The ancient city of Laodecia was located in the Lycus River Valley of Southern Phrygia. This metropolis was alive with commerce, entertainment, medical facilities, and fashion. It did, however, have an inadequate water supply and was forced to build an aqueduct between two cities. Hieropolis was known for its underground hot springs and Colossee boasted of cool and refreshing water from a mountain stream.
By the time water reached Laodecia from either location it was tepid and lukewarm. This dilemma was symbolic of the spiritual temperature of the assembly of believers located there.
The church at Laodecia was permeated by the surrounding culture. The church was wealthy, and this produced a pseudo-security. They also fancied themselves to be fashionably “in touch” and trendy. But they were deceived about their spiritual condition. They were neither despondent nor zealous. They were mediocre. It was the kind of neutrality that diminished their perspective, motivation, witness, and availability. This eventually led to a wretched spiritual condition of nakedness and blindness.
Christ strongly encouraged them to change their faulty and destructive way of thinking. As the Amen, He challenged them to center their lives on the certainty and the veracity of His Word. Speaking as the Faithful and True Witness He encouraged a lifestyle of consistency and authenticity. And then He provoked them to creativity in expressions of love and goodness as He referred to Himself as the initiator and originating source of all Creation.
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