The Complacent Church
Revelation 3:14-19
* The story is told of a preacher going to his deacon chairman and asking, “Do you think the problems we face in the church is tied to ignorance & apathy?” After a moment the man replied, “I don’t know & I don’t care.”
* Today we look at the church in Laodicea, the complacent church, which it would seem, ‘didn’t know & didn’t care’ that they made God sick. For the dispensationalist, we are living in the age of the Laodicean church. To see clearly the church in Laodicea is to see a church which, by human reason, is doing well. That is, they had plenty of money. The thinking of man seems to be that “money in the bank = the blessing of God.” This past week heard a message from Acts 3 about the lame man who was laid at the gate beautiful. For years he was laid at the gate because he had a need and he thought his need could be met with money. We were reminded that the worshipper & worship leaders seemed to agree with him. For all those years he spent at the gate, the good church going people gave him money. However, they never invited him inside for something better. They simply threw ‘quarters’ at him and thought that was good enough. Let your imagination run away with you; these were not bad people, they were regular church going people who wanted to help a needy man. Dennis Simmons rightly said, “They were willing to meet the visible need, but the visible need is rarely the critical need.”
* The church at Laodicea was probably meeting the visible need because they were a wealthy church, but in their physical wealth something had happened to their spiritual riches. Herein we discover a deep spiritual truth that is explained by the ‘eye of the needle’ principle. When we become so wealthy that we can meet the visible needs which we ‘think’ we have, we are tempted to become complacent to the critical needs.
* Such was the case in Laodicea and perhaps in the case in the average church in America. Churches in America are rich because people are rich. Being rich tempts us to a ‘don’t worry, be happy’ philosophy of life. Think about your parents or grandparents who toiled & labored just to make sure the family had the necessities of life (I.E. food, clothing, & shelter – not a phone, computer, and sheltered income). They were never complacent, they were concerned. I am afraid that the ‘Concerned Church’ yesterday has become the “Complacent Church” of today & that Laodicea is the cast.
1. The Predicament of the Complacent Church – Of all the attributes which Jesus desires the church, His people, to have ‘complacency’, ‘apathy’, or ‘unconcern’ about the lostness of mankind never made the list. The very truth that 95% of evangelical (us) have never shared faith is a dilemma.
* Jesus said, “As my Father sent me, so send I you” and “after the Holy Spirit comes on you, You WILL (not maybe, not possible, but will) be my witnesses.” Jesus also said, “The gates of hell will not withstand the onslaught of my church.” Scripture is replete with the marching orders for the church, and when He returns, Jesus will judge the church based on HIS MARCHING ORDERS not on our MANAGEMENT OPTIONS! This is why Peter writes, “The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.” Jesus points His finger and with His eyes of fire looks at the church in Laodicea (& in the USA) and reveals their complacency.
a. Doesn’t Measure Up – If you don’t like this truth, take it up with the writer – not the messenger. (Read vs 15) The complacent church does not measure up to the standards and/or expectations to her founder and honestly, don’t care. Jesus said, “I know what you are doing.” I submit that every person needs to absorb this truth; Jesus knows what you are doing. He knows what you’re doing because He has a plan for you. If you don’t have an ongoing, life-changing, mind-altering relationship with Jesus, then you will not measure up to His standard of judgment after you die. His plan for you is to be saved! (hold this thought) If you do have a relationship with Him, HE HAS A DEFINITE plan for you because you are a part of the church HE DIED FOR. Jesus says, “I know what you’re doing & I know where you are in life.” To the complacent he says, “I want you to be hot or cold.” What an extraordinary statement! Why would He say “Hot or Cold!” Hot is something we can understand. Full commitment is what Jesus modeled and is what He requires. Why is lukewarm so bad? Isn’t something better than nothing? In man’s mind, the answer is ‘yes.’ Just ask any church leader, “Will you accept partial commitment?” And a large majority will say, “I’ll take whatever I can get!” God says, “all or nothing.” This week, Mark Bearden was talking about 80% surrender and made this observation, “There is no 80% surrender. In fact, 80% surrender to God is rebellion against God.” Here is the message we need to understand; “Partial obedience is disobedience, partial surrender is rebellion, and partial commitment is sickening to God.” Jesus didn’t die on the cross to accept anything less than total & complete commitment to Him. He didn’t die for our sin so that we could live in our sin. He died for our sin so that we could die TO our sin and commit our way to Him. Why is sin such a big deal about this complacent church? Because the #1 culprit in the life of a church which leads to complacency is sin. A church in sin is a church that doesn’t measure up is a church that is complacent. A Complacent church doesn’t measure up to the standards of God.
