Lukewarm Christians
but if you look at this map, you will see a map of Asia Minor you will go out to the coast and you will see Ephesus if you go straight up. Then you'll come back. Straight across you will see laodicea. That's where we're going today. This is in Turkey today and this is the church that Jesus is writing to would you look into word with me? He says I know your Deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm.
Because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold. I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say I am rich I have acquired well, and I do not need anything.
But you do not realize that you are wretched pitiful poor blind and naked.
Here I am.
What he says first of all, so I swiped because you are lukewarm neither hundredfold. I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. But he says this he says here I am I stand at the door and what not. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me a little just see it was in a community that was kind of between a town called heropolis and colossi. She had Mountain area and there was fresh cold water in Colossus you gloves and you will find that there is Springwater. I was there a couple years ago I saw for myself, but here's what happened at Leo to see a live to see it was a very rich town. And so what they would do they would take the cold water from colossi.
From heropolis into latest Sia and they were a pipeline. Now. The pipeline was one that brought that hot water and brought that cold water, but the pipeline had corrosion in it. and because of the corrosion all the water was pretty bad by the time I got the latest. So the water was neither hot nor cold.
It was terrible. And it made people in Leo to see us sick now we have our understand it.
How we reflect the true reality of what we believe not about. How we live but the reality of what we believe what do you believe?
To tell you something I was in Lewisville. Thursday we're in Lewisville and we went down to the river and we we had dinner and it was so cold by the way my pipes freeze.
Is he Aaron you you bail me out? But it was so cold even in Lewisville. And so I said I was with my brother and my sister and my brother-in-law and we went to this restaurant. I said, I would like a hot cup of coffee. The waiter looked at me and said fine walked up to me and in me a cup of coffee, my brother-in-law got one too, and he hadn't he hadn't drank it yet, and I lifted it up. And I started to drink it and I almost went.
Because it was wore it was it was it was almost cold. It was terrible. I like hot coffee. There are some people who like home coffee. But I don't know a lot of people that would like to take a room for about a half hour and then go drink it. and that's what
You saying because you're neither hot nor cold?
The spit you out of my mouth. Look at that Meo Meo means to spit vomit Auto rejection supremely repulsed. so
it makes our Lord sick when you are lukewarm.
I don't know if you've ever eaten. bad egg salad sandwich
It's terrible and you get so sick or here's one my father lives in Florida. He's 96 years old, but he loves mangoes. And I was flying in one night and somebody had brought over to his house some mangoes whole big bowl of them and I walked into the house and here is my 96 year-old father eating mangoes. We found out the mangoes were bad.
And I don't even want to tell you how sick you got. Made him sick.
You ready? When you do not show compassion. When you are apathetic. When you are complacent. When you are comfortable with your Pursuits.
I can't stomach that makes me sick. I'm repulsed by. Let me ask you a question today as a believer.
Are you look warm? Are you hiding your phone?
What I want to do today is I want to just share with you. 77 observations you would think after 43 years in the ministry that you would observe something and I
and I want to observe some things to help, you know, whether
What year where God wants?
Socrates the rates the great philosopher made a statement. He said the unexamined life is not worth living. The unexamined life is not worth living. So what we're going to do today, we're going to examine or lie you examine nothing person next to you, but you examine your life. So what does a what does a lukewarm Christian look like? But we don't know what it looks like. Somebody says well if you're a Christian you just smile all the time while you know, what there's some people that don't have that personality. What does a lukewarm Christian look like number one got your notes out follow with me.
the first thing little lukewarm
atraves acceptance from people More than acceptance from God. He crave acceptance from people. More than acceptance from God.
but we live in a
we live in a society. It's All About Me It's all about selfishness. not I'm not going to get political today, but I'll tell you what this whole thing with portion makes me sick.
Because it's all about ego. It's all about self It's All About Me. But it's also about people who hate you like me. It is my first time preaching up here. You like me yet.
