What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 8

My heart is so heavy as I sincerely talk to the church today about this, for the world of which we are a part holds exactly the opposing viewpoint. Worldly success is nearly completely associated with what a person has and how much he has. This has sadly and slowly crept into the church and it, that is, the church, has largely adopted riches as the same measurement for success. Jesus so clearly warned His followers in Matthew 13:22 of "the deceitfulness of riches", and explained that it would "choke the Word of God" until it would be lost. Most of the 2009 church today has adopted the same attitudes about so called standards of living that the world holds, and feels substandard and mistreated if they have less than their neighbors or brothers and sisters in the Lord. It truly hurts my sensitive spirit when I hear of, or see, comparisons made between Church people on the basis of material possessions. It sends a distress signal to my souls!

What should be done? How do we combat the horribly materialistic spirit that holds today's church people in its deceptive, iron grip? Some of my answers will be anticipated, but the most important one ... just a few of you will expect .. The truth and experience of heart cleansing is the most important weapon against the lukewarm effect of materialism! I do not hesitate to make this claim, for the crucifixion of the old self life is crucial to correcting our spiritual vision. We are what we "see". Sanctified Christians are selfless ones, and Christians who have not died to self will continue to make choices based upon their wants and interests and well being.On the other hand, selfless Christians are always, characteristically, looking for ways to be a blessing to other people. This is as certain as you hear my voice today! Selfless Christians are always on the lookout for what they can give, and not what they can get. Those of you who know me best know how I dearly love to preach about "advantage taking", and persons whose aim is to take the advantage instead of give it, judge themselves ... not me. All I want to ask each of us is this question: "Why do we want the advantage, rather than grant it to the other person?"

How much should we give away ... how much should we share with others ... how much should we give to the church ... , and how much should we keep for ourselves - our aging and health problems and last years of our lives? You know no other person can answer this, and it is one more vital reason why we must make sure that there is not a shred ... not a sliver. .. not a little, tiny piece of the old nature controlling our decision making "mechanism", for want ofa better word. We must have the balancing influence of the Holy Spirit guiding us as we are literally floundering in a sea of materialism, in and out of the church.

As you can see, this is merely the start of identifying, and dealing with, the threat of lukewarmness to today's church.• I urge each of us to seek out God's best for our lives, and never, never settle for anything less!!

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 7

SO, here in August of 2009 we find ourselves in the church exactly where the Laodiceans were - rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing. And every listener and reader is clear that the reference to "in need of nothing" is about temporal possessions. We do not need outside assistance from other persons or agencies in or out of the church. "Self sufficient" and "self dependent" and "self supporting" are the terms that come to our minds at this point. Most of us would consider this not only a good thing, but pleasing to the Lord, for there are plenty of scriptures that require Christians to care for their own needs as well as have resources so that we are able to help others who are in need.

"Why then, Pastor, should the condition of being "rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing" concern us? Why should it present a problem to believers today?ilBecause built right into it are dangerous tendencies that inherently lead to lukewarmness. Here are some examples of dangers that we face each day, and have been so much a part of our lives that we rarely think of them as "dangerous". Fire. Electricity. Water. Medicines. Vehicles and air travel. The list is endless, but you follow along in the reasoning. All that have been listed, and much more, are potential dangers to our lives, health and well being. They will kill us if they are not correctly used! If properly used, they are great blessings, and if not, they will kill or harm us.

According to Jesus' teaching when He was here on earth talking to us, worldly wealth is probably the paramount trap for us humans, including us believers. Jesus repeatedly warned His hearers of the extreme danger of worldly possessions, and the adjective "extreme" is not too extreme a word. (Little intended pun there) Think with me now on this. In Jesus'life, in the lives of the apostles, and in the lives of every saint of God from their days until our time, those persons who are most in step with the mind and will of God, are persons whose daily lives and happiness are not built around material possessions. They are persons who habitually ... characteristically, make choices, and take actions that lean towards the "spiritual" qualitiesk.¬in their lives and not the material ones. The biggest issues of their lives are not what they have ¬or do not have when it comes to earthly possessions. Their daily lives are regulated, directed, and in reality, consumed, with the work of God, the kingdom of God, the will of God. Such Christians, who I will quickly identify as "fervent", do not consider anything they have their own, but honestly (I mean by that, that they do not just say it, but down in their hearts is real) ... they honestly view the material possessions God has trusted them with as a stewardship. Again let me repeat that to view ones earthly possessions as a stewardship, and not something that belongs to us, it must be genuine and not merely a claim for how it looks or sounds to other Christians.

