The Church That Thought It Had Everything
Revelation 3.14-22
Things are not always as they appear. I love that scene from that now classic movie, The Karate Kid, when Daniel realizes Mr. Miyagi has a house on the other side of the tracks and there are some oil tankers on the tracks, Daniel asks if he is in the oil business and Mr. Miyagi responds, “Not everything is as seems.” His yard is a virtual paradise. It is what I fashioned my backyard after. Things are not always what they appear to be.
Stop judging by mere appearances Jesus said in John 7.24
The Laodecian Church held a pretty high opinion of itself. v.17
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'
Rich= wealthy, abounding in material resources, abundantly supplied
abounding (rich) in Christian virtues and eternal possessions
It seems that this church equated riches with being right with God.
Need of nothing= No one, nothing.
I do not believe the Laodecian Church realized that it had ushered Christ to the outside. Jesus had to come to them and tell them that they had. I believe this was news to them. It probably was news to a lot of people outside the Laodecian Church too.
How does a church get there? They were working. Its problem was that it was lukewarm. They were not on fire. They were not hot. The Greek word for hot here is zestos. It means boiling hot, fervor of mind and zeal.
Paul warns the church at Rome: Romans 12.11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. This is what happened to the Laodecian Church. They didn’t stop their activities. They lost what Martin Luther called “the fire of faith.”
However the church that thought it had everything in reality had nothing and was poor, miserable, blind and naked.
While the church that was poor was rich. (2.9)
1. What is the Church?
So often people equate the church with a physical building. There were no church buildings until the 3rd century.
I used to go and speak to the young people of the Newtown Chinese Church in Hicksville. Their parents and grandparents had their service in Mandarin Chinese but the kids wanted one in English. So once a month, on Sunday afternoons, in th late 1990's I would drive out and speak to this terrific group of young people. I just ran into one the other day, now a graduate of Villanova. Once every three months they combined the young people and the adults and I would speak through an interpreter. I remember telling them, because they rented the building from a Lutheran Church, on Sunday afternoons, that they were free from a lot of things that can bog a church down, namely the care of a building. Where the church is the closest to the Book of Acts around the world today is where they are like the early Christians in that there is little or no building. Where Lucy and her mom worshiped in China last night our time the church there so impressed me three years ago. Like us they have an offering box. But it was the place prayer and the Word of God held in that church in Chanchung that touched my heart. Groups of young people praying before the service began. A shelf behind every bench for the people to take nots on as they heard the pastor bring the Word of God. Everyone carrying a Bible.
I remember pastoring in upstate NY. I was in my early 20's and although I had graduated from Bible College, I was still very much a student and learning. I was just 23 years old when I began pastoring that dear group of people. Houghton College was nearby and so I would go out there to hear guest speakers. There was a Wesleyan Church in that little community and I would go there when they had special speakers during the week. One I well remember was Norman Wilson. He was the speaker for their National Radio Program. He spoke one night on the church. I remember the scripture from Isaiah 53.2 He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him which he tied it in with I Corinthians 12. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. It burned into my heart nearly 30 years ago and is fresh within my spirit today: Now you are the body of Christ... What was Christ’s Body like- Isaiah tells us that there was nothing in His appearance that attracted people to Him. We are the Body of Christ and there is nothing in our appearance that people will desire us. It is what is within us- His Spirit! Dr. Wilson went on to say that is why a church building may have a beautiful structure and lots of money but down on Main Street in a store front church is where people are finding Jesus.
The church is not a building.
The church is not a denomination.
The church is not an institution.
The Church is the people who have been born again and are part of God’s Family. The church is the redeemed of the LORD.
2. What makes a church rich?
Obviously not material wealth!
Look at the Church in Smyrna. (2.9)
This church was in poverty but was rich. In the third world countries I have been to and in my conversations with others who have been to ones I have not been to, we find the church in these poverty stricken areas rich in spiritual blessings. The work of the Holy Spirit in the church in these areas is very strong. The influence the church has is great.
Look at the Church in Laocedia.
Jesus says to this church that boasts about its (3.17) riches and wealth that they are poor and naked among other things.
So material wealth does not make a church rich. What does then?
A church is rich when Jesus is on the inside and His people are worshiping Him.
A church is rich when the Word of God has a high place in the hearts and lives of its people.
A church is rich when it prays and receives answers to those prayers.
A church is rich when Jesus is their Hero and they are following Him, staying close to Him, keeping the Great Commandment- loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and loving their neighbors as themselves.
A church is rich when it is following Jesus’ Commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations... by Christmas Shoe Boxes and giving to missions if you can’t go.
3. What makes a church poor?
When it makes it priorities material wealth-
The story of Fred’s sofa... Gimbels- wood carved frame, tag sale $350, dumpster, girls’ boyfriend and climbing in, in, Mr. Mancini- look! A door. Living room, family room, Moe’s couch and bed, Stephen and I carried it out to the curb and off it went a week ago. That is the end of all the material things we treasure on earth! A church is impoverished no matter how much money it has when it is in the condition of this Church in Laocedia. The church that thought it had everything in reality really had nothing. The church that thought it had need of nothing was the neediest church among these seven churches Jesus has John send His Message to.
4.What do we need to do with this message?
First as a church. Search us O God!
We should be paying our bills, giving lots to others, and in doing so storing up treasure in heaven.
Second as individuals... time of testing in the stock market- good time for believers- what is our hope Wall Street or the place where the streets are paved with gold?!
Search my heart O God. In this time of testing let me see what You see. Have I put too much emphasis on money as my security or is my security in You?!
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