Where Riches Are -- Be Zealous open 422 RR-786 c-330 I can remember when I was a kid playing "Hot and Cold." Anyone else remember that? The way we did it, we would hide something in the room somewhere while the "it" person was out. When they came back in, they would move around the room to shouts of "You're getting hot", or "You're getting cold." Some might get creative and say "You're on a block of ice." or "You are burning up." As I was thinking about Colossians and the book of Revelation, it occurred to me that God does that with us. He gives us guidelines on how that we can tell if we are hot or cold. Two weeks ago we looked at the messages to the churches at Laodicea and Colossae and saw how the message to Laodicea in Revelation closely paralleled the one in Colossians. One thing that we didn't discuss much two weeks ago in the messages to Laodicea was the fact that Jesus sees them as lukewarm. Let me describe lukewarm to you. Joyce and I had some friends once that we associated together with quite a bit. We were the same ages and our kids were nearly the same ages. We would ask them if they wanted to do so and so. She would turn to him and say, "Well, pop, what do you want to do." Then he would say to her, "It doesn't make any difference to me. What do you want to do." "Well, it doesn't make any difference to me either, so what do you want to do." After several rounds of this, one of us would say, "Come on get in the car....." and off we would go. That's one of the things I think of when I think of lukewarm. The city of Laodicea and Colossae were both on the Lycus river, which was fed by warm water that flowed from geothermal springs. By the time it reached the cities, it was no longer hot, but had not gotten cool yet, so the reality became the symbol. Both cities in the time of Paul were fairly prosperous. Laodicea had a large wall, three marble theaters, and, like Rome, was built on seven hills. There was a school of physicians there, and their most famous medicine was an eyesalve that was supposed to increase the strength of the eyes and heal them. On the hills around Laodicea roamed a special kind of sheep with a black wool that the Laodiceans used to make luxurious garments. And they were comfortable financially. The spiritual attitude reflected the physical world. As it often does today. But all of the comforts that the city enjoyed for a time, did not help her survive. Earthquakes and changing political winds left Laodicea a heap of ruins, just as dependence on anything earthly can leave a Christian in ruins. Which brings us to the good news. The message that Paul brings to the Colossians is one of how to find and keep the riches that are not destroyed with time, tempest, or temper. We know the council in Revelation. Today, I want to compare that with the council in Colossians. First, Revelation 3:15 ......I could wish you were cold or hot. 18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As you can see these items are first on the list on our chart. Next we have listed the council found in Revelation. For lukewarmness, the council is to be zealous and repent. For the wretched and miserable condition, the council is to let Christ into our lives. For the poverty, we are encouraged to buy gold tried in the fire (in Isaiah, without money). For blindness eyesalve is prescribed, and for our nakedness, we are to accept the gift of white garments. Today we focus on lukewarmness. God calls out to us through these passages and says, "You're mild. You're getting milder. I want you to be cold. I want you to be hot. I want you to be anything but lukewarm." The human condition is such that we tend to cycle normally. We do wake up some days and don't want to pray. And then we may wake up and be eager to begin conversation with the Lord. That is not so much what I am talking about. I am talking about a steady drifting with the current. A refusal to get excited about right and wrong. Maybe even defending the status quo. "It was good enough for Moses......" The problem with that is Moses cannot have zeal on your behalf. As a matter of fact, though Moses was known as the meekest of all, he had more zeal for the Lord than most. To the point of offering himself and his family to be rejected to save the Israelites. Now that's zeal. One reason that so many Christians are lukewarm is that they: Are not involved -- let someone else do it Poem Nobody, Somebody, Anybody, and Everybody. I would like to use a rather profane example. How many of you are watching the primaries right now? The perhaps millions of Americans, who will not vote, are voting to let someone else do it. It is the minority of every persuasion that will decide how this country is run for 4 years. It happens in the church. We have nominating committee coming up. Has anyone here already made up their minds that they are not going to serve their church this year? I hope not. Can you imagine having a super bowl game where neither side really cared who won? Would the fans care about the game in a case like that? Picture with me a moment a church. A church where you have to park and walk half a mile to get in. A church where you spend hundreds of dollars buying clothes for the occasion. A church where you were charged $65 just to get to sit in a seat 1/8 of a mile from the action. A church where a struggle goes on over taking a piece of a pig over a line painted in the grass. A church where you cheer when the good guys come out on top. Enthusiasm? Dedication? Commitment? Or picture another church. You plan for it for the whole year. You get up at 5 in the morning. Drive to the end of a bumpy, muddy road. You get out and slog through the mud or the snow in freezing weather. You sit in a cramped position for hours just to get a shot at one of God's beautiful creatures with hundreds of dollars of equipment. Enthusiasm? Dedication? Commitment? Or picture another church. It is beside a beautiful stream. You spend hours in the hot or cold, trying to get the "big one." Enthusiasm? Dedication? Commitment? What's happening in the church? Are we even playing