Word of Salvation – Vol.11 No.44 – October 1966

 

The Lukewarm Church

 

Rev. P. G. Geertsema on Revelation 3:15-16

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

Psalter Hymnal: 386; 266 (after Law); 26; 452

 

Beloved Congregation,

History tells us that Laodicea was a well situated and prosperous city.  Science and the arts were cultivated; there was a medical school and there were industries.  They must have had full employment in Laodicea in those days.  A skilful or a strong person who was willing to work could keep himself occupied in this flourishing city.

No doubt the city’s prosperity must have had an influence upon the Christians who lived and worked there.  The members of the church must have taken their share in the city’s boom, and many members were able to say in the words of Jesus: “I am rich, I have prospered, and need nothing.”

Such was the position with the church of Laodicea.  They were rich, they were in need of nothing, they had no trouble at all.  Laodicea was a self-supporting and a self-sufficient church indeed.

And their wealth did not only include visible things such as a meeting place or other properties, it also included spiritual wealth.  They did not only refer to their church building, they must also have referred to their faith in Jesus Christ, to the Old Testament which they read in their regular meetings and to the letters they received from one or more of the apostles from time to time.

In Laodicea a spirit of complacency dominated the ecclesiastical scene.  Many members must have thought like the pensioner thinks who has managed to save a few hundred or a few thousand pounds during his lifetime and who says to himself: “Soul, you have sufficient goods for a number of years, take it easy, eat, drink and enjoy life while you can.”

The attitude of the church of Laodicea is summed up by Jesus Christ himself in our text: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.”

Warm, hot water may burn us, cold water has exactly the opposite effect, and they both have in common that they at least do something to us.  Lukewarm water, however, may be pleasant for a short time, but actually it does nothing to stimulate us at all.  It leaves us without any definite reaction whatsoever.

What had happened in Laodicea?  It’s a simple story, a story that has been happening right down the history of the church time and time again.  Some people had accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ after it had been preached to them by one of the Lord’ servants.  Surely, their heart was touched by what had happened to them, but they had not shown any special emotion.  Quite calmly they had joined the church.  And the members they had met there were of the same complacent type, you would never experience a burning, Spirit-filled activity for the sake of Jesus Christ and of the gospel.  You would never see any form of ecstasy or speaking in tongues in Laodicea.  The members walked the middle course, they were neither too righteous, nor too wicked.  Everyone exercised his religious duties in the proper way.

Beloved, you must agree with me that Jesus Christ could have addressed our church in much the same way as He addressed the church of Laodicea some 2,000 years ago.  As a matter of fact, He is addressing us with exactly the same words today.

Let’s face the facts.  Many of you who migrated to this country can say today: “I have worked very hard during the time I had to settle.  Certainly, I recognize that the Lord has blessed me.  But now, after these many years of hardship I want to enjoy life.  I am not rich, but neither am I poor.  My house is worth £4,000 or £6,000 or perhaps even £10,000 any time.  And then there is the car and the furniture.  There is still the regular income, and one day there will be the pension.  Soul, take it easy now, the retirement day will soon arrive.”  Many of our members talk along these lines today.

Oh, yes, I nearly forgot to say, we do not only have a pride in our earthly possessions as individuals, we also thankfully refer to any properties our local church may possess.  And last, but not least, we mention our spiritual heritage and possessions: the Bible and the Creeds we hold to.  Well, we say, there are so many Creeds that we don’t know their names, let alone that we know their contents.  But all the same, we conclude, we are so rich, so very rich!

But Jesus Christ who stands in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, knows better, much better what our position is.  Listen to Him.  He says: “…not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”  That, brothers and sisters with your earthly possessions, your Bible, your Ecumenical Creeds, your Canons of Dordt, and whatever their names may be, is your real position!

