I heard a sermon the other day that used an example of a card game, to someone coming to Christ.  It wasn’t demeaning or anything like that it just focused on the phrase, “All-In”.  It was effective in the sense that everyone’s attention was his.  His plea was simple, if we are in Jesus, we have to be All-In, and our trust and commitment have to be in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  We cannot be a child of God if we are half in the world, He wants all of us, He wants us All-In. 

 

Jesus delivered a similar message in His Letter to the Church at Laodicea.  No, they didn’t have Texas Hold-em back then but Jesus did tell them that they had become lukewarm; they were not “All-In”!  They were neither cold nor hot, but had grown to be lukewarm.  And what does Jesus say He will do to the lukewarm church at Laodicea, “I will spit you out of my mouth”. 

 

The city of Laodicea was a center of commerce, a wealthy city; they had everything that they needed. When a church or its people have all the comforts, it is easy to become lukewarm without feeling it.  That is why Jesus said I wish you were one or the other, cold or hot.  If you were hot, you would be His, if not, cold is better.  Cold could cause you to feel the need and drive you to the true warmth.  But, when you are lukewarm you are too comfortable to change, you have just enough to guard yourself against a feeling of need. 

 

In a spiritual sense a lukewarm person is in the middle, NOT All-In.  They are too cold to be hot and they are too hot to be cold, they feel they have enough of Jesus to satisfy the need for Religion but they won’t have enough to spend eternity with Jesus. 

 

BUT, the book is still not closed on those lukewarm people. Jesus knowing what they need counsels them buy what they need from Him. They need to understand their spiritual poverty; they need to understand who can meet their every need.  Even though we are all lukewarm sinners, Jesus still closes His letter with an invitation, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” 

  

His last sentence in each of the seven letters is, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”  If we have eyes and ears we are to read, listen and understand what is being said here.  If the simplest way to see the picture is through a sermon about a card game where you can go “All-In”, than praise God and put your chips in.

 

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