Go! And Live What Jesus Expected - Revelation 3:15-16 Series

Go! And Live What Jesus Expected

Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT): "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!"

Introduction: Setting the Tone

There are few statements that rattle the soul more than the one we’ve based today’s message on: Francis Chan once said, "Lukewarm people call 'radical' what Jesus expected of all His followers."

Think about that. What has become radical in our world today? Biblical obedience. Daily surrender. Sacrificial love. Passionate evangelism. Unashamed holiness. These are not lofty, elite-level Christian goals—they are the standard Jesus set. The normal Christian life, in Jesus’ eyes, is anything but lukewarm.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23 (NLT), "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me." That’s not a radical instruction—that’s the norm. The cross is not jewellery; it is the cost of discipleship.

Let’s walk through God’s Word together and rediscover what true discipleship looks like. This is not about guilt—it’s about grace-empowered obedience. It’s not about performance—it’s about transformed hearts.

1. The Danger of Lukewarm Faith

Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT): "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!"

Jesus is addressing the church in Laodicea, a wealthy city with a poor water supply. Their water arrived lukewarm via aqueducts. Jesus uses this to illustrate their spiritual condition: self-satisfied, complacent, passionless.

Greek Word Study: The Greek word for "lukewarm" is chliaros, meaning tepid, unenthusiastic. "Spit you out" comes from emeo, literally meaning to vomit. This is not mild displeasure—it is holy disgust.

A lukewarm faith makes Jesus nauseous. He desires people who are either hot with zeal or cold and honest—anything but half-hearted.

2 Timothy 3:5 (NLT) – "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!"

This verse is a wake-up call to the Church. It warns us of those who have a form of godliness but deny the transforming power of God. They attend the service, they might sing the songs, perhaps even quote Scripture—but their hearts remain untouched, unrepentant, unchanged. They have the appearance of faith, but they are spiritually dead inside.

The Greek word translated “power” here is d??aµ?? (dunamis)—the same root word used for the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s the miracle-working, life-transforming, sin-defeating power of God that regenerates a soul and conforms us into the image of Christ.

The Apostle Paul’s command is strong: Avoid them. Why? Because this kind of lukewarm, superficial religiosity is not harmless—it’s contagious. It lulls others into complacency, undermines the Gospel, and leads to destruction.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT) – Not everyone who calls out 'Lord, Lord' belongs to Him—only those who do the will of the Father.

These words of Jesus are among the most sobering in all of Scripture. They reveal that religious activity is not the same as saving faith. A person can do incredible things—even in Jesus’ name—and still be utterly lost.

Jesus doesn’t say, “You didn’t do enough.” He says, “I never knew you.” The issue is relationship, not résumé. Many will claim the right words, but their hearts are far from Christ. They never truly repented, never truly surrendered. They called Him “Lord” but lived as if they were on the throne.

This passage drives us to examine ourselves. Are we truly born again? Are we doing the will of the Father or simply seeking the applause of men? Has the Gospel transformed us, or have we merely added religion to a rebellious heart?

As A.W. Tozer once said: "The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth."

Let us not be found among the complacent. Let us be among those who live with holy fear, humble faith, and joyful obedience—those who truly know Jesus and are known by Him.

Imagine receiving a cup of tea, only to find it’s been sitting out for hours. Lukewarm. Unappealing. That’s how spiritual indifference tastes to the Lord.

John Piper said, "The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie." In other words, it’s comfort, not crisis, that lulls us to sleep.

2. The Call to Radical—Yet Normal—Obedience

Luke 14:27 (NLT): "And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple."

Jesus is not marketing Christianity. He is warning that following Him costs everything. The cross is not decorative—it is an instrument of death to self.