Hot Or Not? #5 Series

Introduction

It’s summer. When that sun is blazing, it’s hot.

That’s one reason we added meeting here in the pavilion as an additional way for worship. To get out of the heat.

It’s hot.

At times it’s sizzling hot. So hot that you can fry an egg on the asphalt, as my Grandpa would always say.

Are you hot? Or not?

There’s an app for your phone called Hot or Not. It started as a website in 2000, and has grown greatly over the years into the app that’s available today as a meet other people app. The point of the app is for users to rate how pretty or attractive the photos are of people.

It’s a superficial way of judging people.

God, this morning, wants to know if we are hot or not, but not in outward appearance. God wants to know about our hearts. God wants to know about the state of our souls. Are we hot or not?

We have been reminded in our studies so far that God is

• Our preserver,

• Our protector,

• Our provider, and

• Our passion.

We were God’s passion. That led God to send His Son to our world, to die for our sins, to conquer death, and give us the opportunity to spend eternity with God.

God wants to be our passion. God wants our all.

Sadly, we are often too wishy washy.

And that will not cut it when it comes to our relationship with God. That will not cut it in our service to Him.

Made popular by Aaron Tippin’s song way back in the 1990’s, “You’ve Got to Stand for Something”, it really is true that you have got to stand for something or you will fall for anything.

That was exactly the message for the church at Laodicea.

Let’s read from Revelation 3 this morning, starting with verse 14:

14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3, NLT)

We are today much like the church in Laodicea. We’ve become comfortable. We’ve settled in in our relationship with God. We’ve truthfully become lazy.

Nothing get’s our engines running anymore. Nothing grabs our passion. Nothing gets us all fired up.

I think it happens over time. It’s not something that happens immediately.

1. It starts with us rejecting God as our provider.

We think that we can provide for ourselves.

Which maybe we can. For somethings.

But when it comes to the important things, we cannot do it.

In a familiar passage in the letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul writes these words:

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.