So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
5 sermons cite this verse
Brace yourself and buckle up. You are about to hear a life-changing, history-making, world-defining message from the New Birth Podcast. Tell everybody you know, things will never be the same. Revelations chapter 3 verse 15 and 16. Amen. Great. Revelations, the third chapter, verse 15 and 16. Once you found it, once you say, I got it. Let's read it together with uplifted voices. I know your deeds. Lord, that's heavy right there. Come on, let's read it again. I don't want you to think this is for your neighbor. This is for you. Come on, let's read it again. I know your deeds. Bless the Lord. You may be seated. Amen. I'm starting a new series for the month of July called Minding Your Business. Minding Your Business. how you do business, what business you get involved in, the anointing for entrepreneurship, how to handle Christ-like values in a corporate structure. I don't want you to miss not one Sunday in July because we're going to be taking care of business. This is the first impartation of that series. Revelations 3 verse 15 and 16, I know your deeds. …
… is actually so startling that the commentators all wrestle with it. Notice what he says? He says, I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. He says, I would rather you would be cold or hot than lukewarm. Now it makes sense for Jesus to say, I'd rather you be hot, because that's zeal. So it makes sense to say, I would rather you would be passionate and hot in your spiritual fervor and keenness and ardor for me. But he actually says, I'd rather you were cold than you were lukewarm. Now, what does that mean? What does that mean? Generally, to be spiritual cold, you know, means to not believe at all. And people really wrestle with this thing. Why would Jesus Christ say, it doesn't make any sense that he would actually say that it'd be better to be spiritually cold than to be lukewarm. But you know, if you've been in ministry for a long time, as some of us have, you know exactly what he's talking about. The commentators may not know, but I do, I think, and a lot of ministers do. I remember when Kathy and I first moved to Virginia and we tried to start to reach out to the youth in the neighborhood. …
II. I shall conclude with an earnest exhortation to all, no longer to halt between two opinions, but immediately to come to a determination whether to be Christians or not. Let me insist upon it, that you now make a choice, whether you will have heaven, with a life of universal and persevering obedience, for your portion; or hell, with a life spent in the pursuit of this world.—Consider those things which have been said, showing the unreasonableness of continuing in such irresolution about an affair of infinite importance to you, and as to which you have so short an opportunity to make your choice.—Consider two things in addition to what hath been already said. 1. Those who live under the gospel, and thus continue undetermined about religion, are more abominable to God than the heathen. He hates those persons who continue from year to year, under the calls, and warnings, and instructions, and entreaties of God’s word; who yet can be brought to nothing; who will come to no determination at all; will neither be Christians nor heathens. These are they who are spoken of in Rev. iii. 15, 16. “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 spew thee out of my mouth.”—And Ezek. xx. 39. “As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Go ye. serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.”—These are (2 Tim. iii. 7.) “ever learning, and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.” …
Alas! so it is; not only does the world not imitate such a temper of mind as this; but, if the truth must be spoken, it despises it. As regards, indeed, our Lord's instance itself, the force of education, habit, custom, fear of each other, and some remaining awe, keep the world from reflecting upon the notes of character which the Gospels ascribe to Him, but in His followers, it does discern them, it understands and it condemns them. We are bidden lend and give, asking for nothing again; revenge not ourselves; give our cloak when our coat is taken; offer the left cheek when the right is smitten; suffer without complaint; account persons better than they are; keep from bitter words; pray only when others would be impatient to act; deny ourselves for the sake of others; live contented with what we are; preserve an ignorance of sin and of the world: what is all this, but a character of mind which the world scorns and ridicules even more than it hates? a character which seems to court insult, because it endures it? Is not this what men of the world would say of such a one? "Such a man is unfit for life; he has no eye for any thing; he does not know the difference between good and evil; he is tame and spiritless, he is simple and dull, and a fit prey for the spoiler or defrauder; he is cowardly and narrow-minded, unmanly, feeble, superstitious, and a dreamer," with many other words more contemptuous and more familiar than would be becoming to use in Church. Yet such is the character of which Christ gave us the pattern; such was the character of Apostles; such the character which has ever conquered the world. "In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in watchings, in fastings, by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, as chastened and not killed, as sorrowful yet alway rejoicing;"--these are the weapons of our warfare, "which are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." These are despised by the world, but they have subdued the world. Nay, though they seem most unmanly, they in the event have proved most heroic. For the heroical character springs out of them. He who has thrown himself out of this world, alone can overcome it; he who has cut himself loose of it, alone cannot be touched by it; he alone can be courageous, who does not fear it; he alone firm, who is not moved by it; he alone severe with it, who does not love it. Despair makes men bold, and so it is that he who has nothing to hope from the world, has nothing to fear from it. He who has really tasted of the true Cross, can taste no bitterer pain, no keener joy. …
But after the soldiers came Herod. Herod wondered, "What has become of Peter? Did I not put 16 men to guard him? Did I not provide heavy chains for his feet? Did I not chain him wrist to wrist to a soldier? Did I not put him in the innermost ward of the prison? What has become of Peter?" Herod grew very angry. He was delighted to have killed James, and he meant to have killed Peter and, therefore, he cried, in great chagrin, "What has become of Peter?" What a sight it would be to see the devil when he has lost some chosen sinner, when he hears the man who once could swear, beginning to pray, when he beholds the heart that once was hard as adamant beginning to melt! I think I hear him say to himself, "What has become of Peter? Another of my servants has deserted me! Another of my choice followers has yielded to my foe! What? Has Christ taken another lamb from between the jaws of the lion? Will He leave me none? Shall I have no soldiers? Shall none of my black guard be left to me? Am I to be entirely deserted? What has become of Peter?" Oh, it is a glorious thing to cause a howling through the infernal regions and to set devils biting their tongues because poor sinners have snapped their chains! Pray that as the prayers of the Church then set Peter free, and made Herod angry, so the prayers of the Church now may set sinners free and put the devil to shame! …