Now, the Laodiceans thought they were finely clothed. They believed they were people to be admired. Their fashion was on point. But Jesus saw through their outer appearance. He said, “You might wear nice clothing. People may admire you for your fashion. But to me, you’re naked and vulnerable. And you ought to be ashamed of your spiritual condition, not proud of the clothing you’re wearing.”

Spiritual Blindness
The Laodiceans were known not only for their textiles but also for their eye ointment. They had a famous medical school that trained healers, who went out and treated people across the region. From that school, they developed a special ointment—a salve called the Phrygian powder. It was applied to the eyes and was believed to heal diseases, correct dysfunctions, or soothe pain.

People from all around craved this ointment and were willing to pay good money for it. Of course, that only made the Laodiceans even more wealthy, since they were selling medicine that others desperately wanted.

And yet, ironically, Jesus said they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Blind! They had this famous eye ointment, but they couldn’t even see their own spiritual condition. They were blind to how wretched they truly were.

Their wealth, their self-sufficient attitude, and their lukewarm faith had blinded them. They needed more than ointment for their eyes. They needed Jesus to cure their spiritual blindness.

Revelation 3:18–19 says, “So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich.” He’s not talking about physical gold. He’s talking about something spiritual, something that’s been refined. He is saying, Let your character be refined. Let the fire of tribulation and trial refine who you are on the inside.

Build up treasures in heaven—not by hoarding wealth on earth, but by doing good deeds, serving the Lord faithfully, and sacrificing for His kingdom. Then Jesus says, “Buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness.” They needed the Lord to give them spiritual clothing—to cover up their sin and their shame. He also says, “Buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.”

And then Jesus says, “I correct and I discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.” It’s a hard word, but not an unkind word. It’s not unloving. He speaks it for their sake. He says, “I love you, and I correct those I love.”

Is Jesus Knocking on Your Door?
So if you are here today and feel the Lord convicting you—if you sense He has placed a hard word upon your heart—don’t puff up with pride or get defensive. The Lord is not speaking to you from a judgmental spirit. He speaks as a loving parent to a child, saying: “I see this in you. You don’t see it. You’ve been distracted, and you’ve missed it. But I’m showing you for your own good—to help you be better, to heal you, to cover your shame, and to give you true riches in heaven.”

Perhaps there are some listening who feel Christ convicting them today. Has your faith grown lukewarm? Is Jesus truly the most important thing in your life—or has something else taken His place?

Don’t you long to go back to the time when you were on fire for Jesus? When you were excited just to worship Him? When serving wasn’t an obligation but an opportunity you craved? Maybe on the outside you still look like a Christian, but on the inside the passion has faded. The wholehearted commitment and obedience have diminished. That’s dangerous. It blinds you. It leaves you naked and ashamed.

So you try to cover it up—with the outward appearance of godliness—but you lack the inward spiritual power of true godliness. And no matter how hard you try, you cannot hide from Jesus. Remember, He is the one with eyes like burning fire. He sees into the very center of your soul. He knows what’s really in your heart when no one else can see.

And yet—I love what Revelation 3:20 says. Even though He sees the good, the bad, and the ugly in every one of us, He does not run away. Instead, it says He stands at the door and knocks. He knocks. He waits. He longs for us to open the door.

If we will welcome Him in, He will come and sit with us like a friend. He will share a meal with us—a meal of reconciliation, a meal of healing, a meal that nourishes us so we can grow into all He wants us to be.

As we close this message today, I want to give you an invitation. Whatever the Lord has spoken to your heart, listen. How will you respond?

Maybe He is calling you to turn around because you’ve been going in the wrong direction. Maybe you’ve been cold, and He wants to set you on fire. Or perhaps, more dangerously, you’ve been living a lukewarm faith. But Jesus does not want you blind. He does not want you deceived.

He wants you to see your true need. He wants you to turn to Him. He wants you to come home.