Some Things That Are Handicapping Our Churches — Revelation 3:20 #1

Intro: The word “handicap” suggests that there is a reason that we have become limited. Many churches are not reaching their full potential because we allow things to handicap us. In this series we will examine a few things that hinder our churches and prevent us from being the kind of church that God wants us to be.

In the scripture text the Lord is writing to the church of Laodicea. It is interesting to note that this verse displays the Lord standing outside of the church. He is being forced to knock and see if they will allow him to come in to his own house. It is a sad day in the life of every church when Christ is pushed to the outside of what we are doing. He should be the focal point of everything a church does. So the first point in this series is that it handicaps our churches when we do not have his presence when we gather for worship. If we examine the situation in the church at Laodicea, we can see why the presence of God had been forced to the outside.

I. Lukewarm — V. 15,16

A. It is impossible to straddle the fence and expect God to bless us with his presence.

II. Lipservice — V. 17  “Because thou sayest”

A. The tongue is an unruly evil which no man can tame

B. The verse suggest they were bragging about their worldly possessions

III. Lacked Nothing — V. 17

A. We often feel as if WE are the reason for our achievements when in reality it is the blessing of the Lord.