God is not willing to embrace a lukewarm church. Lukewarm Christians are not willing to endure the sound doctrines of the bible concerning holiness and sin due to the itching ears they have developed for the truth. He stating in chapter one and verse four, "Grace be unto you, and peace, from him . Thank you this was very thought provoking and impactful. Love Jesus more than anything. But the fundamental question is this: When you became a Christian, did it include a surrender to get engaged in the mission of God? 2021 J.D. Jesus delivered the church at Laodicea a stern warning: a lukewarm faith offends our mighty God and dampens our witness for Him. 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. Love Jesus more than anything. And though it was originally directed to one group of believers, the principle behind it applies to every Christian. Be thankful for what God has provided and allowed you to enjoy, but keep your confidence in Him. Love people enough to encourage them in truth. And in this case, the decision to turn your back on God and to go back to the world or a life of sin you once renounced and forsook on the altar call. Instead of standing for righteousness, they compromise. Resource Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Crossway Bibles. So, for Jesus, hot and cold were both genuinely good conditions, and only lukewarm was a bad condition. Lack Of Commitment. But lukewarm water carries no similar . Being In A Lukewarm Church. (If you cannot see this video in your RSS reader or email, you can watch ithere.). Don't coddle little compromises. They might do charitable deeds but only after weighing how it will benefit them. In light of this, we can see that both "hot" and "cold" were considered to be good, while the dirty lukewarm of Laodicea was of no benefit. A Sunday Christian is simply a person who goes to church every Sunday and is only a Christian on Sunday but during weekdays is just like the heathens or even worse. The church is very sick. So, because you are lukewarmneither hot nor coldI am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16). And that puts the lukewarm Christian in a very precarious position. Heres the sobering thing about these parables: There is no middle ground. Our responsibilities going forward include staying faithful in prayer. We talk a lot about the rest of the world going to hell, but maybe we should ask if some of us are. Hot mineral springs were located at Hierapolis, six miles from Laodicea. But the words also came out of a passionate desire for us to remain united with Him. What are examples of living for yourself? A church doesnt become lukewarm overnight. You become a lukewarm Christian when you allow your love of God to fade. What does it mean to be a lukewarm Christian? You can hear something, but if you dont act on it, do you really have ears to hear? Jesus marks the difference between hearing His words and doing them by saying, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. According to the bible, superficial love is simply the surface level love that is only manifested or shown to someone if they are benefiting you in some way or when things are convenient. What exactly do you mean by living for yourself? Dr. Paul Chappell is the senior pastor of the Lancaster Baptist Church and president of West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California. The word "lukewarm" popped up around the 14th century as meaning "slightly warm". Their solution is to buy gold thats been refined by fire, meaning perhaps, they need to go through some persecution and trials because trials purify and strengthen our faith, however, they dont want that. We are only whole when we are walking in a relationship with Jesus. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. If you remain lukewarm, maybe it's because you don't know who God really is., Photo credit: Getty Images/Jupiterimages, Heather Adams is an author, speaker, and singer living in Connecticut. 63 Salvation Quotes To Help You Become Truly Saved. Dr. Paul Chappell is the senior pastor of the Lancaster Baptist Church and president of West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California. To drive the point home, Jesus used a word-picture that the citizens would have understood well: So, the water in Colossae was cold and the water in Heirapolis was hot. Have you offered your life and your talents, no matter your age, as an investment in the kingdom? Not an indicator of poor health, but the symptoms should be addressed promptly. 63 True Christian Quotes To Live By (+ Powerful Sermon). Otherwise, if you dont deny yourself, you cant be His disciple and its this denial of self is what a lukewarm Christian is unwilling to do as they want a life of convenience. Instead of standing for righteousness, lukewarm Christianity encourages the body of Christ to remain neutral. (2007). He, over the full counsel of God. A lukewarm church is a church that believe a polluted gospel, one that leads them away from doing the will of God and away from a relationship with Jesus. Many people today are ashamed of identifying themselves with Jesus Christ due to the negative press and backlash from the world they fear will receive if they do so. There I read that you must be born again to enter the kingdom ( John 3:3 ). Prioritize choices that protect and honor your relationship with Jesus. A Letter to the Lukewarm Christian Church, And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Being lukewarm is unacceptable behavior for a believer and is useless for the kingdom of God. Instead of wading through each opinion, were going to wade through the Bible to see what God has to say about the issue. Proud member . I wish you were either one or the other! Lukewarm faith leaves us and others deceived. Although this is indicative of the modern church, it is not a new phenomenon. Its almost as if Jesus cannot get into this church, so Hes left standing outside the door. I wish you were either one or the other! Four Outstanding Characteristics. 5 Horrible Consequences Of Not Winning Souls To Christ. Affections shape our actions. And He made several points about having a lukewarm faith: Lukewarm faith limits the impact we can have for God. They believe they are sufficient in themselves. And how do you know if you have become a lukewarm Christian? Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it. So, because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of My mouth. Go to work? 5 to 6 symptoms. Lukewarm Christians attend worship fairly regularly because they think that is what they have to do, but it is not what they want to do. Ready to venture into a richness of the Bible? The Three Most Important Lessons Christians Can Learn in College. 75 Poowerful Christian Faith Quotes (To Strengthen You In The Lord. You don't allow others, Holy Spirit, or even the Bible to counsel you. Jesus counsel to them is to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see (Rev 3:18). Subject to Import Tax. A lack of a strong effective prayer life is the reason why many Christians today are lukewarm and this isnt a surprise because many Christians are spiritually lazy to pray and I used to be that as well. 11 Clear Signs That Show If One Is A Fake Christian (+ Powerful Sermon). If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Its always done in love, because if He didnt care about us, Hed let us do what we want and that would end in disaster, so just as a parent disciplines their child because they love and care for them, its even more so for Jesus Christ Who rebukes those He loves and chastens every child of God (Heb 12:6-11). The lukewarm churchianity was consumed by living faith in the consuming God of the Bible. This passage is an attempt by Jesus to get the attention of the Laodicean churchs congregation. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Rev 3:15-16). Others decide they will only read certain parts of the Bible, or resist going where God wants to lead them. Find joy in obtaining wisdom that comes from God. This last message is found in Revelation 3:14-22. ), 11 Consequences Of Sin (To Help Avoid Sin All Costs. 5 Characteristics of a FAKE Christian. Synonyms: half-hearted, cold, cool, indifferent More Synonyms of lukewarm. The Church Of Laodicea. Wisdom starts and ends with the counsel of the Lord. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). It was stagnant, less healthy and not as useful. In closing, if you found this post useful, kindly share it with others who need to hear this message as it will be of great help to them, too. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Rev 3 . Before this (i.e., Revelation 3:20) verse, there is a shocking and frightening verse. Learn more about building a relationship with Jesus in this article. In other words, in these verses hot and cold are used as synonyms to refer to strong, passionate, remarkable faith. Why Is Quiet Time With God Important [With Illustrations], 7 Major Root Causes Of Sin (That Causes People To Sin. Scripture tells us that Christians have a part in helping the Kingdom of God grow. In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus is talking to His disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven and He says to them, Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 54 Christian Life Quotes (To Help You Live Wisely.). Jesus and the 'Lukewarm' Church. If you have become a lukewarm believer, you need to repent of your lukewarmness or lukewarm condition before the Lord spews you out of His mouth (Revelations 3:15,16). We all need Jesus. Fight the good fight of faith ( 1 Timothy 6:12) by fighting fiercely for fidelity. No wonder John says in 1 John 2:15 that if you love the world and the things that are in this world, you will no longer have the love of the Father in you and this is what you will notice in lukewarm people who no longer love the Lord they way they used to. Yet the Laodicean church's "lukewarm" legacy was not its final legacy. Superficial Love. The Laodicean church got the chance to repent of their heart-set, and to change. Our wisdom fails. The simple definition of a Luke warm Christian is simply a person who has become neither hot nor cold for Christ Jesus and you cant tell whether if that person is living for Christ or not. Thats why Paul instructs us in Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.. Next post: How Does God Use Intercession, For Good or Bad? With these words, Jesus gave both a frightening threat and an appeal. He gave every penny back! If we are devoted to the Lord, we become aligned with Him. An all-adult cast in the sanctuary is a sign of decline. I can believe in seatbelts, but if I dont put them on, Im not listening to the authorities who command us to wear them. Be passionate about what Hes passionate about. February 07, 2022. ], Why Is Prayer Important To Christians? Call it what it is: evil (Malachi 1:8). 54 Agape Love Quotes [+Animation On Gods Agape Love], 54 Power Of Faith Quotes (To Help You Move Mountains). Sardis, The Spiritually Dead Church: Almost all of the people in the church of Sardis had . Correction and Hope for the Lukewarm Christian Church, God is not willing to embrace a lukewarm church. There are many signs that will show if someone becomes a lukewarm Christian when they lose their first love and fervent zeal they once had for God. Tagged as: One way to not be a lukewarm Christian is to find joy in studying the Bible and spending time with God. A lukewarm believer can have all sorts of spiritual/religious activities in his/her life. Laodicea, A lukewarm Christian will lean on the unstable guidance philosophers, thought leaders, and world figures. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. It takes year after year for this to happen, but the tragic thing is, since its so slow and gradual, many churches dont even notice it. Youll find it in Luke chapter 15:11-32. Overcome the Crises and Anxieties of Life through Christ Must Read:11 Major Characteristics Of False Disciples [+ Sermon]. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man (Revelation 1:12-13). The third fact is that the water in Laodicea was lukewarm. A lukewarm Christian will always have the fear of man in their life that will hinder them from living for Jesus Christ and Jesus warned of such people in Luke 9:26 who are ashamed of Him in this wicked generation that He will be ashamed of them also when He returns. Those around them can be fooled as well. Taking up your cross for Christs sake simply means that you sacrificially give up all aspects of your life for him and be willing to bear the inconveniences that come with it even if your natural flesh doesnt feel like it.
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