It is now public knowledge that the senior pastor of the church I attend has resigned due to moral failure. At last word, he is in a different part of the country attempting to reconcile with his wife and family. Our hearts are filled with sadness and dismay. Hundreds of lives are deeply impacted by these events, and I do ask you to join us in interceding for this man, his family and everyone touched by this situation. I also want to make clear that I wrote and began this series on the Laodicean church before I had any knowledge of these circumstances; there was no desire or attempt to make a connection. Rather, if the Lord is willing, I hope to address some of the issues raised by these circumstances later this week.
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 realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so 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. — Revelation 3:14-22
Today ends our mini-series on the Laodicean church. Jesus offers His solution to their many problems.
Jesus offers us salve for our eyes so that we can see. As a high school and college student, I connected spirituality with Bible knowledge. The more you knew about the Bible, and the more you knew about theology, the more spiritual I thought you were. But, as I grew older, I observed strange things happening with some people who knew their Bible inside and out, and with some people who built their whole lives around theology. Instead of radiating the presence of Christ, some seemed to radiate grumpiness and prejudice. Instead of obeying the clear commands of God, some of them fell into sin and invented elaborate methods of reinterpreting the Bible to justify their behaviors. Many of them seemed robbed of joy and peace.
Then I discovered 2 Peter 1:5. Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge. Being a student of the Bible or of theology guarantees nothing apart from true faith and Christian integrity.
In recent years 1 Peter 1:5 has come to mean much more. I have discovered that our deep down, gut-level beliefs (faith) dominate our attitudes and choices (virtue) and color how we see our world (knowledge). When our real beliefs — way deep down — our hidden beliefs about ourselves, our world and our God change everything else changes with them. This is why Jesus instructs us to repent.
We tend to think of repentance as this: I stop doing wrong and start doing right. But this is just the fruit of repentance. Repentance at its core is a change of thinking, a reversal of mindset.
How do we repent? Jesus answers this for us. Open the door! Find the door where Jesus is knocking and open it. This is a message to a church — it is not just a word to unbelievers, it is a word to us all. All of us have places inside us where Jesus is knocking, wanting to come in to replace our darkness with His light.
Can we hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches? Can we hear Jesus knocking at our door?
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. Dwight and his wife Kim provide prayer ministry for inner healing / transformation and coaching in prayer ministry. He is available to speak to your group or church. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.