The Lukewarm Spirituality

(Rev 3:14-22 KJV) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; {15} I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. {16} So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. {17} Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: {18} I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. {19} As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. {20} Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. {21} To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. {22} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Today we will study the last of the seven letters to the seven churches. We have explained that each of these letters from our Lord addresses a spiritual condition that existed and continues to exist in churches and individuals today. This letter is to the Lukewarm Spirituality. The spirit of the lukewarm person is to do only enough to get by. God wants you to love Him and serve Him with all of your heart. He wants you to be fervent, dedicated and faithful. A person that is lukewarm is in a miserable, wretched and poor condition. He cannot enjoy God or sin; he wants to love God a little and he wants to love himself a lot.

Jesus introduced himself to the lukewarm church as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God”. He is the one that we can count on. His word is certain and you can depend on it. He is faithful and true. He is a witness of the Word of God and you too are to be a witness of God’s Word to the extent that you may even give your life for it. Jesus Christ was in the plan of God from the beginning to be your redeemer and Savior.

Jesus lets us know in no uncertain terms that He is sickened by the lukewarm condition. He wants us to be hot or cold. To be lukewarm is a sickening feeling in the mouth of our Lord. If you are not going to be hot for the Lord, then you will be better off being cold. At least when you are cold, you know that your soul is poor and wretched and miserable and that you need help from the Lord. But being in the lukewarm condition, you think that you are a Christian and that your soul has no need and you are really blind to your miserable condition. Jesus cannot get His message across to you because you don’t think that you have any need.

(2 Tim 3:1-7 KJV) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. {2} For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, {3} Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, {4} Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; {5} Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. {6} For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, {7} Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This passage surely describes the lukewarm condition. Men are lovers of themselves; they have a form of godliness; they love God, but they love pleasure more. In my lifetime, there has never been a time when more people were so motivated by selfishness. Indeed men are lovers of their own selves. This is the “Me” generation. “I Want, I deserve, I need, I have to have” is the driving force in many people. And the attitude of many is that they should not have to suffer even the least little bit of discomfort. What God wants, What God deserves and What God needs does not seem to enter the minds of multitudes that are snared in selfish pursuits. And yet because people want to be saved from the torments of hell they have a form of godliness.

(Isa 1:2-27 KJV) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. {3} The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. {4} Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. {5} Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. {6} From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. {7} Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. {8} And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. {9} Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. {10} Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. {11} To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. {12} When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? {13} Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. {14} Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. {15} And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. {16} Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; {17} Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. {18} Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. {19} If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: {20} But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. {21} How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. {22} Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: {23} Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. {24} Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: {25} And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: {26} And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. {27} Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Here we see Isaiah describing what was supposed to be the children of God. God has raised them up and provided everything for them. And what do they do? They are mired in sin and have forsaken the Lord. They are in a mess and yet in spite of their condition they are bringing offerings to the Lord. They are having special religious days where they conduct ceremonies and spread their hands to the Lord. The Lord says that it makes Him sick and that there is no purpose in their multitude of sacrifices. He instructs them to clean up, to repent of their sin and to become willing and obedient servants of the Master.

When we look on our world today, we see an identical condition prevailing. Multitudes that have been nourished and brought up to be Christians have drifted away from the Lord and become mired in sinful lives. The law and commandments of God have been forsaken yet they seem to think that they are still children of God and they continue to worship in ceremony. It makes the Lord sick. He wants you to come into His presence with clean hands and a pure heart. He wants you to be willing and obedient to Him. He wants you to be a true witness.

(Prov 21:17 KJV) He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

God has created a universe in which we have many things to enjoy and that bring pleasure to our lives. But, when you love pleasure more than you love God, you can be sure that you are headed for poverty in your soul. God has so designed this world so that you can receive maximum pleasure from your life by living it according to the laws of God. When you break God’s laws to heap upon yourself pleasure, you are going to reap heartache and grief by the bucketful.

(Luke 8:14 KJV) And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Here Jesus is letting us know that there are people that do not bring any fruit to perfection because they have been choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. Multitudes are like that in this time. They have started out for the Lord, taken Him as their Savior and developed a form of godliness. Yet, because of the cares and riches and pleasures of this life they have become choked out of real genuine spiritual life. This process has so gradually overtaken them that they still think that they have spiritual life. They still think that they are rich and increased with spiritual goods and are not aware that they are actually poor, blind, naked and miserable in the sight of the Lord. This condition is so deceitful that it behooves every one of us today to check up on our status with our Lord. Invite Him to search your heart and pay attention to what He has to say.

(Luke 12:16-21 KJV) And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: {17} And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? {18} And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. {19} And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. {20} But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? {21} So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

This parable that Jesus gave us is a classic example of the foolishness of selfish man to lay up for himself so that he can take his ease and enjoy his pleasures without regard to the direction of God. The man was rich in things of this world, but he was poor in the things of God. The possessions that God gives us as Christians are given to us to use for Him and for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. When we lay up for ourselves to heap pleasure upon ourselves, we are missing the true riches of the Lord.

(1 Tim 5:6 KJV) But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

(James 5:1-6 KJV) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. {2} Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. {3} Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. {4} Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. {5} Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. {6} Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

James is reinforcing how useless riches are when they are heaped up with selfish motives. As is often the case, riches take hold of the man and he becomes even more greedy to the point of taking advantage of his employees just so he can heap up more for himself. Selfishness and greed cry out to God and do not profit the soul. Better to be poor in this world and rich toward God.

In the 17th verse of our text, Jesus said that the lukewarm church did not know their true condition. “.. and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” This is the worst of all spiritual conditions to get in because in this condition, you do not seek to be examined, you do not examine yourself and you do not feel that you have any need.

(Prov 14:12 KJV) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

(Prov 16:25 KJV) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

What a sad, sad state to be in. Spending your life walking a way that seems right only to find in the end that you have followed the wrong way. Would it not be wise to check up on your spiritual account today and see if you are accumulating treasure in Heaven? When you step into eternity it will be too late!

(Mat 7:21-26 KJV) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. {22} Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? {23} And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. {24} Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: {25} And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. {26} And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: {27} And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Jesus here describes what I consider to be a picture of the saddest people described in the Bible. They are active in their worship, they think that they are doing the work of the Kingdom of God, they think that they are casting the devil out of peoples lives and Jesus says “.. I never knew you ..” How Sad! Then Jesus went on to explain to us the difference between a wise man and a foolish man. Too many are being foolish in the way they construct their lives and instead of building on the solid Word of God they build on the ideas and doctrines of men. The only way to live a Christian life is to live according to The Word of God. In order to do that, you must study it, mediate upon it, hear it preached and obey it. There are no short cuts to obedience to God’s Word. A half hearted approach is only to live a lukewarm spirituality and end up in hell.

(2 Pet 1:5-10 KJV) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; {6} And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; {7} And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. {8} For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. {10} Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

It takes more than raising your hand, blinking your lights or blowing your horn to be a real Christian. Jesus expects you to add some things to your faith and if you don’t then He says that you are blind. You need to give diligence to make your calling and election sure. To those that have been overtaken by lukewarmness, Jesus says

“(Rev 3:18-19 KJV) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. {19} As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

(Prov 23:23 KJV) Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

(Psa 139:23-24 KJV) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: {24} And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Let me encourage you that are listening to me to open your heart’s door to the Lord this morning. You need to be sure that you are listening to your Lord and doing what He wants you to do. This lukewarm condition has overtaken many and is a real and present danger that every Christian needs to guard against. Jesus is pleading:

(Rev 3:20-22 KJV) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. {21} To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. {22} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.