In this compelling episode, we delve into the concept of spiritual drifting—a phenomenon that occurs when believers take their eyes off Christ and become complacent in their faith. Beginning with a message to the church at Ephesus, we explore what it means to truly love the Lord with all one’s heart and soul, and the consequences when that love begins to fade.
When does a person start getting away from the Lord, as we say? When does a person start drifting? When does a person get the spiritual blaws? When does the person who says he loves Christ get apathetic, indifferent, or complacent to the things of the Lord? Is it not when we take our eyes off of him who is the head of the church? We started this whole message with the church of Ephesus, these church messages. You have left your first love to love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. And the one moment that that is no longer what it once was. We’re not trusting him as we once were. He’s not the focus of our life. We lack peace.
SPEAKER 04 :
What if Jesus showed up and said, you’re blind, spiritually blind? naked and spiritually bankrupt. This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher David Hawking. And today we open up Revelation chapter 3, verses 14 to 22, where Jesus speaks to the church at Laodicea. The church at Laodicea, they thought they had it all together. They had money in the bank, a good reputation, and plenty of religion. But Jesus saw through the facade and his message devastatingly honest. This isn’t just a rebuke. It’s an invitation to turn from self-sufficiency and return to him. So open your Bible to Revelation chapter 3 and join us for a message by David called Material Prosperity. And right before we begin, you know, if you’re searching for something real, something that lasts, we want to point you to a powerful resource called Your Quest for God by Hope for Today friend Richard A. Bennett. This is a 139-page book available as a free download right now at davidhawking.org. And Your Quest for God has been used around the world to help people discover what it really means to know and follow Jesus. And you’ll find it right on the homepage, again, at davidhawking.org. A free download, Your Quest for God. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 02 :
Material prosperity has literally dominated our culture. There are many preachers who believe that Laodicea is this time in history. I have not pushed that view because I think it’s hard to prove that the seven churches match all of church history. like the Church of Ephesus is the apostolic age, and Church at Smyrna is the church that suffered under the Roman persecutions. Church at Pergamos, with its compromise, was when Constantine made Christianity the state religion, and Thyatira is the dark ages, and that’s how it goes. Sardis is the Reformation, and Philadelphia is the great missionary outreaches of the 1700s, 1800s, and then Laodicea is the church of the 20th century. But you can certainly see why folks believe that, can’t you? There is a domination of all of us of what we simply call materialism. The Bible says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, we can usually understand those two terms. But the third one is where we have trouble, the pride of life. It’s not talking about conceit. The word pride there is the word for boasting or confidence. And the word life is actually the means of livelihood. It’s a confidence, a security in your means of livelihood, in the goods that you possess. Well, we certainly are there. And that’s the world, God says. The Bible warns us about trusting in the uncertainty of riches. And we are there. This message is for us. the issue of material prosperity dominating and controlling God’s church and taking their hearts far away from him. Revelation chapter 3, beginning at verse 14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works. that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. And anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Well, when I think of the historical background behind Laodicea, I have a lot of things that come to my attention. First of all, it is a tri-city area, Colossi, Hierapolis, and Laodicea, in a beautiful, gorgeous, fertile valley in the mountains of Turkey. And as we drove our bus to that area, you get close to Laodicea, and you notice immediately a plateau with cliffs, limestone cliffs, and you notice water pouring off of it. as all tour buses do in that area, you stop and you get out and you are informed that this is the lukewarm water mentioned in the Bible in the letter to Laodicea. So you’re all very skeptical. And so you put your hands under that sulfur-like water coming over those cliffs, and you take one taste of it, and I’ll tell you, nobody swallows it. You immediately spit it out. It is so rotten. It’s worse than rotten eggs. I don’t know what it tastes like. It’s just like, blech! I mean, that’s what you do the moment you taste it. And of course, when that happens to you, you never forget the message again. to the church of Laodicea. He said, I wish you’re cold or hot. It’s just absolutely lukewarm, and you spit it out of your mouth. And so a very graphic illustration that God uses here in the message to Laodicea. A few facts that would be of some interest, I think, to you. Laodicea is located about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia. And as I said, it’s a part of a tri-city area. It was the chief city of the province of