If you've got a copy of the Scriptures, and especially the New Testament, I'm going to invite you to turn with me to the Revelation in chapter 3. The Revelation in chapter 3. If you have been attending the Bible studies, you know that I didn't go into the the letters to the seven churches. I said that I would just confine that to one message on a Sunday morning because I feel and believe that it would be proper for us to look at it in the church service this morning. And so we're looking at this, the Revelation chapter 3. We're looking at the last church, the Revelation chapter 3, verses 14 to verse 22. The Revelation's a wonderful book. God's word tells us that there is particular blessing if we understand what he's saying. It's a prophecy, it's the foretelling, or the foretelling of events that will come to an end. But whenever you look at the first three chapters, it's talking about what was happening then. in John's day. Those were seven historical, practical churches. They literally existed. But then, as we look into God's Word, not only can we look at them from a historical point of view, but we can see them relevant to our day and our age. A lot of commentators agree that the seven churches are seven church ages. And a lot of people have arrived at the conclusion that the Laodicean church in which we'll be looking at very briefly this evening, or this morning, is the church age in which we are living. I will say some negative things this morning, but I'm not intending to be negative. I don't want to be negative. But what I would like us to do is to do a good spiritual investigation in our own lives, as the preacher always applies the truth to his own heart first. And I trust that as we look into God's word that we'll take it as God speaking to our own hearts. And where there's man's ideas, opinions, just easily forget about them. But where God would speak to us, may he have his rightful place in the preaching of his word here this morning. It's God's Word. This is God's Word. This is God's Word to us today. And if you want to know the title, then it's How to Keep Your Spiritual Fire Burning. How to Keep Your Spiritual Fire Burning. It's not easy, sure it's not. It's not easy. I don't know about you, but I find it extremely difficult. There's none of us beyond the temporal difficulties, human. We're all human, aren't we? We all face the same issues. We all face the same enemy. None of us in this church are in opposing sides, I trust. I trust that we're all seeking to glorify the Savior. Let's read together from Revelation chapter three, verse 14 to the verse 22. 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, thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou wert lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and of need of nothing, knowest not that thou art wretched, 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 thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous 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. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear. what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Amen. And we trust that the Lord will help us as we look into his word here this morning. The prevailing sin of the church universal today is lukewarmness. It's lukewarmness. It's evidenced by a lack of enthusiasm and excitement in the things of God A lethargic approach and careless approach to the truths of God's word. There's little delight in God anymore. We have the odd little oasis. We have the odd little breakthrough. But we're not as excited as God would have us to be. Because we're lukewarm. When we hear of breakthroughs, regardless of whether it's in this church or other churches, we take it for granted and don't get excited. God's Word doesn't cause us to get excited whenever we hear it because we've got used to it. Yes, lukewarmness is the prevailing sin of the church universal today. Every soul in this building is addressed Did you notice that he said, he that hath ears to hear? And the last time I looked, every one of us have a pair of ears. Everyone's included, young and old, saved and, listen, unsaved. Everybody is spoken to here, although this letter was particularly addressed to the church. We have a wonderful picture here. If we were to take time to read the previous two chapters, we'll notice that Jesus is walking in the midst of the candlesticks. So there we have a picture of the light of the world walking amongst those who are to be lights in the world, the churches. And He's charging us, He's challenging us to keep our fire burning, to stoke the fire, and to allow his spirit freedom and free access. Because he said, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. So I want to get into it very, very quickly. and try and understand, first of all, the curse of lukewarm Christianity. You'll find it there in chapter 3, verses 15 to 16. Jesus is describing a sin that makes God sick, and that sin is lukewarmness. In the words of one commentator, he says, were too cool to be hot, and a little too hot to be cold. No fire, no zeal, no enthusiasm for the things of God, as I've said. It's not unbelievers that are addressed, although they can take this word into their hearts too. It is to the church. It is not to those whose hearts are on fire for God. It's to those whose hearts are growing cold towards God. So where is it affected? How are its symptoms seen? How do we understand who or who is not affected by lukewarmness? Well, let me go through a number of these things. Lukewarm about your sanctification. It says