Of course, the fault does not lie with God’s Word, the Creeds, or the spiritual heritage, it lies with you!  Be honest with yourself: how often do you open your Psalter Hymnal to read the Creeds – of which we believe that they are wholly based on the Word of God?  Don’t you often regard these things, especially the Creeds, like museum pieces?  You say: “please handle these old documents with care.  Just wipe the dust off and put them carefully back again”.  And all the time you are lukewarm.  You are not against God, no, certainly not, but you often are not for Him either.  Remember, this letter was not written by Christ to heathens, but to church members in the first place, to you and to me.

The world is aflame with wars and revolutions, but we just can’t be bothered.  We just do the minimum as far as our ‘service’ to God is concerned.  The millions of unconverted people here and elsewhere do not seem to interest us very much.  There is a remarkable lack of Christian activity in many of our lives.  And then we still have the courage to say: “I am sure that the Lord will never forsake me.  That is what He has promised.  He will always take care of me.”  Of course, this is true, but if you do not show any fruits of the Spirit one might well ask whether the tree of your life is sound and healthy.

Now you should notice a contrast in this letter.  Jesus Christ starts by saying: “I know…!”  A few verses lower down He, almost in passing, uses the words “not knowing”.  He knows us, but the trouble is that we often do not know our own position.  We do not know ourselves because we do not know Him, His Word, the history of His church, The future of our Reformed Churches is very closely connected with this matter of knowledge.  Why do we exist separately as Reformed Churches?  Why didn’t the founders of cur churches join one of the existing churches in this country?  Do you know the answer?  Or are you not even interested in trying to find an answer to that very important question?

The church of Laodicea did not know what it lacked.  But Jesus Christ knew and He told them what they lacked because He loved them.  “Those whom I love I reprove and chasten” (vs.19).  Because He loves us He once again tells us what we lack in the spiritual sphere.  And He adds the words He once spoke to Laodicea: “So be zealous and repent.”

The only remedy against a lukewarm heart and life is a fervent prayer to God in which we should ask him for his Holy Spirit to set our hearts and our lives aflame.

The Lord Jesus Christ also urges us to buy refined gold from him.  That gold only will make us rich, much richer than all the earthly goods we may possess.  Furthermore we may obtain from him white garments to clothe us.  At once we think of the robe of righteousness which every true believer will once receive from Jesus Christ himself.  And then there is the ointment which He will give us as a remedy against our spiritual blindness so that we can see once again: our own sinful condition as well as his redeeming grace.

But there is one condition: we can only buy the precious gifts He wants to give us after we have sold out completely the things we now cherish so much.  The sooner we discover that we are poor and blind and naked in ourselves the more we will long for his gifts of gold, ointment and garments.  We therefore should get rid of our lukewarmness, our pride, our complacency, our selfishness.

Repent then, brother or sister, young people, children, if you have not done so yet.  Only after having repented and after having been accepted by God in grace you will start to be zealous in his service.

Are you still in doubt?  Listen carefully, He stands at the door and He knocks.  Do you hear Him?  He wants you to open up and to surrender yourself wholly to Him while asking Him to take full possession and control of your heart and your life forever.  And after this miracle, God’s miracle, has taken place the time for the meal of communion will have arrived.  This meal symbolizes the everlasting union of Christ with his Church and with every individual member thereof.

The time is short.  Satan is strong.  In ourselves we are very weak.  But once we have been touched by his Holy Spirit our lukewarmness will change into an ardent zeal for our Redeemer and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The church is equal to the aggregate of its members.  If the members are spiritually aflame the church will be so too.

As Reformed Churches we will continue to have a task as long as we know ourselves in our weaknesses, as long as we see God in his glory, as long as we fully believe in Jesus Christ, as long as we are being guided continually by his Holy Spirit, as long as we are ready and willing to accept the authority of his Word.

At the end of this letter we once again hear the admonition which also formed the concluding words of all the previous letters: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Have you heard the Spirit’s voice again today?  Jesus once said: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Amen.