# Don’t be lukewarm

Key Passage: Revelation 3:16-19
Date: June 7, 2024

We started this series last Sunday on why the valleys, why does God allow us to go through the valleys? Last Sunday the main topic was because in the valley there is very fertile ground. Farmers would—you hear of battles over that valley land because they want their gardens there. That’s where the fertile ground is. And often us Christians, we grow. Sometimes you don’t even know it until a year later, but you’ll say, “You know, I grew during the valley time.” And what a key kind of the valley is. So that was last Sunday.

And then today, the valley—why the valley? We’re going to be on a different subject. Really, the cleansing of the valley would be today. The cleansing of the valley would be today.

Well, we’re in Revelation 3. Revelation chapter number 3. Are you there already? Amen? You’re ready to go. Wow, that’s great. I’m impressed. Start in verse number 16, Revelation 3, verse number 6.

It is speaking here to the Church of Laodicea. And not one of the better churches of the seven churches here. This would be considered the worst. And we want to look at it and try to glean, learn some from it. Revelation 3, verse number 16. If you would, would you please stand as we read the Word of God together just to show it some respect. Revelation 3, and we’ll start in verse number 16 of God’s word. The Bible says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

Notice what he says in verse number 18. “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, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

Can I call your attention? Tell you what happens to you? Listen. I want to call your attention to that verse there, to the word mayest. These valleys, they can, if we let it, mayest. Notice: mayest be rich, mayest be clothed, that thou mayest see.

Then it goes on, verse number 19 right there. And it says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chastise: be zealous, therefore, and repent.”

Lukewarm Christianity. That’s what he speaks to this church about—just lukewarm. He says, “You’re not hot. You’re not on fire for the Lord. You’re not fired up. You’re not zealous for the Lord. You’re not cold. You’re not refreshing to anyone. You’re just kind of in the middle. You’re lukewarm. You’re apathetic. Nothing really stirs you.”

It’s been a long time since you’ve maybe been to the altar and just God did something in your heart. It’s been a long time since you shed tears for a lost person. You just kind of, “Nothing moves me anymore.” You’re just lukewarm. He says, I don’t like this lukewarm Christianity. You’re just cold-hearted. You’re not on fire, but you’re not refreshing to anyone else. Just lukewarm.

Kind of casual in your dedication to the Lord, casual in your service, casual when you’re giving to the Lord. There’s no, no, no, just, “I’m fired up, ready to go for the Lord.” No, that there. That’s very interesting what God says about it. Look in verse number 16 there again, if you would please. Verse number 16. It’s amazing what he says. He says, “So then, because thou art lukewarm, neither cold nor hot…”

That last little phrase, would you look at that? “I will spew thee out of my mouth.” Now, I’m not going to mention any names here, but a couple weeks ago, I had the unfortunate privilege to watch one of our men throw up. It just wasn’t pleasant, folks, I’ll promise you that. And in fact, they didn’t know if there was blood in there or not, so I went over there and looked at this stuff. Pastor, we’re about to eat after service, right? You know, I just lost my appetite, you know? It just wasn’t a pleasant sight. I wasn’t very hungry after that for sure, you know.

That’s what God’s talking about. He said this lukewarm Christianity. You never on fire for the Lord and you’re not refreshing to those at all. You’re always just apathetic. Nothing moves you. Think you got it all together. You know it all. That’s what he’s talking about—lukewarm. God says it makes me want to throw up. It’s pretty strong language for God to use that. That’s what he’s referring to here: spew thee out of my mouth.

Now, verse number 17, he tells us the reason for it. Why are they there? Why are they lukewarm? Why does God want to throw them up? Verse number 17 tells us the reason, if you look there at it. That first word, he says, “Because.” And God says, “Here’s the problem right here.”

Now notice the next couple words. He says, “because thou sayest.” Can I say this? They could have been in this very wealthy society and not been saying this, but they were saying this. And I refer that America, just real quickly here. You can be living in a wealthy America and not be saying this, but unfortunately many Christians are saying the same thing in the day and time we live.

Notice what they’re saying. He said, “Because thou sayest, I am rich.” He’s not talking about riches of their soul. He goes on, “I am enriched and increased with goods, things, and have need of nothing, knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” And that—now here’s the thing. What was the problem? They were caught up in materialism. It was just all about things and things and goods, and they’ve got it all and they don’t need a thing.

Can I say we live in a very, very wealthy society? America as a whole, we’re very wealthy. And let’s just talk about that just for a moment. I’m not saying some of these things are wrong. I’m not trying to say that, but I’m just trying to state a little bit where we’re at. I think you’re on board. We’ll try to make sure all of us are on board. But let’s just talk about them. You know, they don’t build—when they build houses today, they don’t build 1,300, 1,000, 1,000, 1,000—they just don’t build houses like that anymore. The average home they build, they say, is about 2,500 square feet house. And I’m not saying that’s wrong. If you can afford it, praise your Lord. And I mean that. I’m not trying to make light of it. But I’m just saying this is where we’re living in our day and time. Y’all with me out there?

Back in the day, some of you—I won’t say older people, some of you wiser people—you help me out if this is not true. Back in the day, I mean, if you finally got enough money to buy that ring to put on her hand, you didn’t have much money, so you got married on Friday, you had the weekend to have your honeymoon, Monday, you’re back at work. Is that true or not for the most part? Now, I’m not against this. And in fact, I tell couples, “Man, save a little money from the wedding, spend it on your honeymoon because you’re starting your marriage off and save it for your marriage.” I’m not against these things. But today, man, man, you get married. You spend a week in Dubai or Hawaii or somewhere like that. I’m not against that. I’m just saying it’s a wealthy society is what I’m trying to get at. You all with me out there?

I mean, we’ve got every modern convenience you can conceive. If somebody makes a buck off of it, they’ve got it. You don’t even have to walk through Walmart to get your stuff. Nowadays, you order it on the computer, go over that little slot, and they’ll put it in your car for you. I mean, it’s a wealthy society. I got on Brother Warren’s level over that one. He liked that one.

Senior trips back in the day, man, you got a fellowship, you came home, you know, and said, “Good job, son, good job, daughter. I never thought you’d graduate,” you know. I mean, your mom never did, but you graduated. Praise the Lord for you. Now they’re going on senior trips to Europe and everywhere else. I’m not against these things, but I’m just saying, that’s what we’re at. Is that true or not?

Man, we live in a wealthy society. Back in the day, you’re just doing good to have a car that ran that could drive. Now you want a car that can drive itself. That’s where we’re at. And I’m not saying it’s sinful or wrong for us to be there. I mean, I’m thankful that our economy is doing very, very good. I’m not against that. But I’m just saying we’ve got to realize we live in a very wealthy society. Even the poor in America have it very much better than the vast majority of the world.

How many of you turned your heaters on the first time last night? Yeah. Yeah, for sure, man. It got cold. Time to get the long johns out. You know, it’s cold, man. And here’s my thing: You didn’t have to go out and chop a tree down. You didn’t have to split the logs for the most part. I mean, maybe you did, but most people didn’t. Oh, you did? You didn’t have to light a fire. You went over to push the button. Was that true?

I mean, if you want your food hot, just put it in that little mini machine, that little box, push a couple buttons, and 45 seconds, it’s warm. You didn’t have to make a fire in the wood stove. You didn’t even have to turn a knob for the stove and wait for an hour. I mean, boom, 45 seconds, it’s done. I never forget when I went to Bible College. Now, this is dating me a little bit here. We didn’t have a microwave to that point. And I went to the workplace, and at break time, I had my food wrapped in tinfoil. I didn’t know any better. Yeah, I put it in the microwave. I said, “Man, look at there—there’s a lightning storm going on inside there.” That’s an honest truth. And I use the microwave. I’m not saying all these things are wrong. But if you’re not careful, they’ll affect you.

I mean, in America, Sunday is not necessarily the Lord’s Day anymore. It’s the day to make an extra buck. It’s the day to enjoy your toys a little bit more. I mean, we live in a very materialistic day and time. I’m not saying this is always a sin, but I mean, the average thing is mom and dad, both are working about 50 hours a week or more, counting commute time, it’s up to 60 often, both. I mean, we’re so wrapped up in keeping up with the day and time and where the Joneses are, and it’s no longer—it’s no longer just a bumper sticker, “Those that die with the most toys win.” It’s a way of life a little bit in our American life, is it not? I mean, we’re doing good to have energy left over to serve God. If we’re not careful, we’ll fall into that mold. God will give you the leftovers. “I don’t have time to get moved too much by God because I got too much on my plate as it is.”

I read an article years ago, and this is very debatable. It’s according to who you read by. That’s why I debated about mentioning it. There was a newspaper years ago, and it did for the last, I don’t know, maybe 50 years—it’ll change within five years—but you go back years and years, and you find out how long it takes you to buy something. Here’s what I mean by that: the average wage and the average cost of a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, a pair of pants, whatever it may be. And I was amazed in the article. It said, if you study it out, you go by the average time it takes you to purchase something, it’s gone down. Now, people debate it. It’s according to—often it’s according to who’s in office and what side they’re trying to show you, you understand. But many that studied it out and goes by the numbers, not their opinion, they’ll often say, “Hey, man, it’s gone down.”

And so here was the thing in the article. By the way, it was written by a liberal newspaper at the time, and I was really surprised they said this, but they said, “So why—why, if everything, it doesn’t take as long to buy things today, it was all true besides in houses—why are we working 70, 80 hours a week?” And this was that the newspaper said: “Because in our day and time, we have to have everything.” That’s what they said.

And here’s what I’m getting at. If we’re not careful, we’ll be like the Laodicean church saying, “Man, we’re all right. I mean, we got a refrigerator. We got food in the fridge. We’ve got pretty good jobs. We’ve built our career up. We’ve got a good stable job. If they were to find me today, I’m going to find another job. I mean, we’re all right. I’ve got enough money to pay my bills, and I can take care of myself.” If we’re not careful, we’ll be saying the same thing.

But notice the answer to it. God’s answer to it. Look at the next verse, verse number 18. Revelation 3, look in verse number 18. What God says to do about this, this materialism that’s moved in and caused us to just be lukewarm. What do you say to do about it? Verse number 18: “I counsel thee,” that is, God says, “here’s my advice: to buy of me gold.”

Would you say those next four words for me? Here we go: “tried in the fire.” That’s what God said to do about it. God says you need a valley. You need a tough time. You need some trials. You need to have some things where you don’t know where the answer is. Back in the day, farmers, if they didn’t have rain, they’d have to pray. Nowadays, they just go to the government.

And God said, you need some tough times. He said, you need some gold tried in the fire. That thou mayest—it’ll be up to you how you go through that trial. You can turn bitter against God, or you can get better for God. “That thou mayest be rich in 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.”

By the way, you go through a trial—I’m talking about a major trial—you’ll see things differently after that. God said, look, this church was so materialistic. They thought they had everything taken care of because they had all the goods. They had every gadget, every cell phone, the latest, greatest. They had it all. They said, “We’re all right,” and they were just apathetic about the things of God. God said, you need some valleys. You’ll see things different. You come to a near close-to-death call.

Remember when my wife had cancer, and hers was in stage four, like some of you’ve been through, and I’m not trying to say that, but in my mind as a husband, boy, my mind went to the worst: “What if I lose my wife?” Now, I’m not saying she was there, but my mind went there. And through surgery and all that and came on all that, and I guarantee you come out on the other side of that, it won’t be about what kind of car you’re driving. It’s about what kind of marriage and how you’re treating your wife and what you’re doing for the Lord.

Brother Patterson, when we were standing in ICU and they just brought his wife out of surgery and they came in the first time in the ICU room there, they had about six or seven people working on his wife, and eventually they asked us to leave. We called you in here a little bit too early; we got to get her stable, whatnot. He wasn’t thinking about his next paycheck. He wasn’t thinking about what kind of clothes he was wearing and she was wearing. He was thinking about more eternal things at that moment.

Valleys, they have a way of cleansing you and purging you. You have a different point of view, a different eye set. You view things a whole lot different once you’ve been through the valley.

Two weeks ago, we’re at my dad’s graveside. He had passed—oh, I can’t remember—eight years ago. Years ago that passed. We went to his graveside, myself and my brothers and mom, and we just sat there and talked about it. We didn’t leave the graveside thinking—at least they didn’t leave it, and I don’t think they did either—“Well, I need a better job. Need to check on how my retirement is.” No, we left there thinking, “Man, I’d like to live for the Lord and invest in eternity because Dad’s already there.”

And valleys will cleanse you. It’ll purge you of this materialistic—what kind of clothes you wear, what kind of, what kind of house you have, what kind of—all these materialistic things. Materialistic things, they lose their value when you go through the valley. And God said, you need some hard times. You want to know the answer to your problem? Laodicea said, you need some struggles. You need some times you don’t have all the answers. You need some times you say, “I’ve got a need of a whole lot of things.” I’m not going to make it unless you give me something. That’ll change you. It’ll cleanse you from the materialistic society we live in.

God said you need some problems. You know, it’s very interesting. We’re reading here about the church of Laodicea, the seven churches of Asia Minor. And all these different churches, the only one really—the best to understand—that God never said one negative thing about was the church of Smyrna. It was Rutherford for Candy Babi’s church. It was the church of Smyrna. Hey, man, we’re preaching the Bible, amen, you know.

The thing about the church of Smyrna in the Bible here? It was the church that was going through severe persecution. Some of them were martyred for the Lord. And of all these churches, the one church that God said, “Man, I really don’t have anything I want to correct in you right now, you’re a pretty good church”—they were the ones that had been through the valley.

Valleys cleanse you if you let them. “That thou mayest.” By the way, they said that the church often grows through persecution if you study church history. Why? It cleanses you. God doesn’t need our power and our might and all of our talents. God needs a clean church to use. That’s what it needs. And a church gets clean when it goes through the valley God will let them.

I think of a pastor experienced and been in the pastorate for years. And he said, “You know, over the years, some of my best church members are those that have been through a divorce.” He wasn’t trying to advocate being divorced or getting divorced. I’m not trying to do that. But he said sometimes that sobers people up about life and about the realities and the hurts and the pains. And they come out of that hurt, realize, “Man, I want to serve the Lord the rest of my life.” The valley can cleanse you. You can come out of the valley seeing things different, viewing things different.

You know, our economy is doing real good. I believe that. It’s according to what news you listen to what you think. But I just turn the news off and look at the van in front of me where it says “Help Needed,” amen. I’m talking about those work vans needing some help, somebody work, you know. Isn’t it amazing someone said, “I see so many people on the side of the road wanting for food,” but then so many signs on the side of the road needing work, needing help, hiring, hiring, hiring. And our economy’s doing good. Don’t say amen any time. Whatever you feel on that, I just want to know you’re alive, awake out there.

But here’s my thing about all that: I fear that the church in America is even seeking maybe a little bit more into lukewarm while everything’s going real good. I mean, man, “I don’t need church. Everything’s pretty good in my life. I mean, I just got a raise in my job. I can go over here.” I mean, can I be honest with you? I see a whole lot of people moving. The Lord’s not moving them. I’m not talking about in their church necessarily, but I see a whole lot of people—the Lord’s not moving them. The wallet’s moving them. And if we’re not careful, the economy is good, and praise the Lord for it, but in doing so good, we’re sinking maybe just in apathy. “Well, I’ve got everything all right. They got a little time left over. I’ll give it to you, Lord.”

Hey, when’s the last time you’ve seen a young person just say, “Man, I want to give my life to the Lord. Lord, if you’re calling me to be a pastor, a preacher, a missionary, a preacher’s wife, whatever, I just want to sell out and serve it”? When’s the last time you’ve seen couples—and I’m not—we praise the Lord, we have some of these things in our churches, God’s been good to us—but a young couple has says, “You know what? It’s not about me climbing the ladder at work in my career. I want to raise my kids for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I’ll spend my life serving the Lord somewhere.” We’re not careful, we lose that because we—man, it’s very materialistic in our day and time. We rate how we’re doing by the car we’re driving, the clothes we’re wearing, the house we live in, which in eternity really won’t matter that much at all, folks.

And if you can afford those things, I’ll say it again, praise the Lord, and I’m not against that. That’s not a sin. Money’s not a sin. The love of money is a sin. If you’re not careful, that society will seep in, and we just get lukewarm about the things of God.

God says, church, you need some trials. A.J. Gordon used to say, “Lord, be thorough with me. Be thorough.” It might be God allowing a valley in your life, a trial in your life, and God says, “I’ve got many purposes, but I like to cleanse you. I like for you to view things different than the typical person in our day and time. It’s all about things, things, things. I like for you to view things with a more eternal view.” He said, “You may—you may have different eyes.” Hey, that valley you’re going through, is God trying to cleanse you of something? It may be the things I listed. We’re going to go to another item just a moment here. It may be something I do not even mention, but God says, “I’m bringing you through the valley because I want to cleanse you in the valley.”

Often in our day and time, there’s just so much materialism, and it’s so easily we get caught up in the view—everybody else’s views. And God said, “Let me give you a different pair of glasses through trials.”

Let’s look at another thing. If you look over in the book of Job real quickly here, the book of Job. And while you’re turning there, let me just say a word or two about Job. Job chapter 29. By the way, Job was the best Christian of his day and time. I’m going to talk bad a little bit, if you will, about Job in just a moment here, but I want to preface it by this: I think Job’s Christianity was way above mine, and I mean that. I mean, God bragged on Job to the devil himself. Job was an awesome Christian. I mean, God was able to use him in a great, great way. Job was a great, great Christian, I think much greater than I. But Job wasn’t perfect. And God allowed Job to go through some trials to cleanse him of some things. This is the term we so often use of what’s called self-righteousness. Okay?

Now, let me help you out a little bit of that. That’s a little bit of this mindset. Sometimes tallykeepers have this mindset, not always, but, “I haven’t did this, I haven’t did this, I haven’t did this, I haven’t did this, and I haven’t did this, and this for you, Lord, you ought to bless me.” You’re probably prone to self-righteousness. If, if when I was talking about materialism, you said, “Yeah, get a preacher. That’s right. You get them.” You’re probably prone to self-righteousness. Okay? It’s about what I am for the Lord. Probably prone to self-righteousness. You kind of get a little definition of self-righteousness. Okay. Y’all with me out there?

All right. Let’s look at this. Job had this. God was cleansing Job from his self-righteousness through this trial. Chapter number 29 is awesome. Chapter 31—times Job uses a personal pronoun: I, me, what I did. His friends had been accusing him. They were sorry friends, by the way. And Job is defending himself. But I want you to notice some of the things Job says. Look in verse number 14 of Job 29, if you are there, would you say, “Amen”? Look at what Job says. He says, “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor. And the cause which I knew not, I searched out. And I break the jaws of the wicked and plucked the spoil out of his teeth. Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.’”

You’re going to multiply your days as sand? You’re going to do all that, Job? It’s saying like a little bit of that eye problem. You with me out there? Now, I’m not trying—and I mean this—I believe Job was a much better Christian than me, but we’re going to study the Word of God. Job had some self-righteousness about him. And God knew that, and God was trying to cleanse Job.

Look in chapter number 32, if you would please. Chapter number 32. By the way, chapter 31 is Job searching his life saying, “I can’t find any sin.” They’re accusing him, and he said, “I’ve looked everywhere. I can’t find.” Job, you’ve got sin like the rest of us. Y’all with me out there?

Look at the beginning of Job 32. “So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.” He’s talking about himself. He had it all together in his own eyes. Is that what it means or not? I’m not trying to criticize Job. I’m trying for us to grow and learn here. But that’s what he said. Look at the next one, verse number two there. “Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram.” I’m glad they got an easy word in there, amen. The kindred of Ram. “Against Job was his wrath kindled because he, that is Job, justified himself rather than God.”

You know what causes you to do that and me to do that? Self-righteousness. And because of his self-righteousness, he was just busy justifying himself. And this fellow, he’d been listening to the whole time—the younger fellow, never said anything—but he’d been listening to all the words, and it was making him just mad because he kept justifying himself instead of God. That’s what’s going on.

Now, in the end, God begins to speak to Job. And let’s look over in chapter 42. It’s the last chapter of the book of Job. Look at this, saying chapter 42. And look in verse number five. Job 42, verse number five. This is the Lord and Job having a conversation. I want you to see with the Lord—excuse me, Job says to the Lord. Job 42, verse number five. You are there, amen? He says, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”

What he said over there in Revelation: he said, “Look, you go through the trials, it’ll be like eyesalve; you’ll see things differently.” He says, “Now mine eye seeth thee.” You go through trials, you can get a lot closer to the Lord. Why? Because God didn’t get close to proud people. The proud are kept far off, the Bible says. Look at the next verse. Job’s attitude towards himself now that he’s close—a lot closer to the Lord. “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job’s not talking about how he does everything right now. What all he was in the past. He’s not talking about all that. He says, “and repent in dust and ashes.” Now, most of you know the story, but can I tell you the end of the story? After God cleansed Job from this self-righteousness, God said, “Now, Job, now let me step in here. I’ll give you 10 more children.” We don’t know them all. We know the three daughters’ names. Their names are just wonderful. I don’t know. We don’t know. It kind of a little bit alludes to the fact his first 10 children might not have been the best children. They were having a party at the oldest boy’s house, and Job’s always offering up sacrifices because he doesn’t want God’s judgment on them. Doesn’t sound super good, you know what I mean? The second set, he didn’t lose them. I think they were saved, though; they’re in heaven. The second set, those three daughters the Bible lists their names. It means like beautiful sun ray. It’s a wonderful term. I think he had 10 sweet children after that.

God gave him his influence back for the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, God uses people just to kind of give back to Job after his trial then. And I think his relationship with his wife was restored. It’s hard to have 10 children again if you didn’t have your relationship restored. And then God is able to bless him even financially twice as much. I think he had twice the influence for the Lord, and he knew God in a personal way. He said, “It’s not just about hearing about God now; now I see him.” But he had to go through a valley to get cleansed of a self-righteousness.

Yeah. You know, it’s interesting. John 15, Jesus is the vine where the branch. Fruit doesn’t grow on the vine, friend; it grows on the branch. God uses people. They were already bearing fruit, and God says, “All right, let me take you to the next level. I got to purge you.” We used to have a peach tree. We always tried to get peaches off, and we never did. Cut it down. Amen, it’s gone now.

I was trying to study out about peaches, and I watched YouTube videos and all the rest of that, and I learned about trimming. One of the things I learned: if a branch is sticking straight up, they said that’s not a good branch. It creates a shadow for all the other branches. You need those ones going out. Cut it down. And God says, “I’ve got to get rid of your pride, self-righteousness.” Yeah. And God says, “Job, now I’ve got you to the point where I can use you. Get rid of your self-righteousness.”

I debated about whether to use this or not. It’s a personal—more personal than typical I use. I debated about it, and I kind of printed it out. And I noticed—I did not know it until I had printed it out this morning—but actually, eight years ago to the date of today, I thought, “Well, the Lord must want me to read it.” Eight years ago, and I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. This is eight years ago, man; it’s long ago. I was going through the valley. I don’t do it like I ought to, but I decided to go out and went out to a park and just got alone with the Lord, and I wrote some things in my diary. I don’t do that very often. But I wrote some things. Let me just read it for you. I won’t read it all; some are too personal.

It says this, dated October 13th, 2011: “I needed to turn some things over to the Lord, and it helped me, and I thought the Lord wanted me to write them down for myself and so that others might get help from them in the future. These are the things that were overwhelming my heart. I gave them to the Lord. I’ve been reminded of much of a song, ‘Stand Still and Let God Move.’ It’s a song God used in my life at that time. You did all you can. Stand still, let God move.”

Number one, I wrote down these things I needed to turn over to the Lord: My wife’s health issues. She had cancer approximately a year ago, went through chemo, but the Crohn’s is still hampering us bad from time to time, makes it very tired and weak. I won’t read the rest of that one.

I put them there: Church peaked in 2009. I was two years earlier, averaging 255 on Sunday morning. Brother Duane, he was our head deacon, our lay youth director, good man, got cancer and died. At the graveside after the service, my wife passed out. I found out she had cancer. I won’t read them all. Number three: I’ve repeatedly sought for a youth director in the last two years with epic failure. It seems the Lord has slammed the door shut many times, and I’m now gun-shy of even looking. This is October 13th. My dad just died, September 25th, just 18 days ago. Finances have been very low the last several months. We’ve barely been keeping treading water, keeping our head above water. Church people seem to be losing their faithfulness to the House of God, including some leaders. My besetting sin constantly raises its ugly head, and it’s a continual fight. You say, “What is that?” I’m not going to tell you.

It’s interesting. Too much later, I went out at the same park, and I put this in there. I wrote in there and said, “I’m trying to make sure I learn when I’m supposed to learn from this trial.” So I’m making a list of the things that I think I might be learning. Number one: That God does the work. It’s not us. I’ve tried everything I know, and the church is still going downhill. God was teaching me: It’s him, not me. Number two: To be more patient and kind with people that are trying, yet on the other hand, if they’re constantly complaining and rebelling, I’m leaving them alone. Life’s too short to try to help people that don’t want it. Number three: To die to myself, my wants and my wishes. Number four: How others feel while they’re going through hard times. Number five: To praise the Lord during trials.

That was a couple months after the first one. About two years later, and I only journal very, very seldom. February 2nd, 2013, about two years later, I put this in. The first thing on my list then was this: “I still have self-righteousness in me. Still got it in me.” Friend, I read that and say, “Hey, we’re all there from time to time.” God takes us through the valley just to cleanse us.

We need to get rid of that materialism. It’s not about all that, what you got in your bank account, all the rest of that. God said, “I got to get rid of that self-righteousness.” But kind of makes you thankful for—I’m just a sinner saved by grace. God gets the glory that way. Hey, what’s God trying to teach you in the valley? Maybe it’s materialism He’s trying to get you to let go of. Maybe it’s self-righteousness. Maybe it’s something I did not mention, but God tries to cleanse us. He said, “That thou mayest”—if you learn and grow from the valley—it is wonderful. You come outside after a rain.

You know, some people, they kind of—they compare the valley, tough times, to the rain. “It’s raining on me.” But isn’t it wonderful? After a rainstorm, after it’s rained, you come outside and, man, the allergies are calmed down. The air is a little bit—oh, fresher, if you will—and just feels refreshing, clean. You can be like that after the valley when God takes it and just cleanses you.

I did not mention it much today. I don’t know if I did at all, but the most important thing you can learn in the valley is salvation—turning to Jesus. Jesus, you’re all the way to heaven. I want to trust in you. I believe more people get saved during the valley than any other time in your life. But you say, preacher, there’s been a time I went to the Lord Jesus Christ and I’ve trusted in him alone to save me. I’ve been saved before. I’ve been born again. Know that. If that’s you this morning, you slip your hand up, preacher. I know I’m saved. I know I’m saved. Know that you—you slip your hand up, preacher. I know I’m saved. Many, many, many hands. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You can put them down.

Maybe you here this morning, you said, “Preacher, we’ll be honest with you, I couldn’t raise my hand. I don’t know that I’m going to heaven. I don’t know that there was a time when I went to Jesus for my salvation. I’m not sure I’m a child of God. I don’t know I’m saved.” I’m not going to call your name. I’m not going to come back. I love you. I’d love to help. I’d like to pray for you. But you say, “Preacher, I don’t know. I don’t know that I’m saved on my way to heaven.” If that’s you, would you slip your hand up? “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m saved. No more way to heaven.” Anybody like that? Just slip it up. Slip it up. Anybody? “Preacher, I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.” God bless you. God bless you. Would there be anybody else? Just slip it up. Anybody else? “I don’t know that I’m born again Christian, my way to heaven.”

We’re going to take a moment. Let me just say this: If that’s you, some raised your hand, you don’t know heaven’s your home, you say, “I admit it. I’m a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross. I’d like to give an opportunity right now to call on Jesus.” Right there you said—just in your heart—would you go to Jesus? “Oh, Jesus, I’m not going to depend on my righteousness, self-righteousness. Jesus, I want to believe on you. Depending on you. Would you pay for all my sins? And I want your righteousness on my account. Would you save me? Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name.”

Our heads are bowed, eyes are closed. You said, “Preacher, never have, but I just prayed. I just asked Jesus Christ to save me.” Just ask me to do that. That’s you this morning. You slip your hand up. Anybody like the preacher just asked him? Just ask him. Just slip it up. I’m not going to call your name. I’m going to rejoice. That’s all. I won’t say a word. Anybody about you? Just slip it up. God bless you. God bless you. Amen.

You know, you can go through the valleys and not learn. That’s why he puts that mayest in that verse. You mayest be clothed. You mayest have white raiment. You mayest have your eyes where you can see. Would you just go to them, Lord, say, “I’d like to learn. I’d like to be cleansed. I’d like to come out of the valley on the other side, feeling like it just rained and it’s cleansed, refreshed.” Would you let him know that?

Bill has come forward, and, oh, several Saturdays ago, Bill asked Jesus Christ to be his Savior and was in church when he was a young person, had been in church in a good while, and Bill, a couple years ago had a stroke and can’t get around as well as he used to, but he accepted Christ. He says, “I don’t want to get baptized.” And so we’ve got some men that’s going to help us with that. I think it’s one of the most special baptisms we ever had, and I think God’s especially pleased with Bill going through the extra effort. His right side doesn’t work as well, of course, as it used to. But he’s going to get baptized, and we’re excited about that.

I say this often, let me just say a word about baptism: Baptism does not save you. Jesus saves you. Amen. And baptism is a wonderful picture of Jesus’ death, his burial, and his resurrection. And Bill is going to represent the Lord Jesus Christ. And we’ve got two men that’s going to help us with this. So we’re all working on right now. But it’s exciting to see someone grow in the Lord, get baptized. Amen.

If someone doesn’t get baptized, let me just say a word about that, and I don’t get to mention it all, but I’ll take advantage of the minute here, but they’ll be stunted in their growth, and they can only grow so far until they get one of those first steps of growth—getting baptized. And if I were to tell my children, my son, “Cut the grass before I go home,” and I got home and the grass wasn’t cut, he can say, “Dad, good to see it,” and all that, but there’s something between me and him until he gets that grass cut. Same thing with baptism. It doesn’t say it’s an important step of growth, so that’s what baptism is all about. And Bill’s coming up right now, so we’re getting ready. It’s cold also. It’s not good. It’s going to be cold. You’re going to be okay? All right, Bill. Yeah, it’s cold.

Bill, we’ll just ask her real quick before you get baptized. Bill, have you accepted Jesus as your all the way to heaven as your Savior? Yes. Good deal. I’m just going to say a brief word about it. Bill’s dad is a Methodist preacher. Years ago, he made a decision, but he said, “I don’t know. I’m not sure exactly where I am on that,” so he settled it. And he was baptized in John, but he wasn’t sure. He settled a couple of Saturdays ago. He says, “I’m going to save now.” The Bible pattern is always after you get saved to get baptized. So he was getting baptized to follow that pattern. And man, Bill’s gone to extra mile to get baptized today. Amen. God’s pleased with that. And he’s representing the Lord. He’s a good representation of Jesus today, and picturing his death, burial, and his resurrection.

In obedience to the command of our Lord and Master, and upon Bill’s public profession of faith in him, I’m baptizing my brother in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost, buried in the likeness of His death. Let’s stand, if you would, please.

I see Bill following the Lord, struggling to do it, and I think, “What excuse do I have?” Amen. I love it. Praise the Lord for Bill doing it. What a blessing, and thrilled about that. I tell you what, Kyle, would you dismiss us with a word of prayer, please? Kyle. All of our guests, don’t forget the room back here where we’ve got refreshments ready for you. All of our guests…

Original File: Dont be luke Warm - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday Am 101319