Category: Theological Musings

Hot or Cold? – Letter to Laodicea

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On Sunday we explored the letter to Laodicea in Revelation. The letter begins by Jesus saying, “I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”

His point here isn’t connected with passion or enthusiasm (as is often thought in our “feeling” orientated culture) but with usefulness. The two major towns nearby Laodicea were each known for their unique water properties. One town had naturally occurring hot springs that was thought to be a source of healing. The other town had natural cold springs from the mountains, which is incredibly useful in the hot middle east. And what would happen is the water that would travel to Laodicea would become lukewarm by the time it got there, and because it picked up many of the minerals along the way in the aqueducts it would become undrinkable. You’d have to spit out the lukewarm water.

So what is Jesus’ point? It’s simple, he would rather the church be useful like hot water, or useful like coldwater, but right now they are like the water in Laodicea lukewarm and useless. Jesus continues that because of their wealth, their style, and their dreams of grandeur they have become indifferent towards him. And Jesus says “I stand at the door and knock” asking to be invited in. Their indifference and lack of action has actually expelled Jesus from the church. He stands at the door, on the outside, asking to be let in. So he says repent, start following me and not wealth, start focusing on my kingdom and not your standing, stop focusing on your style and focus on being faithful. This is the message of the letter to Laodicea. It’s not about passion for Jesus per say, it’s really about being useful for Christ. This is a letter that encourages action. Jesus encourages us to buy gold from him, to buy ointment, and to buy white cloths. These are all things connected to action.

So on Sunday we landed on the main idea of what is Jesus asking us to do? How can we be active in spreading his grace and revealing his Kingdom? How can we be either hot water or cold water actively demonstrating his gospel rather than being listless and lazy lukewarm water?

And I think these are questions worth asking during Lent because they reveal a remarkabel truth. God wants to use you to spread his grace. God wants to partner with you in his Kingdom. God wants to reveal himself through you. That is an amazing calling. So this week focus on revealing God in all things, focus on being hot or cold, focus on actively following and watch what God might do in and through you.

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Be useful for Jesus

Take Aways…

  • The Jesus Test: if a passage doesn’t look, sound, or love like Jesus…dig deeper
  • Jesus is always more concerned with action than passion
  • Jesus is saying…be useful
  • Jesus isn’t judging their enthusiasm but their usefulness
  • They have focused on what they have, rather than what they are called to do
  • Long-term indifference can push Jesus aside and out of the church
  • Jesus wants to partner and use you
  • You might not be called to change the world for everyone, but you are called to change the world of someone around you

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What made you laugh? What did you take away? What would Jesus see if he examined your actions? How are you being useful for God’s kingdom? What gifts has he given you? What abilities? What talents? How does it feel to have Jesus actually want to partner and use you in his Kingdom?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Talk with your kids about how not only does Jesus love us, but he wants to use us to make the world a better place. Ask them if they have any ideas how to make the world a better place…and no matter how out there or amazing, act on their ideas and try them out!

Challenge for this Week

Let Jesus use you to grow his Kingdom

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Station 13

Station 13: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

Written Reflection:

The body of Jesus is taken to its resting place. At the very moment when he seems furthest from glory, when life seems darkest, hope is closest. Cold stone surrounds and imprisons his dead body. But we know that nothing can hold Jesus’ power of life over death. Reflect on how at the darkest moment life was closest to bursting forth. And if there is any difficulties in your life remember in this moment that life is never far away

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross 12

Station 12: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Written Reflection:

Jesus breathe becomes slow and ragged. He cries out in a loud voice, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit”. And his drops heavily onto his chest, and his spirit and body shudder and Jesus dies. Look up to him hanging on the cross. Look up see the pain, the hurt, the disgrace. Look up and see our salvation. As you look share with him any of your deepest fears, needs, or hurts. Because this is a God who understands loss, hope, pain, and hurt. Share with our savior

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 11

Station 11: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

Written Reflection:

Spikes are nailed into Jesus hands and feet. Flesh is torn, blood is seen, and pain is felt. With each nail waves of pain come over Jesus. This is a God who feels. This is a God who suffers. This is not a God removed from the world, but one that enters into it for you and for me. Can there be any pain and agony our Jesus would not understand? Spend time with Jesus today sharing your hurts, your wounds, your struggles because our God knows what it is like to go through pain. Share you struggles and let Jesus uplift you today

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 10

Station 10: Jesus is Stripped of his Garments

Written Reflection:

Jesus is now stripped for his garments. He is now totally open, vulnerable, able to feel the shameful looks and angry stares of the crowd. As the soldiers rip off his garments it opens the poorly closed wounds and fresh blood is seen.

