We have been doing a Bible study every Wednesday night here about Revelation. Last night we got to Revelation 3:14-22, the letter to the church in Laodicea. I’ll do a quick rundown on it for those not as familiar with it:

1. The Church in Laodicea was ‘lukewarm’, neither cold nor hot, they were not on fire for the Lord, yet still comfortable in their position
2. They were proud, saying ‘I am rich… and have need of nothing’ (17)
3. They were so busy in their ‘good’ that they left Christ out of the church, and he was stadning at their door, knocking to be let back in (20)

There is a theory that each of the seven churches written to at the beginning of Revelation represents a period of church history. If this is so then Laodicea represents the church before the rapture, being the last one mentioned.

Looking out at the church today we can certainly see how much of the church has bought the Laodicean Lie, that they are powerful, and will move into government. So many people believe that many of the recent developments in our cultures can be reversed (legalised abortion, gay marriages). They believe that the church is rich and in need of nothing, having great membership numbers, and members who are important/influential in the community. There is a noted lack of zeal in many churches these days, and being on fire for Christ is looked down upon.

Now I’m borrowing a lot from the sermon, but this all reminded me of my essay The Dead City / Screwtape’s Acceptance Speech, which I should update and write my annotated bibliography to it. The world is going downhill and we cannot fix it. Not that it is not admirable to try, not that we should not be involved, but we should not be deluded into thinking that the Church can gain influence and become the power of the world without serious comprimise that will destroy the message. Our primary focus should be on the salvation of individual souls.