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About Jesus Steve Sweetman The
Pre-occupied Church I recently wrote the following song.
I recently wrote the following song.
Laodicea, why did you
do it? Why did you shove Him out? He's standing on the outside, He's looking in. He wants to come in and dine my friend. Is it the coolness that has settled in? Is it the sin, the shame of your sin? Can't you see it's blatant sin? Why did you shove Him out? He's standing on the outside, He's looking in. He wants to come in and dine my friend. Is it your wealth that's killing you? Is it your riches that are robbing you? Your self-sufficiency is smothering you.
Laodicea, why did you
do it? Why did you shove Him out? He's standing on the outside, He's looking in. He wants to come in and dine my friend. He says you're poor.
He says you're blind. He says your wretched.
Laodicea, you're
heading for the fire of judgment, my friend.
Laodicea, why did you
do it? Why did you shove Him out? He's standing on the outside, He's looking in. He wants to come in and dine my friend. O tell me, tell me please. Who are you? Who are you, Laodicea
?
Laodicea
is you and I
my friend.
Laodicea
is the latter
day church, my friend.
Laodicea, why did we do
it? Why did we shove Him out? He's standing on the outside, He's looking in. He's asking us to repent of all our sin. While in prayer a while back I felt the Lord say that
"His people in the western church are too pre-occupied with the
world around them." 1
John 2:15 tells us not to love the world or the things in the world, and
if we do love the world, God's love isn't in us.
That means we can't express God's love to others when we're
pre-occupied with the world. I
know we have to live in this world, but this world doesn't have to live
in us. For clarity sake, I
don't define holiness as a legalistic system of rules based on certain
traditions. Such holiness
isn't Biblical. I often think about the Laodicean church found in
Revelation 3:14 to 22 when I ponder these things.
Many Bible teachers say this church represents part, if not all
of the church that exists at the end of this age.
I tend to agree. In Revelation 3:15 Jesus recognizes this church's
deeds. You might think Jesus
would like their busyness, but that's not so.
Their busyness meant nothing to Him because they were
"lukewarm" towards Him. Revelation 3:17 states that this church was rich, had
acquired lots of wealth, and needed nothing.
They equated godliness with their prosperity, much like parts of
the church think today. Jesus
said this church was wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
Worst of all, Jesus said they didn't even realize the pitiful
state they were in. It's a
sad commentary on a church when it doesn't realize the depravity of
their situation. This church
was so far removed from what church was meant to be that they thought
what they were, was what they were meant to be.
You might need to read that again.
Our lack of understanding of what church is meant to
be is a result of devaluating the importance of the Bible.
Our pre-occupation with the world causes us to adopt a worldly
view of church instead of a Biblical view.
The sad fact is that like the Laodicean church, we don't even
realize it. Many will say,
"that's not us", and that may be true for some, but if you
don't realize you've adopted a worldly view of church, how would you
know this doesn't apply to you? Revelation 3:20 shows Jesus outside of the Laodicean
church. I'm surprised Jesus
still called this group a church. I
wouldn't call a group without Jesus a church, but that's why He was
ready to shut this church down by spitting it out of His mouth. Before Jesus shuts this church down, note that He
asks individuals in the church to open their heart's door to Him. He's
not asking into the church. He
wants into people's individual lives.
Note what He says. "If
anyone (any individual) hears my voice and opens the door, I will come
in and eat with him (the individual)."
This church strayed so far from what it was meant to be that it
wasn't worth saving. Only
the repentant individual was worth saving.
If the Laodicean church represents part, or all of
the church at the end of this age, and if we're near the end, I'll let
you draw your own conclusions from this text. I've
drawn mine. |