What disgusts you?
I know … weird question, right? But what really upsets you? What causes you to react with a strong sense of rejection? And I am not just talking about foods you don’t like … I mean at a deeper level, what really bothers you?
As someone who has followed and played sports all my life, I have often heard coaches or commentators mention that it drives them crazy when they see a highly skilled and gifted athlete waste their talent with lack of effort or poor life choices.
You might also know of technology experts who roll their eyes and shake their heads when they see people using machines capable of launching the space shuttle to only play minesweeper or solitaire.
Educators might bemoan the national merit scholar who is only a “C” student because they have not fully applied themselves to their academic studies.
Employers complain about employees failing to give their all … or parents shaking their heads over their children who insist on only doing the minimum, instead of going the extra mile.
In each of these examples, you might imagine a coach, expert, educator, employer, or parent comment that these situations “make them sick.” These people are in a position to know the ceiling of an individual, so it drives them crazy when someone they care about routinely under-deliver on their potential.
Now, I want to ask you a question … do you know what makes Jesus “sick”? What turns His stomach? We don’t have to guess. He tells us in Revelation 3:14-22. It isn’t a mystery. He tells us what makes Him want to vomit.
Before I reveal what this is, can I make a side comment? The God of the Universe … the One who created ALL THINGS … CARES WHAT WE DO. He is not detached. He is not aloof. He is the Lord of the Church. He is connected to the church, and the individuals that make it up. And how we live our lives can either lead to His delight or His disgust. And in Revelation 3:14-22, He tells us that there is one way we can live that makes Him want to spit us out of His mouth.
So what is it? What is it that we do that so disgusts and disappoints our Savior?
It is when we exhibit a “useless” faith.
Jesus wants our faith to be more than “fire insurance” for eternity … He wants us to be dynamically dependent upon Him for every moment of every day. He wants us to trust His Word in obedience. He wants us to trust His Spirit for empowerment. He wants us to trust His work on the cross for forgiveness. He wants us to trust His resurrection for giving us a new identity. He wants all of our lives to be identified with Him. But why does Jesus want this? Does He want this because He is on an ego trip? No … He wants this because He loves us and He knows what our ceiling truly is. He knows what we were created for. He knows what He has empowered us to do and be, and it makes Him sad when we settle for something less.
This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be wrapping up our “Lord of the Church” Sermon series by looking at Revelation 3:14-22 – the letter to the church of Laodicea. This letter will encourage us to have a “useful” not “useless” faith … and it will also encourage us with the knowledge that Jesus not only gives us His stuff to activate our faith … but He also gives us access to Himself, and a promise to work alongside Him in His Kingdom. Make plans to be with us for this final message in the series in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service, or online in the stream … and bring friends!