A Picture of the Laodicean Church CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Song of Solomon 5:1-6 with Revelation 3:14-20
This sermon will use a passage in Song of Solomon with the letter written to the Laodicean church from the book of Revelation. In Song of Solomon 5:1-6 we have the bridegroom who is a type of Jesus Christ on the outside of the door trying to get his beloved to let him inside. The woman is a type of the church who is the bride of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus is on the outside of the Laodicean church desiring to get inside.
The spiritual application for us is that many times we as saved people become Laodicean Christians and Jesus is outside our heart trying desperately to get in and have fellowship with us. Below we will compare Song of Solomon with Revelation and see some of the characteristics of a Laodicean church.
The response of the woman (church) to the man (Jesus Christ):
1) I have put off my coat (Pictures someone who is self satisfied)
- This is pictured in Revelation 3:15-17.
- Many saved born again people are satisfied where they are and do not want to go any farther with the Lord. For the most part it is just laziness.
2) I have washed my feet (Pictures someone who is self righteous)
- This is pictured in Revelation 3:17.
- No group was more self righteous than the Pharisees and note how many times they were called blind (Matthew 23:13-28).
- Note that self righteous people are always condemning others. Look at what God told Job in Job 40:8.
3) How shall I defile them (Pictures someone who is self deceived)
- This is pictured in Revelation 3:17.
- Self righteousness leads to deceiving yourself. The church of Laodicea do not even understand that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. That is what deception does. It makes you think you are right and everyone else is wrong.
- Note 1 Corinthians 12:12.
4) But my beloved hath withdrawn himself (Pictures someone who is spiritually destitute)
- Pictured in Revelation 3:20.
- Here we have someone that Jesus is has moved away from. Now we are not talking about losing their salvation. But when we refuse fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ we may miss an opportunity that we will never have again.
The Solution to this problem:
Jesus gives the solution to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:18.
1) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in a furnace of fire.
- The first step is counsel. Our best counsel will come from the word of God and from the man of God. But You must avail yourself of that counsel and do what they say.
- You are counseled to buy gold tried in the fire. In 1 Peter 1:7 we see that the trying of our faith is more precious than gold. When you are tried and in the valley that is where you will have the best fellowship with God it is also where God can teach you the most. But you must be willing to open the door.
2) And white raiment.
- Note the white raiment was added to the gold tried in the fire.
- In Revelation 19:7-8 we see that white raiment is a type of righteousness. Once we get over self righteousness and are willing to go to the valley and be taught by the Lord Jesus Christ then we can produce so works that will bear fruit and be righteous.
3) Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve.
- Remember that self righteousness blinds us and causes us to not see our true state. Therefore we need to anoint our eyes with eyesalve that we might see.
- In John 9:6-41 there is a picture of this. Jesus spits on the ground and makes clay. He then puts it into the eyes of the blind man and tells him to go wash in a pool of Siloam. When the blind man does this his sight is restored.
- In type this shows us that the word of God needs to get way down inside our hearts, remember we are clay. Then we need to let it wash us and cleanse away the things that are blinding us (Ephesians 5:26).
Are you a Laodicean Christian if so there is a solution but you must choose fellowship with the Lord and do what his word says.