The Wealthy Church: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 3:14-22)

Many years ago I felt, with others in my congregation, that our church was acting in our own power and mistakenly feeling rich and healthy. But we could see the rot from inside. We began praying that Jesus would not abandon our lampstand but that he would come into our church again and revive us. He ended up removing our leader and giving us a fresh start. It felt like he had been knocking on our church door and we invited him in. But it required us humbling ourselves and acknowledging we didn’t know what we were doing.

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”  (Revelation 3:14-22 ESV)

The city of Laodicea had resources. They had a water supply carried by aqueduct (but the time it took to get there left the water tepid), a famous treatment for eye problems, a powerful banking system and thriving cloth trade. It seems, however, that this had bred in them and in the church there, a sense of self-reliance. Jesus said the church at Philadelphia had little power. The church at Laodicea seemed to have much power.

The most dangerous place a church can be is arrogantly thinking we can accomplish all we are supposed to, that we are rich, and yet be oblivious to Jesus as our leader and source of wealth.  Even as we are tempted to this stance individually, we are tempted to it as a body. We think we know as a church what to do and that we have the resources to do it in order to accomplish God’s purposes. The very fact that we are not constantly asking for Jesus to lead us and empower us is evidence of our arrogance and self-delusion.

Jesus exposes this attitude in the church at Laodicea.  If they will recognize that they have abandoned Jesus as the true head of the church and turn to him as the true source of wealth and health, there is a way back.  In fact, if only one person in that church will open the door to Jesus he will come back in and fellowship with that person and be the beginning of repentance for that whole church.

How can I be tepid in regards to Jesus?  And yet I too often am.  If I recognized that he was with me would I be so complacent?  You are always with me Lord.  Your mighty presence is the biggest reality of my life.  I always want to open the door to you, my Master, and sup with you.  Reprove me when I am lukewarm.