I’m not 100% = sure about this, but if I was a betting man, I’d bet that the thing God hates = the most is Christian lethargy. 

When you have no idea = what the Truth is, and you’re not all that sure that God really exists, you = will be attracted to the things  in this world because that’s what = you can see.  I understand that, I really do.  I don’t expect an = atheist to be on fire for God – and if he was, I’d figure he was either = really crazy or trying to pull some stunt.

I figure God looks at = it the same way because He says He would rather you were hot or cold, but if = you are lukewarm, He will vomit you out of His mouth.  (Spit is one thing; = vomit is a whole ‘nother level.) 

That doesn’t = leave us much of a choice, unless you want to choose the “cold” option, = but as near as I can figure, “cold” is going to be rubbing = shoulders with “lukewarm” as they both burn in Hell.  Maybe the = temperature will be a little bit different between the two, I don’t know, but = I’m not so curious that I want to find out.

Zephaniah put a = different way.  He said God was going to destroy those who have not sought the Lord nor inquired for Him, and he likens it to wine.

I don’t know = how they do it today, but wine used to ferment with all the stuffings in it – = the grape pulp, skin, seeds, etc.  The lees are the sediment that forms = during that fermentation, and eventually the lees settle to the bottom where they = harden. 

In other words, these = are people that are “in the wine”, so to speak.  They know about = God, have been partakers of the wine of God, and understand and know the Truth, = but they are just floating -- Ho hum, La de dah, (yawn) -- slowly drifting in the bottle, little by little making their way to the bottom where their = lethargy will finally harden their hearts.  At that point they will no = longer be part of the wine.

Zephaniah says that = these are people that say God will not do good, and neither will He do evil.  = They may acknowledge the Truth, but they don’t believe in judgment because = God is a God of Love, and He would never exact the terribleness of judgment on = us because He’s our Daddy. 

Yup.  Same lie = that Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden:  “Hath God said?”  = “Oh no, don’t worry about that.  God wouldn’t really kill = you.”  Oh yeah?  Well go check for our ancestral couple under “A” = in the phone book and tell me what their address is, will you?

But the real = showstopper for me is nestled in the midst of Zephaniah 1:12 where God says He will = search for these bums.  He is hunting them!  Yikes.  It’s = bad enough to show up at judgment when you are 11 cents short of a dime, but for God to = actually go on the hunt for you?  I don’t ever want God that mad at = me.

So what is the big = deal?  Why is being apathetic so bad?  What is it that ticks God off so much that = He will actually go looking for you to destroy you?  After all, most of = these people are just good ol’ church folks and are really nice people.  = While they may not be exactly energetic, and I sure wouldn’t call them on = fire for God, they do go to church.  And while they may not be squeaky = clean, they don’t seem to be that bad.  So what’s the = problem?

A person who is = "settled on his lees" is one who, through spiritual idleness and ease, has = gradually become morally indifferent so that sin doesn’t seem so bad = anymore.  He becomes tolerant of his own lack of spiritual drive, because he no = longer really cares, and ultimately becomes hardened to God and sin. In the = process, he becomes blind to his spiritual state, and is, in all reality, a = Christian Atheist.

But Jesus Christ gave = His life on the Cross so souls could be saved.  He shed blood for us -- = that’s how much He cared.   When we dismiss the poignancy of that = sacrifice and breeze over it as if it was some academic precept, then we find ourselves = guilty of trampling the very blood that was shed to save our souls, and far more = guilty at the Judgment Bar of God than the sinner who never got saved and never understood the reality of Christ’s sacrifice.  At least they = made an honest choice.

I argued in prayer = one time, “But God, they’re really nice people!”

And the answer came = back, “I will spue the lukewarm out of my mouth … and you think they’re nice?”
“If they are so nice, why aren’t they cut to the heart for = lost souls? 
“Why are they more infatuated with the world and its prosperity = than the sufferings of the Cross? 
“Why don’t they care?

When you allow = yourself to be settled on your lees, you begin a separating process that will end with = you on the bottom of the bottle, no longer part of the wine of = God.