Escaping the Tepid Trap

Lukewarm (adj)

Lukewarm is an adjective that primarily describes something as moderately warm or tepid, particularly in reference to water. The term can also be used figuratively to describe a lack of enthusiasm, conviction, or zeal, often characterizing attitudes or actions as unenthusiastic, indifferent, or halfhearted.

Lukewarm characteristics

enthusiasm, conviction, or zeal, often characterizing attitudes or actions as unenthusiastic, indifferent, or halfhearted.

Bible Passage: Revelation 3:14-22

Summary: In this passage, Jesus addresses the church in Laodicea, condemning their lukewarm faith and calling them to repentance and renewal.

Application: I want us to recognize the dangers of spiritual complacency and inspire everyone to seek a more passionate and committed relationship with Christ.

Being lukewarm in our faith is unacceptable to God, and that true discipleship requires authentic engagement with Christ, leading to a life that reflects His love and truth.

Big Idea: Spiritual apathy leads to distance from Christ, but genuine faith calls us to transformation and deeper communion with Him.

1. Spiritual complacency by highlighting Jesus’ rebuke of the Laodicean church’s lukewarmness

Jordan Revelation 3:14-16

2. Recognizing Real Riches

Revelation 3:17-18

Laodicean has a gretaly misplaced confidence in wealth and self-sufficiency.

Jesus’ urge to seek true riches in Him, offering spiritual sight and righteousness.

Be in pursuit of spiritual treasure, not earthly wealth, to align more deeply with Christ’s call.

3. Responding to Relationship

Revelation 3:19-20

Christ rebukes as a sign of love.

Jesus is standing at the door and knocking this is a powerful invitation to closeness and transformation.

Tespond to this call, opening outselves to deeper renewal and communion with Him.

4. Victorious Vision

Revelation 3:21-22

We have a victorious promise for overcomers, which frames Christ’s ultimate purpose to share in His throne.

Overcoming lukewarmness leads to eternal reward and intimacy with Christ.

Let’s strive towards this heavenly goal, by active listening and obedience to His Spirit’s voice.

Questions

How can understanding Christ’s rebuke to the Laodiceans enhance our desire for authenticity in our faith?

How can we identify areas in our lives where we may be exhibiting lukewarm faith?

What specific steps can we take to move from spiritual complacency to a more passionate relationship with Christ?

What are some activities or practices that can help us cultivate zeal and enthusiasm in our everyday lives?

“The book of Revelation is specifically designed to explain what happens before, during, and after the return of Jesus Christ. It was written by the apostle John

“The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) was probably written by the apostle John while in exile on the island of Patmos, off the coast of present-day Turkey. It was addressed to seven actual churches. Revelation begins with letters from Christ himself to these churches, letters that include commendation, criticism, and comfort. T

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation, ESV)

“18-20 They needed to acquire from Jesus true wealth—those character traits, behaviors, and beliefs that have eternal value. Then they truly would be rich (3:18). By stating, be zealous and repent, Christ gave this carnal church an opportunity to get right with God (3:19). See! I stand at the door and knock was an invitation. Jesus will not force himself”

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

a. You are neither cold nor hot: This picture of lukewarmness would immediately connect with the Christians of Laodicea because the water they drank every day was lukewarm. Jesus said, “Just as the water you drink is disgustingly lukewarm, you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot.”

ii. Has there been a greater curse upon the earth than empty religion? Is there any soul harder to reach than the one who has just enough of Jesus to think they have enough? The church of Laodicea exemplifies empty religion, and tax collectors and harlots were more open to Jesus than the scribes and Pharisees.

iii. Satan will have us any way he can get us, but he prizes a lukewarm religionist far above a cold-hearted sinner.

b. I could wish that you were cold or hot: What Jesus wanted to change in them (and us) as much as anything is the deceptive playing of the middle, trying to please both the world and Jesus.

i. I could wish that you were cold or hot also points to another aspect of lukewarmness, as a picture of uselessness. “Hot water heals, cold water refreshes, but lukewarm water is useless for either purpose.” (L. Morris) It was as if Jesus said, “If you were hot or cold I could do something with you. But because you are neither, I will do nothing.” The lukewarm Christian has enough of Jesus to satisfy a craving for religion, but not enough for eternal life.

ii. The thief on the cross was cold towards Jesus and clearly saw his need. John was hot towards Jesus and enjoyed a relationship of love; but Judas was lukewarm, following Jesus enough to be considered a disciple, yet not giving his heart over to Jesus in fullness.

iii. Deep down, there is no one more miserable than the lukewarm Christian is. They have too much of the world to be happy in Jesus, but too much of Jesus to be happy in the world.

