THE MODERN LAODICEAN CHURCH

Whenever a dead body has been discovered, the first thing they do is call in a forensic team to find the cause and time of death and forensics tell us that a dead body will take on the temperature of its environment where it is lying. Such was the case with the church at Laodicea. It was a room temperature church neither hot nor cold. Laodicea was a church that allowed itself to be influenced by the world around it with the result being that it no longer influenced its environment, but was rather being influenced by its environment. Jesus had nothing good to say about it. The church was ineffective and dead. The Laodicean church speaks of the worldly church. Laodicea is a compound from [Laos] (“people”) and [dikē] (“rule”). These words mean ‘mob rule’. Is also a compound Greek word meaning almost the same thing as "democracy?" In other words they took democracy into the church government but the church structure should be run by Theocracy and not democracy. While ever you have democracy within the church government you are going to have worldliness.

 If there are problems within the church then the word of God gives us the directions and answers for overcoming the problems. The problem that King David had when he tried to get the Ark of God’s presence back to the people of Israel was that the glory had departed and he tried to get the Ark and the glory back to God’s people so he did this by consulting all the people and it failed. It was only when he consulted God that he found the correct way to restore the Ark and anything done in God’s way, which is according to his word will never lack God’s blessing.

 Democracy is not what God set in order for people to rule by.

Theocracy is God ordained rule. Democracy is mob ordained rule.

 The church in Laodicea had locked Jesus outside, yet they were going through all their religious services. They had locked him outside the door of their hearts and the invitation from him was to come and sit down at his table and share his meal. The message from the King sitting at his table is to eat with him. But if you put ambition at the head of the table, or anything else that puts Christ 2nd place, then He will not sit down and eat with you. He can’t be just a by product of your life. You either love Him with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength and with all your heart or you don’t. You can’t serve two masters. Just fitting the Lord into your schedule an hour here or an hour there is what keeps him standing outside the door of our hearts. It’s while I’m seated at the table of the Lord that I find rest for my soul.

Understanding comes when we eat at the table of the Lord. You can’t have rest for your soul until you have come to understand the ways of God. His ways are not our ways; his thoughts are not our thoughts.

 So how do I find rest through all the trials and tribulations of life? I have to sit down with him, and as I sit and eat with him I then come to know his ways and understand his heart. His word becomes flesh because it’s a living word and something that is alive and active can do something to you, it can bring you alive.

There’s a vast difference between knowing the Scriptures and understanding the Scriptures.

Knowing knowledge is in our head. Understanding knowledge is in our heart,

It is the experiential knowledge that causes our hearts to burn within.

 

I know that Christ is the deliverer because I have experienced his deliverance in my life. Sitting and eating at the King’s table is to get the experience. If I invited you to a meal in my house, you enter in and find a note on the table that says ‘please sit down and help yourself to the meal, sorry I can’t join you as I had a meeting to go to’. You could enjoy that meal but you would not have experienced my presence.

 

That’s like some of us with the word of God, we sit down and read the Scriptures but we know nothing about the author. We should know the Holy Spirit more than the scriptures. We should know the person more than we know their letters. Just because I know the scriptures doesn’t imply that I know the Holy Spirit. I may have a degree in theology, but Theology without experience is invalid otherwise it is not worth tuppence. Knowing about a person is one thing, but knowing them personally is something else. It’s not enough to recite the creed; scripture tells us that even the devils believe in God.  If we haven’t experienced his presence then all we have is head knowledge and that’s why most people have no joy in their lives because in his presence there is fullness of joy and the joy of the Lord is our strength.

 A dead church is a church that has a form of religion but has no power within and to the modern Laodicean church of today what a person believes about basic Biblical doctrines regarding Jesus, salvation, the Holy Spirit, eternity, etc. they’re not important as long as everybody gets along and loves everybody else. They forget that Jesus once said I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household Jesus does, in fact, divide people. In fact, He is the greatest divider the world has ever known.

 Very seldom, if ever, do you hear any priest or preacher expound doctrinal texts such as relate to divorce, morality, love of money, hell, etc. These topics are hardly ever mentioned, they are avoided because they “divide people and hurt their feelings”. The talk today is let us respect and tolerate each others’ culture. Let us have religious tolerance, don’t say anything that would offend someone else’s tradition and let us all give out a positive self image.

 The psychology of sin from a modern perspective is to make people feel better about themselves.

The apostate church of Revelation 17 will be very inclusive and ecumenical. It will accept just about anyone as a member — as long as biblical truth is not part of their belief system. Even then the mantra will be, “Doctrine divides; love unites”.

The difference between a dead church and a living church is the same difference between vultures and eagles. From a distance they both look similar, but it's only when you get close up that you see the difference. Vultures feed on dead meat whereas eagles feed on meat that is alive.

So it would be fitting to hear once again the words that Jesus addressed to this church.

 

 

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."