“THE LUKEWARM CHRISTIAN”
By Pastor Donald Parker
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus addresses one of the seven churches located Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). This church in the city of Laodicea, like the other six churches, faced persecution and opposition from all sides because of their faith and unwilling to compromise. This was a city with three primary industries; banking, manufacturing of wool, and eye ointment; making this a wealthy city and a wealthy church. Because of all the business opportunities and money to be made, the Christians in this church just sort of went along with society and never really took a stand on anything. They simply became a church that had become complacent (content, proud and slacked), and Jesus called them out on it and said, “you are neither cold nor hot.”
The words Jesus spoke to the Christians in this church, speak to us today as well. We have to examine our own lives and ask ourselves, “Have I become complacent? Have I become content with just walking with Jesus on Sunday mornings? Have I become so proud; so self-righteous, that I’m not doing anything to grow in my relationship with Him? Have I become slacked in my passion to know God better and love Him more?
If you want to avoid complacency in your life, you have to open your eyes and take a closer look at what’s really going on in your life. You might even need to ask a trusted friend, “What do you see in my life that’s just not right?”
When Jesus looked at the church in Laodicea, he had to help them see. They saw one thing and it all looked good, but Jesus saw something very different. He said in Revelation 3:15-16, “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.” The NJKV says, “I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
The city of Laodicea was a wealthy city and had everything going for itself, except good water. So, they pumped water through an underground aqueduct from the surrounding cities. Hot water from Hierapolis about 6 miles north, and ice-cold water from Colossae about 10 miles east. However, by the time the water reached Laodicea; it was lukewarm with all sorts of mineral deposits in it. So, when the visitors traveling through town, who weren’t use to the water tasted it, they immediately spit it out.
Jesus uses this water analogy so they could understand. He basically said to these church members, “I know all about the way you are living and your lifestyle.” Because they were neither “cold” (openly rejecting Jesus Christ) nor “hot” (filled with spiritual enthusiasm and passion); the Lord basically said, “Your lukewarm faith; your lukewarm ways of living for Me, make me so sick, I want to throw up!”
Later in verse 19, Jesus told the Christians in this church and us today if we’ve become complacent, and put our hope, and our trust in our careers; our money; our possessions, to “Be earnest and repent.” You see, they had become so content with the things the world provided them, that they became blinded to the things only Jesus could provide them; salvation and eternity in heaven.
Then, to avoid complacency, open your heart. Jesus said in verse 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.” My friend, Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. He doesn’t force his way into our lives; he wants us to open the door of our heart and invite him in because we love him.
In the context of our text, Jesus is talking to the church that has shut Him out. They met on Sunday just going through the motion giving lip service to God, but their hearts weren’t in it. Jesus rebuked the
Pharisees in Matthew 15:8 and said pretty much the same thing about them, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Listen, if Jesus knocking on your heart’s door today, and you open it, Jesus says, he will come in and cleanse you from your sin and you will be in fellowship with Him for all eternity. As for churches, we must stand firm on the truth of God’s Word. If we don’t, we’ll find ourselves just going through the motions, and soon start compromising and wavering, finding our faith to be lukewarm; and Jesus says, don’t go there, you will make me sick!
We invite you to join us for worship Sunday mornings at 11am at First Baptist Church of Van Horn, “A Place to Belong.”