Revelation 3

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation says: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:14b-16 (HCSB)

What a bummer to be the church of Laodicea! They are forever known as the “lukewarm” church. I have performed over 1000 concerts around the world. Most of them were in church ministry settings. Sadly, I have seen far too many “lukewarm” ministries. The church of Laodicea, while barely showing signs of life, is still alive, well-marketed, and well-attended in our generation.

Here’s what I mean. Let’s say a preacher moves to a city. He gathers a group of believers, buys a building & sound equipment, and advertises to the community, “Come!”  But when people show up, the preacher never teaches the Bible to be understood comprehensively; he never exposes sin, warns of the coming wrath, or challenges with urgency that people must believe in Jesus.  

Afraid of scaring people away, that pastor only highlights the positive aspects of the Gospel…love, acceptance, and peace. While this approach may draw a sizeable crowd with interesting topics, highly involved productions, and activities, nobody’s life is being “transformed.”  The congregation eventually becomes more like a Bible-themed club.

That’s a lukewarm church. It’s not entirely “Cold” because it utilizes Biblical principles. But it’s not “Hot,” either, because it denies the power & the passion of God’s Spirit to move boldly.

While it’s reasonably easy to understand why God would want people to be Hot with zeal, why would He wish anyone were Cold? I believe God would desire a Cold person because a Cold person is under no delusion that they are saved!  

Cold people live for themselves. They’re in the World, and they know it. A Cold person is more likely to become a believer because when confronted with the Gospel, they can compare it to their lives and see a marked difference. Eventually, they may hear the Gospel, backed up by the white-hot testimony and lifestyle of a passionate believer. In response, the non-believer would be more likely to trade their worldliness for God’s righteousness, becoming a faithful follower of Jesus. Are you yet to believe in Jesus? Have you traditionally been “cold” to the Gospel? I pray you will believe it today! Because while Jesus is the only Way, He liberally offers salvation to anyone who would turn from their sins and believe. “...today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

But if you are already a believer, living a Worldly lifestyle, consider Joshua:

“But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve….” Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)