Saved from Lukewarmness, to Christ

I. The Danger of Lukewarmness (14-16)

1. One of the first things Jesus says as faithful/truth-speaking witness is, “I know you.”
   1. This is more than a little disconcerting, because most of us will freely admit we still don’t know ourselves that well.
      1. But the one true God is omniscient; he is all-knowing. There is nothing hidden from him. There is nothing spoken in secret, or thought in private, or done in darkness that is not known to him.
   2. Convicting to consider that our whole life is an open book to God.
      1. Ps 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
      2. We may fool friends/closest family/even ourselves- but God knows our insides
2. And as his address continues, Jesus warns of the dangers of lukewarmness.
   1. So repulsive, in fact, he will soon spit (lit. vomit) those out who do not repent
      1. Shows greater apprehension to be enraged by/violently opposed to than indifferent (How can your feel tepid@Trinity, mediocre@Messiah, commonplce@Christ?)
      2. And so dangerous that he will rebuke & chasten all whom he loves (19)! (We treat God’s chastening/providence the way Balaam treated donkey)
   2. Think about Jesus’ warning/distaste for lukewarmness for a moment! (Beware the lukewarm life, Jesus says, because it numbs you to the danger of your own disinterest.)

II. The Poverty of Self-Deception (17)

1. In case we are unable or unwilling to diagnose what Jesus means by “lukewarm”, he defines it for us in this very next verse:
   1. Lukewarmness is having just enough religion/good works/material wealth/or
      anything else to make you think you are fine.
      1. I have need of nothing- almost no one would say that, but in practice we betray that spirit, that self-satisfaction and reliance.
   2. Great danger of lukewarmness seems to be that it is satisfied w/ its own condition.
      1. So best thermometer for this spiritual condition is not our articles of faith, or personal creed, or even our church attendance
      2. It is the frequency and fervency of our personal communion with Christ!
2. A sad description Jesus gives here, of people who feel themselves to be in need of nothing and so will not come to him to supply their gaping neediness!
   1. Here is the poverty of self-deception! Would rather sit in our own ruin and tell ourselves we’re okay than confess our pride/sinfulness & run to Christ for real riches.
   2. Like the fabled king, we walk out in public naked because we don’t want to have to admit that we have no clothes on.

III. The Faithful and True Witness (18-22)

1. We are too often content with just enough religion to “keep us out of trouble” and salve our conscience.
   1. Gold/clothing/medicinal ointments- all things they were consumed in buying, selling, trading – either to get profit or to receive benefit of the goods.
      1. Jesus says, Come to me as the great shopping mall/supermarket/trading floor
      2. Jesus more full/satisfying/sufficient than Super Walmart/all of 5th Ave.
   2. Christ counsels us to go for the true medicine that doesn’t just numb us to the pain of our own guilt but that actually heals us of our sin.
2. What is this real gold, this shameless covering, this healing ointment? It is none other than Christ himself! As he reveals in the verses to follow, genuine repentance and true faith consists of an open door of communion with Christ.

Conclusion