Patmos

Laodicea: • Laodicea’s Geography✴ Located in the Lycus River Valley with 8,000 foot mountains to the south and a lesser defined range to the north✴ Located on the crossroads of Ephesus to the East and an intersecting road from Pergamum to Sardis and on to the coast of southern asia minor✴Noted for their terrible water

Laodicea: • Notable Information About Laodicea ✴ The greatest of the three prominent cities in the valley✴ Wealth - Trade, glossy black wool - refused financial help from Ceasar Tiberius after an earthquake in A.D. 60, had a donated triple eastern gate dedicated to Emperor Vespasian A.D. 51-63.✴ Medicine - known for ophthalmological minerals and salves✴ Garments - made from the high quality wool

✴Hierapolis - to north on the less defined range, is known for its hot mineral springs✴Collosse - base of 8,000 ft. mountains, boasted a large spring of water that was cold and refreshing.

Laodicea: • Address - “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:”•Identification - “These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”✴ Amen - Old Testament title for God (Isaiah 65:16 - the word truth is the Hebrew word amen) He is the truth and speaks the truth.✴ Faithful and true witness - His message was true and He faithfully testified to it.✴ Ruler of God’s creation - (Arche - beginning or first, source or origin, ruler) Either way can be understood as Jesus being God’s agent in creation and by application rules preeminently over all God’s creation.

Laodicea: • Account: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other.”✴ neither cold nor hot - Without purpose✴ Cold - refreshing✴ Hot - healing

Laodicea: • Assessment: “So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. you say, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”✴Wretched - distressed, troubled, unhappy✴Pitiful - in need of mercy✴Poor - in contrast to their wealth; spiritual squalor✴Blind - contrast to eye ointment; no discernment, no vision✴Naked - strong woolen industry yet spiritually exposed and humiliated

Laodicea: • Assessment: “So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. you say, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”✴Poor - Buy from me gold refined by fire - what’s the price? Faith, inadequacy, dependance, remove impurities, testing✴Blind - Buy from me salve to put on your eyes - seek Jesus and his purpose for you✴Naked - Buy from me white clothes to wear - confession of sin and a pure lifestyle

Loadicea: •Exhortation: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”✴ I love - I rebuke - I discipline - The word play here is to invoke the idea of a father disciplining his child. This church so distasteful to God is not illegitimate!✴ I stand at the door and knock - Jesus is on the outside looking in. The church was so self-sufficient it was no longer dependent on Him. There fellowship has been severed and Jesus put our an invitation to commune with Him for those who would hear His voice and respond.

Loadicea: •Promise: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”✴ To sit with me on my throne - heirs and co-heirs with Christ of all that belongs to him by virtue of his relationship as the only begotten Son of the Father. (Romans 8:17)

Loadicea: •Call: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”