"To the Church of Laodicea" - Henry Knapp

Wholehearted Devotion 

I am a fan. I am a fan of the Steelers, the Penguins, even (gulp!) the Pirates. Raised 100 miles north of here, my family was at best casual followers of sports—my parents did not focus much on professional athletics, and neither did my siblings. If anything, we were Pittsburgh folks, but that was pretty mild. As my ministry life got underway in Pittsburgh, my appreciation and attention to our local sports teams slowly grew until that fateful day when I realized I was a fan! Appreciation gave way to devotion; casual attention was replaced by boisterous cheering. This occasional supporter became a fanatic.  

 

You can tell I’m a fan by the way my heart skips when the conversation turns toward winning percentages, RBIs and yardage. Watching one of my favorite teams in action takes my entire focus—please do not talk to me when the game is on! When I have free time, it is easy to fill it with sports blogs, radio talk shows, team hopes and expectations. To say I eat, drink, and sleep Pittsburgh sports is a bit of an exaggeration… but only a bit! 

 

However. In my more rational moments, I am deeply saddened by my obsession and by the fans I find myself surrounded by. If I want to see people really passionate, giving themselves body and soul to something, where shall I go? To the sports arena. Not, to my shame, to church. Fan… fanatics… are found at the game, not often at worship. But, how can that be? What Christian would not freely admit that their devotion to Christ far outweighs any commitment to a sports team? We know what has eternal import; we know of the priority of our faith; we know what is really important. And, yet, what really gets our juices flowing… is sports?? Perhaps such misplaced passion should challenge us, forcing us to ask: Am I a “fan” of Christ? And, if so, does it show as it should? 

 

How I wish to be surrounded in church with the passion and commitment and eagerness I find at the stadium! 

 

I think there is a cultural component at play here as well—being an avid sports fan is respectable in our society, even honored and celebrated. Too much dedication to your favorite team can be seen perhaps as a bit quirky, but ultimately it is endearing in the end. That is not the contemporary response to passion in our faith. Someone “too into” their Christian faith is, well, a fanatic. And, a fanatic leads to fanaticism which leads to… well, nothing good. So, sure, you can be a Christian if you like, but don’t be too much so or you’ll be fanatic about it, and that is seen as nothing short of ugly. There is cultural pressure not to be too devoted to your faith… don’t be a fanatic about it. 

 

But, that surely is not what Scripture commends. A casual embrace of the faith, a nominal acceptance of morality, a superficial exercise of our worship is nothing short of abhorrent to our Lord. He desires so much more… He deserves so much more!  

 

Now it is true—passion without reflection is dangerous emotionalism. But, reflection without passion is impotent paralysis. The kind of devotion, passion, commitment that Christ desires is a wholehearted one, enthusiastic, fervent and excited. In short, we are to be fans of our Lord—eager, not only to be engaged spiritually, but also intellectually and emotionally. I pray your devotion to our Lord grows more and more wholehearted, and that passion shows in all you do. 

 

For worship this week, read Revelation 3:14-22. 

 

1. List out the titles Jesus gives Himself in verse 14. What do each imply? Why do they apply so well to Jesus? 

 

2. What does it look like to be “hot” or “cold” (vs. 16)? How would you measure such a thing in your own life? 

 

3. Jesus’ warning that He will spit one out of His mouth (vs. 17) has been taken in various ways throughout church history—what do you think He means by this? 

 

4. How does the Laodicean view of themselves differ from God’s view of them? Which is accurate? 

 

5. What does Jesus’ counsel to them (vs. 18) entail? What actions are they to take, what actions has Jesus taken? 

 

6. Verse 19 is a great challenge—we want God to love us, but He describes things we would rather avoid. Where have you felt/experienced this love in the past? 

 

7. What does it mean to sit on His throne? How would this practically look in your daily life?