Jesus stands naked, bloody, as people jeer at him. He is completely defenseless before them, as a lamb led towards the slaughter. And as the people look at him, Jesus looks to heaven. Picture the anger of crowd, the condemnation, the pride, and the arrogance. Take a moment and confess when you too have looked down at someone. Confess to Jesus moments when you have been like that crowd, and receive his forgiveness

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 9

Station #9: Jesus falls for the third time…


Written Reflection:

Jesus falls for a third time. This last fall he can barely move. His body shudders at each moment. Agony shoots throughout his limbs. The soldiers know he cannot carry the cross any more, and they drag him forward. This man who gave life everywhere – who healed the blind, cured the sick, and set free the oppressed…slowly his life is being drained by the cross…slowly he is dying. This depth of brokenness reveals the completeness of the love of Jesus Christ. He is this broken, this bruised, this devastated so that we might be made whole and healed. His love compels his actions, but the weights of our sin drag him down. As you reflect on this image offer thanks to Jesus for his love, and confess your own sin and brokenness that brought Jesus there…

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 8

Station #8: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Written Reflection:

As Jesus continues on the road to his death he sees the people of Jerusalem. He sees the men and the woman. He sees hate, condescending glares, confused stares, and with some of the woman he sees sorrow. He see the hurt, and the women remember his words of hope and compassion.

Jesus looks out and sees their needs, fears, hopes, and desires. In the midst of his own sorrow Jesus sees others. Help me Jesus to remember others. Help me Jesus to pick up my own cross and care for others. Spend time reflecting on this: when have you been too busy or preoccupied to help respond to others? Who can you help today?

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 7

Jesus falls for the 2nd time…

Written Reflection:

With each step Jesus takes the weight continues to grow. It grows to much, and Jesus falls to the ground. His knees scrap the earth, and his face hits the dust. Maybe he remembers the verse, “from dust you can and to dust you will return” He catches a raspy dust filled breath before he is forced to continue.

Store up this image in your heart and mind. Though he felt alone in the dust we never have to because of his sacrifice. Jesus is on the ground, so that we might be raised up. This is for me and this is for you. Jesus breathes in dust, so that he might breathe out life.

Today take a deep breathe and breathe in life. As you do reflect on this: you have been given a gift from Jesus how might you show him gratitude today.

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 6

Station #6: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Written Reflection

Blood, sweat, tears, and pain drip from the face of Jesus. He has been whipped, beaten, spit at and betrayed. A woman from the crowd is said to have come and wiped his face. Her name in tradition is Vernoica.

We are reminded that moments of beauty and grace sometimes break the darkness if only for an instant. Like a shooting star on a black night, grace and light can break through in moments of deep pain. Spend a moment and reflect on when you were in darkness and difficulty and God gave you a glimpse of grace. Spend time reflecting on the glimpses of grace around you…

by Andrew Mills

Struggling with Speaking of Sin

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Through the past few weeks I’ve started to notice something about myself. There are certain Sundays where I come away from speaking and don’t feel that I’ve done my best. I feel like I’ve missed the mark and messed up. And then I started to notice a pattern. The Sundays where I felt like I struggled, and where I lost confidence were all sermons related to conviction and challenge. The sermons where I lost confidence and left feeling a bit shaken were all related to sin, sacrifice, and conviction. Through some reflection I realized that I find it easy to preach a sermon on grace and gift, and difficult to preach a sermon on sin and challenge.

The struggle I face is maybe one you face in your own relationships. I know it is important to talk about sin. I know it is important to challenge people and let the Spirit do his work of convicting. I know this is important because I need it personally. I need to be challenged to give up greed, hate, unforgiveness, lust, and all sorts of sinful things. The struggle I have is in how to do it. How to share in a way that is convicting but not condemning, that is challenging but not judging.

What is even more disturbing to me is a growing realization that I may not feel confident in this type of sharing because of a lack of practice. What I mean by that is perhaps I struggle because I am unaccustomed to sharing about sin. This is concerning to me because Jesus talks about sin, the Bible talks about sin, and sin, we are told, leads to death. Therefore, sin isn’t something I should avoid or struggle speaking about. I should share honestly with the dangers of consumerism, violence, greed, and lust. I should share openly with the temptations and struggles I face. And I shouldn’t ever shy away reminding people that sin leads to death while following Jesus leads to life. And this is something we know deep down. We know that hate kills relationships. We know that lust destroys marriages. We know that unforgiveness wrecks families. So we need to learn to speak about sin in such a way that it leads to life not death.

So I’ve made a personal decision. I will grow and learn in how to share about sin in such as way that conviction without condemnation happens. To share about it in such a way that challenges someone, but doesn’t lead to damnation. To share in such a way that, like Jesus, people who are broken and struggling feel freed; and people who are haughty, prideful, and oppressive to others sees their need.

In essence, I’m going to work on struggling to speak of sin a little less…

by Andrew Mills