American Laodicea

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
²² “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’” (Revelation 3:14-22 KJV)

If the above isn't a picture of the American church, I honestly don't know what is. How many of us have truly known real need, or lack, of anything? How many of us have truly faced persecution? How many of us have truly had our commitment tested?

I think something all American Christians understand on some level is that there is a prevalent problem in American churches. The real problem isn't that we are judgmental or apathetic. It isn't that we're too wrapped up in tradition and resistant to change on the one hand, or too willing to compromise the Gospel on the other. Rather, these are symptoms of the greater sin in the American Church. 

The sin of the Church of America -- as in the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3 -- is complacency. Mediocrity. Willingness to settle for so much less than what God has to offer, and to give so much less than we can offer back to Him. The American church has had it easy -- too easy -- for so long that we've forgotten how to need passionately and rely fully on the grace and power of the Almighty.

But God is an all or nothing kind of God. When it comes to Grace, He holds nothing back. Instead, He gave all of Himself -- even the life of Jesus Christ, the Son -- to bring His children back to Him. He is generous in compassion and mercy. Jesus said in Matthew 7 that as much as we, sinful people, hold nothing back from our own children, "how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Is it any wonder, then, that He asks the same from those who claim to serve Him? He set before us a perfect, unattainable example. What He asks of us is that we give Him everything we are, as imperfect as it is, and let Him use it all for His glory. 

Christ didn't go halfway when it came to His love for us. There is no halfway when it comes to serving Him.