From Lukewarm to Living: Repentance and Renewal

And that's what we're gonna see happens in in this passage is is that the water listen, this is not we've made it. A lot of people made it this way. Maybe you've even heard it explained this way. God is not saying, I'd rather you be a cold Christian. I'd rather you be, you know, cold hearted and and and whatever and and and or I'd rather you be hot. He's saying I'd rather you be useful. I'd rather you maintain the usefulness that I gave you when I redeemed you. My usefulness, the service of my kingdom. [00:23:30] (38 seconds)  #FaithThatServes

Look, we've been able to do this. We the moment we take God's glory, God allowed us to do that. And he allowed us to do it so that our usefulness can continue in other areas and other ministries. If we ever get to the point where they did, where they say, I got it made. I'm in need of nothing. Literally, they said that. We need nothing. And so they went through the motions, and they were lukewarm. It's doing what we do because it's what we do. And Jesus says, I will spit you out of my mouth. You taste nasty. [00:31:42] (49 seconds)  #NoLukewarmFaith

God is telling his people in his church, you make me wanna throw up. And if we hear that this morning, and if we don't take a minute and ask ourselves, is that us? If we don't look in our hearts, if we don't analyze and and contemplate, is that us? Then it very well could be. What does it mean to spit out? It means there is an intense disgust or repulsion. Is God disgusted with us? Is he repulsed by us? Rejection of hypocrisy. God says you're going through emotions. Your mouth is good, but your heart is far from me. [00:33:31] (48 seconds)  #HeartCheckNotHypocrisy

What does that mean? You mean they're bring their money and lay it on the altar? Well, listen. I'll never be opposed to you giving to the Lord and to the church. But that's not what it's saying. It's gonna cost you something, but it's gonna cost you all your self pride. It it it's gonna cost you your idea that you are a self made city. It's gonna cost you the idea that you have all the answers. You need to come and and and brokenly, contritely, humbly before me and confess and become a living sacrifice. If you want my righteousness, then you've got to get rid of your stuff. Because they don't co mingle. It gets lukewarm when that happens. It gets disgusting to God when that happens. [00:40:40] (45 seconds)  #SacrificePride

Wanting us to be close to him. And there's only one solution. Laodicea has one answer, one possibility. Don't you love it when God only leaves one thing? One window open, one door open, one pathway. Don't you love it? It's just so clear. I don't like the times when God says, hey listen, you matured a little bit. Here's four doors. Oh, God. And you never go anywhere because the paralysis of analysis. Right? Which door do I take? God, give me one door. Give me one door, the one you want me in. Your perfect will. And for Laodicea, that's only gained one way, through repentance, through confession and repentance. [00:44:56] (48 seconds)  #RepentAndReturn

Repentance is renouncing the ways you've been things. You you I I think we underplay this. We say it's a change of mind, a change of direction, but what it is is deeper than that. It's me going, I don't want that anymore. I renounce those things. I put those things out of my life. I slay those things in Jesus name. What I want is the glory of God and the kingdom of God. I want Jesus. But our sin has separated us. We can never be his church with sin dominating our lives and our thoughts. [00:45:44] (38 seconds)  #RenounceAndRepent

Remember, because they were doing all the stuff. It's a loss of intimacy with Christ. Our sin has separated us. Our going through the motion has separated us from him. And in this passage, our sin caused him to do the separating. He says, I will spit you out of my mouth. And it points towards discipline. It points us that Christ will discipline us. Jesus will not, hear me, will not tolerate these things in his church. You might in your church, but he doesn't in his church. You see the big question is whose church is it? Oh, we will say his, but if we look at our lives, will it be his? [00:34:26] (57 seconds)  #WhoseChurchIsIt

You've been given a new heart, but you can live in the old heart, the heart that is deceitfully wicked. You have a choice about which heart you're living from. Listen to what they say. They're blinded by their pride, their arrogance, their tradition of doing things. They're thinking they're useful and pointing at the stuff they do. Listen to their hearts. For you say I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing. Not realizing. Christ sees and says I know. Not realizing that what you think is good, Christ says you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked. They didn't even see it. It happened so slowly. They didn't even realize that this had happened. [00:37:43] (47 seconds)  #ChooseTheNewHeart