The Good-for-Nothing Church: The Church at Laodicea
The Good-for-Nothing [Vomit Inducing] Church: The Church at Laodicea
Key Bible Verses
Revelation 3:14-22
Digging Deeper
Jesus condemns The Church at Laodicea for being spiritually lukewarm, and because He knows their deeds, He calls on this church to be earnest and repent so that they can be victorious.
Collins Dictionary states, “If you describe a person or their attitude as lukewarm, you mean that they are not showing much enthusiasm or interest.” Being lukewarm is a sad indictment of The Church at Laodicea and a warning that we, too, must carefully assess our spiritual temperature and deeds to remain passionate about our faith.
In what ways can we reignite our faith if it has gotten lukewarm?
Confess to God our struggle to stay passionate in our faith and ask for forgiveness for being lukewarm.
Ask the Holy Spirit to renew our spirit and strengthen our faith, opening up new possibilities for growth and renewal.
Desire to read and study the Word of God.
Pray for a deeper relationship with God as we grow closer to Him every day in new and exciting ways.
Seek out wise believers who will hold us accountable and encourage us to deepen our faith, providing us with the support and guidance we need.
See challenges and obstacles we face as opportunities from God to experience God’s power, strength, and love for us as we overcome our fears, doubts, and struggles.
Thank God for His faithfulness and His never-ending love for us.
May the Holy Spirit fill us with His presence and guide us daily as we passionately love and serve our wonderful God.
What Not To Miss
The Church at Laodicea
Main Points:
Revolutionary living consists of deeds that match one’s declaration.
Revolutionary living requires the fruit from your life to match the faith of your life.
Revolutionaries live in light of the KING, giving HIM the credit for EVERY GOOD THING.
Jesus reveals three things to the Church at Laodicea.
1. Where they are spiritually. (Revelation 3:15–16)
Jesus tells them they are in a place of spiritual lukewarmness that has made Him sick.
It is their deeds that made Jesus sick.
You fulfill no purpose other than making me sick. You are good for nothing!
Their deeds and the way they were living were neither cold nor hot and not useful to the Lord.
Therefore, they were lukewarm, and Jesus wanted to VOMIT them out of His mouth. He got to the point where He could not stomach them anymore.
2. How they got where they are. (Revelation 3:17)
The three-step process to spiritual lukewarmness.
Wander from the source of water—from which you originated.
Be affected by the temperature of the new context.
Change the usage of the water source from which you originated.
They are neither useful in a cold water context or a hot water context. Therefore, they have been affected by the temperature of the new context to the degree they no longer bear the usefulness of the source from which they originated.
Principle:
They became useless for Jesus, even to the point of making Him sick, when
their temperature adjusted to the context of the larger culture.
Culture
A system of learned and shared beliefs, language, norms, values, and symbols that groups use to identify themselves and provide a framework to live and work.
Culture is what people make of the world in the way they interpret it, what they create from it, and how they view and use what is created in it. (Andy Crouch)
The way of life for an entire society.
How did this manifest itself in the Church at Laodicea?
They exhibited the same kind of values and behaviors that non-Christians in Laodicea possessed.
They were robbing Jesus of His glory and the credit that He was due.
Their failure to act, think, and behave differently than the larger culture is what made them useless in the eyes of Jesus and thus made Jesus sick.
What are the signs/symptoms of lukewarm Churches and Christians?
Focus on evangelism to the neglect of discipleship. (Discipleship = Learning what it means to be human and part of the new human race after the image and likeness of Jesus.)
Forgetfulness that you are dependent on Christ for everything.
Failure to thank God for every good thing, even trials and tribulations.
Furious at God when things don’t go your way.
Frustrated at life, even when all is well, because there is an emptiness.
Fusion between Christian living and the larger culture’s living.
Falling in love with the things of the world rather than the King who’s over, above, and in the world.
You’re U.S.E.F.U.L. if you:
Understand evangelism and discipleship.
See that you’re dependent on Christ for everything.
Exhibit a life distinct from the larger culture.
Fall more in love with Jesus.
Underscore living a life of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Look to God when things don’t go your way and when things are ok.
And you will never have to worry about being lukewarm!
3. What they needed to do to change. (Revelation 3:18–20)
Look to Jesus’ wholesome counsel.
Listen to Jesus’ loving rebuke and repent.
Let Jesus back into the home of your heart.
Are you Christian by name only? Do your deeds match your declaration?
Does your fruit align with faith? Do you give the King credit and glory for everything?
When there’s UNITY between your deeds/fruit and declaration/faith, you become USEFUL to the King in advancing His Kingdom!
Life Application
This week, take your spiritual temperature. Determine if you are lukewarm at this moment in your faith journey and if your deeds are worthless or useful. List a few things that would ignite your passion for God. Pray about these things and ask for God’s help in making a heart change that will please Him.
Small Group Discussion Questions
Describe your favorite food that is served hot, and also describe your favorite food that is served cold.
What positive things does Jesus say about the Church at Laodicea?
What negative things does Jesus say about the Church at Laodicea?
What does Jesus tell the Church at Laodicea to do?
How does what is said about the Church at Laodicea apply to the current-day church?
Daily Devotional Bible Passages
Day 1: Rebuke-2 Timothy 4:2; Proverbs 1:23; Proverbs 3:11-12
Day 2: Discipline-Hebrews 12:11; Proverbs 12:1; 1 Corinthians 9:27
Day 3: Earnestness-2 Corinthians 8:7; 2 Peter 3:12; Isaiah 26:9
Day 4: Repentance-Acts 3:19; 2 Peter 3:9; 2 Chronicles 7:14
Day 5: Victory-1 John 5:4;1 Corinthians 15:57; Phillipians 4:13
Prayer
Lord, I come to You and confess that, at times, my heart has been lukewarm. I ask for Your forgiveness for any of these times when I have not loved you with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me reset my priorities and focus on You with the passion and dedication I had when I had my first love for You. Let me seek You and Your will and obey what You want to teach me. Give me strength and courage to face areas where I need to improve, and help me to love You with all my heart. Let my love and passion for You be evident in everything that I do, and especially, let me remember the sacrifice You made when You died for my sins on the cross. May my life honor You, and may I be a light that shines in a dark world and reflects Your glory to neighbors and nations.
