The Hidden Warning from the Lukewarm Church

In a previous article, I asked the question: Can You Be Lukewarm and a Christian? This is pertaining to the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-21. There were many reasons why I thought you cannot be both, and explained my findings through Scripture. This struck a sour note with some people who expressed their frustrations about the article in comments and personal messages. I have made mistakes in the past and edited articles when people have used Scripture to change my mind.

But after I finished the article and the complaints came in, I had an uneasiness about what I wrote. I felt as though it wasn’t the whole story; that some things were left unsaid, and, in some ways, left unanswered. I began to find myself in the questioner’s shoes with questions of my own. The one that left a bad taste in my mouth, like the lukewarm water that ran through the city’s aqueduct, was the question — how? How did the Laodicean Church become so lukewarm? What caused them to be lukewarm? And it hit me like a 2×4 upside the head. The answer was there the whole time — right at the beginning of the letter.

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Revelation 3:14 NKJV

Did you see it? I mean, it’s right there in black and white. Come and let’s take a closer look.

Words matter

In this grouping of letters to the angels of the cities, the wording is always the same, except for the Laodicean Church. Here are all of the church greetings in order:

1. “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write…” (Revelation 2:1)
2. “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…” (Revelation 2:8)
3. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write…” (Revelation 2:12)
4. “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write…” (Revelation 2:18)
5. “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write…” (Revelation 3:1)
6. “And to the angel of the church in Philidelphia write…” (Revelation 3:7)
7. “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write…” (Revelation 3:14)

Notice how in each of the cities except for the Laodiceans, it is written as, “in/of the church of [city]. But in the last and seventh one, it says, “…church of the Laodiceans.” The focus is not on the church itself, or its city, but on its people. It’s not identified as the church in the city, but the church — of its people.

The church ruled by the people

To take this even a step further, let’s look at the name, Laodicean. We can break down its meaning and where it comes from two Greek words: laos, from which we get our word “laity,” which means “people;” and diece which means “decision” or “rule.” Thus, Laodicean means, “people rule,” “people decide,” or “justice of the people.”

I often wondered how or why this church fell so hard. But, maybe God in His infinite wisdom was telling us the whole time how and why this church became apathetic and ignored the knock of Jesus at the door. It was because they were controlled by the people, and not by a Pastor, Bishop, or Elder. They were a congregational led church of the people, and no doubt this was significant to their demise.

What is a congregational ruled church?

A congregational ruled church is a fellowship or denomination that is governed by the members who belong to that organization. They vote on subjects ranging from what color the bathrooms should be painted, to more important issues like nominating an Elder, expelling a Pastor, or performing homosexual weddings. Everything that pertains to life within the local church or the denomination is voted upon by the people.

This is really no different than what we see today in United States government. We vote for our government leaders into office so that they will lead us and represent our best interests. The government then creates laws, raises a military to protect us and “supposed to” defend our borders from those trying to do its taxpayers and citizens harm. We are ruled by one document, the Constitution of the United States, which the preamble states: “We the People…”

But the question we should be asking ourselves is, is it biblical? The answer to that question is a resounding — no.

Chaos happens when a congregation leads.

The Lord gave us examples of what happens when the people lead; and in each instance it led to chaos.

Aaron and the Golden Calf

In Exodus 24, Moses went up on top of the mountain to be with God, to learn from Him, and how to lead the people. Since Moses was gone forty days and nights (Exodus 24:18), the children of Israel were getting antsy and gathered together to coherse Aaron into leading them. Basically, they took a vote for a new shepherd (Exodus 32:1).

Aaron did make the calf of gold and the people cheered saying, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4). Then in the next verse, Aaron built an altar before it and made a proclamation to feast to the Lord (Exodus 32:5).

When Moses confronted his brother, he said:

And Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

Exodus 32:21 NKJV

Aaron’s response:

So, Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. “For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ “And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So, they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

Exodus 32:22-24 NKJV

It was the people that led Aaron, not the other way around; for even Moses said in the next verse, “the people were unrestrained.” Did Aaron fear the people? Did he let them do whatever they wanted? Yes, but their hearts were set on evil and they were going to do whatever they wanted, with or without Aaron.

Saul feared the people

1 Samuel 15 says much about why people should not lead a congregation. In verse 1, Samuel anointed Saul to be king over His people, Israel, and to heed the voice of the LORD. The LORD gave him command to attack Amalek and destroy them all and everything they had. This included man, woman, infant and nursing child, ox, sheep, camels and donkeys (vs 3). Saul gathered the people together and went against the Amalekites and their king, Agag.

But Saul and the people took king Agag captive, spared the best of the animals and all that was good. No doubt they also spared women as well. All the worthless and despised things they destroyed (1 Samuel 15:9). At that moment, God rejected Saul as king, because he did not obey the LORD and listened to the people instead (vs 15, 21). But why did they do this? It wasn’t for the LORD as they said, but because Saul feared the people:

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

1 Samuel 15:24 NKJV

When the people take the lead, there is always chaos.

What is the biblical model for leadership?

The biblical model for church leadership has been and always should be, the — plurality of male elders. Although there are no explicit passages forbidding the practice of having a single overseer or leader of a church, a strong biblical case can be made for having a plurality of elders.

When they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 14:23 NKJV

There are many other passages in the Bible that talk about the plurality of elders. Some of which are: Acts 11:30; 15:2; 16:4; and 21:18. Paul sent letters to his protégé, Timothy and Titus to appoint elders in the church. In 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul instructs that ‘the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.’ Paul to Titus wrote, “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). Notice in all of these the plural form of elders.

The biblical qualifications for an elder

Not only is there a biblical model for the plurality of elders, but also the qualification of elders. This can be found in Titus 1:5-9:

For this reason, I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you– if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Titus 1:5-9 NKJV

There’s so much in these verses that describe what an elder should look like. He is a man and the husband of one wife (v6). Gender roles are not just blurred today, but crossed entirely, but not according to the Bible. It makes it very clear that an elder is to be a man. This is not my words, but God’s. But yet, there are many churches and denominations made up of the congregations that vote and allow women to take up leadership positions as elders.

Blameless does not mean, “sinless,” but one that someone cannot accuse him of doing wrong. One that cannot be called into account, unreproveable, unaccused — blameless. The other characteristics should be pretty straight-forward, but like I said earlier, some are not sure what a man is these days.

This also should not be limited to elders, even though that is the topic of the article. But elders can and should also be made up of pastors and overseers as well, in which a more stricter form of the above is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 NKJV

Is there any hope?

Is there any hope for a lukewarm church led by its people? It is difficult to say. I don’t know for sure but I wonder if denominations that are run like this are already apostisized, or in the throws of it; but if they are, they clearly have other issues as well. I can’t speak for all congregational led churches, but I wonder how many of them take the authority of the Word of God seriously.

That is the key though, isn’t it? That the Word of God is preached, taught, and followed. It is our only rulebook of Christian doctrine. Those that abandon God’s Word will suffer the consequences of it. And what is to overcome in Revelation 3:21? Ourselves. Hear His knocking and invite Jesus in. Sit with Him, learn from Him, and embrace Him. Don’t be led by the world, but be led by the Word of God.