A few months before coming to the United States, I caught up with a professor from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School who was speaking at a conference in England. He wasn't a member of the congregation I was coming to serve, but he knew the church well. I was eager to get his impressions of the suburban Chicago church I'd soon be serving.
I asked him what he thought would be my biggest challenge, and I'll never forget his answer: "Your greatest challenge will be knowing what to do. They already have everything."
That was the reputation of the church in Laodicea. It was a church of relentless activity and apparent success. A remarkable confidence characterized the people, evidenced by their self-assessment: "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing" (Rev. 3:17). Laodicea was a congregation with a 5-star rating. Visitors who came would say, "What more could you want? They've got everything here." If the pastor at Laodicea had called the congregation to a season of reflection regarding their spiritual life, the members would have said, "We are doing quite well, thank you." Keep reading
Photo: Barton Gingrich
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