Phrygia, which you have mentioned in the book of Acts, where Paul went. According to Colossians chapter 4, verse 16, Paul wrote them a letter at the same time he wrote to Colossae, which we do not have, a letter to the Laodiceans. Laodicea was destroyed by a terrible earthquake, and not the one in 17 AD, but the one in 60 AD. It was rebuilt, interestingly, in contrast to the other cities we’ve talked about that were destroyed by the major earthquake of 17 AD. Laodicea rebuilt their entire city without any help from Rome at all. They never borrowed a dime. Remember what it says in this letter? I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. It was a great banking center. It also had a very famous medical school there that was dedicated, like Pergamos, to the serpent god Asclepius. And they had a special powder in this medical school that people all over the world came to get. It was a powder which they claimed could cure any eye disease. And they mixed it with an ointment. It was like a salve, and you put it over your eyes, and people did express that there was great relief. It seemed to heal infections easily, and we don’t know what it was, but apparently it was very effective, and people came from all over the world. Interesting, isn’t it, that God said, you need some eye salve, you’re blind. All of these things are critical to the message of the letter. They also manufactured cloth and garments and carpets from the wool of the local sheep. And we’re told that there were two characteristics about these garments and these rugs and cloth. And that is, one, the sheep there, and they still today, are this way. I’ve touched them myself. I’m living proof that it’s true. It’s not a made-up story. The sheep have an unbelievable soft texture. You touch them, and it is so soft, you want to share the sheep right then and make yourself a pillow. I mean, it is soft. But the other factor is that it’s glossy black in color. Very unusual for sheep, obviously. They are glossy black in color and very soft in texture. And so Rome and all of the wealthy people of the empire, they love to get the special claws of Laodicea. And remember again, God speaks about the fact they need to have the proper clothing. And the whole world wanted their clothes. But God said, you don’t even know that you’re naked and need to be clothed with what I can give you. The word Laodicea itself is kind of interesting. It’s a very common Greek word. There are two Greek words put together, one to rule and one people. It suggested a self-confidence. These people didn’t need anything. They let Rome know they didn’t need them to govern them. They didn’t need their money. They didn’t need their supervision. They need nothing. I mean, they have really arrived. What an interesting background for a letter such as what we read. There’s a theory on the origin of the city, and that’s that Antiochus II, who ruled from 261 to 246 B.C., built it in honor of his wife. His wife’s name was Laodicea. The ruins of the city, by the way, reveal a Roman stadium, which was dedicated to the emperor Vespasian. I find that interesting because it’s Vespasian who ordered the destruction of Jerusalem. And this stadium was dedicated in 79 AD. Remember, Jerusalem’s already destroyed in 70 AD. And this letter is written about 95 AD. So you’ve got just about 15, 16 years after that. One of the most fascinating facts about the city is is what I’ve already mentioned. This plateau is about 100 feet above the Lycus River. It’s a beautiful river going through this valley. About 100 feet, and it has limestone cliffs and waterfalls, as we said, of a lukewarm, sulfur-like tasting water. And that sets up the stage for the message to this church. For those of you who like to outline… First of all, in verse 14, we’ve got to look at the identity of Jesus Christ. His identity here reminds us that we are to trust him fully and depend upon him completely, something that the church of Laodicea was not doing. Isaiah 26.3 says, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace. Is there anybody here that doesn’t need peace? It says, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. The identity of Christ here reminds us that we are to trust him fully and depend upon him completely. It’s a threefold description here in verse 14. Number one, you have his immutability, his unchangeableness. It says, These things saith the Amen. Now that’s a Hebrew word, which is also carried over into Greek and just said in Greek, and we also say it in English. Amen. Amen. It carries the idea of that which is fixed or unchangeable. That’s why when the preacher is preaching and he says something that reminds you of the eternal truth of God, something you know the Bible teaches that will never change, it is quite appropriate, as the New Testament does, to say amen. Let me give you an illustration. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. The true identity of Christ reminds us to trust him fully, depend upon him completely. And that involves his immutability. He will not change. He is the amen, totally reliable. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. You can count on him, therefore trust him. He will never fail. He’s always there. The eternal God is your refuge. Underneath you are the everlasting arms. Aren’t you glad of that? He’s going to be the same. Isn’t that not great? 