September 8, 2019 “Smug Satisfaction” Revelation 3: 14-22

Revelation 3: 14-22

Take-Away’s from Revelation 3:14-22; Smug Satisfaction

Main Idea: Boasting in anything or anyone but Jesus leads to a smug satisfaction; make Jesus famous in you and your church.

Fabulously wealthy and isolated from their community, Laodicea needed no one, including Jesus. The pastor related Laodicea to modern-day Christians who reach the fourth quarter of their lives, smug and satisfied. Many express that they have maxed out their spirituality and feel quite content. Why is this so dangerous?

In the greeting of the seventh and final letter, Jesus describes Himself as “the beginning of God’s creation.” The NIV translates correctly from the Greek: He is the RULER of God’s creation. What is so important about getting that theology right? Which sect of religions gets this wrong? What other Scriptures from the NT would you refer them to for the proper interpretation?

The pastor recommends that every church member buy a Tyndale Bible Dictionary. To research the historical context of a passage one could look up Laodicea and see what made them famous. Jesus uses their vernacular to rebuke their smug satisfaction.

The pastor closed with these five ways to combat a smug satisfaction:

1. Edify the Church not yourself. It is hard, sacrificial work to be a member of a church.
2. Get serious about evangelism. Stop making excuses about why you don’t witness. Find one, win one, and disciple one.
3. Don’t just sit there, participate in worship.
4. Give regularly. Don’t rob God of what rightly belongs to Him. When you don’t tithe, you set yourself up for trouble.
5. Don’t miss a Sunday. A typical S.B. Church has 176 members, only 69 of whom are regularly present. When you miss your heart begins to cool for God and His people.