半心半意的教会
启示录三章14至22节
14你要写信给老底嘉教会的使者，说：那为阿们的，为诚信真实见证的，在神创造万物之上为元首的，说：
15我知道你的行为，你也不冷也不热；我巴不得你或冷或热。
16你既如温水，也不冷也不热，所以我必从我口中把你吐出去。
17你说：我是富足，已经发了财，一样都不缺；却不知道你是那困苦、可怜、贫穷、瞎眼、赤身的。
18我劝你向我买火炼的金子，叫你富足；又买白衣穿上，叫你赤身的羞耻不露出来；又买眼药擦你的眼睛，使你能看见。
19凡我所疼爱的，我就责备管教他；所以你要发热心，也要悔改。
20看哪，我站在门外叩门，若有听见我声音就开门的，我要进到他那里去，我与他他与我一同坐席。
21得胜的，我要赐他在我宝座上与我同坐，就如我得了胜，在我父的宝座上与他同坐一般。
22圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听！
信息分享
圣经常常出现「7」这个数字。神用7日来完成创造(第7日实际是安息日)。我们在启示录也经常看到「7」这个数字：7个天使、7间教会、7星、7灵、7印和7号。启示录记述了神如何完成了祂对世界的整个计划；因此，我们可以说，「7」在圣经中是一个完成的数字。我们也经常把「7」视为一个完全的数字。
致老底嘉教会的信，是坐在宝座上的基督发出的最后一封信。它所描述的老底嘉教会，正好给众地方教会提供了7幅完整的图画。我们在当中必看见自己教会的影子。
从某个角度来看，这封信的内容是最可悲的。在给其他教会的书信中，基督均有几句赞许的话，唯独是这间教会完全得不到任何称赞。尽管那里的信徒对自我的评价很不错，但基督却看不到他们有任何优点。
那里的信徒自认是富足的，但基督却指出：「你们的富足根本不值一文；在我看来，你们是贫穷的。你们认为自己穿着华美，但在我看来，你们乃是赤身露体。你们自以为明白一切；但在我看来，你们在属灵上是眼瞎的。你们自以为拥有一切，但实在是极其匮乏。」
他是一间口头承认救主，却没有真正拥有救主的教会。他是一间对主半心半意而非全心全意的教会。他是一间不冷不热的教会，而非一间热切爱主，被圣灵的火所点燃的火热教会。
今天的教会同样面对这些危机。除非信徒真正让基督在他心中作主，让圣灵在他心里工作，才可避免重蹈老底嘉教会的覆辙。老底嘉教会的信徒，可能会翻阅圣经，但却不遵从圣经；可能会向神祷告，但他们的祷告只是泛泛空谈。尽管如此，基督仍把一个宝贵的应许给予这间教会：任何人只要打开他的心门，基督就会进入他的心中，重新将他挽回。还有比这应许，更能对应他们的需要吗？
THE HALF-HEARTED CHURCH
Revelation 3:14-22
14 “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:
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Message
God often works in series of seven. Creation was completed in seven days (the seventh was actually a rest day). There are many sevens in the last book of the Bible - seven angels, seven churches, seven stars, seven spirits, seven seals and seven trumpets. The book of Revelation tells of the completion of God's program for the world. Therefore we can say seven is the number of completion in Scripture. It is often called the perfect number.
This letter to the church at Laodicea is the seventh sent by Christ from his throne. It completes in a remarkable way the seven pictures of these local churches. More than likely we have seen our own church among these.
In a way this letter to this church is the saddest of all. In every other letter Christ has given some word of commendation, but he hasn't one good word to say about this church. He found nothing good in it even though they themselves thought they were a wonderful group of people.
They thought they were rich-Christ said 'Your riches count for nothing. In my eyes you are poor. You think you have good clothes. In my eyes you are naked. You think you can see everything. In my eyes you are spiritually blind. You are in desperate need of all the things you think you have.'
It was a professing church, but not a possessing church. It was a half-hearted church instead of a whole-hearted church. It was a lukewarm church instead of a burning church, burning with the love of Christ and the fire of the Spirit.
These dangers face the church today. It is only the reality of Christ and the work of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people that will keep a church from becoming what the Laodicean church was. In that church they probably read the Bible, but did not obey it. They prayed, but even their prayers meant nothing to them. But Christ gave to this church one of his greatest promises. If anyone would open the door of his heart, Christ would come in and restore all that he should be and could be. Is there any greater promise than that?