You Make Me Sick

Neither Hot or Cold

What Does it Mean to be Cold?

Historical context: Laodecia would receive water from Colossae via aqueducts. The water coming from the springs here was ice cold.

A cup of cold water is what? Refreshing. If you have gone on a long hot run or been working the fields it is nothing like a cup of cold water. It can be very reinvigorating.

How should we spiritually be like cold water?

Refreshing

People around you should be uplifted and refreshed

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Example:

Going out of your way to encourage

Being careful with our choice of words

How do you behave in a game when a referee or umpire is making awful calls?

How do you behave in group projects?

Don’t be negative

Reinvigorating

I think of more of adding energy to the situation. We should be contributing to the movement of God’s mission not being a negative force against it.

Romans 12:4–5 ESV

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

How do we walk in unity?

First recognize/find how God has gifted you.

Recognize you don’t have to be good at everything

Don’t compare yourself to others

Football analogy

Coach: cast vision

Managers and water boys: Keep you hydrated and your equipment ready

Fans: Help motivate

Quarterback: lead on the field / move the ball

Wide receivers: help move the ball

Line: Guards the point makers

Defense: keeps the enemy from making progress

What Does it Mean to be Hot?

Historical context: Laodecia would receive water from Hierapolis (5 miles away) which came from hot springs that was used for healing purposes

Hot springs help reduce stress, help with blood pressure, help temporarily with pain

How should we spiritually be like hot springs?

Hot springs I believe remind us we have a responsibility to bring spiritual healing?

How do we do this?

Listen, don’t just jump to giving advice

Meet people in their messes

Show patience and grace

What Does it Mean to be Lukewarm?

Historical context: By the time the water traveled the distance through the water systems from Colossae and Hierapolis it would be lukewarm from traveling so far, making it useless upon arrival.

Jesus was telling them hey you are not like the water from Clossae, you are not a refreshing church or invigorating church.

Jesus was also telling them they were not like the water from Hierapolis, which is you are not a church that brings healing.

Jesus is telling them they are like the water when it reaches their city, lukewarm. What do you want to do with lukewarm water? you want to spew it. It is no good to you.

To put it more blunt, Jesus was telling the Laodicea church they are useless in their current state.

Laodicea out of the early cities had a heavy Christian presence, so far 20 churches have been discovered in it

A Return to Usefulness

Why had the Laodicea church become useless and how could they return to usefulness is what we need to ask now?

Refined by Fire

One reason they had lost their usefulness was they began to trust in their wealth rather than their God. The city motto was: “By our own might”

They confused wealth with prospering

They confused wealth with security

They confused wealth with meaning

Wealth is a fragile god

Since 1980 the dollar has lost 63% of its purchasing power

2 loaf => half a loaf of bread

.9 gallon of gas => .3 gallon of gas

Economies can crash diminishing value quickly

Investments can go south: example retirement accounts

Wealth cannot buy health, doctors can only do so much

Wealth cannot by ultimate security, freak accidents happen.

Wealth cannot buy purpose, finding purpose in wealth is a vain pursuit

Wealth is not a bad thing, but like everything else in life it should be treated like a tool

Jesus goes on in this passage to say gold refined by fire.

How was gold purified in that time?

By fire, the fire would burn the impurities out and make the gold more pure, thus more valuable.

This church needs a trial by fire.

This isn’t pleasant, but necessary, and love (v. 19, Hebrews 12:6)

Things are going to have to occur to improve the impurities. How is this going to look?

COVID Shutdowns

Sin being exposed

Trials of life

Salve to Anoint Your Eyes

Laodicea served as a medical center that specialized in eye disease. So this statement in verse 18 would have meant a good bit to them.

Jesus is telling them you got money and good health care but are still blind to your own shortcomings.

They were in need of spiritual healing.

Scripture relating to spiritual blindness

Proverbs 16:18 ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Acts 9:7–12 ESV

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

Examples today of being spiritual blind:

How to heal blindness