Wonderful Holy Spirit, we welcome Your awesome presence to reveal this eternal Word to our heart for this hour that we're living in. Father, I thank You for anointing Your people to receive Your anointed Word in Jesus' name. to the book of Revelation, chapter 3, verses 14 through 20. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans 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 were cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with good, 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 thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. as many as I love. I rebuke and chasten these zealots, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me." The book of 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verses 1 This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. One more place, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 16. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Our thought comes today, combining Ephesians, Timothy, and Revelation. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. We notice in Revelation how Jesus was speaking to the angel or the pastor or the overseer of the local assembly in Laodicea. Now the word Laodicea means the people's right, what the people choose to do. And it's sad today how in so many places where the people are in charge rather than the pastor. We notice in Revelation 3, verse 14, he said, unto the angel. This letter is being addressed first of all to the pastor of this local assembly. And once the pastor got the message that Jesus was trying to get him to see. His responsibility now is to relate it to the people. He starts off by telling them, verse 15, I know your works. I know what you're doing. I know all the good deeds you're doing. I know all your giving that you may be giving. I know the times that you help people that might need help. That's fine and that's well. And if you notice in each one of these letters that Jesus was speaking to the pastor, he always starts off by telling them the good point about them. That's to encourage them, to let them know that he's very much aware as to what you are doing. There's nothing we do is over missed by the Lord. But just so happened in this particular local assembly, He told them, He said, I know your words, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou were cold or hot. In other words, Jesus is telling this local assembly, starting with the pastor first, I know your words. But I also know that you're not cold, you're not frozen like an icicle, and you're not hot like the desert sun. You're in between. You're like straddling the fence. You're hooked between two opinions. In verse 16 it says, So then because thou art lukewarm. Now if you know anything about lukewarm food, lukewarm water. It's water that's mixed with cold and hot water. It's enough to make your stomach upset from the natural. If you take a glass of ice-cold water and then you take some hot water and pour it into one another, the water becomes in between. It don't have no kind of taste to it. You can barely taste the coldness and you can barely taste the heat. Well, that's the condition that many of us are in in this hour. It's too late or it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. He said in verse 16, so then because thou art lukewarm, you're in between. You don't know what you want to do. You want to be saved today, and tomorrow you want to go in the world. You're on fire in church on Sunday, and then Monday through Saturday night, you're cold as an icicle. On Sunday morning, you want to pray and praise me, but during the week, you want to praise the devil. You want to sing rap music. You want to go to the casinos. You want to go gambling. You want to go to the discotheque. But on Sunday morning, you want to dress up with your choir roll and sing Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. Well, it's something about that song you miss. Because if he saved you on Sunday, Whatever day it was that He saved you, you will be saved Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, and Sunday, and Sunday. You won't be this some tiny Christian. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. Can we consider the hour that we're living in? That there's so much happening all around us. This September the 11th occurrence has actually shaken this world. It has actually shaken the nation. But I wonder sometimes, how many of us are giving God our undivided attention? I've come to the conclusion of this, in the midst of all that's happening, there's still so many people playing church. There's still so many people that's hypocritical. There's still so many people that's lukewarm. You would think what took place would cause people to get closer to God. You would think what took place in this world would cause people to come running to the church buildings asking, what must I do to get saved? But it's like it's the opposite, because why? It didn't happen to nobody they knew. So it really don't make them a bit of difference what took place on September the 11th. But for the benefit of those of us who God has now gotten our attention, it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. You know, we as a people can just go through our everyday life not even thinking about God until something goes wrong. And it's strange about trouble. Trouble makes folks pray. Trouble brings people to their knees. I thought about Jonah. When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah ignored God until a whale swallowed Jonah up. And once that whale brought Jonah to the bottom of the mountains, in Jonah chapter 2, the Bible says, then Jonah prayed. But what I want you to gather is this. Jonah wasn't even thinking about praying until trouble struck him. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. God has been too good to us as a people. God has blessed us going in and coming out. And yet in the midst of all God's blessing, I'm mighty afraid that God's goodness is driving so many of us far from Him. We have forgotten where we come from. We forgot when we didn't have nothing, we were faithful. We forgot when we didn't have no job, we were committed. When God blessed us with a few little rags on our body, God put a few pennies in our piggy banks, we now started prospering. And the moment that started happening, we started decreasing our prayer life, we started decreasing our commitment. Instead of things increasing toward God, it's like it's the opposite now. Instead of us praying more, we start praying now. Instead of coming to church more, we're now looking for reasons not to come. We're now trying to get money rather than seeking God. We now have jobs and we want to work overtime to make extra money. And yet, after all the working we do, we still don't have a dollar to our name. Simply because we have forgotten the one who blessed us. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. And Jesus addressing this church at Laodicea. And can't you see the body of Christ in this church? Can't you see in this hour, in the midst of all that's happening, there's still so many of us just won't get ourselves together. We're still full of play. We're still hypocritin' around. We're still jumpin' from one church to another. We won't get to the place God told us to go to. And you're wondering why nothing is working in your life. You're wondering why this ain't happening and God should promise to do this for me. Well, let me tell you something about the promises of God. Any promise God brings to pass in our lives, it's because we simply met the condition. God always tells you, I want you to do this, and then what I promise you will come. But you see, when you don't want to live right, God will not bless you to live in no sin. I know what I'm saying is right. See, it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. And Jesus is telling this church, you are in between. You're in a condition that makes me sick. You're in a state that makes me want to spit you out of my mouth. You want to be in the wall from Monday to Saturday night. And then on Sunday morning you want to dress up with a choir robe and open your mouth and sing Amazing Grace when from Monday to Saturday you've been singing all kind of rap stuff? You've been singing all kinds of worldly music. You've even gone into places you know you shouldn't even be in. And then you want to break up in a church on Sunday, trying to impress God. Honey, it just ain't worth that. It's time to get real with God. Because it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. It's too dangerous in this hour. for you to be up and down as a believer. It's too dangerous for you not to make up your mind that you want to live right for God 24-7. I thank God He don't deal with us like we deal with Him. Because if God started treating us like we dealt with Him, honey, there'd be none of us on this globe. But thank God for His mercy. Thank God for His grace. And then look at verse 17 of Revelation chapter 3. He said, because thou sayest, and this is what many of us are doing today, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. This is the attitude of the church in many cases right now. We are prospering. We got homes. We got nice cars. We got nice paying jobs. We got nice clothes we're wearing. We're getting our hair fixed every week, women. You're going to get your nails done every week. But you see you increasing with goods and you feel like you don't need nothing. You don't need the Word no more because you miss Bible study. You don't need the Word no more because you don't come to church. You sit home all day and do nothing. You don't need prayer no more. You don't come to prayer meetings. You don't give to God. You take God's money and get your hair fixed. That's why it don't stay up too long. You get your nails done with God's tie. You see you increasing with goods and you feel like you don't have need of nothing. You don't need prayer meetings no more. You don't need Bible study no more. You don't need fellowshiping with saints no more. Why? Because you feel like you've got everything you're supposed to get. But honey, don't you know that's a trick of the enemy? The enemy has deceived you, Saint of God, in getting you to think well because you've arrived. You ain't arrived nothing. You so far from the mark until it's pathetic. And Jesus is going to show us in his word. And this is the attitude of that church in that day. And this is the attitude of the church in this hour today. We are increasing it with all kind of things now. But I can recall the day when we didn't have nothing. We were faithful. When we didn't have no money, we would still come to church. We would even touch the basket now. But now we don't have money. We don't have this. We don't have that. And then in many cases, we got so much stuff, we don't even know what to do with it. Stuff just piling up in the corner, collecting dust. We got so many clothes we can't wear within a year's time. Yet we still buy most of it. God is prospering us as a people is right. But the danger about that is this. You can let God's goodness drive you from Him. Honey, if you're not coming to the prayer meeting, you missed something with God. You're in a backflip condition as a people. And you're in a lukewarm state. And that's a state that's dangerous, my people. That is a state, people of God, is too dangerous to be in. It's too dangerous in this hour to be lukewarm for such a time as this. It's time to get on fire for the kingdom. It's time to get back in the trenches. It's time to weep between the porch and the altar. It's time to turn our place over like never before. It's time to consecrate our lives. It's time to get back in the Bible. It's time to come back to prayer meetings. It's time to get back in church services. It's time to start living right. It's time to get real for God. It's time to take a stand in the midst of what's happening in this hour. And it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. And note what Jesus says. You have need of nothing. And many of us feel like we don't even need Jesus no more. We don't turn our back on Him. We don't even seek Him no more. We don't pick up our message. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. And we were in Revelation chapter 3, verses 17. Jesus said, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with good. and have need of nothing. There's so many of us in the body of Christ even now. We feel like we don't need even Jesus. And to prove it, we don't even come to church no more. We stay home, but we can go to work. And let me show you a trick of the enemy, people of God. The devil will give you strength to do what's wrong, but when it comes down to doing right, you get tired. The devil is still a liar. God is trying to show us something in this hour. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. It's too dangerous to miss church like you're doing. You cannot make it going to church one time a week. You cannot make it just going to church on a Sunday. Honey, you need something to carry you through the week. You need Bible study and prayer meetings during the week. Honey, if your dear church don't have none, ask God to lead you to a place where you can get with the saints and cry out to God. Because this is an hour we got to cry to God. This is a time we got to weep between the porch and the altar. It's a time we got to pour our very bones out before God and let God touch us in the deep core of our existence. Let God bring about a change in our life. Because it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. Because God is about to come back for us. I mean, there's so much happening in this world. And people are dying all around us. And saints of God, if we're going to reach this generation for the kingdom of heaven, we got to get on fire once again. We got to go back to the old way. We got to go back to the old landmark. I mean, we have moved the ancient landmark that our fathers have set. But it's time to go back to fasting and praying. It's time to go back to preaching nothing but what God says to the Lord. And honey, it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. It's too dangerous to be in the world. Because the world is crumbling all around us. And only the safest place is in the will of God. Hallelujah to the Lamb. And note what Jesus said. And you have need of nothing. And knoweth not that thou art wretched, you messed up and don't even know it. And it's sad when we messed up and don't even see our own condition. You know it's something when we can look in the world and criticize what folk in the world doing. But you know I've come to learn something, that you got people in the world serious about what they're doing, yet they might be doing what's wrong. But so much phoniness in the body of Christ. We just won't get real with God. And we wonder why folk in the world won't come to the church. Because they see so much hypocritin' in the church. Why should I even come in there if folk in there hypocritical like me? So if until I see somebody different in the church, that's what then would draw me to the place. And note what he said. You wretched and you miserable. You poor, you blind, and you naked. Note the five conditions of this local assembly. Note the condition of the church today in many cases. We're wretched, we're miserable, we're disgusted. Note this, you're poor, you got a lot of money, but you're still poor. You got a lot of material things, but you're still poor. You're poor in your spiritual life. You don't have no anointing. God's presence ain't there. You're disgusted. You're vexed. You're constantly ripping and running. And you're wondering why you're like this. Because you done turned your back on God. It's time to return back to God, people of God. It's time to do like Hosea 14 and 1. Come, let us return unto the Lord. Let us get ourselves back in order. And note this. You're miserable, poor, naked, and you're blind. We can't even see our own condition no more. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. Verse 18, I counsel thee to buy of me gold taught in the fire, that thou may'st be rich, and white raiment, that thou may'st be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thy eyes with eyesalves, that thou may'st see. Jesus wants to anoint us so we can see our own condition. He wants us to see ourselves rather than seeing somebody else. Look in the mirror, people of God. Look at yourself and say, Lord, am I supposed to be here? Am I in the place which I'm supposed to be at now? Have I moved from the place you was trying to get me to go to? And there's so many of us have left the local assembly that God put us in. And once you leave that place, you can't get what you're supposed to get until you get back to that location. But note what he's saying. I want to anoint your eyes that you may see, that you can see your own self. that you can see how messed up you are in spite of your Gucci shoes and your Gucci hat and your Gucci purse, in spite of your $500 suits, your $500 shoes, look in the mirror and look at yourself. Look and see, Lord, how messed up I am. Let God show you yourself. Do like Isaiah, woe is me. But you see, we can't say woe is me until we get in God's presence. It's time to come back to the ochre. It's time to get back between the porch and the ochre. It's time for us to weep before God like never before. Because it's too dangerous to be lukewarm. