Revelation 3:14-20
Colossians 1:15-17
HE is our source.
-He is Faithful & True: Specifically, He is faithful & true to His promises; He is dependable & trustworthy; He is genuine & real.
-Laodicea needed to hear this. They had wealth & prosperity, and foolishly thought that THEY were in control;
-HE is the source for your joy…peace….for your finances, for your family…
-Jesus came to seek and to save THE LOST…not those who already think they are found.
Indifference in inexcusable.
-Being cold is at least a starting place for God being able to work. It’s an understanding that you are lost, I think, and again, Jesus came to seek and to save the LOST! He can work with lost. A much more dangerous place to be in IN the fold, IN the flock, but still not following the shepherds voice. That’s lukewarm.
Lukewarmness or indifference is the worst state of being as a Christian.
–If our belief in Jesus is a real thing, it is the most excellent thing, and therefore WORTH being ALL IN; if it is not a real thing, its one of the most disgusting things. It’s the worst thing. Vile. Gross. Insincere faith is gross. And it usually only exists for power or pride purposes.
-If faith is worth any thing, it is worth every thing; an indifference here is inexcusable.
-Reminds me of Elijah in the OT saying to the king…Why waver between two opinions? If God is God, follow him; if Baal is God, follow him. Here is no room for neutrality. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. Be an open enemy of God, there’s more hope for you there, than this wavering in between.
-The atmosphere in Laodicea was that of prosperity which (for them) led to spiritual laziness, neglect & unconcern. And Jesus was rejecting that kind of Christianity.
Jesus sees things differently.
-It’s often pretty hard for us to FEEL our poverty spiritually, when we can’t feel it physically.
-This is why He constantly says, those who have ears to hear, let them hear, those who have eyes to see…He’s not talking about physical ears and eyes…He’s trying to get US to see things differently too!!
-We HAVE to start seeing things through a Biblical worldview, to understand the world through the Bible and not through culture. Culture is shifting sand, culture changes…GOD’S WORD NEVER CHANGES.
-The ONLY way to be good enough to co-exist with a PERFECT God, is Jesus. We are WRETCHED without Him. THAT IS WHY Jesus is the only way. We’re not being mean or judgmental or arrogant when we say Jesus is the only way. HE JUST IS THE ONLY FIX FOR THIS SIN PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE.
Obedience is costly.
-Salvation is free, but deliverance costs you. It requires some sacrifice. Some death. Death to your SELF. Death to your COMFORT. Death to your quiet, so that true peace can be found.
-I’m buying THEIR peace, with my sacrifice of quiet. I buy the spiritual eyes to see like Jesus sees, with the cost of my time–in the Word. I’m paying JESUS for that understanding (into the Word), and He gives it GENEROUSLY!
Five churches were strongly admonished:
Ephesus: Forsaking their first love.
Pergamum: For Compromising
Thyatira: For Corruption & Seduction
Sardis: For being spiritually dead & asleep
Laodicea: For their lukewarm faith.
Smyrna & Philadelphia received no criticism. They were FAITHFUL.
The Lord praises His church when we resist false doctrine & teachers
when we remember our first love
when we persevere even thru persecution.
when we refuse to bow the knee to culture.
when we remain faithful even unto death.
when we keep God’s Word and ConfessJesus!