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I love this. Verse 18 to 22. But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea, yes. For all the promises of God in Him are yea. Yes. And in Him, what’s the next word? Amen. Under the glory of God by us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. That’s what I call the unchangeable God. All of his promises are yes. They are amen. You can totally depend upon the Lord. What happened at Laodicea? They started depending on what they had. All their resources. All of their talents. All their abilities. All their possessions. Instead of trusting the immutable, unchangeable God. Back to Revelation 3. verse 14. The second thing is close to it. In addition to immutability, look at his reliability. His reliability. It says he is the faithful and true witness. Go back to chapter 1, verse 5, and remind yourself that in the opening of the book, it says that it was from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness. You can count on him. to tell the truth, and it’s the truth that will set us free. Turn to Psalm 89, just to give you a little example of the glory of this, for your own personal encouragement. Remember, the identity of Christ reminds us that we are to trust Him fully and depend on Him completely, something the church at Laodicea was not doing. And that involves His immutability, that He doesn’t change, it’s fixed. His plan, his purposes, his word, and also his reliability. You can count on it. The faithful and true witness. Those two words are very close together, obviously. Psalm 89, verse 34. My covenant will I not break, nor will I alter the thing that has gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever and is thrown as the sun before me. It shall be established forever like the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven. In the new covenant, God said concerning his promise to Israel that the seed of Israel would last forever. He said, if in the heavens the sun, moon, and stars can cease to exist, then so will my covenant. the faithful witnesses in the sky. If you want to know how faithful God is, just ask yourself tomorrow morning whether there’s a sun or whether there are stars. There always has been from the beginning of creation. And God says, you can count on me. I’m the true and faithful witness. In the Gospel of John, chapter 3, same one who wrote Revelation, of course, in John 3, 11 and 12, interesting words of Jesus. He said, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that which we do know and testify to that which we have seen, and you receive not our witness. If I’ve told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things. He’s a faithful and true witness. And then in verse 32 of the same chapter, John 3, what he has seen and heard that he testifieth, and no man receiveth this testimony. He that hath received his testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. There it is. He’s the faithful and true witness. You can count on everything that he says. There is nothing that God says that will not turn out exactly as he described. Nothing. You can count on it. Back to Revelation 3. His identity involves not only his immutability, his unchangeableness, his reliability, his faithfulness, but also his priority. You know, when you get your eyes off of the Lord, you’re really in a mess. I don’t know if it’s really hit us as often as it should that the number one issue is Jesus. Amen, Christians? We kind of know that. But he’s the priority of everything. He’s the head of the church. He’s the one who controls the ages of time, Hebrews 1-2. He’s the one who made everything that we see, John 1-3. We’re talking the firstborn. We’re talking the beginning of the creation of God. We’re talking about what it is all about. Jesus Christ our Lord. Turn back to chapter 1, verse 8. The emphasis is on his preeminence and his power. In Revelation 1, 8, it says, I am Alpha and Omega, the what? The beginning and the ending, saith the Lord. And we know as we had studied in that passage that that’s used in Isaiah of the Lord God himself. So the Lord God is the beginning. He’s the beginning of the creation of God. Turn to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. There is nothing more wonderful to discuss than the person of Jesus Christ. Agreed? You talk about priority, preeminence, power. It’s all here. It says, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation? For by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible. whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. He is the head of the body of the church, who is the, what? Beginning the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. He’s the creator of everything. All demons, all angels, every one of them were all created by Christ. Every galaxy that we’ve ever discovered was all made by Jesus Christ. That’s what the Bible says. And verse 19, it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. The Greek says that all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him. Everything that God is, is in him. He is the living God. And he created everything. He is definitely the beginning. The beginning of it all. And all of it flows out of him.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And David’s back in just a moment or two with a final word on today’s lesson. So stay right there. And just before that, David’s son Matt is with me. And we want to tell you about a timely resource that will help you see clearly why this world seems to be going down the tubes. And spoiler alert, it’s not your imagination.