in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 3, that God's will that we would be sanctified. That's a big word that isn't very much voiced from pulpits today. What does it mean to be sanctified? It means to be set apart. It means to be different. It means someone who's seeking to live a holy life. Last Sunday night, after the evening service, I was speaking to a number of young people up in Kilray. And I asked them, had they ever heard a message of holiness of life? And very few of them were able to say, yes, they've heard a message on holiness. And yet in God's word, it says, be ye holy, for I am holy. I wonder, are we passionate for that holiness that God wills that we possess? This is the will of God, even your sanctification. In my early Christian life, as I got involved with the faith mission, I heard a message of holiness unto the Lord. I must say I did hear terms that, as I look back on them now, I wonder at the wisdom of being used. Sinless perfection, entire sanctification, although I do know what the writer meant when he said that, and perfection in love, I understand that as well. But I remember sitting in a meeting once with this man preached from the pulpit, He says that whenever you're sanctified holy, you will never sin again. And I thought to myself, that's a huge statement, isn't it? And for a little while, I started seeking after the Lord for this experience that was preached from that pulpit. And do you know what I found? I couldn't find it. I talked not that long ago with someone who said that they had heard this message of entire sanctification. I understand what some people meant by that, but what was coming from the pulpit wasn't what they meant. And whenever you're sitting with a diversity of people, with a diversity of intellect and understanding, I tell you, you are not in control as to what people are hearing. And I remember talking to this man, and he says, I gave up hope of even following the Lord. Because I so criticized myself that I wasn't getting to where that message meant. And to follow on then from what I'm saying, Because there was such division and such diversity and such opposition, what has happened today is we don't even dare mention seeking after holiness of life. And what we have done is we have thrown out the baby with the bathwater. God in His Word says, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Now, that doesn't mean to say that we can be like God, but it means that we're to strive after, to seek after a life that is free from all those old passions that perverts the life that would live for God. We have found a mechanism that deceives us into thinking that we're better than what we really think. We may not tell outright lies, but mislead by half-truths. We may not physically abuse someone, but we verbally abuse. We may not openly steal, but we deny the Lord His tithes. We may not commit adultery, but our hearts are filthy with lustful thoughts. We may not misuse God's name, but use substitutes. I'm just spelling out some of the areas. But my main thought is this. Is there a passion in my heart? You can answer the question for yourself. But is there a passion in my heart for personal holiness? If you're lukewarm, you'll not be concerned. I remember the first thought after being converted. One of the overriding thoughts in my mind, Lord, I want to be more like Christ. Have you ever prayed that? That's not to say you want to play God. I just want to be more like my Savior. God's Word says, Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy. John 17 says, Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. So whether it's a volition or decision, whether it's the work of the Spirit, or whether it's a work outside of ourselves, is there a passion there? A lukewarmness about sanctification. Very quickly, a lukewarmness about soul winning. Jesus said unto them in Mark chapter 1 and 17, Come ye after me and I will make you to become fishers of men. I said to you I didn't want to be critical. It is not my intention to be critical, nor is it my intention to send anyone on a guilt trip. Please understand that. But are we actively involved in soul winning? When's the last time you engaged deliberately? in conversing with the soul about heaven and hell. Do we believe there's a hell anymore? That famous theologian John Stott has discarded it and many other theologians have followed him. There's no hell. Imagine believing there's a place called hell. That doesn't mean to say they're wrong in every other doctrine, but seemingly we've managed now to believe that Christ didn't die to save us from a lost hell. He died to save us from annihilation. You know, again, we've allowed ourselves a kind of a cushion. Well, I don't necessarily talk to anyone, but I'm expecting people to observe my life. And you know as well as I do that our lives are the only Bible that people read. Well, can I say something? Judas lived and observed Jesus for three and a half years. And what good did it do him? Many of us, and myself included, have sought to live before our families. And if living before our families was all that was needed, then why are so many of our members of our families lost? I think it takes a wee bit more. than just trying to live nice and act nice and act good. I think it takes a wee bit more aggressive evangelism. And by aggressive evangelism I mean openly speaking and conversing, not irritating them. There's nothing worse than walking up to a soul and telling them, do you know you're going to hell? I would discourage anyone from doing that. Because if that's all we do and