Be Hot Or Cold!


I. Introduction: We need to be comfortable with the fact that “leaving people alone” (Matthew 15:14) or “shaking the dust from our feet” (Matthew 10:14) is the acceptable pattern throughout the Scriptures. God is a choose me or else God! However harsh that may sound, it is the truth!

A. Think about the idea of a divided devotion (Hosea 10:1-2).

  1. What did Jesus say (Matthew 6:24)?
  2. When one’s heart is not set aright, there is not a steadfastness with God (Psalms 78:1-8).

B. Love the Lord with your all (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 and Mark 12:28-31)!

II. Body: Revelation 3:14-22

A. Jesus says be either this or that (Matthew 12:33-37)!

  1. Jesus has a simple approach. Why call Him Lord if you will not obey Him (Luke 6:43-46)?
  2. Discipleship with our Lord requires departure from sin (II Timothy 2:19).
  3. Furthermore, the Lord requires us to deny ourselves (Luke 9:23-25).

  1. Why? Because self and Christ cannot both occupy first place.
  2. Serving me is not serving Him (II Corinthians 5:14-15 and Galatians 2:20)!

B. The reason that the Lord is disgusted with lukewarmness is that Jesus thinks of people as either with Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23).

  1. There is light and darkness (John 3:19-21 and Ephesians 5:6-11).
  2. There are only two paths (Matthew 7:13-14).
  3. Jesus requires His followers to leave the darkness (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
  4. The Lord does not want indecisiveness in those who would follow Him (Luke 9:57-62 and Hebrews 10:38-39). Discipleship requires wholehearted commitment. As we often sing, "I have decided to follow Jesus... no turning back, no turning back."

C. Even when you go back through the Scriptures of old, God says choose (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).

  1. Later, Joshua set the choice before them again (Joshua 24:14-15).
  2. Then later again, Israel was told to choose (I Kings 18:21).
  3. You can guess this, but again a similar moment arose when Ezekiel was a prophet (Ezekiel 20:39).

III. Conclusion: God gives you the choice. Just remember that while He wants all individuals to choose, He certainly has a desire for who/what you will choose (Ezekiel 33:1-20 and I Timothy 2:3-4).


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