the game? Think about it for a minute. If you were looking for a church, would you pick one that advertised "Nothing much happens here and we don't really care?" Enthusiasm? Dedication? Commitment? Growing churches, and I believe that is what you really want to be, are where things are happening, and things happen in churches when things happen in people's lives. In that respect, we make the church in our own image. Another reason that so many Christians are lukewarm is that they: Are not integrated -- "I don't feel that I am part of the church." They have failed to grasp, or have not been taught by example and teaching that when you become part of the body, you are to begin functioning. At first that may only be like a single blood cell to take oxygen to some area where it is needed, but every part of the body needs to be functioning for the body to be whole. And the oxygen and nutrients that the blood carries are burned in individual cells to create warmth. Coldness reflects death. One more reason that so many Christians are lukewarm is that they: Are too introspective. What if players on a football team spent all the time checking out their "owies? We need outlook not inlook. Do you know what? All churches are doing to have difficulties. All people are going to have difficulties. That is hardly the issue. The issue is how do we handle them. When I run into a problem in my life, in any area, I have a natural instinct to try to handle it myself. I worry about what I am going to do to take care of such and such, etc., etc. Now, I rather suspect that more than one of you out there has the same problem. And it can lead to some real frustration. Because, brothers and sisters, there are a lot of problems that we cannot solve. And some of them have to do with our own rather imperfect natures. But the good news is coming. The last and most important reason that so many Christians are lukewarm is that they: We not implanted down and built up -- in Christ. Paul in Col 2:7 gives the antidote for lukewarmness. Rooted and built up in Christ. And by the way Paul uses this concept several times. To be rooted you have to be planted, right? You can take a piece of some plants and put them in the ground and they will grow. But not until they have taken root. I like to play with African Violets. You can take a leaf and put it in water or soil and it can stay green for months. But it will not grow until it puts out roots. I planted some fruit trees as soon as I moved here. The first thing I did was to go out and tell the trees I wanted to see green fruit in the morning. Then I put some fruit grower on the branches. I don't think so. The first thing I put on them was root stimulator. I bought the trees, I planted the trees, and my first concern is that the tree make roots, so I feed the roots. And we as Christians the same thing applies. We cannot plant ourselves. That is done for us through Christ. He was planted in the grave to bring fruit. And we were planted in death with him, so that we might bring grow fruit. And what is the root stimulator? The Word of God. If we died to the world and were not raised in Christ ........ What are we? If we are planted, and don't make roots .... What are we? In Eph 2:21-22 Paul uses a variation of the same picture. "(In whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, {22} in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Paul uses a second metaphor here. That of building. Note Paul doesn't say that we are the foundation, but that we are built up. Built up from the foundation. Built up-on the foundation, which no man can lay. Which is Jesus Christ the Lord. And notice that this is a growing church, an alive building. "Know ye not that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit?" You who? You plural. All of us together. I Peter 2:5 speaks of living stones .... you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." Which brings us to the final point. Paul in Colossians gives teaching designed to strengthen. In this case, the cure for lukewarmness, which is "be zealous and repent" in Revelation, points us once again to our Savior. Seek those things that are above. Rooted and grounded in Christ. Turning naturally to the sun as a sunflower does. Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward. Do you think Paul read Isaiah? The Christian reaches deep into his burial in Christ for the strength to seek those things that are above. "It is not I that live, but Christ who lives in me." We are in a game. This game is not for fleeting fame. Who remembers the first game of the season? This game is played for the eternal lives of people. Even you and me. Who are we "rooting" for? Today, my prayer for you is that you find your roots in Jesus Christ. Spend time thinking of His life. Dig through the gospels. Make the good news of salvation part of your life, and you will bear fruit. You can't help it. It will happen as naturally as breathing. Because it will be God working in you. And those roots will bring spiritual fruit. Guaranteed. I realize that I have not been doing my part in God's family, and I want to do better with God's help. I realize that I need to be part in God's family, and I wish to join the church by profession of faith. I realize that I need to be baptized by immersion and be part of God's family, And I wish to be baptized. Be Zealous (outline) 1. Revelation 3:15 2. Revelation 3:18 a. Situation:Wretched/Miserable Solution: Open door for Christ b. Situation: Poor Solution: Buy gold tried in fire c. Situation: Blind Solution: Get eyesalve d. Situation: Nakedness Solution: Receive Christ's white robe e. Lukewarm Be Zealous 2. Symptoms of lukewarmness a. Let someone else do it b. I am not part of the church c. Introspection (navel gazing) d. Not planted and rooted 3. Solution: Die in Christ Be resurrected in Christ Live in Christ. Ephesians 2:21 Be joined together 1 Cor. 6:19 We are not our own.. 1 Peter 2:5,6 We are living stones 4. THE CURE: Be Zealous and repent Isaiah 37:31 The remnant will grow Galatians 2:20 Christ lives in me. 5. My Response to God