THESIS: To show that spiritual lethargy is a sin in the Savior’s sight.
INTRO.: A. Being average in most areas is not sinful (unless you can do better!), e.g., academics, athletics, appearance or accumulating wealth. There IS only one Einstein, one Michael Jordan, one Mr. Universe and one Bill Gates. But it IS sinful & shameful to be average spiritually! “lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot…” B. The church at Laodicea was neither good nor bad, neither hot nor cold – just somewhere in the middle: mediocre, lukewarm, average. And the Savior said He was sick over their “SIN OF BEING AVERAGE.” C. When the Lord gave John the letter to the church in Philadelphia, He had nothing bad to say about it. When He gave him the letter to the church in Laodicea, He had nothing good to say about it.
Why? Because of “THE SIN OF BEING AVERAGE!”
ILLUS.: Most fundamentalists see the church of Laodicea as a picture of the church of the 21st century…US! Surely if there is an age of spiritual complacency & lukewarmness, it is this age of materialism, worldliness & carnality. The tragedy is that the average Christian today is just “average”!
I. INDICATIONS OF BEING AVERAGE: V.17a
A. Prospering Materially, Coasting Spiritually: “I am rich…”
ILLUS.: Americans have a passion for excellence & a demand to excel. They idolize those who excel in sports, entertainment, & business. They are willing to work 50-80 hours per week to excel as they climb the corporate ladder to success. Just don’t ask these same Christians to spend more than an hour or two in a church service, on a bus route, or soul-winning!
1. The problem is priorities. 2. The problem is spiritual mediocrity.
B. Pursuing Goods, Instead of God: “increased with goods…”
1. Worshipping the tangible, ignoring the invisible.
ILLUS.: Outwardly, the church at Laodicea was the most impressive of the seven, but spiritually it was the most distressing of all. –Morris There is nothing wrong with having attractive buildings, etc., but they should not become the main focus & should never detract from the main purpose.
2. There are many neutral, mediating, middle-of-the-road, “evangelical” churches today which in order to keep their offerings up & their wealthy members placated, compromise & avoid anything controversial or demanding, which would disturb the status-quo. 3. These churches harm no one, because they reach no one; they are not cold, they are friendly (“user-friendly”), they are not dead, they are growing, but they are lukewarm, just average!
C. Placing Comfort Over Crucifixion: “…have need of nothing” 1. The Church, like America, places comfort above truth & right.
ILLUS.: As long as Americans have jobs, health care, benefits, etc. it doesn’t matter who is in office or what his character is. We will elect whoever promises us the most comforts. As long as the Church is in “need of nothing” she will compromise truth, water down doctrine & enjoy the benefits. Just don’t ask to give up anything, to crucify self! Cf. Gal.2:20 The early church was characterized by martyrdom, the modern church is characterized by materialism.
2. Christians will give, but not go; they will offer money, but not time; they are willing to give of their substance, but not of themselves; they look for comfort, not crucifixion!
D. Focused On Time, Ignoring Eternity:
1. The problem is perspective. 2. We don’t see ourselves as eternal beings, but temporal beings. 3. We focus on the here & now & have little concern over eternity; we are content with mediocrity in the realm of the spiritual; we are indeed lukewarm!
ILLUS.: Imagine your doctor being lukewarm about disease. He examines you & then simply tells you to pay the receptionist on the way out. You say “Wait a minute, doc. What’s wrong with me?” He says, “Oh, nothing to worry about, you just have a bad case of bubonic plague.” You look w/astonishment & ask, “Aren’t you going to give me an injection, or put me in the hospital? People don’t just walk around with bubonic plague! It’s catching, isn’t it? What about my family? The people in the waiting room? Me? “People die of bubonic plague, don’t they? He just looks at you & says, “That’s all right, my friend. You have to die sometime. It might just as well be of bubonic plague as cancer or a coronary. Diseases don’t interest me too much. Now, if you needed surgery, well, that’s more my line.” Imagine a doctor lukewarm about disease! Imagine a church or a Christian lukewarm about Christ! It makes as much sense. - Phillips
II. IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AVERAGE: V.18b
A. Spiritual Wretchedness: (A Binding Sin) “thou art wretched…”
1. The word “wretched” means “miserable.” 2. The reason many Christians are miserable, is because they are lukewarm. 3. The remedy is to break out of the lukewarm condition & get hot!
B. Spiritual Misery: (A Degrading Sin) “thou art…miserable…”
1. This word means pitiable & is parallel to being wretched. 2. The most pitiful creature is a lukewarm Christian; they are not happy in the world or in the church. 3. The remedy is to quit being average & excel as a believer.
C. Spiritual Poverty: (A Serious Sin) “thou art…poor…”
1. This condition has to do with values & priorities. 2. This church is destitute of anything of spiritual worth. 3. The remedy is to return to the gold standard, to spiritual values, which can only be purchased with repentance & yieldedness to the Spirit of God. V.18a
D. Spiritual Nakedness: (A Shameful Sin) “thou art…naked”
1. The tragedy is that believers are naked & don’t have any shame!
ILLUS.: There is a story about the emperor’s new clothes. The emperor was enamored w/his wardrobe One day two ingenious cheats calling themselves weavers showed up & conned the king into purchasing some magnificent, but invisible clothes. They pretended to weave the garments & the day came when they collected their fortune & the emperor his new garments. He donned the robes & paraded himself around, & everyone pretended to admire them, for fear of the king, till one little boy said: “But the emperor has nothing on at all!”
2. The remedy prescribed by Christ is to purchase “white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, & that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.” v. 18a
Rev.19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
E. Spiritual Blindness: (A Tragic Sin) “thou art…blind”
1. Here is a church without vision. 2. The remedy is “eyesalve” provided by the Lord v.18b
Jn.4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
III. INSTRUCTIONS TO AVOID BEING AVERAGE: V.19-20
A. Accept Rebuke & Chastening B. Be Zealous C. Repent D. Answer The Door!
CONCL.: Here is an amazing manifestation of grace! Those who were about to be spewed out of His mouth are now invited to sit with Him on His throne! Here is the cure for “THE SIN OF BEING AVERAGE!” On Mt. Moriah Isaac observed the altar, the wood & the fire & asked “Where is the lamb?” In our age we have the altar, the wood & the Lamb, but need to be asking “Where is the fire?!”