by Kim Josephson

Saint John was instructed to write seven letters to seven different churches in Revelation 2-3 by Jesus Christ Himself! Now there are a couple of things to notice about these letters. First, though John was the secretary - Jesus was the author. Second, it's important to realize that these letters were written within the first 100 years of the Church's existence. In other words, these letters were written to the New Testament Church by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

Now specifically, I want to call your attention to the last of the seven letters. It was written to the Church of Laodicea. This is what it says. Rev. 3-14-22

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

I've printed it out for your convenience. Notice, first Jesus claims authorship, then Jesus gets right to the heart of the matter. The first thing He says is "I know thy works…" Can you imagine? We are told over and over again that our works don't matter; all we are supposed to do is rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus doesn't say that. Jesus says, "I know thy works…" I've heard it preached a thousand times that when Jesus sees us, all He sees is the "blood". Hmmm? Listen to Jesus. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." You say, "Hey, wait a minute, I thought my works didn't matter - I thought I'd get to skate by on the finished work of Christ" - Think again!

Jesus said it matters - in fact it couldn't matter more! It's not enough to be obedient; we have to be zealously obedient. Jesus said if we are lukewarm in our service to Him, He will spue us out of His mouth!
In times past, I've called this Spueville and it usually gets a little laugh in church, but folks, this is no laughing matter. Jesus is saying that lukewarmness makes Him vomit. Now, I've called your attention to the fact that the letter is written to Christians. And I've called your attention to the fact that it is written by the resurrected Lord to the New Testament Church. So what does that mean to you? Are you the kind of Christian that makes God sick? Let's look at your works.

First of all, Jesus told us to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength" How are we doing on this simple command? That's the way it's put in the New Testament; in the Old Testament it's even broken down a little more specifically and perhaps that will help us examine ourselves.

We know how to worship God. The question is - do we do it? Do we do it with our whole heart? “True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” (John 4:23) He commands in Ps 100 “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” 5 out of 10 never open their mouth in a worship service, much less make a joyful noise. How can this be? Ps 47 says, "O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." It says all ye people clap and shout! How are you doing on that? When you clap, do you clap with all your heart unto God? Do you shout unto God with a voice of triumph? "Now Bro. Kim, I'm not like that, I'm just sitting here quietly worshipping God the best I know how." Really? You hypocrite, God tells you how to worship Him, you don't tell Him! Our little half-hearted song and dance junk just makes Him sick. The angels cry, "Holy, Holy Holy" continuously glorifying His majesty King Jesus and we can't sing the song of the redeemed for 30 minutes with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. "Well now Bro. Kim, you shouldn't push." Push nothing; Jesus said “because you're lukewarm I will spue you out of my mouth.” So you can see there's a lot of lukewarm praising that just doesn't cut it with God. What about our works?

There's a lot of lukewarm preaching that doesn't cut it either. When I was a little boy, we used to have revivals. Evangelists would come to our little church and they would preach our socks off. I will never forget how they would pray and plead for men to repent and come to Jesus before it's too late. Sometimes, the churches would get together and sponsor a Tent Crusade and we'd all work together to get folks saved. Those evangelists, God bless 'em, would warn us about hell and the coming of Jesus. They would tell us about the Great Tribulation and the Great White Throne Judgment and we’d have revival! Church folks would get right first, some ladies who hadn't spoken to one another in months would go to the altar and get right with God and right with each other. I saw grown men cry in those services. Sinners got saved! Those were beautiful days in God. I guess we don't need that now. Those meetings lasted weeks in the "old days" (I'm 46). Now we’re lucky to hear from an "evangelist" for a single Sunday night meeting and those "prosperity" messages are really wreckin’ hell, let me tell you? It makes God Sick! Where are the men and women who will cry aloud and show my people their sins? (Is. 58:1) Where are the preachers who will begin again to feel and fear the reality of hell and preach for the souls of men. C'mon preacher, you used to weep for souls. What's happened to your passion? You used to preach like it mattered - What's happened to you? You used to pray and cry out to God for a message that would break men's hearts for Jesus and set them free from the chains of sin. Your lukewarm prayers, your lukewarm praise, your lukewarm words - it makes God sick! Jesus said "I WILL SPUE YOU OUT!”

Scalding for the preachers? What about the pews? How's your love for the Word of God? You say you love it, but you don't read it? - You're a hypocrite and you make God sick! Fact is, you're wedded to the world and you just don't make time for His Word. Men were burned at the stake to get you that Word, and you can't be bothered - you make God sick.

How's your tithing? Oh, can't be bothered with that either? You give enough to God? You're a God robber and you make God sick!

How's your witnessing? Oh Bro. Kim I couldn't do that! Oh no? Jesus said "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature". You may not be "called" to preach, but you've definitely been sent! There are no excuses - if you are making excuses know this - you make God sick! It cost God the blood of Jesus to set us free from eternal condemnation, the least we can do, is to honor that blood by sharing Jesus with others.
You can pray. I'm not talking about those little half dream "prayers" that take you to never-never land each evening - but I'm talking about pouring out your soul in intercession for that loved one who still won't serve Jesus and is on his way to hell. You can pray. You could pray for your pastor - with your pastor - for your church, for your leaders - for your country. Have you no tears for the 1,300,000 abortions that go on in this country each year? Have you no tears for the girls and boys who are being turned into whores and whoremongers by the polluted music and television that is violating our land? Have you no tears? Then pray for tears! GOD HAVE MERCY!

How's your family altar? You didn't know you were supposed to make time for the Word of God at your house? You didn't know you were supposed to cut the TV off and teach your kids to honor the Word of God? You didn't know you were supposed to teach your kids to pray? You thought they would teach them all those good things at school You are a liar - you're not lukewarm - you're lost!

But you don't have to stay that way! Jesus said in Rev 3:19: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

Have I made you sorry for your lukewarmness? I hope so. I pray that you will no longer accept the compromise that is robbing you of God's blessings and robbing God of His honor. There is no greater monstrosity than a lukewarm Christian. There is nothing that hurts the cause of Christ like hypocrites who are content to be hypocrites. God forbid that we should be numbered among them. I pray that the Holy Ghost will give you the gift of repentance and that you will let this godly sorrow work a total change of heart, mind, and soul in you. I pray that you will once again, or maybe now for the first time begin to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. It's time. Go pray now. God forbid that we should make God sick!