And if you feel convicted after reading this post that you have been lukewarm and want to be on fire for God once again read this post on how to be on fire for God again if you backslid. What exactly do you mean by living for yourself? The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Hot mineral springs were located at Hierapolis, six miles from Laodicea. Many churches have a routine where the opening prayer is followed by a song, then the collections or offerings is taken, then another songand suddenly, its like getting dressed in the mourning. Next post: How Does God Use Intercession, For Good or Bad? Read them in the archive below. They have one foot in the world and another foot in Gods kingdom and this ought not to be so. I wish you were either one or the other! Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. You can say you believe in Jesus, but if you dont do what He commands, is that really belief? 54 Gods Forgiveness Quotes [+ Animation On Forgiveness]. The apostate church, pictured as a harlot, offers her wine of false doctrines, confusing the mind and leading multitudes to destruction. Sardis ( Revelation 3:1-6 ): ): Don't neglect the things you have learned. 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. 45 Christian Friendship Quotes For Choosing Godly Friends. Merriam Webster defines lukewarm as "moderately warm or tepid; lacking conviction or half-hearted.". Must Read:11 Clear Signs That Show If One Is A Fake Christian (+ Powerful Sermon). We all struggle with seasons where we are lukewarm, where we are striving to maintain a commitment to Christ but where we falter. While young in my faith, I didnt really understand the consequences of being lukewarm. And because they don't really know Him, they are lukewarm. Preacher: Steve Elliot. You can't grow spiritually or in the things of God if you attend a lukewarm church that hardly teaches the truth and the whole counsel of . If significant changes are not made, the congregation is in danger of moving into the phase of terminal illness. Lukewarm Christians dont really want to be saved from their sins; they want to be saved from the consequences of their sins., Instead of wading through each opinion, were going to wade through the. And its this lukewarm faith that many lukewarm Christians have nowadays that has caused them to no longer be on fire for the Lord anymore. fallen away so slowly they dont recognize their own complacency. Let me say, thats a serious rebuke from Jesus. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Those around them can be fooled as well. 10 Characteristics of a Healthy ChurchPart 1. Characteristics of Lukewarm Christians (Unknown) 04/15/18 - Conduct. So, the water in Colossae was cold and the water in Heirapolis was hot. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. Jesus is the Amen of God. Features. by Paul Chappell | Jul 8, 2013 | Ministry Leadership, Spiritual Leadership Podcast. In fact, Jesus expressed direct concern over this tendency in Revelation 3 as He addressed the Laodicean church. You become a lukewarm Christian when you allow your love of God to fade. Sunday Christians only go to church on Sunday and do so for formality not because they want to seek the Lord with all their hearts but do so because they have to as opposed to wanting to. Thank you this was very thought provoking and impactful. Love Jesus more than anything. Little else matters to them, and thats why theyre so lukewarm. Her book, Bow Down: The Heart of a True Worshipper is a practical, 30-day devotional about worship based on the writings of King David. Good stuff in this article! The Spirit x-rayed (went through) the seven churches of Asia as recorded in Revelation 2 & 3. Thyatira, The Wrong Doctrine Church: The church of Thyatira had love, faith and good works. 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. The point is, Jesus is not inside this church, but has been pushed aside or outside of the church, and now He stands at the door. Series: Summer of 3:16's. Passage: Revelation 3:15-17. The Laodicean church was the "lukewarm" church. Jesus used this word many times at the beginning of his teachings when he said, "Truly, truly I say unto you.". We can do the same. What are some of the signs that a church is growing lukewarm, much like the Laodicean Church did? To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. The church at Laodicea survived Domitian's reign. I wish you were either cold or hot. This person can commonly be characterized as a walking contradiction, both sexy and awkward. You are focused on lists, rules, and customs rather than people. In addition, I love serving the world by creating free education and resources that inspire women to embrace their God-given identity and live purpose-driven, faith-filled lives. They are thinking only about how to make things comfortable in the present moment, not how to be faithful in their assignment to God. When we worship God and come before Him, it should be anything but just following a routine. There is a sense that something's wrong in the church, so the church responds in one of two ways. 5 The church in Laodicea may have been founded through the ministry of Epaphras of Colosse (Col. 1:7; 4:12-13). Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel "called" to minister to the rich; very few feel "called . I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. - How often do I read and study my Bible? 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. You Better Read This! To be faithful to God, our spouse, our children, our church, and our vocation, requires that we fight every day against the indwelling sin that presses us toward compromises. Its like the frog on the stove. They must repent and turn back to their first love and do the kind of works they did when they were first saved. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Hot water heals, cold water refreshes, but lukewarm water is useless for either purpose. Stop calling your complacency and apathy a busy schedule or bills or forgetfulness. Call it what it is: evil (Malachi 1:8). 45 Why Does God Allow Suffering Quotes [+Animation]. Laodicea. Another sign that will show that you are a lukewarm Christian is that you will be unwilling to bear the Cross of Jesus Christ as it will be simply too heavy for you to carry. Dr. Paul Chappell is the senior pastor of the Lancaster Baptist Church and president of West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California. John writes, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Have you personally engaged in the mission of God, offering your time, talent, and treasures as a blank check to him? What Does the Bible Say about the Church in Laodicea? We are only whole when we are walking in a relationship with Jesus. Hot water can cleanse and purify; cold water can refresh and enliven. I want to point out four outstanding characteristics of this church that it was commended for. Not an indicator of poor health, but the symptoms should be addressed promptly. ), 63 Short God Quotes (To Help You Know God Better. God's twofold command to Adam and Eve to (1) be fruitful and increase, and (2) to subdue the earth and have dominion over it, indicates the great privilege and authority with which God endowed the first human pair. 2. This passage, the description of the last church listed in the "seven churches" in Revelation (Revelation 1:11,20), provides some unmistakable truth of what it means to be a lukewarm Christian. The book of Revelation opens with seven letters. Then we get a chance to share the Gospel. One of the signs you are going to see if someone is a lukewarm Christian is the presence of superficial love in the life of that person. Religious. 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. When Jesus addresses the Laodicean church, He doesn't have much good to say about it. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute("id","a92389db8628f2b48485d6ce36c49efa");document.getElementById("fa8554229c").setAttribute("id","comment"); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And you could be one of such people as you are reading this. In addition, we relinquish power and authority to those who wish to change the standards of righteousness to fit their own agendas.A lukewarm church aids the agenda of the enemy without even knowing it. Dr. Paul Chappell is the senior pastor of the Lancaster Baptist Church and president of West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California. All Rights Reserved. 9. What We Are Praying for When We Pray for Revival? In short, it is their prosperity, For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked (Rev 3:17). Each of the seven letters addresses a different church in Asia Minor, one of which is to the Christians who live in a city called Laodicea. I need more clarification I try to avoid sin and keep God on my mind in life and consult him for his will. 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). - Am I trying to please God or other people? 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