Get Hot, Get Cold, or Get Out Of The Way

·49 min·4 clips

A preacher warns his congregation that God will spit out those who are neither hot nor cold, based on a startling Revelation passage.

The episode is a sermon from the Locust Grove Church of Christ podcast. The preacher opens by stating the need to dig deep into God's word, using the metaphor of mining for gold or oil. He reads Revelation 3:14-16, where Jesus says he will spit out the lukewarm. The preacher explains that Revelation is a book of signs and symbols, written in apocalyptic language to 'uncover' hidden truths. He states this style was necessary because the early church was under Roman persecution, so God had to send coded messages. The preacher breaks down the meaning of 'mystery' in the Bible as something once concealed now revealed. He discusses the significance of numbers in the Bible, explaining that 666 symbolizes a man falsely claiming divinity. The preacher uses a baseball analogy, comparing God's messages to signs given by a third-base coach visible to but not understood by the opposition. He clarifies that 'angel' in Revelation refers to messengers or preachers, not spiritual beings. The sermon analyzes the Laodicean church's self-perception of being rich versus Jesus's assessment of them as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The preacher then explores the geographical context: Laodicea had poor water, so it imported cold water from Colossae and hot water from Hierapolis, which became lukewarm en route. He argues Jesus wants the church to be either cold (refreshing) or hot (healing), not lukewarm. To illustrate who God puts out, the preacher references Mark 5, where Jesus puts out scoffers before healing a girl. He identifies the first group God removes as those with 'loose lips' who spread fear instead of faith. The sermon concludes with an invitation for listeners to become Christians or recommit to being either hot or cold for the church.

As heard by us

A lively Revelation sermon links buried richness, 666, and lukewarm faith to a call for serious study.

Revelation is often treated as a book to sidestep, but this sermon leans into that difficulty. Its central case is that God's word yields richness when listeners are willing to dig beneath the surface.

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Why you'd press play

Need a morning nudge to stop skimming and start digging into Revelation?

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