Review - Sunday Evening September 23rd

Review of Lord’s Day Evening: September 23^rd 2012

Pastor Neil Jackson

Revelation 3:14-18

My take on the sermon

The Church in Laodicea has grown fat and kicked like Jeshurun in Deuteronomy 32:15 – KJV “But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” Fatties; not physically but spiritually.  They have become self-reliant because of their wealth and strength.

-          Be humble and sober in estimation of yourself

-          Come to Jesus Christ for true riches

Discussion of “hot and cold”: The passage references the fact that Laodicea as a church was neither hot nor cold.  This has in the past been interpreted to mean that they were neither walking close to God and obeying Him (spiritually hot) nor were they hard hearted and rejecting God and His laws (spiritually cold).  However, this section seems to be filled with references to things Laodicea was noted for, such as making dark wool garments which is, perhaps sardonically referenced in the request for them to buy “white raiment”, or being in need of nothing since the city, when destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. (C.E.) 62, was rebuilt by the inhabitants of the city without help from outside, or the reference to eye salve as perhaps the city was known to be a center for eye-care, or their wealth.  And so the fact that there were hot and cold springs nearby (Colossae and Hierapolis) and yet the city itself had lukewarm water may then be a reference to Laodicea’s self-reliance leading to their uselessness for the purposes of God.  And so God desires that they would be hot or cold, i.e. useful, rather than lukewarm and nauseatingly useless and good for nothing but to breed bacteria and so be spewed out.  But in either case –

1)      It is clear that self-reliance is not a good and godly trait and yet it is all too frequently found in our hearts.  Especially because we are so wealthy and strong in our current historic and economic context.

2)      We are wealthy and strong and yet we are empty and unhappy.  How many suicides and suicide/murder rampages must we see before we’re convinced of that?  How is it that we need medication for depression if we are so rich and fulfilled?  God pleads with us to find true riches and fulfillment in Christ.  Why be lonely and depressed when you can enter into the fullness of joy found in the family of God?