REVELATION 3:14-22

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim.2:15).
“As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so
be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Pt.2:2-3).

g159 A lukewarm church is only half-committed to daily devotions.

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Ro.15:4).
“And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may
learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do
them” (Dt.17:19).

The list could go on and on, but the terrible reality of lukewarmness is clearly seen. It is frightening, for lukewarmness is
seen in so many churches and members.
Note what Jesus Christ says: it is better for one to be cold than lukewarm. This is utterly shocking: Christ Himself says
that it is better for a person to have no commitment whatsoever to Christ than for him to be lukewarm. Why? How could this
be? Because a lukewarm person does not know that he needs clothing or heat. A cold person knows he needs clothing and
heat. A person must be sensitive to his need before his need can be met.

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (Lk.18:11).
“Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore
your sin remaineth” (Jn.9:41).

Most people who profess Christ attend church only enough to salve their consciences, only enough to make them feel ac-
ceptable to God. Most people feel that God would never reject them, not in the final analysis. Most believe that God will
eventually accept them into whatever kind of heaven exists in the next world. But Christ completely contradicts this. He says
that all these—all the lukewarm and half-committed church members in the world—would be far better off if they made no
profession at all. Being self-satisfied, feeling comfortable and respectable in one’s religion, is the worst state imaginable for a
person. He is the hardest person of all to arouse and set aflame for Christ. Yet, tragically this is the state of so many, the state
of half-hearted commitment to Jesus Christ, the state of comfort, complacency, lethargy, indifference, and self-sufficiency.

4
(3:16-17) Warning—Judgment: there is the warning. Jesus Christ warns the lukewarm and half-commited person: “I
will spue you out of my mouth.” This is graphic language, but it is used for a purpose. The person who claims to be a
follower of Jesus Christ is claiming to be a part of His body, claiming to be nourishment for His body, a part of the growth of
His body. But when the person is lukewarm, he is none of this. He is like lukewarm food, unappetizing and unwanted. Christ
does not want the nourishment that such food provides. It is not fit to help in the nourishment and growth of His body.
Therefore, He rejects all who are lukewarm and half-committed. There are two reasons why He rejects them.
1. The lukewarm make a false profession (v.17
a
). Note the verse: the church felt that it was rich and prosperous and
had need of nothing. As stated above, the city was extremely wealthy, and practically everyone but the slaves shared in the
wealth. We can tell by the very charge of Christ against the church that the believers were financially wealthy. What hap-
pened to the church is what so often happens among believers. They equated wealth and prosperity with spirituality. They
felt that they had been especially blessed by God because they had been blessed with material possessions and wealth. They
became...
• self-sufficient
• independent
• self-centered
• prideful
• conceited
• boastful
They carried their wealth over into their spiritual life; they confused prosperity and material blessings with spirituality and
spiritual blessings. They were able to have a full staff of ministers and to have all the ministries. They were able to launch
any program, to promote any activity, and to do anything the minister or church felt should be done.
g159 They focused upon their capability instead of Christ.
g159 They depended upon their ability instead of Christ.
g159 They relied upon their resources instead of Christ.
Worship, Bible study, prayer, missions, witnessing, and activities—all were done as a matter of form and as a part of the
normal activity of the church. There was no hunger or thirst after God, no sense of a deep-seated need, no desire for God’s
Word, no burden for the lost, no sense of needing to grow spiritually. Simply speaking, the church was self-sufficient and
comfortable. It had the money and the members to operate and work the ministries of the church; and many of the members,
being industrious business and management people, had the energy and ability. Therefore, the members operated and carried
on the activities of the church, but it was all done in the energy of the flesh and of self. It was not done in the power of God’s
Spirit.

“Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits”
(Ro.12:16).
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