 By James H. Cagle |
“And unto the angel (messenger pastor) of the church of the Laodiceans write . . . I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and nether cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3: 14-17 KJV).
Lukewarm water has an equal amount of cold and hot water. Lukewarm water is good for taking a bath and good for many other uses. But lukewarmness in spirit in our relationship with Jesus is not good and it makes God sick as well as Satan. God doesn’t want His people to be half-hearted in their service for Him and living for Him. Satan doesn’t want any of his people to be less than sold out and given completely over to sin and the things of the world. We are either in or out. We are either committed or we aren’t.
Jesus Christ rebukes the church at Laodicea for being sickeningly lukewarm. He would rather they were extreme and radical in their zeal or their indifference. To be lukewarm means we’ve found a happy medium. It means we’re straddling the fence, and as someone said, the devil made the fence for us to straddle on, and it leans his way.
A lukewarm church does not become disturbed at false teaching, and does not stand up in defense of the truth. A lukewarm church has lost its message, and mission and is ineffective in the cause of Christ.
The Laodicean church became lukewarm as a result of it rising out of poverty and becoming rich. With that wealth they became self-sufficient, self-satisfied, and had a false sense of security.
The Laodicean church is seen as the church in the end times and, as can be observed, is compared with the church of our day. The modern church is very wealthy, is complacent and indifferent to the things of God, is worldly and has a false sense of security.
Jesus tells the church to be zealous again for the things of God and repent of her indifference. William McDonald says, “It is undeniable that the church of Laodicea presents a vivid picture of the age in which we live. Luxury-living abounds on every hand while souls are dying for want of the gospel. Christians are wearing crowns instead of bearing crosses . . . There is little sense of spiritual need, little longing for true revival . . . We accumulate instead of forsake, lay up treasure on earth instead of in heaven.”
“Jesus is outside this professing church, politely knocking and inviting individuals (no longer the mass of the people) to leave the apostate church in order to have fellowship with Him.”
Multitudes of people are doing as Jesus said to do; they’re leaving church to find God. Some are starting independent churches and house churches because they do not want to be found among those of whom the Lord says, “I will spew you out of my mouth.” Not only does God get sick of a lukewarm church, a lot of Christians are sick of a lukewarm church, too, and are leaving.
