Lukewarm

Wandering in the Wilderness

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Revelation 3:14-22 

Introduction

             There is nothing particularly outstanding about Laodicea. The Church there, like the city’s water supply, was compromised. They adjusted their temperament according to the perceived climate; Laodicean Christians did not passionately stand for anything. They attended worship services and other functions out of habit and expected nothing out of the ordinary of their Church or themselves.

            The Laodicean Christians were not only dispassionate, but they were also unaware of their true condition – "You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'" The spirit of the surrounding culture had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life. The Laodiceans probably interpreted their material wealth as a blessing from God and thus were self-deceived as to their real spiritual health. This letter is our Lord’s wake-up-call to apathetic Believers whose faith is like an insurance policy kept in a drawer. Jesus shatters the delusions and calls for repentance – "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Laodicean "Lukewarmness" is not about how they manage the institution, its property, and programs. It’s about whether the Believer really knows Christ as Savior and Lord and whole-heartedly desires to devote their lives to Him.

 

If Not the Promise, Then what?

            When the people of God wandered in the wilderness with Moses there were some who wanted to go back to Egypt, some who were passionate about the Promise, and those who had been condemned to die in the wilderness. It is implicit that the condemned included many who resented God and others who indifferently accepted their fate. In effect, they settled in the wilderness. Did they live for their Lord and make the remainder of their lives an effort to redeem their children’s relationship with God? We don’t know, but there doesn’t seem to be any notable stories to tell.

            There are many references throughout the bible that indicate the Lord’s displeasure with lukewarm faith. What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early. (Hosea 6:4) ‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear. (Jerimiah 5:21) “’ For the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’” (Matthew 13:15)

            Apathy results in ignorance of our Creator’s hopes and unconcern for His grief. It causes us to tempt God’s righteous retribution.  God the Father created humanity expressly for the pleasure of its company. (Ephesians 1:9) Sin, the rejection of the Lord’s loving leadership, caused His grief. (Genesis 6:6) The Father sent the Son as a means of saving and restoring what was lost through sin. (Romans 3:25) Thanks to God the Son, we can escape the punishment we justly deserve. (Ephesians 5:6)

            The Lord knows the true nature of each person’s faith and devotion. (Matthew 25:41-46) For the sake of the Son who gave all that He could to save us, God the Father must punish those who foolishly reject Him and frivolously manage their souls. (John 3:36) Jesus spoke of His judgment saying, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:22-24)

 

Conclusion

            These words are hard to hear, especially if you’ve been living your whole life in a state of lukewarm faith. After all, lukewarm, tepid, room-temperature waters are comfortable. They neither scald nor chill. Religious, institutionalized Christianity warms or cools itself according to the climate in which it exists. Therefore, Believers who are comfortable in the world of secular humanism can move freely from home, to work, to shops, and to the church without any discomfort. This is not the Way of the saved, devoted follower of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6) He described it as, “Ent[ry] by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Have you ever walked through a narrow passage? Did it make you feel uncomfortable? That is how the world feels when you are more dedicated to Christ’s Kingdom than it. The anti-biblical ways of society seem wrong to you – you want to escape it; to be in a better place. Your own, un-Christian words and deeds make you uncomfortable too – they make you grieve, and you repent even though you’ve been saved. As we finish the series of messages about wandering in the wilderness, we must recognize that the way into the Promised Land is narrow.