if that's all our gospel contains, then what have we by way of positivity to offer to the lost? Can we not speak to them about the love of Christ? Can we not speak to them how Christ loves them? Can we not get into a car and go do something nice and good for them? They're lukewarm about their soul winning. We have devised a mentality that satisfies our conscience so deceptively that we would even argue with the Lord that we are doing our bit. We've even devised doctrines that says if they're going to get saved, they'll get saved without my help. Lukewarm about sanctification. Lukewarm about soul winning. Lukewarm about service. I found this wee verse one day when I was working in Middlester and I had a mentor called Ernie Campbell who's been gone to glory a number of years ago. And I went round to him with this wee verse and you know the interesting thing was he had got the exact same verse that morning. When you hear this verse, I beseech you brethren, you know the house of Stephanas? that is the first fruits of Achaia, and they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints." I said, I didn't know that word addiction was in the Bible. Instead we've got addictions to substances, we've got addictions to paraphernalia. I said, isn't it wonderful that God can so affect our hearts that we can be addicted one to the other? in our service? I was chatting to someone the other day about, in fact they're in the meeting today, I was talking to them about a minister's role, or a pastor's role, or a Sunday school teacher's role, or someone who's involved in leadership. You know, I am not your servant. I know that you probably would like to think that. And I know that already some of you are already picking me up wrong. I am his servant. for you. I am His servant. But listen, it's easy to point at those who are Sunday school teachers and GB leaders and Boys Beget leaders. It's easy to point at others who are in leadership and say that's their responsibility. It's our responsibility collectively to be addicted one to the other. But do we just take it haphazardly? No big deal? Do we watch out for one another? Do we care for one another? Do we seek to lift one another up? Or are we so, so caught up with our own little world? Ah folks, are we lukewarm in our service? Lukewarm in our soul winning? Lukewarm in our sanctification? Are we lukewarm towards the Scriptures? Hands up those of you who got excited by what God said to you this morning. I'm not going to ask for hands up for this one. Those who perhaps have read the scripture right through once in their lifetime. I suspect quite a few of you have. Whenever God comes and asks for an accounting, will we be able to say how we love the Word of God wherein He spoke to us? You know, isn't it a shame to know more about sports stars than God's Word, isn't it? I mean, we can rhyme off song after song that's hitting the top of the charts and we can repeat it and get excited that it's hitting number one or number two or how long it's been in the charts. How many read the newspaper yesterday and didn't read God's Word? Lukewarm about the Scriptures. Lukewarm about supplication, prayer. My favorite meeting is a prayer meeting. That's true. I love to listen to others praying. I love it especially when there's a passion. And when you know that person has broken through, I don't know if you know anything about this, I trust you do, when they've broken through and they've touched the hem of his garment for someone else. when you know that you have touched, and that person is really, and then the hallelujahs and the amens rise up in the prayer meeting, because you know they're getting through. You know, God's word says, Jesus himself said it, men ought always to pray, and faint not. And I can't find any other way around that. than to do it. A lukewarmness about prayer. Now, I take the point, you likely are praying at home, and I understand that. But then there's the corporate time of prayer where we raise one another up and we pray for issues that are really important and pressing upon us. I'm not talking about rambling and reminiscing and remembering But I'm talking about real prayer that enters into the holy place and lifts up the falling and cares for the dying. And by the way, from what I understand from God's Word, it's quite an energetic activity, prayer meetings. I'm going to tell you for why. It says in James 5 and 16, the effectual fervent prayer. I can remember it was in Cork once and we were living there. We lived there for four years and I went to this prayer meeting in Cork City. And I would have been a lot louder then than I am now. A lot louder then than I am now. So I prayed fervently as I understood fervently praying was. And this wee woman after the prayer meeting was over, in fact it was the house owner, says, dear young man, she says, God's not deaf. And I said, well, I know God's not deaf, but you might be, and therefore I want you to hear what I'm praying. Fervent praying. Men ought always pray and faint not. Tell me, how can I faint if it's not energetic? In the right, the fervent, factual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I trust we're not lukewarm about our supplication. What about being lukewarm about our sacrifice? You know, we don't have to suffer in some foreign country. Some of us are even too embarrassed to name the name of Christ in our own country. Most of us are not willing to give up what it costs to be a servant of God that sees something done. Lukewarm. What's the harm of lukewarmness? Lukewarm Christians are the alibi of sinners. It gives an excuse for sinners not to believe. It does more to harm the gospel's effectiveness than drugs and alcohol. How many times have you been faced with the excuse, well if so and so is a Christian, I want nothing to do with it. It double crosses Christ. It makes a liar out of God. It defames the kingdom of God. And lukewarmness sets us up for other sins. The curse of lukewarmness, very quickly. The cause of lukewarmness, look at 3 in 17 of the Revelation. