Profile of a lukewarm Christian
Rev. 3:14-22
Introduction-
I want us to glance this morning at the seven churches that John wrote about in the book of Revelation. The one we will look at and discuss is the church at Liodicea. The church that Jesus had some pretty harsh words for. The first six churches that Jesus showed him had some good in each church as well as things that needed to be worked on. He comes to the church at Liodicea and He rebukes them.
He says that He sees what is happening there.
He acknowledges that “Luke warm” is not acceptable.
He says that He stands at the door of the church and knocks desiring for them to let Him in.
To the church at Sardis- You are alive but you act like you are dead. You people just exist
To the church at Thyatira- “I see what you are doing, you are doing more than ever before, but Jezebel has entered and sexually my church is not pure . There is sin in the camp.
To the church at Smynra- I see the poverty, your struggles, see that you desire to be faithful. Hold on There will be persecution, you be faithful and hold on White knuckle Christians
To the church at Ephesus- “You have lost your first love’ repent and come back to me.
Then to the church at Liodicea- I know your deeds, that you are neither hot or cold. I wish you would pick one. Because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. The Greek word here translated spit actually means to vomit. I will vomit you out of my mouth. You are poor, blind, naked. Worse than that is that you think you are okay. “Those I love I rebuke and discipline”
(v20) Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
What a tremendous invitation by our Lord. To stand at the door of our church, to stand at the door of each one of our hearts and desires to come in if we would just open the door and give him the opportunity to step in. To the one that would do that, he says that He will grant to sit with Him. Just like He overcame, He says we can overcome. If you ever did a study on the church down through history, you will see that pride has always been a problem and these Liodiceans thought they were a superior grade of Christians. They were dumb-founded that Jesus would stand and rebuke them for their actions because they truly thought in their hearts they were okay. The message to Liodiceans was judgement and a call to repentance. “I wish that you were cold or hot” They were criticized for being neutral, for their lack of zeal, being lukewarm. Scholars suggest Liodicea had hotsprings 5 miles out of the city that brought water to the city by aqueducts. The hotsprings brought hard tasting water, but drinkable. The imagery of the aqueducts not that hot water is good, or cold water is bad, but that hot and cold water was useful, but lukewarm water was useless. Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasures hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought the field.” he sold all that he had so he could obtain the only thing that mattered. Lukewarm is indecisiveness, lukewarm is straddling the fence. Lukewarm is trying to get the best of both worlds. Jesus says that He wanted them to commit one way or another. God hates lukewarm because it kills our chances of being useful for the kingdom of God. Parable of the sower is an example of what happens to people with the Word of God.
It falls on the path- birds and animals steal it.
Falls on rocks- there is no roots that can take hold.
Good soil- then it grows.
You cannot assume that you are good soil. (Repeat)
Has your relationship with God changed your life?
Do other people think your relationship has changed your life?
Do you see evidence of God at work in your life?
I have never seen so many people claim Jesus, but not have a relationship with Him (everywhere I go)
Godly enough is their theme song.
I have never seen so many claim God, the church, and for no reason just stop coming to church.
People moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ. (Tears flying) but they do not respond or act on it. That they say is for extreme Christians, not average Christians.
“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves, do what it says.”
Lukewarm Christians gauge his/her morality by comparing their goodness to other people instead of by God’s standard.
“The pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers, evil-doers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” Luke 18:11-12
Bought into the lie of not sharing our faith because we might be rejected or people are uncomfortable of talking about religion. Love God... but not with their whole heart, mind, soul. That is only for pastors, missionaries, and those who are full time.
Col 3:2 Paul says:
“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things”
Jesus says (v17) you say I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. The words to them was a over confidence of spiritual wealth. They were bankrupt. The city was a wealthy city. Had a lot going for it. They tried to piggy-back spiritual wealth with the wealth they established from the city. According to Strabo (historian) the reference to eye medication was because there was a medical school in the city. The school manufactured eye salve that was extremely popular. When Jesus said they were poor, blinded, naked, he told them that what they put their trust in caused them to be poor, blinded, naked. They were bankrupt spiritually.
Lukewarm people love their luxuries and comforts. They do bare minium to be good enough. When they feel guilty they give to the poor. They ask; How much do I have to give, instead of how much can I give. Lukewarm people play it safe. They focus on safe rather than risking for God. Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that they are not really different. As I come into the final stretch. The profile of a Lukewarm Christian is not a way to exalt yourself or tear down a brother or sister, it is a moment this morning that we look at where we are at.
2 Cor. 13:5
“Examine yourselves, to see wether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
Test yourself- litmus test.
“Salt is good, but if it loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, it is thrown out”
He is saying that half-hearted following of Him is not acceptable. It sickens our souls and we become useless to the kingdom of God. “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creations”
Crazy love is the perfect expression of the love God has for each of us. “That God should love a sinner such as I” The love God has for us is craziness to the world. Jesus calls us to a deep relationship with God. The world says its okay to believe in God, but to actually love Him is too extreme. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, love your neighbors as yourself.” Mt. 22:37-40
while the whole world is trying to define “Who’s your neighbor”? God’s people are not lukewarm and existing, but serving Him with their whole life, with all their resources. Lukewarm people give to God as long as it does not change their standard of living.
King David
“No, I insist on paying the full price, I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that cost me nothing” 1 Cor. 21:24
would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or would half-hearted, lukewarm, partially committed fit better?
Phil 3:10
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in death and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead” We stop at the resurrection- to know Christ, power of the resurrection (that is what Christ did) but we do not want to share in his sufferings.
God uses the uncomfortable and unexpected to teach us total dependance on Him
H.O.P.E. Helping other people excel. The Lord gave that to me Friday morning during my prayer time. I believe I will be putting that on my business cards. We offer hope to others by helping them excel. Helping them do the impossible. Jesus Christ helped us do what we cannot do in ourselves, and gave us hope. We cannot live half-hearted lives and think that it would be enough for us to sustain that intimate relationship that God desires from each one of us.
Let me close by asking the question again to you this morning. Do you truly love your Lord Jesus Christ with al your heart, all your mind, all your soul? Do you love Him more than you love yourself and those immediately around you? Do you love Him enough to care about the people that you come in contact with everyday?
God offers crazy love to us, He expects radical love from us in return, lukewarm is not what He desires from us. I am going to open up the altar for a moment this morning, if you want to come and talk to the Lord, I would invite you to do that right now.
Altar call.
