“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” – Jesus in Revelation 3:19.
To the Church of Laodicea, Jesus had just said, “because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” They were not in material need; they thought they were doing well! It’s all too easy in times of affluence to get into the rut of trusting the flesh over the Spirit. It’s obvious that our eternal spiritual condition and relationship with God should take precedence.
A couple thoughts struck me one night as I lay awake; something that may seem obvious to you, but impacted me nonetheless. Jesus was clearly speaking to those who considered themselves the “chosen people of God” when he taught the truth in this parable, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21). Jesus, the Son of God is talking about a life of trust in God first, displayed in obedience…and He says to those among them who put their trust on creation rather than their Creator, “You Fool”!
They had so much revelation from God. They had His Word! They had so many lessons from history to learn from, even the return to Israel from captivity as a remnant people, and yet, like the Israelites in the book of Judges, they began to trust in themselves again. This is perfectly consistent with God’s teaching toward Israel from the beginning: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
God gives both the Church of Laodicea, and the American Church, the path to recovery, but first they must properly see their malady. They were growing self-sufficient in their own eyes rather than leaning on God’s all-sufficiency. I don’t separate myself from this group; I see my own tendency to take my eyes off of my Lord and place them on external things. In fact, I believe this sinful tendency attacks me every day. “Putting on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11-18), is about living out that life of trust in Christ. Trust is about believing the diagnosis of my condition (such as the one given to the Church of Laodicea), then acting on it. If God is telling a financially well-off church that they are spiritually poor; counseling them to buy from Him that which will last (Rev 3:18), rather than from the world, than heeding His Word is vital to their very survival!
A local church can easily get swept up in worldly issues, and then it is no longer useful for the primary task God had already given: To make Disciples, which is both evangelism and discipleship. Giving token service/offering to God, but practically living with no semblance of trusting Him is “lukewarm” according to Him, and the eventual fate will be that of being “spit out”, or cast out of effective fellowship with God and ministry to Him as a church. This has both individual and corporate dimensions, so we have to work on ourselves first, and then encourage one another in the faith weekly, if not daily! How do we do this?
First of all, we have to remind others of the very words from God. This can be done in a whole host of ways, but must particularly be preached from the pulpit, then reiterated in different ways. 2ndly, and not unrelated to the first, we must continue to prioritize the eternal, spiritual considerations of over the more temporary, physical matters (though obviously, they both do). One way I do this: Intentionally thinking of and praying for the persecuted Church around the world has multiple benefits. Not only does God answer prayers on their behalf, but it serves to remind us of both the fragile nature of religious freedom and their example of trust is one that we must increasingly seek to emulate!
Finally, we must repent, as Jesus said! We repent of our lack of trust in Him, or of those distractions we’ve succumbed to. We ask Him for strength to live out Deuteronomy 6:5, to “Love the Lord with all your heart…” Ask Him to show you the steps you need to take this week in doing so, and if we are being disciplined (Rev 3:19), that is proof of His love! While we have the occasion, “be earnest, and repent.”
Tough times can easily be a blessing in disguise. They remind us that this life is fragile, and there are greater things worth considering. They help us clean out the superfluous, and prioritize the essentials. Best of all, they lead us into a life of faith and genuine trust. Lord Jesus, give us the strength to overcome!