b. Can’t Stand Up – Do you know why a complacent church can’t stand up? It is because they have been ‘vomited out’ by God almighty and a church finds its spiritual power only in God. The lukewarm church makes God sick on His stomach and in the process of regurgitating this church; He now takes His HAND OFF of the church. Most of my life I have concerned myself with the possibility that God might put His hand on me to discipline me when perhaps the greatest fear should have been that God would take His hand OFF OF ME. When God takes His hand off of a believer or a church, they have no strength to stand. I wonder if we, in 21st century America, are living out this reality that God had removed His hand. Could this be the reason the church in America, while having more resources, education, options, ministries, & more, cannot stand up for right?
c. Won’t Straighten Up –Most of the time, when someone refuses to ‘straighten up’, it is because they don’t see the need. Such is the case with the church at Laodicea. They had a shallow commitment & didn’t see it, they were self-deceived & didn’t’ perceive it, and they were self-satisfied & couldn’t admit it. So for them, they were fine. One of the truths which was driven home to me (and our men) this past week was that as a people, we have forgotten just how hopeless we are without Jesus. Candidly, we could term the church at Laodicea as the arrogant church because they could plan it out, figure it out, and work it out, to where they didn’t rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit in their personal lives or in their church life. When you can lean on yourself, why do you need God? One church was facing trouble and the pastor suggested we should pray about it. A leading lady in the church said, “My, do you think it’s come to that?” IT doesn’t COME to that, it is always about that.
* The complacent church like the complacent church member doesn’t measure up, can’t stand up, and won’t straighten up because they don’t look up! People who look up lose their complacency. Looking up is what Isaiah did in Isaiah 6. (Read and comment) He looked up and saw God. Think about it; do you think this was the first time Isaiah had looked up? This was the first time he looked up after King Uzziah died. It’s another message, but King Uzziah started well but didn’t finish well. In fact, in the last years of his life, Uzziah became a wicked person and so it could have been that the wicked King had to die before the prophet (or people) could get a clear vision of God. Before we can see God clearly, someone or thing wicked may have to die around us or in us.
2. The Prescription for the Complacent Church –We are familiar with a dr’s script for med, this is exactly what we find here in the text.
* At the beginning of verse 18 Jesus said, “Get it from me.” You see, it does matter where you get your meds from. Hopefully, you will get your med from a certified & qualified pharmacy, not from a home depot. Jesus is the great physician and the master druggist & knows what we need.
a. For Hope – You will never appreciate having ‘hope’ until you know what it is to be hopeless. Most of the time, the complacent church could be the confident church. They are not worried because they have it figured out & know all of the answers. Jesus says, “You think you’re rich & that your riches buys you a place in my Kingdom, but you really are in poverty.” This church places their hope in the wrong things. They may have gold, but it’s fool’s gold. Fool’s gold always makes a fool out of the owner. You want the real thing? Jesus says, “You can only get that from me.” I submit Jesus was referring to ‘authentic, life-changing, mind-renewing, eternal-affecting, salvation’. Jesus is calling the confident, complacent to be saved (or at least to re-check their salvation). I love the little course which says, “My only hope is you Jesus.” This is your prescription because He and He alone is your ‘blessed Hope for tomorrow.’
b. For Help – In coming to Jesus and buying the pure gold of salvation, He ‘throws in’ as part of the transaction ‘white clothes’ so that you don’t have to be ‘exposed.’ When the Spirit of God comes to you calling you to salvation or even rededication, He offers you the clothing of His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness, and His presence so that you do not have to be exposed for what you are, ‘a sinner.’ You want help today? The only help which can do you any good for eternity is found in Him.
c. For Healing – Why do I say healing? It is because the complacent church is a sick church. It has a malady, a disorder, or a disease. In fact, it has an infection inside the body and one thing about infections, they are generally infectious. This means it is easy to spread and rarely heals up without med. If left untreated they grow and consume. He prescribes 3 medicines. At the end of verse 18, Jesus says, “apply ointment to your eyes.” Few things are as frightening as an eye problem. When your eye sight is impaired, you have difficulty recognizing the signs of ‘dis-ease’ or ‘un-health.’ The complacent church has a problem seeing the signs of sickness because they have an eyesight problem. It is kind of like the old ‘fable’ Snow White where the Queen looked into the ‘magic mirror’ & ask, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” The Queen, like the complacent church, expected, “YOU!” Problem is, the magic mirror of God’s word never lies and always sees the truth. Jesus says, “Apply the salve of my word & spirit – to let the healing begin.”
