Series: Are You Prepared? (Revelation) [#8]
SICKENING’S BEST
Revelation 3:14-22
Introduction:
[Video Clip "The Family Outing"]
[Stand on the rail in the choir loft and have someone on each side pulling my arms.]
Do you work hard at keeping up appearances? Do you find yourself being pulled in 2 directions? Eventually one side is going to win. The Spirit and the flesh are fighting all of the time; which side is winning?
Revelation 3:14-18
I. The Danger Zone
In my over 15 years of restaurant experience I have learned that one of the #1 priorities in food safety is temperature. 40F-140F is known as the danger zone. When food is in this temperature range bacteria can grow and spread very quickly. You can’t see things like e-coli or salmonella but it can make you very sick or even kill you.
In my over 6 years of pastoral experience I have learned that one of the #1 priorities in the Body of Christ is temperature. Luke-warmness is as dangerous to the spiritual body as e-coli is to the human body. The bacteria of sin and apathy will spread all over the body and we will not even notice. In fact, on the outside things may seem like they are going very well. The Church of Laodicea was basing their success upon human standards and Jesus was looking at the heart of the matter.
II. The Bacteria
The longer you allow your life to be in the danger zone the more potential there is for the bacteria to spread and do its damage. Here are several indications of spiritual bacterial growth and damage to the body.
1. “Iron fist”. (I’m the boss. Not even Jesus is going to tell me what to do.)
2. “Chicken liver” (Scared of the enemy.)
3. “Lock-Jaw”. (Will not open your mouth and tell others about Jesus.)
4. “Sugary Sweet Heart”. (Just keep everybody happy regardless of what is going on.)
Revelation 3:19-20
III. The Cure
There is a cure to the problem of lukewarmness. It is repentance. Christ is standing at the door knocking and all you have to do is let Him in. Now I realize that this passage has been preached many times concerning salvation, but verse 19 indicates to us that this is talking about Christians. Hebrews tells us that God disciplines His children.
The major problem here is the fact that Jesus is on the outside of the Church and not the inside. The good news here is that we simply have to let Christ back into the Church. Once we humble ourselves and repent of our sins, then Christ forgives, forgets, and fellowships with us.
Conclusion:
Revelation 3:21-22
1. If you are sitting here today hoping that someone sitting next to you or behind you is getting this sermon, you are probably lukewarm.
2. If you think you got all of this figured out because you have heard a hundred sermons just like this one, then you are probably lukewarm.
3. If you are thinking about what time it is right now, you are probably lukewarm.
4. If you are mad that I would dare say these things, you are probably lukewarm.
5. If you are agitated at someone and you can’t get them out of your mind, you are probably lukewarm.
6. If you plan on not moving during this invitation and not changing, you are probably lukewarm.
7. If you are more worried about lunch than that lost person God has put on your mind, you are probably lukewarm.
Humble yourself, repent, and let Jesus back in before He spits us out.
