Lukewarm for God

PRAY: "Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" (Psalm 66:20).

READ: Revelation 3:14-22

REFLECT: People who are passionate about God today are often labeled "extremists." A society that worships a valueless form of tolerance is threatened by anyone who knows what they believe and is willing to talk about it. Of course, we shouldn't try to cram our beliefs down the throats of others; that does more harm than good. But there's nothing wrong with making God our first priority; that's what he wants (Matthew 6:33).

No one would ever accuse the church in Laodicea (vv. 14-22) of being a bunch of religious extremists; they were lukewarm for God, which really bothered Jesus (vv. 15-16). It still does. For the Laodiceans, it was their wealth that had dulled their passion for the things of God (v. 17). Those of us who have material possessions should be thankful for what we have, but we should also heed this warning to the Laodiceans; it's impossible to love both God and money (Matthew 6:24). It's like trying to marry two people at the same time; it just doesn't work.

There are two other ideas in this passage worth pondering. The first is the connection between discipline and love (v. 19). Sometimes, we may think that when bad things happen, God is out to get us. That may be so, but he's out to get us to repent, as Jesus makes clear (v. 19). The fact is, God has an extreme love for us, so much so that he sent his Son to die for our sins (John 3:16;1 John 4:9).

The second idea is a word picture that communicates how much Jesus wants to be with us (v. 20). When I was growing up, it seemed like every Sunday school classroom had the same picture of a fair-haired Jesus knocking on a door in some garden. Those pictures may have been a little schmaltzy, but they communicated an important truth to me: Jesus is waiting for me to invite him into my life.

APPLY: How would you characterize your relationship with Jesus right now–on fire, on ice, or lukewarm? Why?

PRAY: Pray about one way you could show your love for God this week, no matter what people think about you.

Discussion Questions for "The Early Church of Jesus"

If Jesus came to your church, what do you think he'd say? What message might Jesus have for the churches in your country?

Is it good that, in general, the church of the West doesn't face persecution? How can a congregation remain faithful when they live in peace and prosperity?

How can a church that's become large, wealthy, and powerful keep Jesus as its first love? Do you know of any examples?

How can a person who's become successful keep Jesus as his or her first love? Do you know of any examples?

Do you think Christians today have become too tolerant or too extreme? Why?

If you find yourself in a dead church, how can you know when it's time to move to a new church or stay and try to improve things? Have you ever been in this situation? What happened?

Have you ever felt lukewarm in your relationship with God? Have you ever been in a church that felt that way? What could you do to help your church "stay awake"?

The Essential Jesus (Part 19): The Second Coming of Jesus

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