Lukewarm Christians

Revelation 3
¹⁴   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.

In the sermon suggestion box, I found recently the suggestion that I prepare a sermon with the topic Lukewarm Christians. When we think of lukewarm Christians, the text we’ve just read in the Revelation most naturally springs to mind. Also, when we think of lukewarm Christians, we tend to think of those individual Christians that are lukewarm. However, as we read Jesus’ admonition to the church at Laodicea, one thing jumps out. He’s not admonishing any specific individuals, but He’s admonishing the entire church. It makes one want to question, whether or not every single member at Laodicea is lukewarm, or just a portion thereof. I believe that the problem here at Laodicea is one of universal "lukewarmness" that has had effect on each member of this congregation. Jesus finds that distasteful, and uses strong words to describe that distaste. It makes him want to spew or vomit them from his presence. In the present day vernacular, we would say that the "lukewarmness" of the Laodicean church made Jesus sick to his stomach.

I said earlier that the problem at Laodicea was universal, effecting each member. I wouldn’t make such a statement without having evidence. In the second and third chapters of the Revelation, Jesus writes to seven churches. Most had their problems or shortcomings. Jesus, however, makes note in those cases when there were members that had not succumbed to the general problems of the rest of the congregation. Though Sardis was accused of being a dead church Jesus notes in:

Revelation 3
⁴   Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

In Thyatira, some of the brethren have embraced false doctrine. A serious problem, but Jesus writes "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden." He acknowledges that still there is faithfulness within the ranks of this church. In our church in Laodicea, there is no such exclusion. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. They’re all lukewarm, no mention later of some that retain their zeal, only an urging that they repent of their "lukewarmness".

Do you think that this church was always lukewarm? Do you think that all of the members became lukewarm at once? I doubt either of these to be true. That’s the first lesson we can learn from this. A lesson that is true of many other areas of our Christian walk. Our lukewarmness has impact beyond ourselves. Our service in the church impacts the whole church, whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not. Paul writes

Ephesians 4
¹⁵   But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
¹⁶   From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The church is held together by relationship to the Head which is Christ. It is also held together by that which every joint supplieth, or stated simply what each member gives to the church. Effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. If you are a lukewarm member of the body, you are ineffectual in your working. You’re not doing your part to edify or build up the body. In fact you are cutting the body off from an important function it desperately needs. In other words, if you are not contributing to the strength of the body, you are adding to it’s weakness. Have you ever slept on your arm, and awakened to find that your hand has gone to sleep. It’s a similar effect on the body. You’ve simply deprived your hand of the blood it needs to function properly, and your hand is suffering, and you are suffering as a result. If your hand is deprived of blood long enough, the tissue will die, and the body will be crippled. If the dead tissue is not removed from the body, then gangrene will spread and the whole body will die. So it is with the lukewarm Christian. A mild enough problem at first, but if left uncorrected a gangrene that threatens the whole body.

Since being lukewarm is such a threat, how do we recognize it when it comes. Same way Jesus did in our text. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. The lukewarm attitude, like most other spiritual problems manifests itself in our works. We suffer at the very thing that we were created in Christ to do.

Ephesians 2
¹⁰   For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

There is work for each of us to do in the church. If you are doing no work, it is evidence of the lukewarm. If you’ve not found a work that you can do, you are not looking very hard, which might also be evidence of the lukewarm. All that can be seen is the Scripture is clear, God has always planned that Christians should walk in good works. So,

1 Corinthians 10
³¹   Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Our primary motivation to do anything, should be to glorify God in the doing.

As important as recognizing what identifies the lukewarm, is to recognize the cause. Again Jesus makes clear the cause in our text. 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. The statement is sad, ironic, and yet very true. Have you ever felt like your children are just plain spoiled. This must be how Jesus feels about this church at Laodicea, they have too many things. When you consider that all that we have is a gift from God, Jesus must feel like He’s spoiled these brethren. They’ve been given so much, that they feel they have need of nothing, even the need to serve Christ. It’s unfortunate that hardship is so often what brings us to Christ. Some of us are fortunate enough to be raised in the church, and learn to take God’s blessings in stride, without any impact on service. But usually, those are exceptions to the rule. Most have followed Christ as a result of some hardship that has befallen them, and they had nowhere else to turn. Let me illustrate from Israel’s history. There was a time when both David and Saul were God’s anointed King of Israel. Samuel had told Saul that God was going to take his throne from him and give it to "a man after God’s own heart". David was that man. When Saul became suspicious of David, he sought to kill him. David went into hiding, with his followers. Now the wise decision at this time would be to follow David. Let’s look at who followed.

1 Samuel 22
¹   David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
²   And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

People that were happy with their lives stayed with Saul. David had his family, the distressed, discontented, and indebted. It’s sad that it is hard to bring to Christ one who is happy with his life. But what is even sadder is that when God blesses us with those things that might enhance our happiness, it can, as in Laodicea make us lukewarm, or even turn us away from Him.

