Laodicea Turning Into Sardis

[Kokavkrystallos]

From 2018​

This is just a little lesson about how some churches can go astray.
You can find the story of these types of churches in Revelation chapter 3:1 - 6 and Revelation 3:14 - 22.
Sardis is a type of church that seems alive and has a good reputation but it's dead, meaning it is really dead in Spirit.
Laodicea is a type of church that is 'lukewarm', meaning they don't think they need anything and are comfortable where they are at.
Jesus says not to be this way.
He says to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20 "Behold! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me."
Here it sounds like the people in the church think they have it made but by doing that they have shut Jesus out of their lives. If a lot of people in the church are doing this, Jesus is shut outside the church and the Spirit is really restricted there. That's why Jesus says let him in so he can 'eat' with that person, which means He can have fellowship with them and be active in their lives.
We need to be really careful we don't fall into these kind of traps. We don't want to be a lukewarm Christian with Jesus outside instead of in us, and we don't want to be a dead in Spirit Christian that won't even know when Jesus shows up in our lives.
Here is a funny cartoon pic we made, but it is really serious too.
It seems like someone would get lukewarm first and not think they needed anything else, then after awhile they would become spiritually 'dead.' Notice the road in the picture is make by "Wide Path Pavement Company". That is taken from Matthew 7:13 that says "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." It is not a road we want to be on !

 

[RandyPNW]

Great point--all of it. The Church is always at a cross-roads because Christians are a mixed people, including many who are either coming or going. And those who stay are at all stages of growth, and in many different kinds of circumstances, tests, and trials. We all have had a variety of kinds of upbringing, from dreadful emotional pressures to flat out being spoiled.

So we can become Christian and sort of walk away from a relationship with Jesus, if ever we fully cultivated it to start with. And the end of those who keep walking without Jesus end up walking in spiritual death. They no longer even live a Christian life. They can include scholars who become very liberal in their theology.

Thanks for a great post!

 

[Kokavkrystallos]

Great point--all of it. The Church is always at a cross-roads because Christians are a mixed people, including many who are either coming or going. And those who stay are at all stages of growth, and in many different kinds of circumstances, tests, and trials. We all have had a variety of kinds of upbringing, from dreadful emotional pressures to flat out being spoiled.

So we can become Christian and sort of walk away from a relationship with Jesus, if ever we fully cultivated it to start with. And the end of those who keep walking without Jesus end up walking in spiritual death. They no longer even live a Christian life. They can include scholars who become very liberal in their theology.

Thanks for a great post!

I was just talking about that earlier today at lunch with a brother who was saying when you start with Jesus, you have to keep with Jesus. No going back. Those who do end up worse off. Just like the evil spirit who leaves then comes back and finds his house empty (no Holy Spirit, no Word, no Sword of the Spirit to deter him), so he brings 7 more and the last end is worse than the first. Been there, and it's not pretty. It's not even ugly! It's beyond ugly, and I thank God through Jesus Christ my LORD for delivering me and setting me free. He didn't have to, and was under no obligation. He could have wrote me off as a vessel of wrath fit for destruction.

That places me in a very humble way before Him!