Bible Studies for Life Series for March 30: Living with passion for Jesus

Posted: 3/20/08

Bible Studies for Life Series for March 30

Living with passion for Jesus

• Revelation 1:9-13,17-18; 3:14-22

By Gary Long

Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston

I researched to verify this and cannot, but I think it was the great preacher John Claypool who said: “The opposite of love is not anger. It’s apathy.” That is to say, we get angry or passionate over the things we care about. If apathy aptly describes a relationship, then the relationship probably is in trouble.

That’s nearly the same sentiment at work in the focal verse for this week’s lesson, wherein the church at Laodicea is warned about being “lukewarm” in their faith. Jesus sent the angel to call on the First Baptist Church of Laodicea, and pastor Luke Warm opened the door. What followed was a tongue lashing for the church that would’ve surely embarrassed the members and brought shame upon them.

Jesus is sending a message to the church to shed their self-reliance and their sense of accomplishment based on wealth. It also is a message to take off the blinders and see them as they truly were—wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. They were labeled lukewarm because they were not very passionate about their faith, and it was evidenced in their deeds.

That lukewarm metaphor meant a great deal to the people of Laodicea because their drinking water came via aquaduct over a great distance, and so by the time it got to Laodicea it was lukewarm. What’s more, the town was situated between Hierapolis, six miles to the north, and Colossae, 10 miles to the east. Hierapolis was known for its natural hot springs and Colossae got drinking water from the Lycus River, which was notably cold, according to Bible scholar Joseph Trafton.

In other words, Laodiceans would have gotten the double entendre about as clearly as a Texas Baptist hearing “potluck dinner” and knowing right away what to do. 

The point of this week’s lesson is simple: If you’re going to follow Jesus, do it with passion. Do it with zeal. Do it with energy.

But this message isn’t new to us, and it wasn’t new to the church of Laodicea. It’s not even new to the Jews who heard Jesus say, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength.” 

Everything

The problem is not that we lack the ability, or even the desire. We lack the action it takes to be something other than lukewarm. So how can you help your learners see this gap between belief and practice of their faith? Here’s an illustration that you might share:

Just stick your head into any sports bar and you’ll see the evidence that fanaticism is alive and well in the course of human existence. It’s March now, and that means college basketball has fans at a fever pitch. As you deliver this lesson to your students they will likely be watching the second round of the annual three-week tournament dubbed “March Madness.”

This basketball extravaganza has grown men slipping out of the office to cheer like little kids for their favorite teams. It illustrates the fanaticism we are capable of exhibiting, but even an infection of “March Madness” doesn’t garner the kind of commitment Jesus is looking for.

See, rooting for a team is pretty easy. Even when they’re losing, it’s not all that hard. But saying “yes” to following Jesus isn’t as simple as cheering for the right team. It’s a matter of discipleship, commitment, service and study. It is a matter of prayer, reflection and discernment. And ultimately, our faith is useless unless it transforms on the “inside” in a way that shows in how we act on the “outside.”

Parker Palmer, in his wonderful little book Let Your Life Speak, describes what he calls the “Rosa Parks” decision. When asked why she refused to give up her seat to a white man according to the law, she answered simple, “I was tired.” Palmer suspects that while she was physically tired, she was also fatigued in another sense. He suggests her refusal to yield her seat was her saying she tired of living on the outside in a way that was incongruent with whom she was on the inside.

The church at Laodicea received a stern warning from Jesus because they knew better. On the “inside,” they knew what their deeds should be. But their actions did not reflect that belief on the outside. They knew of Jesus’ life, death and marvelous resurrection. They knew the message of the gospel that had been given to them, and they understood the great grace poured out on them. They just didn’t let that influence their deeds and were living in a way incongruent with their beliefs. 

As for us, the passion we see in Jesus is a passion which we should strive to imitate in our daily lives.  Followers of Jesus first earned the name “Christian” because were perceived by others as “little Christs.” When our passion mirrors the passion of Christ, we will be known as true disciples of Jesus. We can have right theology, we can have our Bible memorized, and we can be on every committee at church. But until we get those actions lined up, our unwillingness to live out our beliefs makes us equally lukewarm with those Laodiceans.