Friday, April 28, 2006
Laodecia 2006
The Laodecian Christians were asleep in the light. In Ephesians 5: 14 Paul says ‘awake you who sleep, arise from the dead’. Christ will give you light.
Should we find ourselves asleep then we also need to wake up; we need that power of Gods fire-baptizing Spirit to raise us from the deathly and dank pit into which we have sank. Cast your minds back to that first taste of grace, do you remember how sweet the name of Jesus was back then, is it still as sweet today, as sweet as the finest honey, is that how the name of Jesus is upon our lips...more
Do you remember that first love? In Rev 2 Jesus speaks to the church at Ephesus and says these words ‘Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love...I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
The classic interpretation of this verse often falls short of what the Lord was saying. Does Jesus want us to be hot and on fire, yes, without doubt. Does He want us to be cold and dead, surely not. This is what some scholars would have us believe.
The problem with that rendering is that should this be the case then Jesus would be implying that both extremes are positive. Could it be that Jesus would want us to be cold and therefore completely uncommitted and in a state of death. It should appear to us then that this would be a very unlikely exhortation from Jesus.
I believe there is an alternative view that opens up more of the Spirit of the scriptures. To understand the image we must recognise the geographical location of Laodecia. This picture of hot, cold and lukewarm could in fact relate to the water, this being a unique feature of Laodecia and the surrounding region.
The hot waters of Hierapolis had a medicinal effect and the cold waters of Colossae were pure, drinkable and had a life giving effect. There is archaeological evidence that Laodecia had access only to warm water, which would then cause nausea. When the city tried to pipe water in, it could manage only tepid, nauseous water.
The works that Jesus knows are their efforts to be a living witnessing community. The people of the city were receiving neither spiritual healing, the type which the hot waters would bring, or the life that the cold water would bring, in short the church was not fulfilling it’s calling.
This image would have had an immediate effect on the hearers for they would identify with their situation. The effect of their conduct in Christ was like the effect of their own water; they knew how they felt after drinking their water, this is how they made Jesus, the Lord wanted to spew them out of His mouth.
If the Laodecian Christians refused to own up to their identity with Christ, then clearly they had no claim on Christ and come the judgment he would spew them out.
Ultimately the work of the gospel would not be hindered, and I daresay that even our own town of Dingwall, if the church remains lukewram, then God is able to raise up even stones should He desire. He desires though to use those He has called for the work of His.
If we refuse to be a witness, a community of faith that must be a light by the sheer witness of our fellowship and love for one another (for being a witness is not about what we do, but who we are), but if we refuse, then maybe we should just accept the matter and cry out to the Father and say ‘Lord if you cannot do anything through us or with us, then we beg you Father, bypass us and take up another people who do not know you. Save them and sanctify them Father with the Holy Ghost, and send them out into this world that despises you.
There is a great day that awaits us, we have a glorious future, but we are already part of that glorious future, for the kingdom of God has broken into this present evil age. But listen, God Almighty has nothing else to give to this world, I know He sustains it, but hear me out.
The Lord has given His only begotten Son so that man can be saved and find shelter in time of trouble, the Son will not come again as the suffering servant for salvation and death on a cross, He has already given us His Word, their will be no other Bible (JW's and Mormons take note), this is His final word to us and our fellow man, He has given His Spirit in all its fullness and that Spirit is given so as to help us understand his word, to persuade man that he is in rebellion against the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to build the Church into that spotless bride.
We have all that we need, what are we waiting for, do any of us lack wisdom, then ask the Lord who alone is wise for wisdom and he will give it to you, do any of you lack power for living godly lives, then ask the Lord of glory and he will endue with power from on high, do any of you lack boldness to witness, then ask the true and faithful witness, and he will give you the boldness to declare his gospel with all clarity.
Time is running out my friends, the disciple is to be either hot or cold.
Hot in the sense of those hot healing waters, like the hot springs around the world that have a medicinal effect, a superheated church, and the Christian is to bring reconciliation and healing to a dying and lost world.
Cold in the sense of those cold living waters. Jesus said let anyone who thirsts come to me, and I will give to him the water of life. The world and our fellow believers need that life giving; cool and pure water that will well up to springs of eternal life.
So this passage is a call for the church, the believer is to recognise his or her state, not to think to highly of oneself, but to see with the eyes of the Spirit. Should they be found naked and blind, then let repentance flow.
Let the blood of the Lamb flow from the cross of Calvary and wash away the sin and rebellion Jesus might present us before the Father without spot and blemish.
We are sons and daughters of the most high God, adopted and settled into this heavenly family, let us live that way with one another.
No matter where we go in this world, be it Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland or distant lands, let Him have his way with us and let us lay aside anything and everything that would hinder our responding in faith to the urgent call that the Lord has for His mission field in which we stand today. I believe that the Lord desires to make this church a blessing to the people around us, and I leave you with the sure knowledge that the Lord of Hosts, the Father of lights, is the Father of all spiritual gifts, equipping and preparing each one of us for the purpose that He seeks to perform in the locality where he has placed us, and I believe without any doubt that He is ready to pour out his goodness on all those who are ready to receive.
