Wake Up, Keep Going, and Stop Being Lame: Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea

“Lukewarm” isn't really a desirable trait in, well, just about anything. After all, is there anyone who actually looks forward to a lukewarm cup of coffee in the morning? But when Jesus uses this word, what he has in mind is something far worse. In this week's message from Revelation 3, Pastor J.D. takes us through John's last three letters to the churches. Though Jesus doesn't have anything negative to say to the church at Philadelphia, he has plenty to say to the congregation of Laodicea, and it begins with his visceral reaction to their halfhearted Christianity. We, of course, have to be careful not to fall into the same trap: claiming the name of Jesus with our lips but living lives that are in no way distinct from the world.