Don't Be Vomit

Revelation 3:14-22

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

      These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Some points on the passage;

• ~This message to the church in Laodicea comes from Jesus himself - John is isolated on an island when the vision comes to him, in which Jesus is telling an someone to send these separate churches a message... this is from the mouth of Jesus himself
• ~Laodicea was a rich industrial town, with a big textile industry producing fine cloth, and a developed medical proess with a mineral that helped with poor eyesight.
• ~Being far from a water source the towns supply was transferred via a series of aqua ducts, and by the time it arrived to the town it was luke warm.

Jesus uses the characteristics of the town to highlight specific issues in the church

• ~They are neither hot nor cold, but luke warm, which like the water in the town was able to give a sickly feeling in one's stomach.
• ~The people in the church from Laodicea believed they were rich, due to what they had, the wealth from industry and self image from knowledge - when from God's perspective they were really more of a wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked group of people.
• ~They were spiritually blind, something that would have dug deep because of the pride the people had in their ability to restore sight.
• ~They were spiritually naked, again digging at the pride the people had in their fine linen industry.

Jesus points out that the only true healing can be provided from himself.

• ~(v18)"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
• ~(v19)"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

I'm not sure if you've ever had a rough tummy bug, I'd assume most people have.  I remember when I was in Africa - I'd eaten a BBQ with some British mates, and the meat had not been quite right.  I caught some bug (Banjul Belly all the Misso's called it) and was crook for days.  What I distinctly remember though was lying on the floor of these British friend's house, feeling terrible... my stomach hurt, my head hurt, my throat hurt and I felt totally weak.  I knew I had to go home so I started walking back to my place. I can remember I couldn't even walk in a straight line and I felt faint.  Suddenly I knew whatever was inside of me needed to come out.

I threw up in the street - and instantly I felt much better. All that gunk that was in my belly, making me feel so ill wasn't there anymore.  My body knew what was making me feel sick and expelled it.

Some versions of this passage say that God is going to vomit the Laodicea church out of his mouth, because they are luke warm.  In essence the luke warmness makes God feel so ill that he will feel better by expelling that from his body.

That's a very harsh though, that we could make God feel ill.  I know in many cases I am luke warm in my relationship with him - and I strive to heat it up.

Here are 5 principals to live by which should heat up your life;

• ~Repent of any kind of sin in your life
• ~Put right any wrongs with others
• ~Get rid of any doubtful behaviour
• ~Obey the Holy Spirit promptly
• ~Proclaim a faith in Christ publically