Here it is 3:22 am in the morning and I am wide awake with a troubled heart. I had a terrible night sleeping as my heart was heavy with the thought of all of our brothers and sisters being slain in the Middle east and in part of the continent of Africa by Muslim extremist. I wonder how many Christians in this nation are burdened by this fact or are they so busy worrying about their own little world that the passion of the Lord for His Children around the globe has not found its way into their hearts. Just looking at my 10 year old son and thinking of the little ones who even though giving the opportunity to renounce Christ and bow to a false god, willingly accept death rather than renounce their Lord.
Are our Children being raised with the same reverence for the Holy God we serve or are we simply raising up an army of lip service saints unwilling to face the true call of Christ. After all what is the message today coming out of main-stream Christianity in this nation? Is it not in large but a message of self help, personal financial wealth built around the theme of all that God will do for you rather than the true message of the Lord of what we should be doing for our neighbors out of our love and gratitude to a Holy Loving Father in Heaven? We even have churches putting on seminars about retirement plans were as Jesus taught that we are to store our treasures up in Heaven.
Is it not sad to anyone else that we live in a day when sacrifice is a foreign word in much of the Church. In fact I would dare say that much of the call to follow Christ put forth by Jesus Himself has been greatly watered down to a point where one would have to ask the question are such people who answered the modern day call really followers of Christ at all?
Everyone seeks the blessings yet few want to be in the position to empty themselves for another. People understand the word servant in that “isn’t that what others do”? One needs but to look around and listen to other Christians talking to see that so many seem to have a dim flame of the passion at best for the lost whereas the first century Church had a bright burning FLAME.
Now I can say with full confidence that it is not because the Bible had changed over time rather that the content or delivery of message of the Bible has been twisted to suite a people who want to live in comfort rather than living a life sold out to the One who brings true comfort to those in need. I know there will be those who flare up and call me out as judging others and so be it but I write this not to judge anyone rather to judge the message of the modern day Church against the message taught in the Word. I ask with with and in the authority of Gods Holy Word where is the fruit of ones salvation?
Have we become so spiritually blind that we can not see that this nation right now reaping what it has spiritual sown for the past 50 plus years? Have we gone to far? I would emphatically say no, for the mercy of God is there still waiting for His House to humble itself, repent for its neglect and love of the world and turn back to Him as its first love.
Ye the hour is urgent and we must turn back to the foundational teaching of our faith as found in the Word of God from which we can clearly see that the radical call to follow Christ has not changed. For at this time I would I dare say that if Paul or Peter where alive today they would rightly dispute that what some consider today as being an overly radical follower of Jesus Christ was in fact normal Christianity in the first century. Or the real question to consider would they even recognize the average go to Church on Sunday believer as a true follower of the Master they submitted and committed their lives to follow even unto death.
So in light of how Jesus called people to follow Him and the definition to which Christ said would define a true follower, one must ask Am I a “Luke-warm Christian”. The following is a list of what might be considered a Luke-warm Christian was derived from Francis Chan’ book Crazy love as he explored this very subject:
1. Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians do, so they go. (Isaiah 29:13)
2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church…as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? (1 Chronicles 21:24; Luke 21:1-4)
3. Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives (Luke 6:26; Rev. 3:1; Matthew 23:5-7).
4. Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one (John 10:10; Romans 6:1-2).
5. Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers (James 1:22; James 4:17; Matthew 21:28-31).
6. Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion (Matthew 10:32-33).
7. Lukewarm people gauge their morality or “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street (Luke 18:11-12).
8. Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives (Luke 9:57-62).
9. Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; it’s only for pastors and missionaries and radicals (Matthew 22:37-38).
10. Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached (Matthew 5:43-47; Luke 14:12-14).
11. Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money and energy they are willing to give (Luke 18:21-25).
12. Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come. Regarding this, C.S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this” (Philippians 3:18-20; Colossians 3:2).
13. Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out, “Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the love of money is.” Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel “Called” to minister to the rich; very few feel “called” to minister to the poor (Matthew 25:34, 40; Isaiah 58:6-7).
14. Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them. They ask, “How far can I go before it’s considered a sin?” instead of “How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?” They ask, “How much do I have to give?” instead of “How much can I give?” They ask, “How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible? Instead of “I wish I didn’t have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer!” (1 Chronicles 29:14; Matthew 13:44-46).
15. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God (1 Timothy 6:17-18; Matthew 10:28).
16. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation” (Matthew 7:21; Amos 6:1)
17. Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens-they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God (Luke 12:16-21; Hebrews 11).
18. Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong (Matthew 23:25-28).
Written by Russ Welch
Radical Disciples - A Remnant Revolution 