What Is Your Spiritual Temperature?
Revelation 3
WHAT IS YOUR SPIRITUAL TEMPERATURE?
Revelation chapter 3:14-20 as we look at the church of Laodecia!
This passage of Scripture is one of the most
misunderstood or maybe a better way of saying it would
be most misappropriated passages in the Bible.
We need to realize these words were written to a group of people
who were organized under the banner of being a force for God.
These words were not written to unbelievers-it is not a call for
them to repent. So by the time we get to verse 20 - and it talks
about opening the door - - we need to realize Jesus is talking to
believers and He is asking us -the church to repent - to change
our ways!
This passage is not about one’s salvation - - - it is all about our
spiritual temperature and our on going relationship and fellowship
with Jesus!
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning
of the creation of God, says this:
‘I know your deeds, 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 will spit you out of
My mouth.
Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have
need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from
Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white
garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of
your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your
eyes so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be
zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if
anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in
to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:14-20
Jesus is talking to a church!
He is not talking to people in the world or to people who have
totally turned their back on Him.
He is talking to the church - -most likely a church just like ours.
Jesus knows everything about usboth individually and corporately!! He knows our deeds!
He knows everything about this church –
He knows our past!
He has our history down!
He knows our hurts, habits, and hangups.
He also knows everything about you and me!
He knows our hearts!
He ‘s knows why we do what we do!
He knows our spiritual temperature!
He knows us inside and out! He knows our fears and failures!
He knows our sin!
Let me give you a little background about Laodicea.
Laodicea was an important center of trade and communication
and it was well known for 3 things.
1) Laodicea As A Community was wealthy.
They had the money! At this time they were a flourishing
wealthy banking center.
So wealthy was Laodicea that after a great earthquake in A.D. 60,
which almost totally destroyed the community the people refused
help from Rome choosing instead to rebuild it themselves.
That says a lot about Laodicea - - - They did not ask for help!
They didn’t need it-they could do it themselves!
They were independent!
That’s a good thing - - right?
2) Laodicea as a community exported a glossy black wool
to markets far and wide and was one of the reasons they
were wealthy.
This city was famous for its production of textiles especially cloth and carpets woven from this black wool.
They were producers! They had something to sell!
People wanted what they had!
3) Laodicea as a community was famous for their school of
medicine and had developed a special eye ointment.
Quite a community - - -- you would think that they would
have quite the church - - with all of those things going for
them!
Money, a great work ethic, they had something that people
wanted - - - and they were meeting people’s needs.
Now Laodecia - - - while it had many wonderful things
going for it as a community –it had a major weakness:
They lacked an adequate water source.
So they built an elaborate aqueduct system transporting water
from another community.
What is interesting is that there were two nearby communities
who were well known for their water - - - one for hot steaming
water - - - the other had cool cold mountain water.
But take either of these water sources and have it travel six miles
- - it will become lukewarm.
Jesus says: “You’re not cold; you’re not hot – far better to
be either cold or hot!
Jesus is looking for us to be pleasing to Him - to be
useful!
I understand that I love hot chocolate - but I can’t stand hot chocolate that has
cooled off.
I love ice tea – when it is cold!
But warm – watered down – no!
Some of you love coffee - - you like it hot - - in fact, if it gets cool
- - you want some hot coffee added to bring the temperature up!
What we really want in our beverages is for them to be
the right temperature. To be as they are supposed to be - - so that they are pleasing and useful and not
disgusting.
Jesus is saying to this church - - - you make me sick - I want to
vomit - you are not as I have desired.
When a church or a person settles for things that are
distant from the source - - - what they get is something
lukewarm, neither hot or cold. What they ultimately have
is something that is not useful or pleasing.
When we are not in a close intimate relationship with
Jesus Christ - - what we are and whatever we produce is
not pleasing but disgusting to Him.
That is why if you can point back to a time in your life
where you and the Lord were in a closer more intimate
relationship - - then you need to know - - where you are
today - - - makes Him want to puke!
Who is Jesus speaking to here?
He is writing to a group of people who have organized
under the banner of being a force for God. At least at one
time - - -their sole purpose was to see their community
won to Christ…their mission was heart felt…they knew
where they were headed and they were willing to listen
to Jesus and pay the price.
If a churches or a person best days are behind them - - - then
what might we say about their spiritual temperature?
Salem First use to be a . . .
Or Pastor Tim use to be . . .
You know times change . . . . (know churches change, people
change . . . )
Lukewarm - right - - - I am not saying that - - Jesus is saying that!
Don’t you now wish this passage was for unbelievers!
Jesus says – you make me sick and He pulls out His barf bag - - and he upchucks!!!
And if that makes you sick - - - consider how much it makes God
sick - - -when He realizes that He sent His Son Jesus to give his
life as a ransom for stale, stagnant, self-sufficient, contented
people!
What Leads To Jesus Becoming Sick?
1) They were focused on themselves rather than God.
Jesus starts puking when we are concerned with ourselves more
than Him.
2) They had become self-sufficient or so they thought.
Because of the blessings of God - - -they had received much
and as a result they concluded that they did not need
another thing.
It is a dangerous thing to be a recipient of God’s blessings or
of God’s talents, or of His many resources - - -for we have a
tendency to forget where they came from.
We have a tendency to forget what we really need - What/Who do we need at Salem First Naz? God!
