Lukewarm

REVELATION 3 v 14-22

How do guard from becoming Lukewarm?

Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven cities, it had a; large banking industry, wool manufacturers and medical school that produced eye salve. The city had an aqueduct built to bring water from the hot springs into the city but by the time it got there it was tepid / lukewarm. This Lukewarm water that was flowing into the city also resembled the spiritual life of the church in Laodicea too.

• Lukewarm water tastes horrible you can't contain it in your mouth and you can't drink it. Jesus says they are lukewarm and he just wants spit them out of his mouth.
• The believers in Laodicea didn't take a stand on anything; disagreement had led to destroying itself.
• They had even become hard hearted and stopped doing what God called them too.
•  Is this a warning sign for us?

I believe these are some of the questions we should be asking ourselves to stop ourselves from becoming lukewarm...

• Am I bored in worship?
• Is my pleasure my pursuit or God's call?
• Is there greyness in my morality?
• Do I question EVERYTHING I am taught?
• Do I have passion in my devotional life?
• Am I taking shortcuts?
• Does my tithe/offering feel like a tax?

• I think us as western Christianity as a whole have become like Laodicea in SOME ways.
• We are self-sufficient and sometimes half-hearted with our faith.
• As many of us know the church has been dying off for the last 20 years or so. But now there is growth, the way is led by the Pentecostal church and other denominations are starting to grow too.
• We need to stand firm on what we believe and not just at church on Sunday but all through the week this is what John means by half-hearted.
• Sometimes we can live two lives, but to get the most out life we must live ONE for God. John 10 v 10 - "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
• Let Jesus kick start your engine in your faith so it isn't lukewarm but you are boiling over for God.
• The Laodicea n’s thought real value was in the material things. Such as their eye slave which cured many eye problems, their banking industry and the wool industry which both brought much money and wealth in to the people.
• But these materialistic things can never replace our relationship with Christ.
• I think there is so much more to get from this passage, tomorrow I am going to look at the bigger picture of Jesus from all seven letters and the preceding chapters.
• Let’s not become complacent with our faith, let’s become driven by God's purpose for our lives and his presence in our lives.