THE CHURCH WITH THE CLOSED DOOR
Revelation 3:14-22
This scene must break the heart of God. When I read these verses, it brings to mind abandoned churches....closed, locked, boarded up.
Revival of Mid 1800’s spread along the Eastern Coast, and up into New England. Thousands were saved. Stories of cutting holes into frozen lakes where people could be baptized. Throngs flooded into churches...so much so that other churches had to be started, and built......I am told now that many of those same churches now sit abandoned. Sermons once rang through those halls, and echoed off the walls....Hymns of praise once filled the air....sinners knelt in prayer....now they set abandoned......only a reminder of once was, what could have been and what can happen.
Laodicea serves to us a warning. It reminds us of what can happen if we forget the power of God, if we neglect to be sensitive to the presence of God. This morning we looked at the Philadephia church which had a open door....tonight we see the Laodicea church with a closed door.....and guess who’s shut out ? God himself. Beautiful building canbe nothing more than mausoleum’s, and museums to look at without the presence of God
Reminder of where all of these churches were located........
How could a church get into this kind of condition ?
1.Mediocrity. They were neither hot nor cold. They were lukewarm.
Half-way up the mountain. Hot Springs located close by....but time the water made it’s way to Laodicea it was only Lukewarm. They had a terrible water supply. I don’t mind coming to church a couple of timesa month,but don’t ask me to do anything.....I’ll sing “O How I Love Jesus” but don’t expect me to witness. I’ll enjoy our bldg. It’s heat in the winter....it’s air in the summer.....but don’t expect me to give......I believe that everyone should hear the gospel...but don’t expect me to support missions.
Illust. People held hostage in the Pews.
2. Materialism. Financially the church was alive,and well. They were rich materially....Nothing wrong with beautiful bldg. and sanctuaries.....must not become more important than people. What’s more important the body or the clothes we wear ? Strife...dissension created over materialism.
3. Modernism. The church at Laodicea had become a haven for deadness.
There was no preaching against sin....no moving of the Holy Spirit, no excitement about the Lord, no evangelistic endeavor to the Lord....they had become complacent.
Notice there words....we need nothing ! They didn’t even want God. Can you imagine a godless church ? That’s what happens when the truth ceases to be preached, and the word is not followed.
