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Resources - Meditations
October 2000
A Millennium Message
for the Church
Laodicea – Devoted to Christ (Rev 3:14-21)
Rev. Bill Van Schie
The city of Laodicea is found a few kilometers from
Colossae on the trade route between Colossae and Philadelphia. The city
was built on a flat top hill overlooking the beautiful rich fertile
Lycus valley where the rivers Lycus and Meander converged. Laodicea was
famous for its high quality black wool garments, its prosperous merchant
banks and its medical insights, particularly in dealing with eye
complaints.
As you approach Laodicea you realize that it was a walled city with a
number of splendid inscribed gates. It had two Roman theatres to the
north and a large sports stadium. An aqueduct water system brought water
into the city and one of the attractions in the area was the hot springs
in which many bathed. The Laodicean’s main religion was the worship of
Zeus to which they quite easily added emperor worship.
Laodicea was a prosperous and wealthy city. After two devastating
earthquakes it was able to rebuild itself in 60AD without any aid from
the empire. They were a proud, fiercely independent and self sufficient
people. They were accommodating and quite willing to compromise their
religious beliefs and values if this would enhance their prosperity.
In this affluent and accommodating city the Lord planted a small
Christian church using his servant Epaphras who was based at Colossae.
They thought that they were rich in their Christianity because they
shared in the prosperity of their city. They had a good and comfortable
home and church life and counted themselves richly blessed. They knew
their scriptures, they conducted good services, they had many church
activities and the home life was exemplary.
However, without realizing it they were desperately poor wretched
sinners who had little that was real. They were naked in real spiritual
blessings and were blind to see it. They lived for their own comforts
and success and tipped the Lord from their leftovers. They adopted the
spirit of their city accommodating much to maintain their affluence. In
the end they were not distinguishable from their pagan surroundings.
They were proudly self sufficient and independent even pushing the Lord
himself out of his own church. Jesus describes them as being like their
hot springs, “lukewarm” and tepid. They were nauseating and repulsive to
the Lord.
Well Jesus, the “Amen”, who is true in all he says, the “Ruler of
creation” who is able to do what he says, comes to this church and warns
and rebukes them in love to repent. He calls them to “buy gold” – real
spiritual riches from him and he will provide them with “white robes” of
his righteousness and give them “eye salve” so that they can clearly see
their priorities. Jesus presents the picture of himself standing outside
his own church knocking to come in. The Lord challenges them to overcome
their mediocrity, their accommodating spirit, their affluent comfortable
lifestyle and become fully devoted, serving disciples.
As we read these words they could have been written for the church
today. We live in a society that is prosperous, wealthy and
accommodating to maintain its affluence. We live in a consumerist
society where success, comforts are not only desired but a right.
Unfortunately in this context many Christians have swallowed the line of
prosperity theology, which teaches that the Lord blesses those who work
hard and uprightly, and that we have a right to our comforts, luxuries
and affluence. The Lord has a right to his share for his kingdom work
but the Lord blesses with prosperity and comforts those who work hard.
Job would have a hard time living within the context of this theology,
as would Jesus.
Within our circles we have our own self sufficient, independent version
of prosperity theology. Here too the bottom line is success, comforts
and affluence. The individual Christian grows in prosperity and assets
but the church and kingdom work languishes because of lack of resources
because ‘self’ is the focus and the Lord’s work is often an
afterthought.
Although there is a kind of orthodox theology behind this version of
prosperity theology, in practice it has very little to distinguish it
from the secular, consumerist materialist culture in which it lives. It
has become lukewarm and tepid and is repulsive to the Lord. We can even
drive Jesus out of his own church with it.
The Lord calls on us to overcome the consumerist and materialist
temptations of our time. Not to work and earn just to live in more and
more comfort, but to proclaim Jesus as king of our work-place, to serve
the Lord with our giftedness and opportunities, and to resource Kingdom
ministries. To become more committed and more devoted disciples.
To experience the thrill of generosity...! To experience the thrill of
using ones spiritual gifts...! To see the Reformed Churches of Australia
being used mightily and effectively by the Lord in the “Great Southland
of the Holy Spirit”...! He who overcomes will have the honor of
“supping” with Jesus and sitting with Him.
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!”
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