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and of need is nothing, knowest not. There's two things there, thou sayest and knowest not. It's almost as if they were not aware of how cold they'd gone, how far away they'd gone from the Lord. You say one thing, but you don't really know where you've gone to. Do you remember it says about Samson, in Judges chapter 16 and verse 20, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he woke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at other times before and shake myself. And he wished not that the Lord had departed from him. Samson got his eye off the ball. He allowed himself to get distracted by attraction and he sold out his secret for very little recognition. Or what about Peter? Peter who stepped out of the boat and was doing wonderfully well and then he started to look at the problems that he was facing and he threw in the towel. Ignorance of our own need is what allows lukewarmness to creep in. I'm sure you're like me. I desperately need the Lord every day. I need him at home. I need him in the workplace. I need them when we're out visiting. The diversity of a pastor's work, I'm sure, is no different from yours, but I'm just thinking, I got news of a little baby that's been born to Warren and Lauren, and so I'll intend going to see them tomorrow. So you're going to the maternity ward, and just you can go straight from the maternity ward to the morgue to see someone who just passed away or to see relatives. I do please remember the Culley family, both Derek's mum and dad are both now in Somerton House, and they desperately need our prayers. But how do we, even in school and university, in the workplace, how can we, with all the pressures, I'm buying, I want to tell you, life is getting more and more stressful, isn't it? Oh, it really is. We've got pressures from meeting targets. We've got pressures from pacifying people who are difficult. We've got pressures on every hand. Is it not that we need the Lord every step of the way? Is it not? When the bills are pouring in and the finances seem to be disappearing, do we not need God to sustain us? Well, folks, let's keep an acute awareness of our need of God, please. Let's not be full of ourselves, thinking that, as other times, God came and helped us. Ignorance of our own need. Indifference to the one who supplies the need. If you turn there to chapter 2, verses 2 to 4, very quickly, just for a few moments, of the revelation, of course, I know thy works, thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars, and hast borne, and hast patience, and from thine name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless. Not in disappointment, isn't it? For after all that wonderful description of this church, nevertheless. Nevertheless. That church was known for their industry. The industry was concerning wool and the clothing industry. Well known as cute and astute individuals who knew how to make a bob or two. But therein crept their blindness. Because when you get to Laodicea, they're not notable for their industry, they're notable for their blindness. They had sold themselves out and they'd fled after the rags and the relics of this world. They had gone after the health and the wealth gospel. They had signed into profit at any cost. And because they made great gain, They got to a place of self-reliance and self-supply. They didn't need the Lord anymore. And we, I have to say, you know, maybe a wee bit of persecution would do us no harm. Would not be true. We're going to be praying for Syria. I mean, listen to that prayer that Evelyn read out of that dear one that was praying for herself and for her community and for the world. But listen, isn't it easy in this easy lifestyle that we have to think that we don't need the Lord? And all the time we need them more now in this wealthy world in which we live than we would if we were poverty stricken. Because I want to say to you, it's easier to win souls in Africa than it is in Europe. And why is that? Because there is so much poverty. And you might have a healthy bank balance, you may not, but you've also got the social welfare to look after you. But you say, the social welfare look after me so I don't need the Lord. Don't forget them. And even if you die a hundred deaths standing up for Him, I would rather be, as the psalmist said, I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than a king from whom you turn your head and flee. Lukewarm. Oh, the cause of it. The cause of it. Different to one who supplies need. Well, I don't want to leave you there, of course. I want to get to the cure. We all want the cure, don't we? We all want the cure. Look at chapter 3, verse 18. It says there, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire. Well, we all know what gold tried in the fire is in spiritual terms, don't we? Faith. When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Your faith, though tried in the fire, shall come forth as gold. Isn't it wonderful to know that God is a cure for this condition, isn't it? Ah, folks, isn't it? You know, I love whenever God points out our