Jesus is Calling

Do you think you are good? Do you cuss less than others, drink less than others, give to charities, or tithe your 10 %? Do you read your bible and go to church when you can?

If you answered yes, that doesn't ensure you have an eternity with Christ.

Do you give all you have or would you sell everything you have for God? Would your life look any different if you stopped believing in God?

In Luke 12:13-21, God speaks to us through a parable. There was a man worried about his crops so he took matters into his own hands and made room for them. "But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared- whose will those be? That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." How many of us depend on ourselves to figure everything out and rely on our understanding?

A lukewarm Christian life may not look very different if they stopped believing in God. I recently read a book named 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan. The fourth chapter is named the lukewarm Christian. I was very interested and excited to read this chapter. The definition of a lukewarm christian is saying you follow Jesus but really in your heart you don't. It's when your actions and heart for God don't match.

When I was in 8th grade I remember going to a Wednesday night church service in Pontotoc. I cannot remember the church, but I remember the pastor preaching about reflecting on our lives. He introduced me to the term "lukewarm." At this time the thought was very unfamiliar. Even though I grew up in church, I had never been taught about this. The preacher told the congregation that lukewarm Christians would be condemned to Hell. Of course that topic kept my young frightened mind intrigued because I 100% did not want to go to Hell. He told us lukewarm Christians believed in Jesus, but didn't give their life to Him. As I sat there among my friends and peers, I was embarrassed to admit that I was in fact a lukewarm Christian. I knew I wasn't living my life for Him. I was living for the acceptance of the world. The preacher ended his message with this question, Are you living your life for Him, or for you? I answered the question in my head and I wasn't proud of it, but I also didn't do anything about it.

Years went by where I lived almost a double life, it just depended on who I was with. On Fridays, and really any day of the week, I did and acted just how I wanted. Then, on Sunday's I would put on my nice dress and make-up, go to church, and act all holy and good.

Now, in 'Crazy Love' chapter four gives many examples of lukewarm Christians. A few that hit home for me are:

1. Lukewarm People attend church regularly because it is expected of "good Christians."

-Isiah 29:13 says, "Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote"

2. Lukewarm People give money to charity and the church.. as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living.

-Luke 21:1-4 says, " He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins. "I tell you the truth ," he said. "This poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on."

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 the 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.

-Revelation 3:1, "I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead."

-Matthew 23:5-7, "They do everything to be observed by others: they enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love the place of honor at banquets, the front row seats in the synagogues, greetings in the the marketplace, and to be called Rabbi by people."

4. Lukewarm People don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want to be saved from the penalty of their sin.

- Matthew 13; 44 says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field."

5. Lukewarm People say they love Jesus and He is a part of their lives. But they only give a section of their lives, He isn't allowed to control it.

These few descriptions really opened my eyes. Some of these describe me and people I know. The first description explains a lot of Christians around me. We think "being good and sweet" is 'good enough' to be a Christian. Why be 'good enough?' Being good enough is not giving everything in your life or your whole life to God. Even during school I find myself trying to control my classwork when I should trust God in everything like I am called to do in Proverbs 3:5-7. Although America is labeled as a Christian nation doesn't mean we get to spend eternity with our Father. Matthew 7:21 says, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord! will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven."

The third description number was one that made me ponder a little more. I am a people pleaser and I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing yet. When making decisions, I have always thought about what others might think of me or how they would respond. I want everyone to be proud of me and have good things to say about me. This is not Christ-like according to to Luke 6:26 and Galatians 1:10.

The more we dig into God's word the more unholy we find ourselves, proving we need Jesus. We need His grace and mercy. How can we look at the cross and not give our entire life to Him? The description of a lukewarm Christian is not so we can judge one another, but to evaluate ourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5. My prayer for myself and for you is to be less selfish and to mature so we can be more like Christ each day. Lukewarm Christians aren't truly Christians. You are either, all in or all out. Where do you fall? If you don't like where you are, change it. As Elevation Worship put it, "leave behind your regrets and mistakes, come today there's no reason to wait, Jesus is calling." Give up your worldly treasures and be His slave as you were called to be.

-TK