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.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
God wants everyone to be close to him! Let me enlighten you about Revelation 3:15-16. You see, Laodicea was near two other cities…Hierapolis and Colossae. Hierapolis had springs that produced hot water, and Colossae had springs that produced cold water. (Illustration with two cups and bowl. Label one cup Hierapolis, a red cup if you have it. Label the other, a blue cup if you have it, Colossae. Pour water from each cup into the bowl while having someone hold it. Tell them this while doing so.) What happens is that the hot water from Hierapolis runs down a stream to Laodicea, and the cold water from Colossae does the same thing…basically they meet in the middle like you see here, and by the time the hot water gets there and meets the cold water, we have water that is lukewarm.
Here’s the deal…hot water has a purpose, it’s good for something. Hot water is good for hot tea, hot coffee, hot chocolate or a hot tub. I love the hot tub!!! It’s so good after you’ve been working out, or you have sore muscles…it’s good for something, right? Ok, well, cold water is good for something, too. It’s refreshing after a long run, or playing basketball, it’s soothing to wet the whistle. Athlete’s NEED cold water. A cold pool feels great on a hot day. If cold water gets really cold, it freezes and makes ice, which makes drinks much colder, or a warm drink cold. So, you see, both hot and cold water are useful and efficient for how we live. But what is useless is the lukewarm water in Laodicea. It has no purpose…the word lukewarm is only used once in the New Testament, right here. The exact sense of the word is useless, or barren. If I get a glass of lukewarm water or take a swig from a water fountain that’s lukewarm after I play basketball, then I automatically spit it out, because it doesn’t refresh me, it makes me want to vomit.
This is the diagnosis for some of us in here today…we’re like the useless lukewarm water of Laodicea. When you’re spiritually lukewarm, you’re doing no good for the kingdom. You’re not fulfilling your purpose.
This is the problem: We are TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE SOURCE. We are just too comfortable being lukewarm. We like our baths at a medium temperature and we don’t want to be challenged, or stretched. We have to be Hot or Cold. We gotta move closer to the cold springs to be cold, or closer to the hot springs to be hot…God is our source. We’ve got to draw closer to Him.
IV. The Prescripture
I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine. Everybody please welcome Dr. Power. (interact with Dr. Power)
Thank you, Dr. Power for your time and your great wisdom!
God has the PreScripture for US. In vs. 17-19, he gives us the prescription, the antidote, per se. (Read vs. 17-19) Laodicea was known for it’s banking center, it’s black wool textile industry, and it’s medicinal school that provided salve to cure eye disease. It’s interesting that God hits on all these aspects in his antidote. They were so self righteous that they did not even realize the condition they were in. They didn’t know they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. He counsels them to buy gold from him, which symbolizes righteous character. The gold refined in the fire is real gold, not fool’s gold. It goes through the test, the fire may be uncomfortable for the gold, but it purifies the gold, fire sterilizes, it refines. He counsels them to buy white clothes which also symbolize righteousness to cover their nakedness which is unrighteousness. He also counsels them to buy salve, so that they can see, really see. They claimed to have spiritual insight, but they did not possess Christ’s wisdom. When God tells them to buy these things, he doesn’t mean they have to literally buy them, he offers all these things for free. There’s no co-pay or anything…the only price He asks for is repentance. Vs. 19 says that he loves us and that’s why he rebukes and disciplines…he’s just like the father that wants his son close to him.
Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
Repentance expresses a turning, and the earnestness that he calls for expresses an ongoing attitude. Sin is just like a dead end street, there’s only one way out…turn around and go the other way, and continue in that direction.
V. The House Call
Here’s one of the reasons why it’s so essential to stick close to the source: if you’re far away from the source, you won’t hear when He speaks to you.
(clip from Bruce Almighty?)
God wants to reveal things to you, hidden things, secret things, but when you disconnect from Him, you can’t hear when He speaks.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT 9That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."
10But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets. 11No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
The Word says that God’s Spirit shows us His deep secrets. You know what, when someone tells you a secret, they don’t say “walk over there, I need to tell you a secret.” Has anybody ever told you that? No. When someone tells you a secret, they say, “come here, I need to tell you a secret” and you draw close to that person and put your ear right next their mouth so they can whisper to you. Well, God’s Spirit is in the revealing business and he wants to reveal things to you. If I were to turn off my microphone and whisper something, I bet those who are the furthest away would have no clue what I said. But those who are closer would probably hear me. But if they were to draw even closer, there’s no doubt that they’d hear me and understand what I was saying. When you’re closer to the source, it’s a lot easier to know what you’re doing in life.
I want to tell you the story of a young man who didn’t have it all together all the time, but he did have one thing – he stuck close to the Source. I was in college at Clemson University the first semester of my freshman year. At this point I never prayed about where to go to school, I just went where my friends were going. Well, one night in the parking lot, I had this encounter with God. I prayed and I asked Him to speak to me. And after a few short minutes that seemed to last a lifetime, He did and I heard Him so clearly. It was that night that I found out that God wanted me to do ministry. So through amazing circumstances and His favor, He opened up the door for me to go to North Greenville College with a full scholarship- tuition, books, the whole nine yards. I finished up the semester at Clemson and transferred immediately. My sophomore year at NGC, I went to a prayer meeting for a revival we were having and I met a young lady named Kristen. And through amazing circumstances and God’s favor, we became an item during my junior year and this young fellow that was raised Pentecostal and then became Baptist in high school started going to a Word of Faith church with his girlfriend. A few short weeks after we became an item, she prayed with me to be filled with the Holy Spirit and boy, what a life-changing experience. Well, life went on and through amazing circumstances and God’s favor, He opened up the door for me to come here to Good News Church and the rest is history. But the thing that I want you to see is that if I didn’t stick close to the Source and hear from the Holy Spirit, my life would be on a totally different course. There’s no telling where I would be or what I’d be doing. Some of you have similar stories, some of you haven’t lived out your story yet. Regardless of where you’re at, the truth is that it’s SO very important that you don’t get too far away from the source. And if you have, it’s not too late to come back.
Luke 15: 11-24 NIV 11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, ’Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, ’How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22"But the father said to his servants, ’Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
When you become a Christian, you become a child of God, you’re His son or daughter, and even if you run away, you’re STILL His son or daughter. And He desires closeness. He desires an intimate relationship with you.
Whether you’ve just begun to drift away or whether you’ve been drifting for a long time, it’s time to come back to the source! Your life is far too important to cut yourself off from God. You need to stick so close to Him!
Revelation 3:20 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.
The Doctor makes house calls. The thing about God is that He’s never left You. He’s always at your door, knocking, waiting for you to be open to Him. And as soon as you open the door, He’ll come in with his mercy and grace and he’ll transform you.
God is our source and the way to conquer lukewarm Christianity is to stay close to the Source. I’m telling you, when you stay close to the source, your life will be right on track with where He wants you to be.
Let’s stand. (invitation)