They were relying on material possessions to move the church of
God.
But instead of being spiritually rich, they were bankrupt.
3) They had become satisfied with where they were in
life.
The Laodicean church was satisfied and content with the way
things were. Only fool thinks they can bring a different result by
doing the same thing! Satisfied people live life the same each
and every day!
But in the midst of their satisfaction they had become
blind to what God wanted them to see and do.
They had climbed as high as they wanted to climb!
They had learned as much about God and his holiness as
they wanted to learn!
They had grown as large as they wanted to grow.
They had seen as many at their altar as they cared to see…
They were happy and content just to be left alone going thorough
the motions week after week…
Now they never said they were content - - no their
verbiage - - was just the opposite but their life - - how
they lived, what they gave, and the actual lack of
obedience to the voice of God made it clear – they were
satisfied.
4) They were blind.
They were not seeing the things that Jesus was able to see
Things like the lost who needed a relationship with God and
with those who knew Him.
Do you have the eyes of Jesus? Do you see people through His
eyes?
5) They believed the church belonged to them not God.
Their money had bought it.
Their sweat had built it.
I made a statement a few weeks ago . . .
Pastors come and pastors go! It is a true statement!
Many people live by that truth! But behind that statement for
most people - is belief about ownership. That all they have to do
is bide their time - do what they want to do and the pastor will
finally leave.
But there is another statement that is also true!
People come and people go!
I do not know how long you are going to live but one day you will
die! You are going to stand before God and give an account for
what you did and did not do with all God had given you!
This not Pastor Tim’s Church! I could be gone tomorrowBut it is not yours either!
This is the church of Jesus Christ and we forget that
sometimes.
And we should be more concerned about making it His
church than our church. We should be more concerned
about how He feels about it - than how we feel!
Well . . . . I just don’t like that!
Can you believe the color of the wall that they painted in
the early childhood wing?
And sometimes the only reason more people don’t get upset is
because they don’t even walk down that hallway . . .
Most of the issues that sidetracks a church - comes from this
source.
People feeling entitled - and feeling they own the church. It is
their church!
I have been here for _____ years!
I have paid my tithe - - - And truthfully there are many people who whether they recognize
it or not - live their lives within the church - acting as though they
do not need Jesus - - - He is outside the door - - seeing what is
going on - - - and He wants in! Because He knows - - - our real
temperature.
This makes Jesus sick! He hurls on this one!
Something has to change doesn’t it!
Notice what Jesus says in verse 18, Jesus says, buy from
me. There are three things they are told to buy - - He says they need– gold, clothes and salve for their eyes
But wait a minute these are the exact things they are taking pride
in already - - - they already have gold, the wool and the powerful
eye ointment.
1)
We need to buy Gold refined in the fire.
Gold refined in fire - - -this is the process of heating up and
removing impurities - - --whereby the gold is pure and precious.
When was the last time - some of the impurities of your
life were removed?
What areas of your life need God’s fire?
2) We need to buy clothes from Him – clothes designed in
heaven. This is quite a contrast to their spiritual
nakedness and the black cloth famous at Laodicea.
They thought they had the right clothes - - that they were
covered!
When I was child - I was taught that when you came to church
you gave God your best and so I came to church dressed up.
Somewhere along the line – we have concluded that dressing
nicely is a substitute for the clothes of righteousness or that OF
acting rightly!!
So we think if we dress rightly - then we act any way we want
- including not welcoming those who are new to our church-or
those who sit in our seat or dress differently than we do.
Jesus is a standard by which you can know how to interact
with others - if you would not treat Jesus - the way you are
treating someone else - then you shouldn’t be acting that way!
Period! If we counting on just dressing up in a suit and tie - and not being concerned with how we live and interact with
others - then we are as naked as a jailed bird!
Jesus sees our sin! He sees our nakedness. What He offers is
robes of righteousness!
3.
Lastly we are to buy ointment for our eyes so that we
can see.
See spiritually how destitute we are.
See the truth of His Word.
To See what His Spirit is doing.
Isn’t it ironic - - - that he says to them – buy these
things - - this is a tongue in cheek moment!
Because you can’t buy what Jesus gives freely.
If we are not careful we can be so full of pride that we fail
to ask and then receive from the Lord what we truly need
and what He longs to give us!
Jesus grabs his barf bag - - - not only for the church of Laodecia - - but for church after church after church
Why is Jesus supposedly so harsh?”
In Verse 19 (read) – He tells us why –
“Because I love you – Because I know where your actions
are taking you, and I can’t stand to see it happen – Because
I love you I have to tell you the truth… “
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. Be earnest and
repent!
I am here, I’m knocking, I am giving you another chance…but
you must open your heart and let Me in.”
Doesn’t it seem odd, Jesus location in regards to this church is
not with them - he not on the inside but on the outside wanting
to come in. Wanting to have an intimate meal with them!
Jesus is saying – even amid all of this – I want an intimate
relationship with you.
You Know Your Pleasing To Jesus When . . .
• You love being in God’s presence.
• You hate sin in any form.
• You
• You
• You
• You
• You
• You
love doing right.
love people.
read, study, and obey the Bible.
look for opportunities to share your faith.
are faithful with what God has given you.
look for the Lord’s return.
What Is Your Spiritual Temperature?