Most of us who grew up in church heard many sermons on Revelation 3:15-16 where God tells the church of Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth!”

What most of us didn’t grow up hearing in many sermons is verse 17 where God continues to tell the Laodiceans, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have aquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” This well-known lukewarm warning passage is not specifically addressing the casual nature of teens or the tension of not “being on fire for God.”

This passage is about MATERIALISM.

Our American materialism penetrates our hearts and presuppositions more than we could ever imagine or care to discover. In light of the true context for this familiar passage of the Bible, we need to examine just how far materialism penetrates our hearts and just how deeply we trust in possessions rather than God. A lukewarm spiritual life is one characterized by a love of money and possessions. A lukewarm spiritual life is not characterized by ownership of many possessions – but instead a love for them that trumps our devotion and relationship with God.