Pod Prep: 5-25-18
The Shocking Mystery of the Laodicean Attitude
CHRISTIAN BOASTING IS A REAL SIGN OF THE LAODICEAN ATTITUDE
Christ is the only one whose opinion counts, period. A congregation may perceive themselves as spiritual. But only Jesus' evaluation is of consequence. Note that Jesus is the true witness who faithfully reports on the real conditions of the churches.
Rev 3:14 To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write: These things says the Amen, the witness, faithful and true, the beginning of the creation of God:
15 I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. (MNT)
Christ the one true observer and witness says that this church is a lot less than they think. Their evaluation is in great error as judged by a true objective critic who is in charge since He was the God of creation. Jesus is rejecting this congregation on the mail route because they are not HOT for Christ nor a COLD unconverted group. He spits them out. No, this church is totally self deceived. They do not see themselves as lukewarm. This is why Christ condemns them so much. A church that knows they are lukewarm is not self deceived.
Rev 3:16 Would that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spew you out of my mouth.
17 For you keep saying, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,"
Notice that their evaluation of themselves was that they had need of NOTHING. Can you imagine a more spiritually bankrupt perception. A true Christian should never ever never say or think that they have NEED OF NOTHING. This is self deception and self delusion to the extreme. It is a spiritually dangerous form of self-satisfaction and self righteousness as well. They are self deceived hypocrites.
17 ...and knowest not that you are the wretched one, and pitiable and beggared and blind and naked.
If one had asked them to compare themselves with the other six churches on the mail route they would say they were the best. They would have believed that they had need of nothing. They were rich.
WHEN A CHURCH SAYS THAT THEY ARE THE BEST, THEY ARE IN A LAODICEAN ATTITUDE
One sign of the Laodicean attitude within a church is the self delusion. They do not see how a righteous God views them. Believing you are the best is dangerous, but it is even worse to assert that you are in need of nothing. You perceive that you need nothing because you are so much better than the other church groups. That very thought is a definition of self-righteousness and self-delusion. If we think we are righteous and openly label ourselves as the best, isn't that exactly what the Laodicean thought. Yet they had no righteous clothing, they were spiritually naked and wretched and spiritually blind. They could not see themselves or anything else accurately.
Boasting about how good a church you are is unmistakably Laodicean. Asserting that you are too good to
deal with other churches, is a Laodicean like attitude. Any group that is characterized by such self-delusion or similar self-righteousness should repent of all such thinking. Believers should never become complacent and believe that they have need of nothing.
Rev 3:18 I advise you to buy of me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white raiment to clothe yourself, so that the shame of your nakedness may not be made manifest; and eye-salve to anoint your eyes, in order that you may see.
We desperately need to see ourselves honestly. This group needed true spiritual wisdom, insight, perception and vision. They could not see anything accurately about themselves. Self-deception and self-righteousness is common to carnal human nature. The more carnal people are, the blinder they are with regard to accurate self assessment.
19 All whom I love I reprove and discipline; therefore be full of zeal and repent. (MNT)
All people who believe themselves superior to other believers need to repent. They need to repent and push hard for real zeal for Christ. Any church that states brazenly that they are the only real Philadelphians around must repent of such an attitude. Some historians believe the Laodicean congregation did repent when they received Christ's letter from the Apostle John. All of us in this age who have any such attitudes need to repent now as well.
WHAT KIND OF MAN DOES GOD LOOK AT FAVORABLY
God prizes most of all, HUMILITY. God looks to those who greatly fear to disobey and highly respect His words. Thinking highly of ones self is the exact opposite of what God requires. Satan had the attitude of self exaltation. Jesus will resist any such spirit.
Isa 66:2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the LORD. But this is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. (RSV)
If a church group believes that they have need of nothing or are at least better than all the other groups they are violating God's values. Paul warned against a spirit of vainglory. Thinking that we are better than others and are motivated to spend a lot of our efforts proving this to our own selves and others is counter productive.
Php 2:2 Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (KJV)
When a church group spends a lot of its energy and resources proving that they are better than others they are violating this good advice from the Apostle Paul. Doing or saying things to bask in our goodness is a definition of vainglory. It remind us of the Pharisee in Luke 18: 9.
Lu 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: (RSV)
A truly humble Christian should run as far away from this spirit as they can. Efforts to show everyone that we are better than all others is so much like the Pharisees that it is scary. God wants us to remain humble above all else. We must remain fearful of the ' We are better than all others trap' of Satan.
Php 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (RSV)
We need to fear being around people who keep telling us that we are the best. Bad leaders tell us we are the only group that will be protected. It is a trap using fear to control us.
BE VERY WARY OF THOSE WHO USE FEAR TO MOTIVATE AND LEAD
I DO NOT MEAN USING THE APPROPRIATE FEAR OF GOD. Clearly teaching that we all need to fear God is appropriate. But God wants us to follow him also out of love, loyalty and faith in his goodness. However some churches are motivated overwhelmingly by FEAR. Fear of the leadership and fear that if you are not on their list you will suffer. This peddling of fear is obviously not Godly. But leaders with power hungry motives know that fear works. One can see it in the horrors of Communism. But it exists strangely in some churches and it has happened in the past as well.
3Jo 1:9 I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, prating against me with evil words. And not content with that, he refuses himself to welcome the brethren, and also stops those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the church.
The evil leader who was power hungry was clearly using FEAR OF BEING PUT OUT of the group to maintain his power. He cut out the true Apostle John's influence so he could rule.
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God. (RSV)
The Apostle John is clearly stating that we should reject such evil men. These men are doing evil. Diotrephes is labeled as evil and not to be followed. We hope those now living in fear can wake up and repent of overly following a power hungry man and leave such misdirected congregations.
NEVER BECOME COMPLACENT OR SELF-SATISFIED
God wants us to follow Paul's example of pushing ourselves hard to guarantee success and fight self-satisfaction and delusion. Note the Apostle's comments about his own personal salvation.
Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have laid hold of the prize; but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind, and stretching forth toward the things before, 14. I press on toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God, by Christ Jesus. (Oracl)
Paul is pushing for the high calling of God. We are called to be part of God's very family. We cannot afford to become complacent or self-deceived or self-righteous. These all are threats that the Laodicean attitude can smear us with and pull us down.
God does not want us worried all the time. We can trust God. Through prayer and staying humble we can be at peace and please God. He does not want brethren living in fear. We need to not fear men in the church or outside of the church either. God want us to live in faith and peace.
Php 4:6 Be anxious about nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus. (Oracl)
