The Cure

The Cure

Conquering Lukewarm Christianity

06.11.06

I. Introduction

Today we’re talking about “The Cure: Conquering Lukewarm Christianity.” Last week, Pastor Suzie began in the beginning talking about God’s relationship with Adam. Well, I want to take you to the end, to the book of Revelation. Revelation is a book of just that – a revelation from God to man – in this particular book, God’s revelation was to a disciple named John. In the first century, many of the disciples were martyred for their belief in Jesus and in fact, the religious people tried to kill John several times, but they didn’t succeed, so they exiled him to the island of Patmos – he was the first Survivor. And while he was on this island, John was caught up in the spirit realm and he saw all kinds of amazing things concerning the future and the end times and even things concerning the present time. Here in this last book of the Bible, Jesus tells John to write to seven churches and I want to look specifically at what Jesus said in chapter 3:

Revelation 3:14-20 14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here 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.

This may seem like a big undertaking, you know, tackling a passage in Revelation on my second time ever preaching at Good News Church on a Sunday morning, but I believe God’s got some awesome things to say to us this morning and that His anointing is going to destroy yokes and remove burdens today, so let’s pray before we go any further! (Pray)

How many of ya’ll have ever been to the doctor? Does anybody enjoy going to the doctor?

II. The Doctor

I hated going to the Doctor…maybe it was the long wait with some pretty stupid magazines, or the fact that he’s always poking around at where it hurts, or he’ll use that popsicle stick to make you throw up right there in his office or it could be that silly gown they make you wear that leaves you exposed to the world. Regardless of the reason you or I may not enjoy going to the doctor, sometimes it’s downright necessary. I went to the doctor about a month ago for the first time in over 3 years. I wasn’t sick, at least I thought I wasn’t, I just went there for a check-up but it wasn’t long after I was in that office before they had me in one of those gowns up on the chair running an EKG and doing a blood test.

Well, the doctor was doing his job and checking me out in an attempt to form a diagnosis – an analysis of my health.

Well, turns out there was nothing wrong with me, except that I eat too much salt. Maybe you have the problem, but the point is, you need the right diagnosis from the Doctor—the Ultimate Physician.

III. The Diagnosis

You need the RIGHT diagnosis—the Doctor knows the problem.

I want to spend a little bit of time here. Verses 15 and 16 contain the diagnosis for this church in Laodicea, which applies directly to the church today.

Revelation 3:15-16 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

This is where a lot of people get confused, and are confused today. The common misinterpretation has been that the word “hot” means spiritual fervor, or excitement, for God…”on fire for God,” and that the word “cold” means outright rejection to the things of God. If this were the case, then it would mean that God prefers outright rejection than spiritual “lukewarmness”?

Let’s look at it this way, my father would much rather me be on his team, or his side, or just close to him, than to disagree, or to run away from him and join another family. He wants me to be close to him. This is the same way with you and God.