The Last Church on Earth.

In the Bible, Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are messages to God's church down through the ages. It begins with the church following Jesus returning to heaven and ends with the last church before he returns.

Laodicea is the name given to the last church on earth. The "church" means Christendom - all those who profess Christianity. All other ages of Christianity have attributes that God praises - all but Laodicea. 

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 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. 

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. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent."
Revelation 3:14-19

What is the great sin of the Church at the end of time? Pride and independence. 

Pride:  There are a few definitions of pride, some good and some bad. The pride God is speaking of is this:  "The quality or state of being proud; inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank, etc., which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others."

          "I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech." Proverbs 8:13
          "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall." Proverbs 16:18
          "Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our                     acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith." Romans 3:27

           "This church represents the state of the church, from the end of the spiritual reign of Christ, till the time of his personal appearing and kingdom, to judge the quick and dead; for after the spiritual reign is over, professors of religion will sink into a formality, and into a lukewarm frame of spirit, and into great spiritual sloth and security, Revelation 3:15, which will make those times like the times of Noah and of Lot; and such will be the days of the coming of the son of man to judge the world. Its name signifies either "the righteousness of the people"; and so may point at that popular and external righteousness, which the majority of the professors of religion in this period of time will be boasting of, and trusting in; being self-sufficient, and self-dependent, when at the same time they will be naked, as well as poor and blind," 
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

To be continued...