Message to Laodicea

[Darris McNeely] Among students of the Bible, there's a group of people who are the poster child for the worst of those that you don't wanna be. They are kind of the stepchildren of Christianity or the church. So the group called Laodicea. In Revelation 3, there is a message to a church of God that existed in the city, the ancient city of Laodicea, and it's a rather stern message that Christ gives to the church. He says in verse 15, to them, "I know your works, that you're neither hot nor cold, I could wish that you were cold or hot. And so then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth." It goes on to give a little bit more description about their works, that they really can't see themselves. They don't understand how poor and blind and miserable and naked they really are. And he councils with them to in the sense kind of let him, Christ, be involved in their life to come in and be with them.

But as I said, the Laodiceans are kind of always the stepchildren of the churches described in Revelation 2 and 3. But when you really look at what the message is, what Jesus is saying to His church, and the Laodicean's are His church. They're part of the body of Christ. What He is really saying to them, is "I want you to be hot or cold, get to be effective, because you're neither one." He says, "You're lukewarm. And because of that, I'm gonna vomit you out." Now what Christ is really saying to them is they weren't effective. You see being hot can be very effective. Hot water cleanses. Being cold is very effective. Cold water can refresh us, but lukewarm, lukewarm causes us to kind of vomit out something that is not working well within our system. And Jesus is saying, "You're lukewarm. You're neither hot nor cold." And he said, "If you don't change that, I'm gonna throw you out. I'm gonna vomit you out." And He encourages them with correction, stern correction. But really the point that Christ is making to the Laodicean's is you're not effective.

Now, that is a very important point. And frankly, it's sort of a point that every one of us as disciples, everyone who claims to be Christian, as part of the body of Christ should examine themselves on just how effective are we? Because we want to be effective as servants, as stewards, as disciples of God, and the work that He has put within our hand to do. Be cold, be hot, be effective, but don't be lukewarm. That's the message I think that is important for all of us to take out of this message Christ gives to this church at Laodicea.

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