I will spue you out

Are we lukewarm in our following of Christ?

Revelation 3:15–16 NLT I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Revelations 3:15 ESV 15 ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

This was a message sent to the Angel of the church of Laodicea.

Laodicea has the grim distinction of being the only church in which Jesus Christ has nothing good to say

Laodicea was a city of great wealth, many due to its production of clothing, specifically a wool tunic called the Trimoita. In fact, the city was so wealthy that when it was destroyed by an earthquake the citizens had so much wealth, they rebuilt the city without any help from the Roman Empire.

In our passage, there are many thoughts on what Jesus meant by Cold and Hot since he says that he wishes us to be either cold or hot rather than lukewarm. Most all agree that Hot means that we are on fire for God and are energetic in doing his work and spreading his word. The big question comes from what he means by cold and lukewarm.

Some believe that cold means that we are saved Christians but don’t have an energetic drive to work for God and are content to just survive as Christians but not proclaim God’s word to everyone else.

Some think that Cold means you are unsaved and this would mean you know you do not have Jesus Christ as your personal savior and have the ability to be saved and it would be obvious to the church that they should witness to you and help you to understand God’s word and repent.

If you follow this belief, then it would likely mean that a lukewarm Christian is one who knows Jesus Christ as their savior but refuses to do his work. Or is the Christian who has repented of their sins and although they live their lives involved in the church and living as Christians, they constantly allow small sinful ways to enter their lives? In this belief you are doing work for God and appearing that you are Hot for him and working for him, yet you also doing sinful things which cools your Hot works and makes you lukewarm.

When we say we are Spirit-filled Christians and we do many good things, but we then do just a few evil things, our lives are like both hot and cold running water. Making us lukewarm before God.

The Israelites were given the 10 commandments to show them their sins and their sinful ways. Some want to say that once Jesus died and rose again and created a new covenant that now we don't have to worry about the previous commandments because Jesus just gave us just 2 with the new covenant. First is Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength (and that's a whole other sermon) and the second is “love your neighbor as yourself” Now we all think this last one is easy because we do things for our friends like baking them an apple pie or spending a whole day helping them fix their car but we must remember that Jesus used metaphors throughout the Bible and when he says to love your neighbor as yourself do we really?

Let me explain it this way. If you go to the store and buy some groceries and when you get to the registers it is you checking yourself out. Now at this register, you’re working for minimum wage and the store’s policy is that when a checker’s till is short or comes out of their wages so the store can keep checkers honest and keep them from taking cash throughout their day. So when the checker “you” hands you back an extra 20, do you just put it in your pocket and tell yourself that groceries have gone up way too much lately and you deserve a break, or do you hold your hand out and tell the checker you to recount the money because you think they may have given you too much back.

Sins

John 8:44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Revelation 21:8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, immoral, those who practice witchcraft , idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Ephesians 4:25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

Ephesians 4:29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words emus will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Ecclesiastes 5:6 Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.

Ephesians 5:5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Are we more concerned with our possessions than we are with serving God

If the Holy Spirit is in us, he will give us the strength to resist these things

Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in EVERY PART of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Hebrews 12:14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy, will not see the Lord

Galatians 5:19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Since 1995 I have worked on what is normally called the “30 Squad” which basically means that I was responsible for working and reconstructing fatality accidents. now let me give you a few examples.

One accident I worked on involved a healthy 16yo boy who had been driving down the road at the speed limit and this was confirmed through video footage. but then the young man drove off the right side of the road and accelerated down a drainage ditch hit an embankment causing his truck to go airborne throwing him out and landing on him and killing him.

Another accident involved a young man that had just graduated from the fire academy and his father had given him his old Harley as a graduation present. While he was riding home a vehicle turned in front of him. He laid the motorcycle down and when under the car. Now the good Samaritans present saw him pinned under the edge of the car and attempted to help by pulling the motorcycle out. But when they did, it broke the running light lens and the hot filament ignited the gas that was spilling out of the tank and set him on fire. Lastly, there was a couple that pulled out of the 7-11 on his motorcycle just north of an intersection. The light turned yellow and with him being on a fast motorcycle he knew he could get across the intersection before it turned red. The only problem was the man pulling out of the circle k on the south side of the intersection who saw the motorcycle on the other side of the intersection wasn’t expecting the motorcycle to come towards him in excess of 70 mph and he pulled out onto the roadway. The young lady on the back of the motorcycle was killed instantly. I give you all those details to show one point. All these accidents started and ended in less than 30 seconds. In 30 seconds these 3 young people left this world to be judged for how they lived.

So let me take this home. You’re driving down the road talking to your good friend and you tell them how so-n-so said this about them and how you defended your friend when in reality you gave them a few more juicy details you are aware of. Is this loving your neighbor or friend as you would yourself? Are you prepared to stand before God in the next 30 seconds?

Of all those hundreds of accidents I worked on, I don’t believe any had a time frame of more than 30 seconds, and most were much shorter. Do we really want to take the chance that we will have enough time before we are called home to ask one last time to be forgiven of our “little’ sins we do daily? Or is it much safer to live HOT for God and do his will constantly in our lives and get away from the “God is still working on me” mentality?

Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness

James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Mat 7:22-23 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.

Are you prepared to take that chance? To risk eternal damnation for the small sins that you think don’t really make any difference?

We must give our lives to God completely and keep from doing what we think are just small sinful things.