Coffee Date Week 1 - LUKEWARM COFFEE

Introduction

The nastiest way for a person to drink coffee in any capacity is when it is warm.

Iced Coffee is good

Hot coffee is good

Warm coffee makes you want to spit it out

This is true in our lives as well

Don’t go into something and do it half way

Requires commitment to something more than just being present

So why would that be any different in our faith?

That’s what we are going to explore today.

Section 1: What is a Lukewarm faith?

In the book of Revelation, there is a section that is a collection of letters being written to churches. One of these is being written to the church of Laodicia.

This church was focused mostly on two things

Appearance

Materialism

The history of the church was one that gauged success, spiritually, by how much they had.

So...

Revelation 3:15–22 NIV

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You 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. 18 I 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. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here 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 that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The Laodiceans understood the Lord’s analogy because:

their city drinking water came over an aqueduct from a spring six miles to the south, and it arrived disgustingly lukewarm.

Laodicean water was not hot like the nearby hot springs that people bathed in, nor was it refreshingly cold for drinking.

It was lukewarm, good for nothing. In fact, it was nauseating, and that was the Lord’s response to the Laodiceans—they sickened Him

Lukewarm faith is neither refreshes the soul or kindles the fire within.

For the Laodiceans...

Success was in works

Works were empty

Did not have love, joy, or the fire of the spirit

This meant that even though they thought they were living this incredible life that worships and honors God, in reality the were living a life that on the surface appeared to honor God, but in reality it was an empty kind of faith.

I know this well...

STORY OF GROWING UP AS A PASTOR’S KID.

Almas ganadas

In your life, I want you to think for a second.

Where are you at in your faith?

Section 2: Results of Lukewarm faith

So what happens when we live this way? What happens when we assess our faith and see that we might be operating on Holy Neutral?

When we live a Lukewarm faith...

Faith is compromises

How many times do people use us as the excuse as to why they don’t want to come to church?

Or how many times do we look around a room and see hypocritical behavior?

Faith is Empty

James 2:14-16

Without us actually doing something about our faith, there is no point ins having it

Faith is pointless

We cannot say we have faith then live life as people who do not give off that they have faith

If you say that you have faith in something, it should be fed.

Faith can only be real, if we take steps towards transparency

STORY

My problem was that I thought I was doing what my faith required.

Faith can only be real, if we take steps towards transparency

Section 3: Steps to a refreshing and kindled faith

The good news of the gospel is that we live lives that are meant to be constantly transforming and evolving.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

We are currently being transformed and we are ever-increasing in glory

We will not arrive in our faith until we reach Heaven one day. Our lives are constantly being transformed.

This requires work.

Where are you at in your faith?

Are you cold?

Are you constantly being refreshed?

Do you feel like you are floating in your faith and have a handle on where you go to feel like you can take a sip of cold water and be okay?

Are you hot?

Are you someone who is hungry to learn more.

Eager to grow in knowledge and wisdom

Eager to bring others along with you?

Are you Lukewarm?

Are you operating on Holy Neutral?

Do you not know?

Here’s the relaity for a lot of us...

We oftentimes think that because we do XYZ, we are good.

In school...

In work...

In sports...

In relationships...

In faith...

But most of us don’t understand where we truly are in a lot of these areas.

EXPLAIN ASSESSMENT