Luke Warm Christians Are The Most Miserable People On Earth

I chose three Junior High boys who couldn't resist my offer of free food and drink: a cup of Tim Horton's hot chocolate, a bowl of ice cream and (not quite so well received) a glass of milk.  I neglected to tell them that these items had sat out on my counter all night, but it didn't take them long to find out.  The one drinking the milk actually spit a mouthful back into the cup saying it was sour.  This wasn't some practical joke, but a means to try and involve these Christian school kids in a talk on lukewarmness.

Lukewarm is the word Jesus chose to refer to a church in Revelation 3.  He chose that word because He found this church disgusting.  

"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."  Revelation 3:15-16

There is much that could be said about this passage, but I want to touch on one point that I made to that group of teens.  I believe that lukewarm Christians are among the most unhappy people in the world.  I say that from experience.  When I am lukewarm I'm just going through the motions of following God.  I have enough truth to know what God expects and what I ought to do, but it all just seems to be a bunch of rules.  I do it because I'm expected to, or to avoid guilt, or to look good.  But my heart isn't in it.  It's a chore.  There's no pleasure in just going through the motions.  We feel guilty if we don't do the things we know to be right and we feel guilty when we do them because our heart is not in it.  Life becomes miserable.  An unbeliever can have worldly fun without feeling that guilt.  Not so for lukewarm Christians.  They know enough about God that they can't enjoy the world, but not enough to truly enjoy God.  Jesus says this to the lukewarm Christian:

"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."  3:17

Lukewarmness not only makes us miserable, it somehow at the same time, fools us into thinking that we have all we need.  Perhaps more precisely, it fools us into believing that the things of the world will make us happy and that we do not need Jesus.  

Jesus says the solution is to repent, open the door to His presence and seek Him for the things that will truly bring us joy.  I'm going to leave it at that and encourage you to read the whole passage and ask the Lord to help you see any lukewarmness creeping into your life. 

Grace and peace,

Dave