Should we find ourselves asleep then we also need to wake up; we need that power of Gods fire-baptizing Spirit to raise us from the deathly and dank pit into which we have sank. Cast your minds back to that first taste of grace, do you remember how sweet the name of Jesus was back then, is it still as sweet today, as sweet as the finest honey, is that how the name of Jesus is upon our lips...more
Do you remember that first love? In Rev 2 Jesus speaks to the church at Ephesus and says these words ‘Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love...I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
The classic interpretation of this verse often falls short of what the Lord was saying. Does Jesus want us to be hot and on fire, yes, without doubt. Does He want us to be cold and dead, surely not. This is what some scholars would have us believe.
The problem with that rendering is that should this be the case then Jesus would be implying that both extremes are positive. Could it be that Jesus would want us to be cold and therefore completely uncommitted and in a state of death. It should appear to us then that this would be a very unlikely exhortation from Jesus.
I believe there is an alternative view that opens up more of the Spirit of the scriptures. To understand the image we must recognise the geographical location of Laodecia. This picture of hot, cold and lukewarm could in fact relate to the water, this being a unique feature of Laodecia and the surrounding region.
The hot waters of Hierapolis had a medicinal effect and the cold waters of Colossae were pure, drinkable and had a life giving effect. There is archaeological evidence that Laodecia had access only to warm water, which would then cause nausea. When the city tried to pipe water in, it could manage only tepid, nauseous water.
The works that Jesus knows are their efforts to be a living witnessing community. The people of the city were receiving neither spiritual healing, the type which the hot waters would bring, or the life that the cold water would bring, in short the church was not fulfilling it’s calling.
This image would have had an immediate effect on the hearers for they would identify with their situation. The effect of their conduct in Christ was like the effect of their own water; they knew how they felt after drinking their water, this is how they made Jesus, the Lord wanted to spew them out of His mouth.
If the Laodecian Christians refused to own up to their identity with Christ, then clearly they had no claim on Christ and come the judgment he would spew them out.
Ultimately the work of the gospel would not be hindered, and I daresay that even our own town of Dingwall, if the church remains lukewram, then God is able to raise up even stones should He desire. He desires though to use those He has called for the work of His.
If we refuse to be a witness, a community of faith that must be a light by the sheer witness of our fellowship and love for one another (for being a witness is not about what we do, but who we are), but if we refuse, then maybe we should just accept the matter and cry out to the Father and say ‘Lord if you cannot do anything through us or with us, then we beg you Father, bypass us and take up another people who do not know you. Save them and sanctify them Father with the Holy Ghost, and send them out into this world that despises you.
There is a great day that awaits us, we have a glorious future, but we are already part of that glorious future, for the kingdom of God has broken into this present evil age. But listen, God Almighty has nothing else to give to this world, I know He sustains it, but hear me out.
The Lord has given His only begotten Son so that man can be saved and find shelter in time of trouble, the Son will not come again as the suffering servant for salvation and death on a cross, He has already given us His Word, their will be no other Bible (JW's and Mormons take note), this is His final word to us and our fellow man, He has given His Spirit in all its fullness and that Spirit is given so as to help us understand his word, to persuade man that he is in rebellion against the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to build the Church into that spotless bride.
We have all that we need, what are we waiting for, do any of us lack wisdom, then ask the Lord who alone is wise for wisdom and he will give it to you, do any of you lack power for living godly lives, then ask the Lord of glory and he will endue with power from on high, do any of you lack boldness to witness, then ask the true and faithful witness, and he will give you the boldness to declare his gospel with all clarity.
Time is running out my friends, the disciple is to be either hot or cold.
Hot in the sense of those hot healing waters, like the hot springs around the world that have a medicinal effect, a superheated church, and the Christian is to bring reconciliation and healing to a dying and lost world.
Cold in the sense of those cold living waters. Jesus said let anyone who thirsts come to me, and I will give to him the water of life. The world and our fellow believers need that life giving; cool and pure water that will well up to springs of eternal life.
So this passage is a call for the church, the believer is to recognise his or her state, not to think to highly of oneself, but to see with the eyes of the Spirit. Should they be found naked and blind, then let repentance flow.
Let the blood of the Lamb flow from the cross of Calvary and wash away the sin and rebellion Jesus might present us before the Father without spot and blemish.
We are sons and daughters of the most high God, adopted and settled into this heavenly family, let us live that way with one another.
No matter where we go in this world, be it Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland or distant lands, let Him have his way with us and let us lay aside anything and everything that would hinder our responding in faith to the urgent call that the Lord has for His mission field in which we stand today. I believe that the Lord desires to make this church a blessing to the people around us, and I leave you with the sure knowledge that the Lord of Hosts, the Father of lights, is the Father of all spiritual gifts, equipping and preparing each one of us for the purpose that He seeks to perform in the locality where he has placed us, and I believe without any doubt that He is ready to pour out his goodness on all those who are ready to receive.
