Hot, Cold or Lukewarm?

Good morning all. Man, the last 7 months has really gone by fast hasn’t it? I can’t believe it has been that long already. It has been a great ride so far. I have gotten to know some of you and others we are still working on it, but I appreciate each and everyone of you guys. We are going to move forward with our vision to heal and to grow. Now to heal and grow we must be challenged from time to time and I think now is the time for challenging. If you would Go ahead and turn over to . Now this isn’t one of the most encouraging verses to start off with but stick with me and you will see where it goes I promise. But here in , Christ offers up a challenge and he says: Read

Pray

OK, I am going to need a volunteer, someone who really likes coffee or maybe two people. Someone in here like Hot coffee and someone in here like cold or ice coffee. Great, while they are coming up here I want to tell you that I am a lover of hot coffee. There is nothing like a hot cup of joe in the morning, it doesn’t matter how hot it is outside. Alright let’s give this a try. My hot coffee person, give a sip of that, what do you think. And my iced coffee drinker take a sip of this. Now I want both on you to try these cups here. I have provided a bucket for you if you need to spit. That’s right, no one likes lukewarm do they. A lukewarm coffee or lukewarm bath or lukewarm food. We like our stuff, especially coffee either ice cold or scolding hot. Well, God is much the same way, he cannot stand the lukewarm either. And we need to be careful not to become the lukewarm congregation, but we need to be on fire for God. I want to explain each of these conditions that Jesus is talking about here in revelation, starting with the cold, or ice cold.

I. Cold – vs 15

A. Have I lost my spark

B. Is this even a thing for me

II. Lukewarm - vs 16

A. Most dangerous place – vs 17-18

1. Think you’re doing OK

2. Everything is superficial

3. No real fire

a. Church isn’t “real” Family

b. What I do doesn’t really matter

4. Really two categories

B. Pew Dwellers – Doing Church

1. Show up

2. Never really apply yourself

a. Never goes in depth

b. Doesn’t want to serve

c. Show up and leave

3. Have no sense of belonging or ownership

a. Call this my check markers

4. Soak up the blessings but don’t hand any out

C. Come when nothing better to do –

1. Would it matter to you

a. Sunday School canceled

b. Sunday Service canceled

c. just a mere inconvenience

2. Scheduling things on Sundays

3. Well God knows I am busy –

4. Just too tired because of Saturday

5. Anything else is more important

a. Family

b. School

c. Children

D. Must repent – vs 19

1. Did I count the cost?

2. Am I willing to change my ways?

3. Time to move for Christ!

III. Hot – vs 15

A. What am I doing for the Church – vs 21-22

1. Serving in some capacity –

a. Sunday School

b. Wee worship

c. Setup and tear down

d. Serving at events

i. other than sunday

e. Sound booth

2. Being there for each other

–

a. Knowing this is a priority

b. People here rely on me

c. This is my family

B. What am I doing for Christ –

1. Reading

a. Know His will

b. Be encouraged

c. Be challenged

2. Praying

a. Come into relationship

b. Express our fears and hopes

c. Know He is present

3. Aligning my life with His –

a. Change

b. We are called to grow

c. If we aren’t changing then we aren’t growing

C. What am I doing for the Lost –

1. Feeding the Lost

a. Feeding them with Gospel

b. Do I really care about them

c. Are they a priority

2. Realize there is a harvest

a. Need workers

b. Not part-time

c. Need full-time

Conclusion:

That’s what it means to be hot or on fire for Christ, to be full-time for Jesus. The sign out front states, “God wants full custody, not just weekend visits.” The truth is more than you know. We must be willing to be on fire for God. Lukewarm faith is not acceptable. If you thought you could come into the presence of God half hearted then you were mistaken, He requires all of you. So, either be cold, which means lost and without any hope or spark or be on fire, which means dedicated to the purpose that God has for you, but you are not allowed to be lukewarm, they are placed with the ice cold. The Lukewarm are even worse, they have the appearance of dedication but are really just biding time, they are faking and doing church rather than being the Church and God will spit them out. But for me and you, let’s be hot, let’s be on fire. Being on fire is so much better, it brings about peace and excitement about what we are doing. It gives us ownership of each other and blesses the lives of everyone we touch and then God returns that blessing to us, what an awesome God we serve, let us pray.

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