Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Spittin’ Mad
The Church at Laodicea – Part 2 of 2
Jesus’ harsh words for the Church at Laodicea were not simply careless words spoken in a fit of anger. Jesus had prepared this message carefully. He had used intentionally vivid images from the existing culture to be sure the Church would understand His message. In a more subtle way, Jesus also shows His majesty by organizing His rebuke into a five-fold revelation.
The first and most striking thing Jesus had to say to the Christians at Laodicea was how casual they were in their faith. Jesus disliked strongly their cavalier, flippant attitude they had about spiritual matters and gave them a blistering reprimand. In Revelation 3:15-16, He drew a vivid word picture for the people in Laodicea that captured the essence of His anger – they were lukewarm.
The Laodiceans knew how disgusting lukewarm water was to drink. It was not at all refreshing or satisfying. Now Jesus is telling this group of professing Christians they are just like the lukewarm water that feeds into their city – they were disgusting. Jesus uses very graphic words. He was saying to them that they literally made Him sick to His stomach, and made Him want to vomit them out of His mouth.
Because He is Living Water, Christ knew only He could bring refreshment and renewed life to the Church at Laodicea. After drinking of His Living Water, however, these Christians had fallen away and become lukewarm. Their faith was now half-hearted, uncommitted, cavalier, careless, and casual. Jesus was telling them in plain, strong language that casual Christians make Him sick!
These are words of warning to us all. Half-hearted, half-committed Christians are repulsive to our LORD. He is either the LORD of all, or He is not LORD at all in your life. Jesus Christ does not just want to be a part of your life, He wants to be your entire life. He wants to be your everything or your nothing at all. The lifeless religion He witnessed in the Church at Laodicea was sickening to our LORD, who had given His blood for the Church. You can be casual about a lot of things in your life; however, your relationship and commitment to Jesus is not one of them.
Ask yourself: would you say you are a dedicated Christian? A committed Christian? A hot Christian, one who’s on fire for the LORD? Or would it be more accurate to define yourself as a part-time Christian, a nominal Christian, even a lukewarm Christian? Some people have said “I’m willing to become a Christian, but I don’t want to be too radical”. Jesus is telling us here that you aren’t even ready to become a Christian until you are ready to get radical. He is saying that if you aren’t a radical Christian, you aren’t much of a Christian at all.
Jesus despised not only the casual attitude in the Church at Laodicea, He despised their confidence and He rebuked them for their self-sufficiency (v.17). Apparently they were a wealthy Church – meeting their budgets and able to purchase whatever they wanted or needed. This gave them a false sense of security and self-confidence. They had lost their attitude of desperate dependence on Jesus. Self-confidence and self-sufficiency always lead to self-destruction. If we ever lose our desperate dependency on Jesus we are in serious trouble.
The Church at Laodicea was also content. They were content to be half-hearted, half-committed to Jesus Christ. They were apathetic spiritually and did not care. Jesus is telling them they need a revival in their hearts and lives. But the Church is telling Jesus by its actions that “We don’t need anything. We see no reason to change or to try anything new. We are happy with things just the way they are”. Jesus is warning them that being casual and complacent is unacceptable – being content to stay that way is repulsive!
The Church’s ignorance also made them confused (v.17). Jesus is telling them, ”You think you are “hot stuff”, wealthy and in need of nothing, but I say you are in a miserable and wretched condition – poor and blind and naked”. The world around them was probably saying “What a great Church! What a successful Church!” Jesus, never One to mince words, tells them it doesn’t matter what others think of about their Church or themselves; what matters is what God thinks. Only He has the true picture. He alone has all the facts and He alone knows our true condition. Ask yourself how God would assess the condition of your own life or your church.
The Church at Laodicea was Christ-less. In verse 20, Jesus is telling them He is on the outside, wanting to come in. He has been locked out of His own House, the Church. This Church was calling itself Christian and Christ was not even a part of it. Christ had been shut out of His own Church by their pride and self-sufficient attitudes.
Finally, the Church was chastised. As disobedient as they were, the LORD loved this Church too much to let them go on in their sin and self-sufficiency. When we begin to cool off spiritually, when we begin to go our own way, we can expect Christ to step in to discipline us (Hebrews 12:5-6). Perhaps you are experiencing the disciplining hand of God in your life right now. If so, God is chastening you to repent of the sin in your life and return to Him.
Casual, confident, content, confused, Christ-less, and chastised – this was the state of the Church at Laodicea. This Church is in the saddest state of all of the seven Churches that Jesus addresses in Revelation. Yet despite their pitiful and pathetic condition, Jesus has a remedy for them. If they will only repent and rely on Him instead of the Earthly wealth they have, Jesus will provide them with spiritual riches far beyond their imaginations. He will clothe them in the purest white garments possible, and will feed them with everlasting food and Living Water. He wants to dine with us, and He will bring everything (v.20).
Have you been shutting Jesus out of your decisions and thoughts? Is Jesus Christ residing firmly in your life or is He standing on the outside wanting to come in? Is your heart on fire for Him, or is it lukewarm, even cold? Jesus tells us a normal relationship with Him involves letting Him into our lives. Keeping Him shut out or even at arms-length is not normal.
Ask yourself today if you are willing to let Christ into your life. Today, would you be willing to repent of your lukewarm heart and let God set your heart on fire for Him? Those who repent He forgives. Otherwise, He is spittin’ mad at your sin and rebellion. If you overcome your sin, He will give you the right to sit with Him on His throne (v.21). He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches, for the Spirit’s words are normal and good.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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