Sermon: "Laodicea: Half-Hearted and Oblivious" by Randy Roberts 
Part 9: Letters from the Edge of Eternity

Prayer: Joelle Reuer

Pastoral Welcome: Calvin Thomsen

Children’s Feature: Calvin Thomsen

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:14–18, TNIV - Dustin Aho

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERMON

For Christians, the name Laodicea is loaded with meaning.  It brings to mind images of lukewarm church members, half-hearted Christians and a nauseated God.  Of the seven churches of Revelation, it is the one we likely know the best.  Its message has been extensively read, studied and preached.  It is the church to which Christians in today’s world relate the most closely.

The seven churches of Revelation have sometimes been interpreted by saying that they represent seven eras of church history, stretching from the time John received his vision until the coming of Christ.  In that schema, Ephesus, the first church, represents the infant Christian church, while Laodicea, the last church, represents the church in existence just before the coming of Christ.  As such, Laodicea – the half-hearted, oblivious church – is the Christian church in its essence at this point in human history.

You may have grown up being told that you belonged to a Laodicean church.  Or you may have heard people say, “I’m not Laodicean!  I’m on fire for God!”

The truth is each message to each church has application for every church in every generation.  After all, as part of each of the seven messages, Jesus says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  In other words, if we have ears to hear the Spirit’s voice, we need to listen to his message to each and everychurch.  That is what we have attempted to do throughout this series.

But today we turn to Laodicea, the half-hearted, oblivious church.  John Stott suggests that the essence of this message is that Jesus is calling for a wholehearted church, a church that loves and serves Jesus with all its heart.

The message for Laodicea is for each one of us.  Its message is both timeless and timely.  I pray that we will hear it with all our hearts.

Yours for a wholehearted church.

Randy Roberts
Senior Pastor

MEDITATIONS

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important. – C. S. Lewis

There are, in the end, only two ways open to us:  to honestly and honorably make an admission of how far we are from the Christianity of the New Testament, or to perform skillful tricks to conceal the true situation. – Soren Kierkegaard

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