The Call To Overcome: The Lukewarm Church
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 3:15-16 (NKJV)*
Before we consider Christ’s final letter, please note: they’re not simply historical. God’s Word is timeless and speaks to us NOW. It’s personal and congregational.
Some Bible scholars believe their sequence is INTENTIONAL: 'There is tremendous evidence that Revelation 2-3 is talking about church eras.' **
If the first Letter describes the era when Jesus LEFT us, does the last Letter describe the era when Jesus RETURNS?
Could we now be in end-times apathy? An age where the fate of martyred Christians touches us less than the texts on our phones?
How has this happened?
Is it modern media bombardment? A 24/7 multi-channel onslaught of shocking news and sleazy sites?
A sensory blitz designed to narrow our focus to ourselves–and how to get what we want… under the guidance of the king of con?
Is ‘The prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2:2) laughing in grim joy at our selfishness, which separates us from the God of love?
We've HEARD so much and SEEN so much… that we're no longer MOVED by much.
Such was the status of The Lukewarm Church: a group of well-appointed fence-sitters. They were afraid to leave the neutral zone– fearing the loss of friends, perks, and status. They were the only church (out of seven)... to receive NO kind words AT ALL from Christ.
Are we now sitting in that comfy church? Are we now worshipping God on Sunday, and our favorite idols on Monday?
Jesus says 'No man can serve two masters' (Matthew 6:24).
Because…
When hot and cold come together (especially within a church body), the body’s “temperature” turns lukewarm… but God doesn’t serve that flavor of faith.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
When Joshua led the children of God into the (long-awaited) Promised Land, they were tempted to worship foreign gods. So he presented an ultimatum:
'Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord' (Joshua 24:15).
All of us face that same ultimatum. You’re called to model the only good choice! To the world, you’re HOT and relevant stars. To the church, you’re the spark to light them up.
So don't settle down on any man's fence, nor any church pew in any church gate. Instead…
Fuel up on the Word and power of God. Stay out of neutral. Your job is to rise, shine, and inspire today’s generation.
The Call To Overcome: The Lukewarm Church (Part 19)
** The significance of the sequential order of Jesus' Seven Letters to the churches: http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/360/Seven-Churches-Revelation.htm
* Letter to The Lukewarm Church: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3%3A14-22&version=NKJV
* Additional brief article on the Lukewarm Church: http://www.gotquestions.org/church-in-Laodicea.html
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.