failures, doesn't he? He points out where we go wrong, but he doesn't leave us hanging there wondering, well, how am I going to get the answer? He points us straight direct to the answer here. He says, though you go through, and by the way, see, think about this. We think that our faith is always tried through terrible persecution. Our faith can easily be tried through the temptations that come our way in this easy lifestyle that we are afforded. Am I going to choose the Lord, or am I going to choose gain without pain? Except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abideth alone. But I want to tell you, if it dies, it shall come and bring forth fruit. Oh folks, seek the gold of God's glory, the invigorating presence of the Holy Spirit. within your breast. That comes through the gateway of faith, believing God. And I don't mind what your belief is in the work of the Spirit in your heart, so long as God is giving you everything He wants to give you, and you're getting it. Gold that's been through the fires, faith renewed, revived, and restored, and reinvigorated. Let me ask you this question, or let me make this statement to you. You know how rich you are once you've added up everything you have that money can't buy and death can't take away. I'm going to say that again. Listen to it now intently. You know how rich you are once you've added up everything you have that money can't buy and death can't take away. The garments of God's righteousness is the second thing. He says, white raiment, he said. White raiment, that you may be closed, and that you may anoint your eyes with thyself. He says, white raiment that thou mayest be closed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear. Now, men and women, I think we're all guilty of this, aren't we? We like to go out, maybe we don't, maybe some of you don't like to go out, but most of us like to go out, now and again, and get a new pair of shoes, right? No? New outfit? Don't you just love it, ladies, when there's a wedding up coming? I hear there's a lot of money spent in Kildare, isn't that right, Liz? So you put on, yeah, so I understand. Pile of money. Jeff, no wonder you haven't slept all night. Isn't it interesting, when you go to buy a new pair of shoes or a new outfit, hands up, now, maybe I'm not asked, just metaphorically speaking, Those of you who buy the very, very first pair of shoes and you don't even try them on, you just take them home because they'll do the job. No. Don't we try them on, don't we? Of course we try them on. We like to look at them and then we'll stand up in front of the mirror. Will that go with a blue suit? Will that go with my black suit? Or the outfit? Oh, what about the outfit, ladies? That's good fun. I mean, if I know anything about women, they'll go to 100 shops, and then after doing the 100 shops, they'll go back to the very first one and get the outfit that they looked at. And even us men, we're getting as bad as the women, aren't we? It has to fit right, and it has to look right, and it has to be good. None of us, in our right mind, will just take the thing off the shelf, and off we go. Why do you think that all these clothes shops have got fitting rooms? Because we all are concerned with how we look. I wish we were as concerned about how well we look spiritually. I wish it. He says here, he says that thou mayest be rich in white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. Clothes can cover up our own physical body, but only Christ can cover up the rest of us. Only Christ. And the salve of discerning, here's another one. Listen, get yourself clothed in the robes of righteousness again this morning. Just know where you are to say, Lord, clothe me again. Cover me up. Give me those robes, Lord. Give me every stitch that I need today. Do it. He'll do it just as you're seated, where you are just now. He'll do it. He will. He doesn't want you naked. He wants you to be living for His glory. He wants to present you. In fact, Ephesians chapter 2, I understand, says that even the angels inquire the wisdom of God and God points them to every redeemed saint and says, look it, it's worth it for him, it's worth it for her. Look at how I've lifted them out of the dunghill and I've clothed them in the righteousness of Christ. The salve of discerning. And it says there, he give it I salve. What does I salve in the spiritual realm mean? It means spiritual discernment. Oh boys, if only we were as wise as we pretend to be. But do you know that God can give us a discernment of the Spirit that we know by thinking, by looking, by hearing, by reading, by understanding? We know the pitfalls, we know the faults, we know the flaws, and we know the failures. And we may not necessarily always agree with what God is saying to us, but He gives us the ability to see those things that will cause us harm and destruction. That's spiritual discernment. You can't learn that in a book. You'll not find that in a training college. That comes from the Spirit of God. Lukewarmness is a horrible, hateful, heinous sin. The greatest commandment given to man is to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength. And we remain lukewarm because we want an easy life. Let's pray together. Father we pray that you'll help us Lord to Put in place those decisions that will say, I'm not going to be lukewarm anymore. Help us to give place to the Spirit. And again, O God, we pray, come by your healing and your empowering, gracious Spirit. Cause us, Lord, to be strong again in the things that delight your heart. In the Savior's name we pray. Amen.