Lukewarm Casualties
Pete just returned from a three week trip to Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. After the national Influencers retreat in Arkansas, Pete spent some precious time with his friend Rocky Fleming. He also visited his brother in Mississippi who lives in Oxford, home of Ole Miss where all of his five children attended college. Next Pete visited his cousin in his old hometown of Birmingham. It was a great time to connect and reconnect with family and friends from down South.
Southern culture is unique and has its own unique customs, mannerisms and norms. No matter where you go, the challenge as men of God is to be unique and supernatural in the midst of the spiritual battle. It’s difficult to hold on to the values of the culture of our heavenly homeland. In years gone by, culture was more aligned with churches and the values of the word of God.
The churches of Revelation exemplify the churches and the cultures of today. The church of Ephesus was loveless. Pergamos was compromising. Thyatyra was a corrupt church. Their values and morals had been corrupted by the secular culture. Like today the church had become irrelevant. Sardis was a dead church. The Holy Spirit had left the church and they didn’t even notice. Unlike the other churches Philadelphia was a faithful church. The last church was the church of Laodicea. John had nothing good to say about this church. According to Revelation 3:14 and following: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;”
The “Amen” is the truth. Jesus Christ himself is the truth of the Word of God. He is the faithful and the true witness. He is the one who tells what he has seen and heard with honesty, accuracy, and integrity that impresses the hearers. Heresy in the church alienated the church from the truth of the living Word.
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
The church at Laodicea was lukewarm, tepid, and indifferent. They had no passion. They were living comfortably but had lost their zeal for the truth and their passion to serve the Lord. Apathy and indifference are difficult to deal with. The Laodiceans had anesthetized themselves to the pain and passion of the world. As casual Christians they had lost their motivation to serve the Lord from a heart of love.
When Pete was contemplating the theme for Influencers this year, the thought that came to mind was “casual Christians.” After “casual” The next word in the dictionary was “casualty.” Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. In verse 17 the message to the church of Laodicea is: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
The church needs to be shaken out of its indifference, comfort and complacency. God will shake that which can be shaken. Sometimes God will bring people into your life to reprove rebuke and correct. The exhortation is to be zealous to repent…to turn from complacency to the throne of the living and true God.
The Laodiceans had become rich and wealthy and they thought they knew the truth but they really had no clue. They had been deceived in their own hearts.. They thought that because they were prosperous and self-sufficient, they had no need for God and the things of the spirt.
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
They were rich and wealthy but didn’t notice that they had forsaken the truth of the living and true Word. There is no one in the dark so deep as he who thinks he is in the light but he’s really in the dark. Jesus Christ himself is the light of the world. He came to open the eyes of those born blind. Jesus said, behold I stand at the door and knock. He who opens the door, I will come in and we’ll dine together in fellowship and communion. Our responsibility is to open the door when the Holy spirt convicts us. Our calling is to come before him with a heart of humility and meekness.
We have not been called to criticize, condemn, and complain. All God asks is complete obedience with no questioning or complaining on my part and no explanation on his. The challenge of Influencers is to influence our own hearts and minds according to the truth of the living and the true Word. As the apostle Paul said, Rejoice evermore. Quench not the spirt…set us on fire Lord. In everything give thanks.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael