Let’s Get Serious…

Read Revelation 3: 14 – 22

Key Verses: “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3: 15-16; ESV

On Christmas Eve, our Youth Group from PLUM Church had presented the service (you can view this on our Facebook page for plumchurch.org). The service was awesome. But the reason why I cite this is because three of our youth; Ethan and Darius Hillman and Justin Davis tag-teamed the message. All three boys I have had the humble honor to mentor since they were young: Ethan is now 10 yrs. old and Darius and Justin are now 19 yrs. old; but I have been mentoring these two since they were 10 yrs. old. The three had their message in sync and each one lead into the other’s message. Their message challenged us to get serious with our faith. All present were moved; I included.

This challenge pierced the heart. It called out being complacent. It spoke of not being lukewarm. It moved us to desire being on fire for God and committing our lives to Jesus. You couldn’t hear the message without pondering the directed point these three made. And looking at the church universal, I have to ask myself; “Is the church lukewarm? Are we complacent to the world instead of to God? Are believers excited about their relationship with Jesus Christ or now that the Christmas season is over, will they become dormant until Eastertime when they will pull out their faith and dust it off?”

The three used the Scriptures provided in their message. The church in the End Times Laodicea is being judged by God. As you read the passage, you will see the God’s displeasure with those whose faith is not growing and has become stagnant. Christ also shares that He wants those whom He loves to grow, to meet the needs of others, and that there is a reason for His reproving the church: because of love. Are today’s believers this church?

As a pastor, we sometimes think that because we preach, we are right with God and that we are hearing AND believing what we preach. In the current movie of Left Behind, there is a scene where Nicholas Cage’s daughter enters her church and finds their pastor still there after the Rapture (this is when Jesus comes back for those who are His true believers at the time of the Great Tribulation which Scriptures prophesizes will take place). She asks him, “You’re the pastor; why are you still here?” His response is riveting and scary at the same time; (paraphrased) “I preached it, I studied it, I knew all about it, but I guess I never believed it.” Pastors are not excluded from being lukewarm. And if it’s easy for pastors; it is equally possible for today’s believers to fall prey to it.

I am not going to share various ways we become this way; only one: we’re lazy. We don’t study the Word of God like we should, we don’t challenge our leaders in holding them accountable to presenting the Word as it is and not watered down to allow church attendees to “feel good” instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to convict and move us in the right direction in our faith, we don’t pray enough for God to open our hearts and to move us, and we don’t remain faithful to church attendance so we can not only have opportunity to grow, but to help others mature in their faith. In short, we are not serious about our relationship with God because it takes deliberate and intentional effort to mature in our faith.

This is a call to make our choice be known to ourselves as well as to the world around us: and this choice has REAL consequences which can dictate where we will spend eternity. By saying there is no God/heaven/hell/life after death; you choose the fate of those who refuse to believe. Just because you don’t see it or believe in it doesn’t mean that it is any less real! Who we say God is and His Son Jesus Christ is and what type of relationship we have with them will decide where we spend eternity. If your relationship is superficial, you are truly missing out on the best thing God has to offer. However, if your relationship is growing deeper and stronger, you have gained it all!

The New Year is approaching. Many will want to make changes for the better: lose weight, get fit, save money, get out of debt, and improve relationships with others… but how many will improve their relationship with God/Jesus Christ? As you know New Year’s resolutions takes determination, commitment, and perseverance in order to have a lifelong effect on those who commit to it. Faith also demands the same from us!!

This New Year, I plan to take our sermons deeper, make them more challenging, to help others to mature in their faith and for myself to also grow deeper in it. Will you commit to the same?

Father God,

Draw us closer, help us to love deeper and with intentional devotion to You and Your call on our lives. Allow this year to be a year for real faith to grow hotter and for the lukewarm believers to be on fire for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!