I want you like me. I want you to approve with me. I want you to like what I have on I have a nice white shirt at my shoes on you like my shoes.
I want to be accepted by everyone in there is a there is a point where we go around and we say I want everyone to
Jesus said Beware.
I will confirm my morals to your morals. because I
I want you to like me.
I will listen to your gossip.
And even though your gossip is wrong. I don't want you to feel bad and not like me. Why you listening? your Dawson
every even though it's wrong. I lower my standards. So you like
I learned a new Greek word about all that. The Greek word is bologna.
That's why they laugh Fred. Okay, okay.
man
There is a craving for people who are lukewarm.
acceptance of evil more
so is that you?
They rarely share their faith. Rarely, share their faith. Here's a good news. Good news of Jesus. Christ is a he came. He died on the cross. Save me from my sin and I'm going to live for him who died for me. You sure that was those around you.
I don't want people to.
I don't want people to think that I'm a fanatic. So I'm not going to say anything.
I would say the reason that we do not do it.
We do not.
Let me tell you some. Jesus Christ still changes live
wages of sin is still death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Well Pastor Mark when I share my faith people ask questions.
raise your hand I could ask you, you know, when you talk about your face do people ask questions and And so I can't answer those questions. I'm not going to say anything cuz I don't know the Bible.
I can say something about my faith in Jesus Christ.
Something is very important to me. You can ask me a question and it might be a question. I don't know. You can't ever discount what happened to me?
once I was blind
you can share that with people. If I told you that I had a videotape.
I've had my secretary in Michigan one time said to me she came to me one Monday morning. She said do you have a video tape that looks inside my house?
He says you just described my house today and what goes on inside but a month.
That last month last month if you shared your faith. I'm not saying these that don't start giving the four spiritual laws about telling people.
Jesus
I rarely share their faith in Christ. But isn't everything. Is a biggie. number three rationalize their sin rationalize ursin what we have done today we branded. And renamed with spinners.
It's not adultery anymore. You know what it's called. You're having an affair. nicer term
not called pornography anymore. You know, it's called adult entertainment.
I think it is ruining things. It's so easy to get.
Infinity people use profanity, but it's not called profanity what it's called is adult language.
Pastor Mark, I'm not as bad.
I'm not as bad as Brad.
I'm not as bad as Larry. I'm not as bad as as and so and so What the problem is with that statement? That person Larry that person that's so and so is not the standard for living.
The standard is the Lord.
I have people that say to me Pastor Mark Dice. Where a little bit. But who are you to judge me?
socializing sitting all day long
I feel good. Years ago at a funeral with 43 year old girl who passed away with cancer? You left behind some daughters.
His daughter's love their mother with everything that they had.
That watch the husband become extremely lonely. time with him
One day he brought a gal the church. You just started me and this is a friend of mine.
Start coming every week. Show me shapes.
I drove by the house late at night about 2 in the morning.
Sunday after
don't you?
He said you know what? year old man
what he was saying to me was?
This is about. No that's called for Sid. And we rationalize our sin. We rationalize our Behavior.
You think more about the lights on Earth then eternity in heaven? Zoom it's a life on Earth. Not consumed about being a citizen of heaven and remember that song that was think this Earth is not my home. I'm just
a citizen of Heaven
What's this Earth is not my home.
I'm not from Vaughn is in from here and today.
Is the Earth is not our own North Halsted? All said to live is what?
They become lovers of the things of this Earth. We have become consumed with things. My son-in-law lives in Convoy. He bought a new TV It's a 65 inch TV.
mine's only a little 55
But then I decided Ruth. Let's not get it.
Young people are concerned about the things they have.
Play some things about my house.
I am here to tell you church this world is not our home.
Some of us are getting closer than we think.
my mother
my mother was a raised in the Nazarene Church My mother wasn't a very demonstrative person.
In your last days we sang hymns.
good saying songs like in the garden what a friend we have in Jesus. You're my mother would do if she
undemonstrative mother
your mom
going home
this world It's not my homie give you another one.