iv. But how could Jesus say, I could wish that you were cold? We know His deepest desire is that they be hot, with an on-fire love for Him (see Revelation 3:19, where the word zealous is associated with this same word hot). Yet if they would not be hot, Jesus preferred cold rather than lukewarm. “So the Lord is saying, ‘If instead of being lukewarm, you were so cold that should feel that coldness, then the very feeling of your need might drive you to the true warmth, but now in your lukewarmness, you have just enough to protect yourselves against a feeling of need.’” (Barnhouse)

c. Lukewarm: Such prayers mock God. “O my brethren and sisters, have you ever really thought what an insult it is to God when we come before him with lukewarm prayers? There stands the heavenly mercy-seat; the road to it is sprinkled with the precious blood of Jesus, yet we come to it with hearts that are cold, or we approach it leaving our hearts behind us. We kneel in the attitude of prayer, yet we do not pray. We prattle out certain words, we express thoughts, which are not our real desires, we feign wants that we do not feel. Do we not thus degrade the mercy-seat? We make it, as it were, a common lounging-place, rather than an awful wrestling-place, once besprinkled with blood, and often to be besprinkled with the sweat of our fervent supplication.” (Spurgeon)

d. Lukewarm: Such lives turn people away from Jesus. “Now, lukewarm professor, what do worldlings see in you? They see a man, who says he is going to heaven, but who is only travelling at a snail’s pace. He professes to believe that there is a hell, yet he has tearless eyes, and never seeks to snatch souls from going down into the pit. They see before them one who has to deal with eternal realities, yet he is but half awake; one who professes to have passed through a transformation so mysterious and wonderful that there must be, if it is true, a vast change in the outward life as the result of it; yet they see him as much like themselves as can be. He may be morally consistent in his general behavior, but they see no energy in his religious character.” (Spurgeon)

i. “The careless worldling is lulled to sleep by the lukewarm professor, who, in this respect, acts the part of the syren to the sinner, playing sweet music in his ears, and even helping to lure him to the rocks where he will be destroyed. This is a solemn matter, beloved. In this way, great damage is done to the cause of truth; and God’s name and God’s honor are compromised by inconsistent professors. I pray you either to give up your profession, or to be true to it. If you really are God’s people, then serve him with all your might; but if Baal be your god, then serve him. If the flesh be worth pleasing, then serve the flesh; but if God be Lord paramount, then cleave to him.” (Spurgeon)

e. The name Laodicea means “rule of the people.” This church well represents a church run by majority rule instead of God. “Its name designates it as the Church of mob rule, the democratic Church, in which everything is swayed and decided by popular opinion, clamour and voting.” (Seiss)

i. This is reflected in Jesus’ address to the church: the church of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14). For the other churches, it was the church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1) or the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8) or the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1). But here, it is the church of the Laodiceans.

ii. We might even say that lukewarmness is the natural tendency of our fallen natures. “Alas, this state of lukewarmness is so congenial with human nature that it is hard to fetch men from it. Cold makes us shiver, and great heat causes us pain, but a tepid bath is comfort itself. Such a temperature suits human nature. The world is always at peace with a lukewarm church, and such a church is always pleased with itself.” (Spurgeon)

f. Because you are lukewarm: In his sermon An Earnest Warning against Lukewarmness, Spurgeon described the lukewarm church:

· They have prayer-meetings, but there are few present, for they like quiet evenings home.

· When more attend the meetings they are still very dull, for they do their praying very deliberately and are afraid of being too excited.

· They are content to have all things done decently and in order, but vigor and zeal are considered to be vulgar.

· They may have schools, Bible-classes, preaching rooms, and all sorts of agencies; but they might as well be without them, for no energy is displayed and no good comes of them.

· They have deacons and elders who are excellent pillars of the church, if the chief quality of pillars be to stand still, and exhibit no motion or emotion.

· The pastor does not fly very far in preaching the everlasting Gospel, and he certainly has no flame of fire in his preaching.

· The pastor may be a shining light of eloquence, but he certainly is not a burning light of grace, setting men’s hearts on fire.

· Everything is done in a half-hearted, listless, dead-and-alive way, as if it did not matter much whether it was done or not.

· Things are respectably done, the rich families are not offended, the skeptical party is conciliated, and the good people are not quite alienated: things are made pleasant all around.

· The right things are done, but as to doing them with all your might, and soul, and strength, a Laodicean church has no notion of what that means.

· They are not so cold as to abandon their work, or to give up their meetings for prayer, or to reject the gospel.

i. “They are neither hot for the truth, nor hot for conversions, nor hot for holiness, they are not fiery enough to burn the stubble of sin, nor zealous enough to make Satan angry, nor fervent enough to make a living sacrifice of themselves upon the altar of their God. They are ‘neither cold nor hot.’” (Spurgeon)

g. I will vomit you out of My mouth: How are churches in the mouth of Jesus?

· They are in His mouth because they spread His Word.

· They are in His mouth because He prays for them constantly.

i. What a terrible thing - in either of these ways - to be expelled from the mouth of Jesus!

Mommy - Matthew 12 vs 30

Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

Jordan: John 15:4-5 – Abiding in Christ

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Andre: - Matthew 11:28-30 – Jesus invites us to find rest in Him

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Daddy: - Jeremiah 29:13 – He wants us to seek Him wholeheartedly

"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."