As children of God, we do have one thing going for us however. That is, we are children of God. That’s a very special relationship to the Father. Once you are a child of God, you will always be his child. Do not misconstrue this as to say "once saved, always saved." But I am saying once a child of God, always a child of God. You might be a lost child, or in his eyes you might even be a dead child, but you’re still His child no matter what. In Luke chapter 15 we find the Parable of the Lost Son. The Father in this parable is God. When the lost son returns we find God saying in verse 24,

Luke 15
²⁴   For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

Even though God knew he was lost, and considered him dead in his absence, the man never ceased to be a son. We should remember, that even if lost, or spiritually dead, we are still God’s children. He still loves us, and will treat us as beloved children. This is what Jesus is getting at in our text when He writes "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." Just as our own children should expect hardship from us when they are out of line, so should the lukewarm expect chastening from God. It is evidence of his love.

Hebrews 12
⁶   For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
⁷   If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
⁸   But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Here the Hebrew author echoes the same teaching. If Christians are out of line or disorderly in their walk, God will chasten them. As a matter of fact, he goes even further. He says if we are not in keeping with God’s will and are still "without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." If we’re lukewarm or walking outside of God’s grace in any other fashion, and have not noticed a negative impact on our lives, perhaps we should consider whether we are sons of God in the first place.

So, if God’s approach to the lukewarm is to chastise them, what should be the response of the church to those that are lukewarm. This is going to be some hard preaching so hang on to your hats. Paul writes:

2 Thessalonians 3
⁶   Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.........
¹¹   For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
¹²   Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
¹³   But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
¹⁴   And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
¹⁵   Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

We are commanded to withdraw from those who walk among you disorderly. Paul defines that as those who do not work, and those who gossip. The Greek here for disorderly is ataktos. W. E. Vine explains that it is a military term which describes one as being out of ranks. Certainly one who is lukewarm, and not contributing to the building up of the body is out of rank, and should be withdrawn from. (Told you this was hard preaching) The fact is that we never do seem to withdraw from the lukewarm. Mainly because we never admonish the lukewarm. For some strange reason, we as a church don’t look upon it as a "real" sin. But lukewarmness is sin!! Jesus tells the church in verse 19 of our text to repent!! If it’s not sin, then why do we need to repent? If it is a sin, then it needs to be admonished and disciplined like any other sin. Souls are at stake!! Sometimes, we don’t want admonish the lukewarm for fear that they might be offended and leave the church. I say better offended than lost. I say also, if the lukewarm leave the church, that the church is stronger for the leaving, and not weaker. The only thing diminished is the attendance number. But the number that remains, though smaller, is stronger, and more pleasing to God. It’s as though you have a large, volleyball size, benign tumor on your arm. It may not be any immediate threat to your health, but it isn’t of any value to the body. And the weight and size of the thing makes it inconvenient. You’d probably have such a thing removed wouldn’t you? You’d know that even though it would take some time for the wound to heal, that the body would be better off. And even though the body in fact would be made smaller over all, wouldn’t it be more attractive in the end. So it is with the lukewarm. Make no mistake. It is better to heal than to amputate. Any time something is removed from the body, it leaves a wound. But if healing is not an option, than amputation is necessary to save the body.

OK, so God’s approach to the lukewarm is to chasten. The church’s approach should be to admonish, and if necessary withdraw from the lukewarm. What then if we are the lukewarm. I suppose that we are susceptible to lack of zeal. What do we do about it when it happens. First, as Jesus says in verse 19 of our text repent. To be lukewarm is sin. We must put it out of our lives with the same urgency as any other sin. Paul writes to Timothy:

2 Timothy 1
⁵   When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
⁶   Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
⁷   For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We as Christians bear a responsibility to stir up God’s gifts. Otherwise those gifts will atrophy. Zeal is such a gift it must be nurtured and not neglected. We must participate in those things that make us zealous. Sometimes our zeal is stolen from us by fearfulness. But God hath not given us the spirit of fear. If we’re fearful, we need to be aware that when we are fearful we’re listening to the wrong spirit. Finally, Verse 21 of our text tells us 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. Being lukewarm is something that can be overcome, and must be overcome, as Jesus puts it "even as I also overcame." I think of those things that Jesus overcame. He overcame death by the power of God. He overcame temptation in the wilderness by the Word of God. He overcame his anxiety in the Garden over the impending crucifixion by prayer and obedience. We know that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. (Rom 1: 16) It seems that the answer to overcoming lukewarmness is the same as that to overcome many other spiritual problems. More attention to study, more attention to prayer, and more attention to obedience.

If something said in this lesson has called your zeal into question. Please don’t ignore that question. Repent and return to your first works. Your eternal soul depends on being faithful until the end. If you come to question whether you are indeed a child of God. Galatians 3: 26&27 tells us:

Galatians 3
²⁶   For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
²⁷   For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

It is baptism for remission of sins (Ac 2: 38) that puts us "into Christ" where there is no condemnation (Rom 8: 1) If you entered Christ any other way, you missed the door and need to enter through baptism. If you have a need to be baptized, or to confess sin, won’t you please make that need known this morning? Forgiveness is so easily obtained, please don’t put it off another moment.

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