Laodicea.
"Shush, Luke! Stop your incessant blaaabbering. And you're chewing with your mouth open again! Argh! Why do I have to endure such a bleating? This is the moment we've been waiting for! He's gonna say something. Ah, doesn't he look spiffy, all dressed in black?" Thousands of brainless eyes blinked in hushed anticipation of direction from their new leader.
"And now, we shall regurgitate from the Book of Cud. As it is written in Chapter One of the First of Four Chambers, "We, the sheeple, are now in charge. Though the scientific study has received meager amounts of criticism, a recent CSheT scan revealed a possible increase in the size of one of our subject's brains, indicating our species has indeed evolved. We will no longer need to follow orders from our previous Shepherd, as our forerams meekly did. Not that anyone actually still has a copy of His book, but if you do happen to run across an archaic Book of the Lamb, it can be disregarded, as it is officially irrelevant for our present culture. Since no one has ever succeeded in proving who's right or wrong, I hereby declare everything to be 'all good'. Nothing's really baaad or good. There's no more need to judge. There's no absolute tooth. Who really nose, after all? Or something like that. My eyes don't see too good anymore. Long live the Year of the Ram! And now, I'll turn it over to my Deputy, Bunny Love, who has an official holiday established in honor of his kind." A great roar went up from the happy flock...
In the King James version, God addressed the other churches as "to the church in Philadelphia". This time, He addresses "to the church of the Laodiceans", indicating this is not His church. There will be no commendation for this church. Instead, they receive warnings, corrections, and teachings.
First, He presents Himself as the Amen, the One who is Faithful and True, and the ruler of all Creation. This would be quite a counterpunch to a culture that believes there is no absolute truth, one that has moved away from His sovereign authority, and has accepted the theory of Evolution for their existence.
Secondly, He knows how to hit them where they live and use their common things to teach deep truths. Laodicea had water supply issues. A few miles away, there were natural hot springs. They desperately wanted to bring those hot waters into their town and enjoy such. By the time it got there, it was lukewarm. A few miles away in the mountains poured forth icy streams of fresh water. By the time the cold water arrived by aqueduct, it was lukewarm. He would rather us be cold or hot, but will vomit out the lukewarm. If we are cold, He can break us and use us, like He did with Paul. If we are hot for Him, He promises an overcoming victory.
Laodicea had three major boons: banking, fashion, and medicine. They were rich in gold, allowing theatres, banks, gymnasiums, and stores to flourish. They raised a rare breed of sheep, with all black wool, providing them fancy, urban clothing to wear. They touted a famous eye salve that they shipped all over the area, though the active ingredient has been questioned. Jesus ironically declared them to be poor, blind, and naked. He's judging those that have declared there should be no judgment. They have established a position of them knowing best. This is modernism and post-modernism in action.
They were a city known for compromising. Their location didn't allow for any protection from invading armies. Instead, they calculated their best chance of survival was just to go along with whatever whim of culture came along. Acceptance and tolerance became staples. People pleasing and fence riding were the way of life. This is the worst kind of hypocrisy there is. This is saying we love Jesus, but not really meaning it.
Here comes Kung Fu Jesus, knowing exactly where to hit people to show them He is the Way. Each blow comes with the Truth that He rebukes and disciplines those He loves. He doesn't want to lose anyone, but wants everyone to be with Him in heaven. He prayed for that in John 17. He proved it by living out John 3:16. The entire Bible is permeated with His great love for us.
What are we to do? He instructs us to be earnest and repent. Then He announces His presence, "Here I am!". He stands at our heart's door and knocks. There is only one handle to this door, and it's on the inside of us. We are the ones that have to open the door and let Him in. He won't break down the door, though we pray that very thing to happen to our loved ones. We need to inform our loved ones of this truth. Tell them He is standing outside, knocking. Tell them to open the door and let Him in. He is waiting for them to respond. He is hoping they will want Him inside. He is praying for their faith. He promises to come in and eat with them, providing true friendship and fellowship. Think about what this means! If our bodies really are the temple the Bible describes, and we have invited Jesus to live inside us by the miracle of the Holy Spirit's presence, and our bodies are not our own as in 1Cor. 6:19, what kind of things does this allow? What kind of changes might take place? This is something to get excited about!
I propose we start acting as if He truly does dwell within us, as He promised. Maybe we would fear less. Maybe we would worry less. Maybe we would be more victorious over those things that weigh us down. Maybe the fulfillment of intimacy would truly satisfy our longings. Maybe the comfort of His presence would allow for real contentedness, no matter our circumstances. Maybe we would see the fruit of His divine purposes for suffering. Maybe we would be the men and women He designed us to be, creatures that bring Him glory. And so on...
Going back to the part of buying from Jesus gold refined by fire, I believe this is Jesus' remedy to lukewarm-ness. This is the Surgeon removing tumors. This is the Healer mending wounds. This is extracting aromatic and medicinal myrrh from a tree by enduring repeated blows. This is the grapes being crushed by the winepress for His glory. This is persecution, suffering, and hardship as a part of living in a fallen world. This is the Job story. All of these examples are for the purpose of refining our faith in Christ. Trials are okay. Buy into them. I believe we pray in the wrong way. We pray for everything to be good and fixed. Let trials run their course to purify your faith in Christ and to make you hot for the Lord again. Pray differently. Trust Him wholeheartedly. We don't want to be lukewarm and be spewed out of His mouth. These irritations reveal the condition of our hearts. They illuminate our need for the Holy Spirit to heal different areas. I've been too whiny about certain things. I've prayed for things to be healed, relieved, improved, removed, or whatever for the betterment of my life and others'. It's like me praying for a lighter load, when He wants to give me a stronger back.
Folks, I hope you can perceive that we are living in the times of Laodicea. This is the last of seven letters to the churches. This is the last period of the church history before He takes us to heaven in the Rapture. We will notice the church is gone beginning in Chapter 4 next week. There has been a great division in the church of today. There are real, genuine believers of the Philadelphia church that still hold to the Word of God as the authority in their lives. They love it, read it, and obey it. They are not of any one particular denomination, but are of Jesus. They live amongst a growing trend of Laodicea that has allowed all truth to be compromised. Don't be lukewarm. Kindle your passion for the Lord today. Get off the fence and let's ride! Be encouraged that I am riding with you. You are not alone in this journey. I need your encouragement, as well. I want to continue to wake up early enough to spend time with the Lord, reading His Word and praying. It's a battle of my mind and flesh. We need to take our time in the Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. Read it with the expectancy that He wants to speak to you! It will make a difference.
Make my heart pure, Lord. Develop a deeper faith in You. Build my spiritual strength. Send the trials my way. Encourage me to depend on You to thrive during these irritations. Whatever it takes, Lord. I've been lukewarm. I want to be on fire for You, like I once was, and like You call me to be today. Help me buy into the processes of justification and sanctification. Cut away anything that needs to be delicately removed. Tear away anything that stands to become an idol and detract from my First Love. Teach me about purity and holiness and let me not be ashamed to represent such in a very perverted and lost world. Lead me in Your Way, Father. May nothing hinder me from becoming exactly all You had purposed for my life since before You created me. May I be about bringing You glory in everything You allow me to do.
