Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20020728.htm

CHRIST'S SCRIPTURE PROPHECY ON CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICALISM
Part III: Christ's Appraisal Of Evangelicalism As Two, Offensive, Judging Factions
A. Christ's Evaluation Of Evangelicalism Illustrated
(Revelation 3:14a, 15-17)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus Christ predicted our current Evangelical era of Church History, we should expect Him to provide a spiritual evaluation of OUR era's believers and their churches with their unique needs.
    2. Revelation 3:14a, 15-17 illustrates Christ's spiritual evaluation of Evangelicalism as a movement.
  2. Christ's Evaluation Of Evangelicals Illustrated, Revelation 3:14a, 15-17.
    1. Our Lord Jesus Christ introduced His address to Evangelicalism by calling it "the Laodicean Church."
    2. The name, "Laodicea" means "the judgment of the people," cf. G. H. Pember, The Great Prophecies, p. 279 as cited in J. D. Pentecost, Things To Come, p. 152, and reveals the key feature of Evangelicalism.
    3. Christ then illustrated how Evangelicals ACT errantly as judges as follows:
      1. Where Christ as the divine Judge in each of the seven churches says "These things saith" and "I know thy works," only the messenger of the Laodicean Church among these churches also acts as a judge, but an errant one where Christ complains "thou sayest" and "thou...knowest not" (Rev. 2:1-3:33 KJV).
      2. To illustrate how the typical (Laodicean) Evangelical thus errantly judges, Christ likened the state of the Laodiceans (Evangelicals) to the water conduit investment folly of ancient Laodicea as follows:
        1. Laodicea had no water source as the city developed as a financial center, New Bible Dict., p. 716f.
        2. Accordingly, its inhabitants laid bored out stone blocks cemented end-to-end to transport overland hot water from nearby Heliopolis and cold water from neighboring Colossae, Ibid., p. 717.
        3. However, as both conduits lay exposed to the elements, they yielded only lukewarm water, Ibid.
        4. Note: opposite most commentaries that see Laodicea's lukewarm water as representing compromise between good and evil so that Laodicea is identified even as the apostate Church of the Tribulation (Ibid., Pentecost, p. 212-213), the product Christ and the Laodiceans desired was EITHER cold OR hot water -- not the lukewarm water that arrived, Rev. 3:15b. The key failure of the Laodiceans is not that of compromise so much as a failure to achieve two GOOD goals!
      3. We apply this illustration to today's churches to discern Christ's evaluation of today's Evangelicalism:
        1. Around 1950, some Evangelicals wanted to improve their outreach, so they abandoned the separatist stance against the world held by Fundamentalists (Rev. 3:7-13's Philadelphia Church) and planned to be winsome to the world (Laodicea's plan to improve its water situation), Ibid., Armstrong, p. 29.
        2. Their plan was twofold (Laodicea's two pipes): (1) to promote Reformed THEOLOGY, assuming it was more palatable to the lost, and (2) EXPERIENTIALLY reach intellectuals, Ibid., p. 29-31.
        3. Well, Arminian Charismatic Evangelicals and Liberal Theology intellectuals who oppose Calvinistic predestination in Reformed Theology reacted negatively, so Evangelicals divided into two camps competing to dominate Evangelicalism by self-vindication (as judges) -- Calvinists who exalt DOCTRINE versus Arminians who magnify EXPERIENCE, Ibid., p. 32-36; Richard Quebedaux, The New Charismatics, p. 30-31. (This is reflected in the Greek text at Rev. 3:17 where Christ says " . . . and you do not know that (it is you [emphatic] who) are the wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked one [versus your charge regarding your opponent]").
        4. Christ's view of Evangelicalism, then, is alarming! (1) He could wish Evangelicals were either doctrinally OR experientially sound, but He finds both such respective wings only lukewarm, meaning BOTH are theologically AND experientially OBJECTIONABLE! (2) Worse, while BOTH are thus entirely lacking, neither even perceives it, and then each sinfully elevates itself above the other in sinful judgment for sinful supremacy (Rom. 14:9-12), and Christ finds it all very INTOLERABLE! (3) Jesus Christ then stands ready suddenly to expel these factions from usefulness by Him, Revelation 3:16b!
Lesson: Christ illustrates how Evangelicals have ERRED theologically AND experientially into two factions, and have ERRANTLY JUDGED one another for DOMINANCE -- an INTOLERABLE move!

Application: WE Evangelicals must REPENT of our THEOLOGICAL and EXPERIENTIAL errors!