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 6

I am deeply troubled by a church more led and driven by its own current philosophies and trends and programs than by the Holy Spirit through God's revealed Word! I am deeply troubled by the constant "badgering" of church leaders and writers who constantly tell us preachers that "we must present the gospel in a positive, relevant manner"! We preachers must rise above such hannful criticism and stick with what God's Word clearly tells us!

What it tells us here in this most revealing message to the church of the last dispensation is that what the church and the watching world calls success is not what Jesus calls it!! The Laodicean church claimed (Please note! In Jesus' Own words!) That they were "rich, and increased with goods, and in need of nothing". I earnestly plead with anyone who listens to, or reads, this message this morning to carefully consider what Jesus said ... not Pastor Boone. Jesus said of the latter day church that their self description ... their own assessment ... of the kind of church people they were, was "rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing". As much as you who listen and read will resist my telling us this ... this is an accurate description of each and all of us. There has never been a time in the history of the church (the visible church, that is) when, all around the world, we have been so richly endowed with monetary and temporal possessions. WE ARE THAT CHURCH! We are this church! We are the church that Jesus depicted as "rich, and increased with goods, and in need of nothing".

While I am on this greatly disturbing, biblical truth, a long held term for these things has troubled me every time I have heard it. I know that in saying this a good number of you will probably disagree with me, but at least,hear me out and see if something about it picks at your mind as it has mine over the years.~T am sure that some of you have had questions about it as I have. It is the use of the term, "God's blessings" when referring to material wealth. We have all heard such a statement made, and maybe have used it ourselves, that "God has blessed us with lots of this world's things". As I say, over many years now, such statements always trouble my mind, and some of you are astute enough to know why.

When has the church, historically, been the most effective in bringing the gospel message to the unsaved ofthe world? We all know the answer to this. When they were persecuted. When they were poor. When they were unloved and unheralded and despised. When they had no worldly position and recognition. When they were driven from their homes and jobs and churches and towns and even native countries! On an individual basis, when do we spiritually grow the most? When do we pray the most? When do we draw near to God the most? When do we know God the best? In plenty ... or in want? In sickness ... or in health? In the sunshine ... or in the storm? In disappointment...or in happiness? In trials sore ... or in blessings and joy? When we are recognized ... or when we are spoken evil of?

This is why some of us wonder about the use of the expression that, "God has blessed us with so many, wonderful things. With so many things that make our lives pleasant and easier"? There is not a person listening or reading, including me, who would be so foolish as to ask God for the hard places ... for pain and suffering ... for trials and tribulations and sore temptations ... for the loss of our earthly possessions ... for persecutions and defamations of character. And yet we all know that Jesus particularly pronounced His blessing ... even calling it "happiness!" ... ofthese very persons! He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit (they are persons who claim nothing ... who feel in their hearts that they are owed nothing from God or man). Jesus said, "Blessed are they who mourn". Jesus said, Blessed are those who are meek and humble". Jesus said, Blessed are you when you are persecuted ... ". Jesus said Blessed are those who are spoken evil against, those who are reviled, those who are falsely accused and blamed, for My sake". When I know ... and you know ... what the position is of Jesus and His teachings about what kind of persons are truly blessed, it has no reference whatever to possessions or ownership

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 5

No Christian can produce within himself or herself what only the Holy Spirit can. We cannot make ourselves holy. We cannot discipline ourselves enough to be holy. We cannot train our hearts into submission to Christ. The crucifixion of the old, self nature is a work of Divine grace, wrought within the heart by faith. I can only speak with certainty about this from my own experience ... but I have read and heard other Christians express the same conclusions. It was not so-called "holiness preaching" that brought me to the place where I sought the Lord for victory over the old, carnal nature. It was the condition of my heart! It was the defilement of my heart! It was the dirtiness of my spirit that condemned me!

