Sunday Worship Service August 13, 2017 Rev. YoungMin Kim (1) Neither Cold nor Hot Revelation 3:14-22 We may have a good Morning, but people in Charlottesville may not. Due to the deadly clashes at racist rally, some troopers and protesters were dead and tens of people were injured. Do you stand on the right or the left? Do you support KKK or Black Lives Matter? Or neither? We are free to support either the right or the left, either KKK or Black Lives Matter. However, violence can never be acceptable in any situation. As a pastor of Nokesville United Methodist Church, I d like to invite you to resist against violence. And our church member Ken Blank, a Virginia trooper, is in Charlottesville to control the protest. Please keep praying for Ken and his wife Leslie. At this moment, why don t we pray for people in the protest to know peace and shalom of God and pray for Ken and VA troopers safety. Let us pray in silence for a moment. Let me change the mood. With your prayers, I participated in the Preaching Conference held in Newark, NJ from Monday, August 7 th to Wednesday, August 9 th (I am here). I realized that most pastors in the conference have the same concerns and problems about preparing and delivering sermons. During lectures and small group discussions, each pastor shared his/her own concerns and problems and tried to figure out their resolutions. It was a valuable opportunity for me to learn about sermons, and I really thank all of my congregation members for supporting and sending me to the conference. However, please do not expect that your pastor will be changed this Sunday. Instead, I will keep going slowly but steadily with a long and deep breath. 1
One of my excitements these days is to experience a combination between my sermons shared with you on Sundays and the congregation s responses. When I first saw our playground filled with wildflowers and weeds, I thought that it would be cleaned before September when the new school year starts. I am sorry to lose our botanic garden, but we finally take back our playground. I deeply appreciate all who came to church on Thursday evening and cleaned the playground. I was very excited when I saw our children played, laughed, and talked with each other in the playground. Here is another thing that happened last Sunday. I have thought about what our church can do for our community for a long time, and some programs and events are on my mind that I have not shared with anybody in church. Last Sunday after the worship service, one member came to me and introduced a non-profit organization that provides services in our community and suggested participating in a fundraising event for that organization. It will be decided by our church council and I will update you. What I was excited and thrilled was when I gave sermons about what we do as a church and as disciples of Jesus, our church members responded and suggested specific actions. I believe that the Holy Spirit gave us ONE MIND and ONE HEART for the Kingdom of God. Nokesville UMC, its congregation members, and I will keep focusing on what we can be and do as disciples of Jesus and as a church of God. Let us have one mind and one heart for that. From this Sunday for seven weeks, I will introduce seven churches in Asia that appear in the Book of Revelation. As the first Sunday, I d like to start with the church in 2
Laodicea. In the sermon, I will share the context of Laodicea church, and the meaning of neither cold nor hot. Finally, we will find out the application of the meaning for Nokesville United Methodist Church. I hope and pray that, while learning about the seven churches for seven weeks, we will find out ideal images of the church that our Triune God wants us to be. (2) It is known that the Book of Revelation was written by John the Apostle who received divine revelation by an angel on the island of Patmos (v. 9). According to chapter one, it was a revelation of Jesus Christ given by God to show what must soon take place, and Jesus sent His angel to His servant John who testified to the word of God and Jesus Christ (vv. 1-2). Then, Jesus ordered John to write in a book and send it to the seven churches (v.11). For a geographical understanding, I will show you maps. The first is a current map of Turkey and its neighboring countries. Let us focus on the red square. Let me magnify the red square, and let us jump back to the first century. The second map is the place where the seven churches were located: The seven churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Some churches received compliments by Jesus Christ; some churches received reproaches; and others both. In chapter two and three, the seven churches appear one by one and the church in Laodicea appears at the end of chapter three. 3
The city of Laodicea was a center of transportation and commerce at the time. On the one hand, an industry to make cloth with wool and the financial industry were highly developed in the city, so Laodicea maintained economic prosperity. On the other hand, Laodicea had a water supply problem. Due to the hot and humid climate, the people of Laodicea needed hot water for bathing and pure cold water for drinking. However, its water was nauseous and undrinkable, not useful for any meaningful purpose. Thus, water was drawn from two nearby cities, Hierapolis and Colossae. Laodicea piped from hot mineral springs in Hierapolis about 6.8 miles away from the city to the north and cold water from Colossae about 10 miles away form the city to the south. In doing so, it seemed everything related to water was fine. However, another problem occurred. The hot mineral water from Hierapolis would become tepid before entering the city. The cold and pure water from Colossae would also become lukewarm before entering the city. People in Laodicea underwent taking baths with tepid water and drinking lukewarm water in hot and humid weather. And more than anyone, the people of Laodicea knew that bathing with tepid water cannot take away their tiredness of the day and drinking with lukewarm water cannot take away their thirst in the hot and humid weather. The tepid and lukewarm water did not satisfy the people in Laodicea. 4
(3) In this sense, we are able to understand why Jesus reproached the church of Laodicea saying, You are neither cold nor hot. The church of Laodicea itself was a reflection of the city of Laodicea. The church believed, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing (v. 17). Even though the church of Laodicea and its church members may have been materially rich, they were spiritually wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked (v. 17). Their material richness made them spiritually lukewarm. Jesus said, Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth (v. 16). How does that sound to you? For me, this sounds like Jesus is cold-hearted. Some may feel uncomfortable with His words. However, you know who Jesus is. Just like parents reprimand their children when they misbehave because they love their children, so Jesus does the same. He says, I reprove and discipline those whom I love (v. 19). And Jesus is standing at the door, knocking. He says, If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me (v. 20). At this point, one question comes up in our minds. Is Nokesville United Methodist Church either hot and cold, or lukewarm? What about us? Are we either hot and cold, or lukewarm? How can we diagnose ourselves? What do you think? Are we as a church hot and cold, or lukewarm? Are you and am I as an individual Christian hot and cold, or lukewarm? 5
Statistics show that only ten percent actively work; eighty percent ambiguously work; and the remaining ten percent does not work at all in churches. In July, our average number of worship service attendees was sixty-seven. Let us supposed that if we were seventy, seven members actively work, fifty-six members ambiguously work, and seven members do not work at all at church. I am pretty sure that our members who actively work are, of course, more than seven. In fact, our numbers are probably more than double or triple. One of my roles as pastor at Nokesville UMC is to encourage ten percent of members to continue without burning out, to inspirit eighty percent members to actively participate in church ministries, and to awaken the remaining ten percent to have an interest to join. Let me ask you! Are you in the ten percent, in eighty percent, or in the remaining ten percent? Please honestly answer to yourself. It is the same as your personal spiritual journey. I encourage you, inspirit you, and awaken you to have enthusiasm to develop your spiritual disciplines including reading the Word of God and praying. At this point in time, we focus on church ministries, but personal spiritual journey and discipline will follow soon, so we are all balanced between personal discipline and church and community ministries. By doing so, Nokesville UMC will be a vitalizing church from today forward. I pray that the Holy Spirit gives every single member ONE MIND and ONE HEART. Let us remember from the church of Laodicea that we should pursue being hot and cold for church ministries and personal spiritual discipline. If not, Jesus will spit us out of His mouth. But if we are, He will give a place with on my throne (v. 21). Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church of Laodicea and Nokesville United Methodist Church. Amen. 6