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. Now this is the instruction He's given to us. He says, as many as I love, I rebuke and I chasten. And Jesus is showing us how much He loves us. I'm letting you know that's tough love. I love you, but I got to show you yourself. Because you have been going this route for so long, and nobody has the backbone to tell you that you're in a back-spin condition. Nobody has the guts to tell you what I was putting in their heart to tell you. But I'm here to tell you today, it's time to come back to Jesus. It's time to return to our first love. We have walked away from the one who saved us. We have walked away from the one who redeemed us. We have walked away from the one who brought us out. My God, I give you praise. We have turned our backs on him, yet we got so much prosperity now, until we can't even see Jesus because of the stuff we got. He says, men as I love are rebuked and chastened. Be zealous. If we want to be zealous for something, let's get in a hurry to repent. Let's get in a hurry to get back to God. Let's get in a hurry to get on fire. Ask God to purge our lives of this worldliness and this foolishness and all of this playfulness. Ask God to take what's in us out that He don't like and then fill us with a fresh fire for this hour. Verse 20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. And note this, Jesus is saying to us, I'm standing at the door of your heart and I'm knocking. I'm trying to get back in your lives like I used to be. In many cases, we have put Jesus out. Even church buildings, He's not allowed to come in and do what He wants to do because we got too many programs going on. We got too much tradition we are holding on to. And we wonder why the power of God is not falling. We wonder why souls are not being drawn. We wonder why souls are not being brought into the kingdom. Because we have put Jesus out of his own house. We told him we don't want this kind of stuff in here. Many of you don't even believe in speaking in tongues. Many of you don't believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Many of you don't believe in laying on of hands. You have put Jesus out. You need to read Mark chapter 16. When the Great Commission was given, He said, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name shall they cast out demons. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. And if they drink and they did anything, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. That shall be taking place in the body of Christ. That should be taking place in churches, period. But if that's not taking place in there, you have put Jesus out of his own house. Because when Jesus walked this earth, he cast out demons. He gave sight to the blind. He laid hands on the sick and they recovered. Now in many of these local assemblies today, people don't believe in praying for folk. Just take it by faith. Just take everything and take it by faith. Because you're too lazy to lay hands on folk because you don't believe this stuff. Oh, I got to tell it like it is. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. And Jesus said, I'm standing at the door and I'm trying to get back in. Why have you put me out? When will you let me back into my own house? When can I come among you and do what I want to do? It's too dangerous, people of God, to be lukewarm. How are we going to reach the world if we're lukewarm? How are we going to reach people that's not saved if we call it an icicle? If we like to not pull? If we're so inconsistent? If we're not praying and seeking God and fasting and faithful to church attendance to get the world we need, how can we reach people for the kingdom? It's a joke. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. Jesus can come back at any moment now. This Bible is being fulfilled right before our very eyes. It's too dangerous. to be lukewarm. Loving Father, in Jesus' name, I pray for a mass conviction to set in our hearts across this country. I pray for such an anointing to be released upon this message. And God, I pray that you bring us back to the altars. I pray that you bring such an awareness to your people. God, wake us up in this hour like never before. God, I pray that you open our eyes that we would see that you anoint our eyes with eyes tab, that we may see our own condition and see our need to get closer to you in this hour that we're in. And God, I pray in the mighty name of Jesus that we recognize it's too dangerous to be lukewarm, that it's time to repent and give back to you. And saint of God, if you have turned your back on God, won't you come back this day because time has shown up winding down. If you have turned your back on God, come back to Him, He said. He said, come now, let us reason together, said the Lord. For your sins be escorted, this shall be white as snow. For they be red like crimson, this shall be as wool. If you be willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land. But if you rebel and refuse, you shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." God is calling us back to Himself. Do not harden your heart against Him, people of God. Do not harden your heart against God calling us back. It's time to get back between the porch and the altar. It's time to repent and ask God to forgive us. to cleanse us as His people, and to set us on hallowed fire to reach this end-time generation, to reach this last day harvest of souls. It's no time to sleep in the harvest. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. And Father, I pray in Jesus' mighty name that You release such a fire across these airways that you release an anointing of fire to burn through the hearts and the spirits of your people. And God, I pray that you start with me and then let this fire burn through the hearts of every person that's hearing this message on today. God, let there be such conviction to set in the hearts of your people that we will weep between the porch and the altar, that we will cry to you until you purge this worldliness out of us. And God, get this lukewarm spirit off of us so we can get back on fire for the Kingdom. And God, I give You glory for doing it right now in the mighty name of Jesus. And Father, I thank You. I praise You and I adore You in Jesus' mighty name. Thank God. Amen. It's too dangerous to be lukewarm. Get on fire, people of God. And if you're on fire for God, get on more fire. For if you're cold as an icicle, repent. And tell God you're sorry for turning your back on Him. And ask Him to forgive you, and to cleanse you, and to restore you. Because it's too dangerous to be lukewarm in Jesus' name.