We only turn to God.
We only turn to God when we need some. When things are good.
Good life. My kids are good. My grandkids are good. I'm good.
We only go to him during that time only in that.
When something happens with our kid we pulled God out of our tool box. When we go to the doctor and he looks at us and he uses that c word.
Pull him out. a kid start to misbehave
what I need God in their lives. I'm pulling out of the toolbox. We believe in God and we will use him for our benefit.
I need him.
I need them today.
I need him in my life.
You know what? It's all about. It's not about that. I'm a Christian.
She changed my life.
Change my life.
Those who don't need him. I just lukewarm. It's just Luke.
Give me another one. This is going to be a hard one.
They give whenever it is convenient.
you know, I will give as long as it does not impede the standard of living I want to have?
But don't push me.
You know God doesn't need your money. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, doesn't it?
I hear people say when I got a little extra money. I think I'll put it in the offering this week. because it
it's my car. It's my house. It's my TV.
You know what? I'm committed believer says someone who's not for God. Committed believer says it all.
It all belongs in.
Oh, I've had so many people that said I've said this to me after Mark don't you dare talk to me about gear?
I've noticed that people who are lukewarm or people that kind of tip.
Nagiev whenever it's convenient.
They are not much different.
They're not much different. The rest of the world let me give you a statistic that will bother your mind. You probably heard this statistic. 2 out of 4 couples will get a divorce. That means 50% of everyone that gets married will get a divorce. And that's the standard of the world.
George Barna did one not very long ago where he looked at the church.
and that same statistics it's happening in the world is happening in the
the same
I love to play golf. and dumb Michigan I played with a group of pastors
we were playing golf one day and we caught up with this bunch of guys that was playing and I said you
we got the 9th hole. This guy hit a ball.
I heard words that I hadn't heard.
And then he threw his vocal.
And it wrapped it around a tree.
But we hit a bad shot and we talked up a storm.
We listen to the same music.
then that of the world and we're What everybody else?
You don't want to look different do we?
What scripture says we are to be a kill yourself?
What that means that we are to be different. Are you?
Are you different?
Who says? You say I am rich?
Wealth and do not need this thing, but you do not realize.
I believe that the enemy Satan.
mute people
I've been born again by the power of God of you. You've been born again by the power of God.
they are my
it says here I am. stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and over.
You're not.
I'm home.
believe the Jesus Christ
the same yesterday today and forever.
And I know I need you to know something that I also believe that. Yes, I am 67 years old. You should so much for me.
you have
But you know what?
Me and my spirits. I think this is going to be the greatest year. Be ready. ready for that But you know what it's going to take.
those people but you know what?
I'm tired of being lukewarm. I'm tired of.
And I want to live for him completely.
Play with me with you by your heads with me. Lord Jesus I I asked it right now that you would come and you would fill this place before Holy Spirit. I pray that you would. Anoint this time in a in a powerful way. The we would see you and Lord. I want you to move in to us right there in the pew. Next to us, but just us. Lord if If they are not where they need to be I pray holy spirit of God that you would do a a a work in their lives.
So, you know what? I don't want to be lukewarm.
I want to do it all for God. I don't want to make my savior sick. I want to give it all to God.
Their heads are bowed or eyes are closed. I don't want anybody looking around. This is a godson.
You say you don't Pastor Mark. God is really spoke to me during this time.
I just want to
God is speaking to your heart's put it up back down. Thank you. Anyone else. God is speaking.
Embarrass you. Yes, thank you. Anyone else before we leave.
I was working in this place be speaking your heart right now just to lift it up and
lifted
Game we play.
You've done some tremendous things in the life of these people, but Lord, I pray to the Holy Spirit.
all about you
We love you Jesus in Jesus name.
Change my life. We're not going from here the same when we came in because we're going to leave here and there are going to be people who need Jesus and they're going to look at your life and they're going to say hey or something.
follow him change My Father in Heaven, thank you for this time together. Thank you for this wonderful by.