Greek For The Week: The Seven Churches Of RevelationSample

 Laodicea: A Church Needing to Regain Effectiveness 

Do you drink your coffee hot or cold? My guess is you don’t drink your coffee at room temperature. That’s the worst. It’s right up there with click bait and long voice mails. Most prefer their joe icy cold or near boiling hot…the same way God prefers His people. 

In Revelation 3:15–16, Jesus indicts the Laodicean church for being “lukewarm” (chliaros). The best way to describe what “lukewarm” means is to describe what it doesn’t mean: cold or hot. “Cold” (psychros) often refers to “freezing” and “hot” (zestos) often refers to “boiling.” Used together, they present the idea of being extreme. To be effective for the kingdom, we have to be extreme about the kingdom. Being lukewarm means uninvolved and passive. This attitude made the Laodicean church useless, like tepid coffee.

The Laodiceans would have understood that Jesus was calling them ineffective when He said they were neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm. Jesus was alluding to both their faith and their water system. Although wealthy, Laodicea had an awful water supply. Their neighbors fared differently. Just ten miles southwest of Laodicea was Colossae, which had an abundant supply of cold water that was sweet to drink. Six miles north of Laodicea was Hierapolis, which had hot springs that provided sizzling water that was used for medicinal purposes and healing. Laodicea would pipe water in from around these regions. By the time the water got there, it was neither cold like the water of Colossae, nor hot like the water of Hierapolis. It couldn’t heal and it was repulsive to drink. Laodicea had become like its own water supply: stagnant, lukewarm, and good for nothing. They were no longer a place where people came to be healed and refreshed. They were a dispassionate, comfy social club of wealthy individuals who had no positive effect on the kingdom of God. 

It’s important for to remember the Laodicean church when we are tempted to trade being extreme for Christ for an easy Christianity…if that even exists. It’s true many of us live in plentiful societies where life is more comfortable, but that comfort should never become a threat to the extremes we will go to in order to serve God. The kingdom of God should always remain our number one priority, even if we have to sacrifice our comforts.

Today, don’t let your success thaw you out and don’t let your comfort slow your simmer. Stay extreme for the Lord. It may not always be fun, but it sure beats the taste of lukewarm. 

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