) Lukewarm Christianity
Robert A. Glass
(Revelation 3:15-18)
The church at Laodicea had a problem. God knew their works and the “test-results” were bad. God had examined them and found them lukewarm or wishy-washy. (Revelations 3:15-18) “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
It is easy to drink HOT coffee. I have even heard of folks drinking coffee, COLD. But the most rancid thing is coffee that is neither hot nor cold.
Sometimes, our work in the church is the same way—lukewarm. We can’t decide whether to be dedicated or lazy. We are playing “water-faucet” religion. (A water faucet is a wonderful thing. It works when we turn it on and quits when we turn it off.)
BUT, will it work on SUNDAY MORNING? We get dressed on Sunday morning in our suit and tie or our best dress and hat, and off we go to church.
Where were we Saturday night? On a dance floor, at a karaoke bar, a night club or were we at home studying for Bible study the next morning?
A true Christian, not a lukewarm Christian is dedicated every day of the week. A lukewarm Christian couldn’t be convicted on charges of faith. There wouldn’t be enough evidence to convict him.
His Monday-Saturday language wouldn’t convict him. Her skirts & blouses wouldn’t convict her either. SIMPLY PUT: If you are not a Christian, ALL THE TIME...You are NOT a Christian ANYTIME! Ask yourselves? If every member copied ME for dedication, how strong would the Church be?
Ask yourselves this question: At its present state, where will the Church be in 5-YEARS? How about 10-YEARS? A quick glance at most of the Churches is Virginia in appalling. In most congregations, 1/3 to as much as 1/2 of the faithful membership is above age 50. SO, unless we do something to “turn the tide” in 30 years many congregations will have been carried away by the hearse.
(1 Corinthians 15:58) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” When we are abounding in the work of the Lord, our labour is not LUKEWARM or in VAIN. A lukewarm Christian does not spread the Gospel or “sow the seed”.
(Luke 8:5-15) “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Some seed fell on rock, some fell among thorns, and SOME fell on good ground.)
No GOOD seed will fall from a lukewarm Christian.
YET! Preaching and teaching God’s WORD will never come back void. [Even if we fail to convert a particular person, we will reinforce the teachings of the Lord in OURSELVES. We strengthen ourselves by teaching others. (2 Timothy 1:13) “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
The lukewarm Christian is not solid and firm but weak and wavering. ELIJAH asked a question that we should ask today! (1 Kings 18:21) “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”
Look at (Hebrews 10:23-26) “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised; And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. A lukewarm Christian misses worship opportunities and misses the fellowship with other saints
The apostle Paul gave us descriptions AND names of lukewarm Christians. (1 Timothy 1:19:20) “Having shipwreck faith, of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (Their daily LANGUAGE!)
(2 Timothy 4:10) “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica.” We don’t know MUCH about DEMAS, but he left Paul forsaken because he loved the world more than Christ.
I’d like to use a glove to show you the condition of your lukewarm SOUL!
• Imagine for a moment instead of as a baby, you were born as a pure white glove.
• A glove so pure and white, each baby finger of the glove JUST PERFECT. Clean and pure.
• But as we grow older, each lie, fib and sin leaves a stain on our once white glove.
• Sometimes the sins we commit are so grievous that our glove is torn and has to be sewn together again.
• Our glove is DIRTY with the sins we’ve committed.
• Ordinarily such a glove would be simply discarded and thrown away.
• But, (1 John 1:7), tells us that when we walk in the light, as he is in the light, the Blood of Jesus continually cleanseth us from sin.
• OUR DIRTY GLOVE IS
The fingers of the glove moved because of the hand that was within it. There will come a time, when this “glove of life” will become frail and withered, DISEASED and worn. The glove is like unto a man’s body. Even as this worn glove is cast aside, SO ALSO is our physical body cast aside.
BUT! The hand that moved inside the glove and the soul that moved inside the body, one day, shall go back to God!
What is the condition of your glove? Is it washed CLEAN or lukewarm & dirty? When we bury a loved one that has passed, we never bury the soul. We only bury the body, the physical, the glove as it were. The soul that moved the fingers of the glove goes back to the Father.
(Luke 12:19-20) “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
IF YOUR SOUL SHOULD BE REQUIRED OF YOU, WHAT WOULD BE THE END RESULT? Will you be Eternally Lost? (1 Peter 4:18) “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? BELIEVE ME! The LUKEWARM ARE UNGODLY!
Lukewarm Christianity got Laodicea spit from the mouth of God. Do you remember the song, “I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.” WHAT is the condition of your soul?
Are you faithful to the Lord? Are you laboring for the Lord? (1 Corinthians 3:13-14) “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
Are you yet to become a Christian? If so, Your life is beyond lukewarm, you are lost!
You need to BELIEVE that Jesus is the Only begotten Son of God. (John 8:24) Jesus said “for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
Are you willing to repent of your past sins? Jesus said, (Luke 13:3) “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Unless we repent, we perish. That is the consequence of SIN.
Are you willing to Confess that Jesus is the ONLY begotten Son of God? Jesus said in (Matthew 10:32-33) “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Are YOU willing to be baptized for the remission of sin, in the Name of the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost? (Acts 2:38) “Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins!
Are you a lukewarm Christian and you’re not living right? HOW DIRTY IS YOUR GLOVE? NOW is the time to act.
(James 5:16) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another. We want to pray with you and for you, that you be restored.
Are we facing Eternity as a Christian?
Do you REALLY wanna face GOD as a lukewarm Christian?
Do YOU wanna face GOD as a DIRTY GLOVE? Don’t wait.
Now is the time!
COME NOW AS WE STAND AND SING!
