The Danger of Lukewarm Faith

The Danger of a Lukewarm Faith

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You with humble hearts. We ask You to remove distractions from our minds and anything in our hearts that keeps us from hearing Your voice. Let Your Word cut through our excuses, our pride, and our comfort. Search us today and reveal the truth about where we stand with You. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Introduction

Church, today I want to speak about a subject that many people do not like to hear about. It is not a comfortable message. It is not a message that makes everyone shout and celebrate. But it is a message we desperately need.

I want to talk about lukewarm Christianity.

We live in a time where many people want a version of Christianity that costs them nothing.

People want the crown without the cross.

People want forgiveness without repentance.

People want blessings without obedience.

People want heaven but do not want holiness.

People want Jesus close enough to rescue them, but not close enough to change them.

Many people say they love God, but if you look at their lives, their priorities, their actions, and their desires, you have to ask: “Who is truly sitting on the throne of their heart?”

Jesus never called people to a comfortable faith.

Jesus never said, “Follow Me when it is convenient.”

Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

Following Jesus has always required surrender.

Jesus Knows the Real Condition of Our Hearts

Revelation 3:15–16 says:

“I know your 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.”

These words were spoken to the church at Laodicea.

Jesus looked at these people and said, “I know your works.”

Think about that.

People can fool pastors.

People can fool churches.

People can fool friends.

People can fool family members.

People can even fool themselves.

But nobody fools Jesus.

Jesus sees what happens when nobody else is watching.

Jesus sees our thoughts.

Jesus sees our motives.

Jesus sees what we truly love.

Jesus sees who we become Monday through Saturday.

Jesus said, “You are neither hot nor cold.”

Lukewarm water is unpleasant. It is not refreshing like cold water and it is not useful like hot water.

Lukewarm water has no passion and no purpose.

Jesus said, “I will spit you out of my mouth.”

That should wake us up.

Notice Jesus did not say, “I dislike lukewarmness.”

He did not say, “Lukewarmness disappoints Me.”

He said it makes Him sick.

What Does a Lukewarm Christian Look Like?

A lukewarm Christian may attend church but rarely pray.

A lukewarm Christian may raise their hands during worship but never surrender their heart.

A lukewarm Christian reads Scripture only when convenient.

A lukewarm Christian speaks about God but lives for the world.

A lukewarm Christian wants enough of God to avoid hell but not enough of God to transform their life.

Lukewarm Christianity says:

“I will obey if it is easy.”

“I will serve if I have time.”

“I will follow if it does not cost me anything.”

Church, Jesus did not die for part of our hearts.

He died for all of us.

Not Everyone Who Calls Jesus Lord Will Enter Heaven

Matthew 7:21 says:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

This may be one of the most sobering verses in the entire Bible.

Jesus did not say:

“Not everyone who rejects Me.”

He said:

“Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord.’”

There will be people who use the right words.

There will be people who know Christian language.

There will be people who look religious.

There will be people who sit in churches every week.

Yet Jesus says not everyone enters.

Why?

Because words alone do not save.

A parrot can repeat words.

A person can learn Christian language.

But salvation is more than speaking words.

Salvation changes a person from the inside out.

The Day That Will Shock Many People

Jesus continues in Matthew 7:22–23:

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Notice something frightening.

They were shocked.

They thought they were fine.

They thought they were saved.

They thought everything was okay.

They said:

“Lord, look at what we did.”

“We prophesied.”

“We cast out devils.”

“We did wonderful works.”

Yet Jesus did not talk about their works.

He talked about relationship.

“I never knew you.”

Church activity is not the same as intimacy with Christ.

You can preach and still not know Jesus.

You can sing and still not know Jesus.

You can serve and still not know Jesus.

You can sit in a church building for years and still not know Jesus.

Knowing Jesus is more than knowing facts about Him.

I can know facts about a famous person and still never know them personally.

I can know where they were born.

I can know their favorite things.

I can know their history.

But that does not mean they know me.

Many people know facts about Jesus while having no relationship with Him.

A Dangerous Drift

Lukewarmness usually does not happen overnight.

Nobody wakes up one morning and says:

“Today I want to be far from God.”

It happens slowly.

Prayer becomes shorter.

Bible reading becomes less important.

Sin becomes easier.

Conviction becomes quieter.

Church becomes routine.

Worship becomes habit.

Then eventually a person wonders why they feel distant from God.

The danger is that many people continue living this way and never realize what has happened.

The enemy does not always destroy people through obvious evil.

Sometimes he simply distracts people.

If Satan cannot make you abandon God completely, he may try to make you spiritually comfortable.

Because a sleeping church is easier to defeat than a praying church.

Examine Yourself

Today we should ask ourselves some hard questions.

Do I love Jesus, or do I simply love the idea of Jesus?

Do I seek Him only when I need something?

Has my prayer life grown cold?

Have I become comfortable with sin?

Am I pursuing God, or am I pursuing the world?

Am I living surrendered, or am I holding things back?

These questions are not meant to condemn us.

They are meant to wake us up.

The Good News: Jesus Still Calls Us Back

The beautiful thing is that Jesus warns because He loves us.

Revelation 3:19 says:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

Jesus does not expose lukewarmness to shame people.

He exposes it to save people.

The same Jesus who warns also invites.

If your heart has grown cold, come back.

If your passion has faded, come back.

If you have become distracted, come back.

If you have been pretending, come back.

The door of grace is still open.

Jesus is still calling.

Jesus is still waiting.

Jesus is still receiving those who repent.

Closing

One day every person in this room will stand before Jesus.

Your money will not matter.

Your titles will not matter.

Your popularity will not matter.

Your church attendance alone will not matter.

Only one question will matter:

Did you truly know Him?

I do not want to hear:

“Depart from me, I never knew you.”

I want to hear:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Church, do not settle for a lukewarm faith.

Do not settle for religion without relationship.

Do not settle for appearances without surrender.

Give Jesus your whole heart.

Because Jesus is worthy of more than half of our lives.

Amen.