As we rush around doing all the things we do in life, the easiest thing in the world is for us to kind of believe in this Jesus … out there somewhere … but not really ever have a relationship with Him. It’s kind of a lukewarm thing … and as things turn out, that’s the last thing Jesus is looking for.   Knock, Knock – Who’s there? It’s so exciting to be with you again at the beginning of a new series of messages that we are kicking off today. And before we get going, let me share with you what brought me to this place. One of the things that I have done many, many times in churches around the world is to stand up the front, either leading worship or preaching, and one of the things I have noticed, especially, let me say, as people are supposedly worshipping God, is (what are the words?) a lack of engagement. You look around at the sea of faces and you can see the minds wandering – people being distracted by who is walking in late behind them; people looking at their watch … well, you can just tell that they are not there! Blankly staring into space – their lips might be moving, sure, but the last thing they are doing is actually worshipping God. Now, I don’t care whether you are someone who believes passionately in Jesus, or maybe … maybe you are someone who is not in that place. Maybe you would call yourself more an agnostic or an atheist but irrespective of where we are at, if we wandered into a church amongst people who professed to believe in this amazing God, we would all expect them to be sincere about their faith, wouldn’t we? I mean, we would! But a good many people aren’t! They go to church out of – I don’t know - a sense of obligation, maybe or maybe its habit. It blows my mind and that’s what led me to this series of messages. The series is called, “There’s a Knock at the Door,” and that’s a phrase that comes straight out of the Book of Revelation, as Jesus is speaking to a church where the people are lukewarm towards Him. Now, we might think, "Well, at least they are lukewarm – that’s better than ice cold, right?" Um! We’ll have a listen to Jesus and see what His take on it is. Revelation chapter 3, beginning at verse 14: And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation. I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For your say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” You do not realise that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. So this idea that lukewarm is better than cold is far from the truth. Jesus wishes we were either cold or hot. Have you ever drunk a lukewarm cup of tea or coffee? It’s disgusting! What you want to do is spit it out of your mouth. And see, the thing doesn’t start with the church; the thing starts in our hearts – you and I – we’re hot, or we’re lukewarm or we are cold, when it comes to this Jesus; this God who loves us with a love that would have Jesus nailed to a cross for you and me. Nothing, absolutely nothing lukewarm about God’s love for you and me! God is passionate about you and me. And yet it is so easy for us to live a lukewarm life. Just recently, I had to fill out a census form here in Australia – we had a national census, I think it’s every five years or so. They ask you all sorts of questions; one of the things they ask you is your religion. You can tick the different Christian denominations or boxes for other religions. Last census, almost two thirds of us ticked a box for a Christian religion and yet only ten percent of us are regularly part of a church. That’s at least over fifty percent of the nation who are probably lukewarm Christians – probably more because there are plenty of people in churches today who are lukewarm Christians. Okay, it’s a broad generalisation, but you get my point. By far, the vast majority of people who would call themselves "Christian", aren’t committed followers of Jesus Christ. By far, the majority of people who would call themselves "Christian", aren’t in a dynamic, vital community of faith. By far, the majority of people who call themselves "Christian" have anything but an intimate relationship with Jesus. Hello? I’m sorry if I am getting in your face here. I’m sorry if this has you squirming in your seat a bit, but this passage that I just read before – this passage of Jesus talking to a bunch of lukewarm Christians, is bound to make us squirm a little in our seats if we happen to be a lukewarm Christian. Anyone who kind of believes in this Jesus as a bit of an insurance policy, just in case; anyone who kind of believes in Jesus but has Him at arm’s length; anyone who goes through the motions – plays out the religious rituals but doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus; anyone who is in that place is going to squirm just a bit. That’s good; I think that’s what Jesus is looking for, because today, if you are in that place, the last thing I’m here to do is to criticise you or condemn you because I spent a huge part of my life in that place. I know it well. And the longer I stayed in that place the less certain I even became that there was a God who had sent His Son to earth to die on a cross to pay for my sins. So if you are one of the people who are kind of squirming a bit – wondering whether you really are a Christian; wondering whether Jesus would consider you hot or cold or lukewarm, this is especially for you. Today there is a knock at the door; a knock at the door of your heart. Today as we spend these minutes together, I believe Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart and asking you, "Where are you at?" Today, I believe Jesus is calling you to open your heart to Him. And I remember when He first came knocking on the door of my heart. It was a shock! You know those "Knock, knock" jokes – "Knock, knock, who’s there?" And that’s what it felt like. Hang on, someone or something is kind of knocking at the door of my heart. I had this sense that God was touching me; that God was speaking to me; that God wanted to fellowship with me. It was such a weird feeling. It was like, "What’s this? What’s going on? Who is there?" It was an unsettling feeling. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, as I speak these words, there is many a man, woman and child listening who has the same unsettling thing happening inside them right now. That’s because Jesus is knocking on your heart. He doesn’t want you to lukewarm any more. He wants something so much more; so much better for you – here and now, for the rest of your life and for all eternity. I can speak the words but I can’t touch your heart, only He can and that’s precisely what may be happening to you right now.   When Jesus Comes for You There was a time in my life – twenty years ago or so – when I was completely alone on this earth. I mean, completely alone; no friends, no family. Now, sure, I knew people but none of them were my friends; at least, that’s what I tho...

Released on 24 Jan 2021