Now I am not describing "feelings" as such when I talk about a "dirtiness of spirit". Our human emotional system is not the place to take any measurements of our spiritual temperature, for our feelings characteristically (at least for most of us) run more on a roller coaster than a straight track. Most of the time mood swings, as we call them today, have little or nothing to do with any spiritual condition. When we think about what I have termed a "dirtiness of spirit" it relates more to motives than feelings. This is why we are talking about the cleansing of the human heart now. The carnal, uncleansed heart is for self satisfaction, and self appreciation, and for self interest, and for self recognition. You get the idea. It is self, self, self .. me, me, me ... and my, my, my! All through this study about lukewarmness we will be returning to this sobering truth.

Jesus made it so clear in some of His very earliest teachings in the so-called Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:20, where He proclaimed this most basic truth: "For where your treasure is there will your heart be also ". Here is a most crucial claim and conclusion by our Lord! "Where your treasure is there will your heart be also"! This will never vary. It is ,as definite,and even absolute, as anything God ever said to the human family. What dominates~rson's life~ is his or her master. What we continually think about, and where our minds return any time we have spare minutes, and what in our daily lives claims our supreme attention, and what we want to do and think about and on what spend our time and attention and money is what is in our hearts! What is in our hearts is what will come out of it!

Our hearts are as much like a fountain of waters as anything I could describe. The scripture even uses this analogy when Jesus spoke of what occurs when the Holy Spirit comes in to take control of a person's innermost nature. Let me read it to you from John 7:38 & 39a:"He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this spoke He of the Holy Spirit Who they that believe on Him should receive ... ". Jesus, Himself, describes the inner, heart, condition of the Spirit filled Christian as one that is as a flowing fountain of waters. We are born into this world with that inner, "heart fountain" polluted and stained with more interest and concern for self than God or other persons.

To make matters worse, we live in a world that S~tan has superbly sold on the idea that we need to love ourselves, and be good to ourselves, ~atisfY ourselves, and please ourselves. Then in the last thirty or forty years, a good number of preachers have built entire, multi-million dollar ministries on the "self esteem" idea of "feeling good about ourselves", The Christ ofthe church wants me to warn us of the dangers of such erroneous teaching, for it plays right into the hands of Satan's latter day trap of hustling us with promises of everything being okay, when the truth is that we are "wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked"!

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 4

So, what are some of the marks of a genuine spiritual fervency? Some of them are named here, and we will work through them as long as we have the time. Let me list some of them first, and then elaborate on them. As mentioned earlier, this has to directly refer to (1) a person's focus. It must address (2) our solitary love. It will directly relate to (3) a person's value system, that is, where we place our priorities. It must be (4) our communication, that is, our conversation with the Lord. A fifth mark of a Christian's spiritual fervency (5) will always be redemptive, that is, fervent Christians spend their lives - every waking, conscious moment - seeking the lost.

If I were to define the condition of "Christian fervency" - which is in direct contrast to lukewarmness - and take it to its most basic meaning, it would be, "Christian fervency is a constant pre-occupation with the things of Christ", or, "the constant, passionate pursuit of Christlikeness ".

If I had to describe the most likely reason why such a spiritual condition exists in so few Christian hearts, that is, if I had to reduce it to a single, top most, head-the-list reason why there are so few "on fire" Christians, it would have to be the absence of self crucifixion. It would have to be because the old carnal nature remains on the throne ofthe heart. It would have to be because self interest dominates the soul of the person rather than a passion for the things of Christ and His church ... His body.