SPEAKER 03 :
Matt? Western culture is working furiously to abandon democratic principles and moral values. We no longer seem capable of controlling ourselves and our pursuits of pleasure and material gain. The good life, Matt.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
The good life has brought corruption, greed, and self-destructive narcissism. You know, Jim, we talk of human rights, but care little for the innocent and plenty of talk, but little true compassion and care. The sanctity of life. Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
is sacrificed on the altar of convenience, career, and license. The rights and privacy of the individual seem more important than our responsibilities to one another and, Matt, our desire to work for the common good.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, whatever happened to words like duty, altruism, responsibility, accountability, and concern for others? I mean, why do crime and violent acts flourish in our cities and our police departments seem helpless in their efforts to control the rampage? All right. Our news sources, Matt, today,
SPEAKER 04 :
Our news sources so often lack integrity, to say the least. Entertainment outlets glorify evil as good and good as evil.
SPEAKER 03 :
The most tragic of all, Jim, is that we’ve left God out of our public life. We’ve decided that the so-called political doctrine of separation of church and state means people of faith stay out of government. But government can intrude on our beliefs and practices.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, we need a moral and spiritual revival. Do indeed. Well, this month, folks, we have a powerful and encouraging way to say thanks for your more. Yeah, it’s my dad’s book, Whatever Happened to Morality. Great book it is. Inside, your dad takes us into the word and history for answers, encouragement. This book is so hard to put down. And your donation today is a ministry investment in the future work of Hope for Today.
SPEAKER 03 :
And as always, please do pray for Hope for Today.
SPEAKER 04 :
To make your most generous donation of $20 or more and get your copy of David Hawking’s book, Whatever Happened to Morality, just call us at 875-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada and Bible by the numbers 24253. And you can also contribute and receive the book online at davidhawking.org. Also, we want to let you know that David’s complete Revelation study notes for our current radio series in Revelation are available right now. The package is just $10. Now, these are outlines for all 48 messages, and they are loaded with scripture references, cross-references, definitions, historical insight, and solid biblical teaching to help you dig deeper into Revelation and save so much of what you’re hearing. To order, visit us at davidhonking.org or call 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And if God is stirring your heart to help sustain this work, here’s how you can do that. Call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE, again, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, Bible, by the numbers, or give online at davidhawking.org. And if you prefer to send your gift by mail or maybe share a prayer request, write to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S, 8P1. Every note, every gift, every prayer matters. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in and through Hope for Today. Once again, here’s David.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thanks for listening, friends. We’re in Chapter 3, beginning with the last of the seven churches, the church at Laodicea. And? We call it material prosperity. Boy, that can get in the way of serving the Lord. I’ll tell you, there’s a lot of churches today that that’s all they talk about. It’s called the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. But it’s really not the true gospel at all. I hope you’re ready. There are so many things that we need to understand. And about the church of Laodicea, The Messiah identifies Himself as the Amen and the Faithful and the True Witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Wow, that’s quite an introduction to the majesty of our Messiah. He’s the one delivering these messages to the churches. And boy, I hope you’re ready. We need to understand that God wants us to get right with Him. To repent, that’s going to be the message again in chapter 3’s message to the church at Laodicea. Be zealous, therefore, says verse 19, and repent. Well, try to be with us for every one of these broadcasts. God bless you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, next time on the program, Jesus continues his confrontation with a church at Laodicea, and it only gets more intense. So invite someone to listen with you, and it’s straight from Revelation chapter 3, right here on Hope for Today. Hope for Today
