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The Preferred Temperature of the Redeemed

What sins are the most repugnant in God’s eyes? 

Read Rev. 3:14-22     The Preferred Temperature of the Redeemed            Let’s Pray!

Things we know about Laodicea:

In his letter to the Colossians Paul described himself as struggling so that the Christians in those places would understand the treasure they had in Christ, never taking Him for granted!                                    See Colossians 2:1-3

Jesus appears throughout the Bible, but when we get to Revelation, we have an amazing portrait painted of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

Here in the first three chapters of Revelation, a name for Jesus occurs an average of one out of every 3 verses, with over 25 names of Jesus given! 

 

Jesus is our Faithful and True Creator!                                                           V. 14

“By Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the Head of the body, the church.”  Col. 1:16-18a

Do you take time each week to thank Jesus for creating this world, and creating you? He is the source of everything that really matters in your life, and should be thanked often for creating and sustaining you and the world. 

The sin that make Jesus want to throw up: Lukewarmness                     V. 15-17

“Lukewarmness is not weakness, it is wickedness. It is not a small sin; it is a great sin. If the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, then the greatest sin is not to do so.”           -Adrian Rogers

 

“Lukewarmness is the greatest form of blasphemy.”        -G. Campbell Morgan

A believer who is “hot” is on fire for Jesus!

“Take away everything I have, but do not take away the sweetness of walking and talking with the King of glory.”             -John Stam

A person who is cold is dead spiritually.

So who are the lukewarm?

 

The lukewarm are church goers but not Christ lovers.

Verse 17 shows us the big problem with the lukewarm: self-deception.

The antidote for Lukewarmness                                                           V. 18-19

What’s the antidote for being lukewarm?  

 

Acknowledge your sinfulness and utter lack of righteousness before God.

Repent of having a faith that makes true dependence on Christ optional.

Seek God as a deer pants for water (See Psalm 42:1).

 

“My hope as a desperate sinner who lives in a desert of unrighteousness hangs on this biblical truth: that God is the kind of God who will be pleased with the one thing I have to offer- my thirst…God is delighted not by the resourcefulness of bucket brigades, but by the bending down of broken sinners to drink at the fountain of grace.”                      -John Piper

V. 20              Jesus Christ’s Great invitation! 

Here are the two enduring images I want to leave with you from chapters 1-3:

 

1.        The strong Christ of chapter 1, Almighty God in all His splendor!

 

2.        That same awesome God coming to your “door” to meet you!

“As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the Living God!”                               -Ps. 42:1-2

 

As you seek Christ, don’t forget the 3 main commands given to the churches:

 

Remember…           The good news of grace you received and heard!

 

Repent…                   Do the things you did when your faith was new!

 

Listen…                     To what the Spirit is saying to you now, and act on it!