This is not a theological position or issue. It is a matter of deep :rooted fact that where carnal self continues to be the fountain within the heart of the Christian from which flows our interests and desires and attitudes, choices will naturally be made in the interest of self and not Christ. It is as certain as breathing and thinking. I hope that the listener and reader would expect me to pin this down with God's Word, so here it is in the words and experience ofthe Apostle Paul, where he clearly stated in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ ... " If! never read the remainder of this important verse. If I stopped this message right here. If I never preached another message in my life and ministry. If the church here this morning, and the church around the world, never had another message from God's Word. These words from the life and soul of the Apostle Paul¬i! they were believed and acted upon - would be enough to lead any and every Christian into fervent, passionate, red-hot, on fire living for Christ and His church! This is the desperate need of the church of all time. It is the only experience that will settle the lukewarmness problem within the church! As long as old self sits on the throne of our hearts, we will continue to sputter and smoke and smolder. We will continue to be up and down, in and out, unsettled and driven by a spirit within us that we abhor and resist!

You see, fervency of spirit within a Christian comes from the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came upon and dwelt within the 120 on the Day of Pentecost in the upper room, the Bible says that 'flames offire sat upon each of them". A holy, heavenly, Divine fire entered into the natures of these assembled Christians that day, and they immediately departed from the four walls of the upper room, fearlessly witnessing to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. A Divine fire from heaven began to burn within Christian hearts that day that Has never burnt out! It burns in my heart, and it burns in the heart of any Christian who will come to Jesus for cleansing from the carnal nature. I promise you that it makes the difference in Christians! No Christian can be the same after the Holy Spirit has been asked to come into ones heart, cleansing it of inbred sin and filling it with His holy Person and presence, and making His throne there.

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 3

What we are going to be talking about in this message is more about what it means for a Christian to be conSidered "fervent" (which is what the Greek means, and has better understanding in our minds than "hot"), than what is lukewarm. No believer thinks that it is okay to be lukewarm. No believer I have ever personally known thinks it is a favorable condition. It is a spiritual condition to be feared and avoided "whatever the cost", and this will come into clearer focus later into the message. The point is that the goal of an earnest, sincere Christian is to be fervent in heart and spirit.

I think most people understand what it means to be fervent. It would be harder for us to misunderstand this than to understand it. To be fervent in anything is the opposite of relaxed and carefree and taking it easy. To be considered fervent in anything means to be totally committed; to be vigorously engaged; to be completely involved; to be aflame, ablaze, on fire. I have a particular preference to the idea of being steadily directed, for such a purpose of heart and mind comes from the Lord Jesus, Himself, as He said it in Matthew 6:22, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (steadily directed), thy whole body shall be full of light".

What we say, or think, about our spiritual condition in this regard does not mean too much. All through my Christian life references have been made to persons who were, or are, "on fire for God". Such references have been made about many preachers in particular. Some even make comments like this in regard to themselves. It is better if others make such statements. Remember when Jesus said of John the Baptist that " ... he was a burning and shining light". (John 5:35) Any fervency of speech or action or facial expression or gesticulations mayor may not be from God or of the Holy Spirit. What we are describing here is afervency of spirit; afervency of heart; a fervency of attitude; a fervency of inner devotion to Christ and His cause in His church!

Some years past a church leader who had arisen to very high office within our denomination troubled my own spirit with a closing statement in each of his mailings. He would consistently say at the end of his communications, "Keep your hearts hot for God!". At the time I did not know why this did not come across to my spirit as genuine ... but did with painful clarity as later events unfolded, and deep, dark, and harmful results came to him, his family and the general body of Christ because of his shameful backsliding. You see, such admonitions from any church leader ... even a pastor such as myself .. tend to lead the hearers or readers to assume that such a person is saying that we are to follow their lead ... that they, themselves, are subscribing to such a high standard of spiritual fervency. Why would any church leader instruct others to a level of spiritual fervency that he or she was not experiencing? No one has confidence in a church leader who does not practice what he preaches, and we all know it, even if and when it is unspoken! The point is that simply saying that Christians in general, and church leaders in particular, should "keep their hearts hot for God" is meaningless unless it is true. Our Christian fervency must be discovered in our every day, every hour, every choice and every action living than in clever cliches' that sound super spiritual! I think that both the Bible and our study on this matter will support such a claim. The fervency of spirit we demonstrate throughout our entire walks with the Lord,and our service to Him and His church, is what God counts as good and vital.

