**Key Scripture: Revelation 3:15-16 (NKJV)**
*"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."*
Introduction:
We are living in challenging times. Division, unrest, and uncertainty are sweeping across our nation. More troubling than these external challenges, however, is the church's Spiritual condition. Too many of us have fallen into complacency. The focus has shifted toward prosperity and comfort, while the fullness of the Gospel—the parts that are not as easy to digest—is being neglected.
Christ did not call us to live in comfort or to avoid the hard truths. He calls us to a life of faithfulness, commitment, and sacrifice. Unfortunately, the church has, in many cases, embraced a false sense of security. We talk about grace and forgiveness but shy away from discussing the consequences of sin. We preach prosperity but do not warn about the dangers of spiritually falling asleep.
**Point 1: Complacency Leads to Devastation**
*Isaiah 30:9-11 (NLT)*
*"These people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord's instructions. They tell the seers, 'Stop seeing visions!' They tell the prophets, 'Don't tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path.'"*
In the days of the prophet Isaiah, God's people did not want to hear the truth. They were stubborn and rebellious. They told the prophets to stop giving them warnings and to speak only comforting words. "Tell us nice things," they said. They wanted to hear what made them feel good about themselves, not what would lead them to repentance.
We see the same attitude in the church today. So many of us are focused on the "nice things"—prosperity, blessings, and success. We want to hear about the good things God can do for us, but we don't want to hear about the hard things God expects from us. We don't want to hear about holiness, repentance, or the consequences of sin.
But ignoring these things does not make them go away. Complacency leads to devastation. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that we are free from responsibility just because we are saved. We are called to be holy, as God is holy.
**Illustration:** Imagine a doctor who knows you have a severe illness but only tells you about the vitamins you should take and how to get better sleep. They avoid the complicated conversation about the treatment you need. That doctor isn't helping you; they're condemning you. In the same way, preachers and churches that only tell you the "nice things" are keeping you from the absolute, life-saving truth.
**Point 2: The Full Gospel Includes God's Wrath**
*Romans 1:18 (ESV)*
*"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."*
The Bible is clear: God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness. Yet, when was the last time you heard a sermon on God's wrath? When was the last time you heard about sin's seriousness and its devastating consequences?
We love to talk about grace—and rightly so! God's grace is amazing and powerful. But grace only makes sense in light of the truth about sin. Without the reality of God's wrath, grace is cheapened. If sin isn't serious, then why did Jesus die? If God's wrath isn't real, what exactly are we saved from?
Grace is not a license to sin; it's the power to overcome sin. And that's the message we need to be preaching. The church must return to preaching the entire Gospel—grace and truth, Salvation and repentance, forgiveness and holiness.
**Illustration:** Think of a lifeguard who sees a swimmer struggling in dangerous waters. If that lifeguard only shouts encouragement from the shore, they're not saving the swimmer. The swimmer needs to be pulled from the water. In the same way, we must not just preach encouragement from the safety of the shore; we need to call people out of the dangerous waters of sin.
**Point 3: The Urgency of Our Times**
*Matthew 24:42-44 (NKJV)*
*"Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this: if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."*
Jesus warned His followers to live with urgency. He told us to be watchful and ready because we don't know when He will return. Yet, so many of us live as though we have all the time in the world. We are Spiritually asleep, unaware of the signs of the times.
The truth is, we do not know when Christ will return or when our time will be up. But one thing is certain: we are closer today than we were yesterday. This is not the time to be lukewarm in our faith. This is the time to be fully committed, fully awake, and fully engaged in what God is doing.
**Illustration:** Picture the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asked them to stay awake and pray, but they kept falling asleep. They didn't realize the moment's significance and didn't understand that their lives were about to be forever changed. We, too, can easily fall asleep Spiritually, missing the urgency of our times.
**Conclusion:**
The church is at a crossroads. We can continue down the path of comfort and complacency, preaching only the parts of the Gospel that are easy to hear, or we can embrace the whole truth of God's Word. We must wake up to the reality that God calls us to holiness, repentance, and obedience.
Grace is amazing, but it is not cheap. It came at the highest cost—the blood of Jesus Christ. And it is available to all, but only if we are willing to accept the benefits of Salvation and the responsibilities.
**Call to Action:**
Today, I'm calling the church to wake up. It's time to reject the watered-down version of the Gospel that only talks about blessings and prosperity. It's time to preach the whole Gospel—the good news of Grace and Forgiveness, along with the truth about sin and God's righteous judgment. It's time to live with urgency, knowing that Christ could return at any moment.
Will you commit today to waking up Spiritually? Will you commit to living fully for God without compromise? Will you commit to proclaiming the whole truth of the Gospel?
Let us pray.
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