“Jesus
comes to the complacent congregation and patiently knocks on the door seeing if
anyone will invite Him in.”
Would any coach want an entire team of mediocre football
players? Would any business want a whole company of uninterested employees? Would
any pastor want to eagerly lead a congregation of happily complacent believers? (Photo by Ken Haines from Pixabay.)
Jesus is the Founder and Chief Shepherd of the church. In straight forward
terms He condemns any of His congregations that are filled with these types of
mediocre, uninterested and complacent followers. There was once a church just
like this, and Jesus wrote them a letter saying, “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.”
(Revelation 2:15-16)
Jesus used temperature language to illustrate where this church stood in
relationship with Him. They did not have a cold distant relationship, nor a
passionate one. They were somewhere in the middle, which Jesus forcefully
called, “lukewarm.”
The church had good biblical doctrine. The congregation was morally upright.
They were not lazy, but a group of doers, always getting much done in the
church. Consequently, their divine rebuke did not result from their beliefs,
morals or activity. Instead, it came from their attitude toward their Chief
Shepherd. They acknowledged Him, talked about Him, but there was no zeal for
Christ nor dependency on Him.
This is the state of so many churches today. They have
wonderful buildings, faithful congregations, dependable supporters, encouraging
weekly services, uplifting fellowship but something is missing. Jesus says to
them what He said to the Laodicean church, “Those whom I love, I reprove and
discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:19) Like the believers in
Laodicea, the church today is missing a zealousness for Christ. This is another
temperature word referring to hot or boiling. There is no burning passion for
Jesus. There is no boiling love for Him. Just a contented lukewarmness. And
people can feel it. Amidst the teaching, friendliness and good programming,
something is absent.
In love for His church, Jesus comes to its door and patiently knocks. All the
while, the door remains closed to Him. Even so, He continues knocking, waiting
for anyone in the church to come and welcome Him back in. And if the church
refuses to reopen the door to Him, at a time He decides, He will “spit them
out of His mouth.” But if they respond and turn from their lukewarmness to
a renewed walk with Him, He offers a great promise of blessing upon them.
My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, take time to examine the spiritual
condition of your church and your own walk with Christ. Where is the passion
for Jesus? Where is the boiling love for Him? Where is the heavenly zeal? This
is not about feelings, but about the bent of one’s whole life and the spiritual
state of a congregation.
Listen to Jesus’ loving and persuasive words to His precious bride, “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.” (Rev. 3:20-22)
Hear the Spirit’s call to His church and respond. May we the church, repent of
our lukewarmness and be awakened to a fresh zeal for Christ, the one who died
in our place and rose again.
A prayer for you - Shepherd of the church. Search our hearts. Point out
if we have strayed from you and lost our zeal. We repent of our love for the
world and dependency on ourselves. We turn to you asking that you pour out upon
us a renewed passion and love that burns with a raging fire, that nothing in
this world can extinguish. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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