Why Jesus is Not Center Place in Many Churches

14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

 

15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

I am appalled at the number of churches, preachers, and sermons which sideline Jesus or do not mention Him at all.

 

This terrible setback is highlighted in the Seventh Church, Laodicea, as described in the Book of Revelation:

 

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Jesus wants to come in, but He will not force Himself. He wants to be willingly received, just like the disciples in John 6.

Why is it that Jesus is not front and center in our churches, where He belongs, since He is there, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the Creation of God?

Jesus indicts the reason why?:

15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

The mixture of law and grace has robbed the law of its pristine grandeur, and removed the passionate power of grace. When the Law is preached in its fullness, bringing men and women to the end of themselves, then they will willingly receive the grace of God, which comes in Christ (John 1: 17)

Then Jesus offers a further explanation:

17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Modern churches have gotten all caught up in securing wealth, material prosperity. Now, God's greatest wish is that we may prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers (3 John 2).

It's all about our soul's prosperity, which speaks to our will, mind, and emotions.

As we renew our minds to the Word of God (Romans 12: 2), we then walk in the truth (3 John 3-4), and we find the truth in Christ and a growing revelation of who He is.

There is no prosperity apart from Christ. In fact, there is nothing apart from Him:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1: 16-17)

We are nothing without Him:

"1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

 

We can do nothing without Him, either:

 

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5)

 

So, the churches in Laodecia think that they are something because of their  material wealth. They claim that they have no need of anything, because they are self-sufficient, yet they are in fact poor, blind, naked, and miserable.

 

How true is this assessment in many of our churches today!

 

What does Jesus offer to these churches?

 

18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

 

Gold speaks of righteousness, for with righteousness we receive all other blessings in this life. White raiment speaks of the robe of righteousness, too, and eyesalve speaks of healing for our eyes, that we may see more of Jesus.

 

The answer is the gift of righteousness and abundance of grace, all of which we receive in Christ.

 

Therein is the key from going from poverty to wealth, every time!

 

Why is Jesus not center place in our churches? Because the emphasis has been on the self-sufficiency of man to this day, as though He can accomplish all things in his own efforts, when in fact he is dead in trespasses on his own and needs life, Life found in Christ, life which we receive through the gift of righteousness in Him (Romans 5: 17, 8: 10)

 

As long as man still thinks that he has life in and of himself, he will continue to frustrate the grace of God, and Jesus Christ will continue to remain in the background or missing altogether in our churches.