The Laodecian Church

Revelation 3:14-17 says "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodecians write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I love thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched , and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked." This is talking about the church of the Laodecians which is representative of the "last days" church. It is referred to as the "people's church" or a democratic church. It's a complacent church.

In Revelation 1:20 it mentions the seven golden candlesticks which are the seven churches. In Revelation 2 and 3 Christ gives a message to the seven different churches. The seven churches represent the different historical epochs in church history. For exampe, the church of Ephesus represents the Apostolic age or the early church. The church of Philadelphia represents the age of the Reformation. The church of Laodecia represents the contemporary church of today right before Christ comes back for his bride. That's where this generation is at today. We're right on the very threshhold for Jesus to rapture the church from this world.

The Laodecian church was the church that was materially rich and increased with goods. They were spiritually naked and miserable. They were very lukewarm. They were taking their ease in Zion. They were a church that was too comfortable with the world. It was a church where the people rule. The things of God weren't that important to them. God's presence wasn't pre-eminent in that church. Jesus' final message to the Laodecians was "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." He told them that he would come and sup with them if they would invite Him in. Jesus went so far as to say that if all they were going to be was lukewam, then He would spue them out of his mouth. Jesus didn't have any use for that kind of church.

You look at the shape our churches are in today and it's very disheartening. They major in programs, frills, puppet shows, Bozo the clown, contemporary Christian music, feasting, choreographical dancing, and the list continues. There are "evangelicals" such as Rick Warren and Bill Hybels that major on church growth techniques and methods to bring sinners in without doing it the Bible way. They try to accomodate the church to the world to bring in the "unchurched". They don't rely on the presence of God to move in their churches. There's no God in their churches. They have their own techniques to do God's work.

What's tragic is that a church doesn't have to be anything similar to Willow Creek or Saddleback to be a Laodecian church. A church doesn't have to be liberal in their methods or their doctrine to be a Laodecian church. I believe there's many fundamental churches that fall under that category. There's been many Baptist churches that once stood for truth and preached the Word that are nothing more than a Laodecian church. I believe a church could use the King James Version, have good preaching, and even practice outward separation and still be a Laodecian church. A Laodecian church doesn't have God in it. They're dead as a hammer. They don't have the presence of God manifested in that church. It doesn't make any difference how many standards that church has, if God's presence isn't in it, then it's Laodecian. Many of our Independent Baptist churches today are complacent about the things of God. Some think as long as they practice outward separation they're fine. But if God's not in the church and the church members aren't serving God, then it's Laodecian.

We need a moving of God in our churches. We need revival to take place in our churches as Psalms 85:6 says. We need to be that Philadelphian church that has kept His word, and has not denied him, and has a little strength. We need to wake up. Time is running out. Don't allow your church to beome a Laodecian church! "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)