Lynne Gordon writes, "My father-in-law pastors a congregation in rural Pennsylvania.  One day he found two containers on his desk with a note from a thoughtful church member, wishing that he and Mom would sample her home cooking. 

"One container held some delicious hearty soup, which they ate the next day.  Dad tasted the other food, which appeared to be an odd squash dish.  Being suspect, it eventually was discarded.  Meanwhile, Mom and Dad thanked the woman for her gracious gift, especially the soup.  They avoided mentioning the "squash," which they felt guilty about wasting. 

"Weeks later, Dad was talking with the church custodian about the damage that craft project projects were inflicting on the carpet in the children's classroom.  "Didn't you see," the custodian asked, "the great wad of Play-Doh I put in a container on your desk a few weeks ago?" 
                                                                           Printed in the Pittsburgh, PA, Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."
 

This morning I am going to encourage each of us to invite Jesus in for lunch … but be careful what you feed Him!
 

First, please note that Jesus addresses the messenger – or the pastor of the church.  Being a pastor is an awesome responsibility.  In fact, I sometimes consider worrying about this responsibility since I have to give an account to God for what I do and what I preach.  Be careful whom you hire to be your pastor – he or she has to be able to listen to God and report the message to you.  Sometimes God has us preach things we don’t really want to preach … and it is tempting to "gloss over the message!"

By the same token, members of the laity are supposed to listen to God as well.  After all, it is up to the laity to hire the pastor, so if you miss God, things will be in an awful shape.  Once the pastor gets on board, then we have to continue praying for and supporting each other.  And, as in our church, the ideal way is when we keep each other on track.  The truth is that you probably guide me more than I do you – after all, there are more of you!

Matthew Henry states, "Laodicea was the last and worst of the seven churches of Asia."  Jesus calls Himself, "The Amen."  This means that He is steady and unchangeable in all His purposes and promises. (He is also the last word on the subject!)  Henry also taught that Jesus expects us to be in earnest.  A central theme of this section of scripture is that God wants us to either hot or cold!  We are not to be indifferent about important things, but on fire about the things of God and turn a cold shoulder on sin.  Because they didn’t meet this criterion, a severe punishment is threatened. 

Verses 15 & 16 are fun to play with.  "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 am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Ideas I picked up in my studies include:

1.  We should be fired up about the things of God and turn a cold shoulder on sin.

2.  A lukewarm church is one that compromises with the world and resembles its surrounding society; it professes Christianity, yet in reality is spiritually wretched and pitiful. 

3.  Cold springs are refreshing; hot mineral springs are medicinal; lukewarm is nauseating. 
 

So, I’ll let you pick your own metaphor, but please understand that God wants us to apply all of our energies to walking in the ways of God!

Lukewarm Christians send a wrong message about Christianity.  A lukewarm religion is an unholy religion!  The individuals who cause the greatest harm to Christianity are those who profess it but do not possess it!  The old saying is "What you are speaks so loud that I can’t hear what you are saying."  These people may be hypocrites … not saved, but going through the motions.  Someone said years ago that the most effective tool the devil has is the man who comes to church with his wife every week but never gets saved.  Because he is faithful and doesn’t say much people will get to believing that he is wise and put him on the church board. Now, you have an unsaved man trying to do God’s work! 

Matthew Henry also notes that many people are in hell today who really thought that they would wind up in heaven.  Jesus said in verse 17, "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

So we see that they were poor; really poor, when they thought they were rich!  Evidently they did not realize what a mess they were in.  They had not been justified or sanctified!  

Justification and sanctification are not just cute little ideas that preachers and teachers talk about, but real spiritual things that we must do!   When you were saved, you were justified, and the sanctification process began … you started becoming holy!

Obviously, serving God involves much more than giving money, but it includes that aspect.  Time magazine published an article called “THE NEW PHILANTROPHY” in July 2000.  In this article it stated that poorer Americans give a greater percentage of their income than did the rich.  In 1998 those earning under $10,000 per year gave 5.2 percent.  Those earning $10,000 to $19,999 gave 3.3 percent. Those who earned $75,000 to $99,999 gave 1.6 percent.  Remember the story of the widow and her two mites?  Sounds like not a lot has changed!

The good news is that we can have true riches in Christ Jesus.  The old Pentecostal expression is that "we must die to self" to make room for the true riches.  We have to part with sin and false pride, so that we may be filled with God’s hidden treasures.  Jesus provides us the white raiment He purchased … His own imputed righteousness for our justification.  We are to wear holiness and sanctification like a garment.  When we make a commitment to the Word and Spirit our eyes will be opened to see what God has for us. 

Have you examined yourself by using God’s holy Word?  Have you dug through the scriptures looking for an answer instead of going by what a minister or a commentary said?  Have you prayed earnestly for the Holy Spirit to teach you, to take away your pride, prejudices, and worldly lusts?  When God's Word rebukes us we should receive the rebuke as a token of His love to our souls!

Revelation 3:20 is a well-known verse.  "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."  Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus is standing at your heart’s door and knocking today.  He is knocking in love to see if we will invite him in.  God does not barge through closed doors, but gently knocks, waiting for us to open to him. If you remember your fairy tales, it is the WOLF (Satan) who bangs on the door and hollers, "LET ME IN!"

God is calling us to do more than just making Him a promise.  He is calling us to actually walk in obedience.  Is that something you are willing to do? 
 

As we close, may I urge you to listen quietly?  Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart – and mine as well. Shall we let him in? 

      A very sick little boy was telling his Grandma how "everything" was going wrong ... school was too hard, family problems other than his illness, his severe pain, just all the hardships he was going through.
      Meanwhile, Grandma was baking a cake.  She asked the child if he would like a snack, which of course he does.
      "Here.  Have some cooking oil."
      "Yuck," said the boy.
      "How about a couple of raw eggs?"
      "Gross, Grandma."
      "Would you like some flour then?  Or maybe baking soda?"
      "Grandma, those are all yucky!"
      To which the Grandma replied, "Yes, Sweetheart, those things seem bad all by themselves.  But, when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!
      God works the same way.  Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times, but, God knows that, when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good!  We just have to trust Him and, eventually the yucky stuff will make of our lives something wonderful!