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 2

As usual, the Bible is its own best commentary, and we will be wise to look for the seeds of lukewarmness in the message ofwarning ... as well as hope!. .. contained in Jesus' words to the people in the church in Laodicea. We would expect nothing less from Jesus, as He earnestly critiques the spiritual state of this local body of believers when He says, "I know your works ".

The Lord instantly knows what is our spiritual condition! Our spouses may not know. The pastor may not know. Our children and grandchildren and brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles and parents and grandparents may not know. Those with whom we worship and sit in church services may not know. Those with whom we work for the Lord within the church ¬sitting on boards, singing and doing music and praying, teaching and directing and planning and administering, giving and tithing and the distribution of funds, cooperating in the maintaining of church properties - may not know where we are with the Lord. But the Lord does know what is the spiritual condition of our hearts, and this ought to speak volumes to us!

If He knows ... that means that He is watching. He is monitoring. He is measuring. He is keeping score, so to speak. We hear this so often that it ought to be boring ... ifit were not so critical! God is interested very little in what we are doing for Him ... if .. we are not primarily concerned about our relationship with Him. What is going on between the Lord and us, and the communication that is going on between us, and the desires that He constantly witnesses within us, and the interest that He sees within our moment by moment daily living ... these things are what He constantly monitors. It is the desires of our hearts that God constantly has on the scales of heaven's value system, and everything else yields to this.

So, in the light of Christ's Own interpretation of what He means by "lukewarmness", what would be the first measurement? Temperature. Easy. Hot...or cold ... or lukewarm? Remember now, that this is not a condition relating to ones service to Christ and His church. This directly relates to a person's interests; his desires; his love; his driving passion; what is first in his living~ from day to day

Note that Jesus makes no reference at all to the "performances" ofthese church people in Laodicea. The "works" to which Jesus refers centers around their hearts; the kind of interests they had; where they placed their time and talents and strengths. It dealt with the level of passion and zeal these church people had for Christ's things. This should deeply impact us these days, for we are living in, and working in the church, during this church period of lukewarm attitudes within the visible body of Christ. We, of all professors of Christianity during all of the various periods of church history, should carefully scrutinize our spiritual temperature, for this last church period, the Laodicean one, will be characterized by church people who call themselves Christians, and yet are lukewarm. And not hot.

What is Lukewarmness? -- Part 1

About two months past, three persons came to me after a service and in a concerned manner, asked me to define for them "lukewarmness". I told them that, as the Holy Spirit would direct and help me, I would address this important issue - and answer their question - in a full length message.

It is clear in my mind, and has been for all of my walk with the Lord, what is the heart condition of a "lukewarm" person ... and let me quickly add that you will not hear in this message the term, "lukewarm Christian" used ... for there is no such a Christian. The term "lukewarm Christian" is a misnomer; an inappropriate description; for Jesus made this quite clear to the Laodicean Church. He said to them, " ... because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue you out of My mouth". This is a truth that needs loud and clear exposure: there is no such person as a "lukewarm Christian" within the body of Christ. There are only lukewarm church people! I have no doubt that there are many church people who will disagree with me on this vital point, for over the years of my association with the church, I have heard many describe themselves as "lukewarm Christians". I have to tell you that I unfailingly cringe at such talk, for I know what Jesus said of such persons! Heplainly said that He would spue them out of His mouth! Jesus said in effect, "Your lukewarmness makes Me so sick to My stomach that I will vomit you out of My mouth".

Join with me as I read the scripture lesson from The Revelation, chapter three and beginning with verse 14. "And unto the angel of the church of Laodicea 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. 20"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, Iwill 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, €{ven as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches".