Lukewarm Praising

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"  (Matthew 21:8-9 NIV)

I really enjoy worship and praise music.  I know that might sound strange to you, but I really do.  I find myself looking for Christian radio stations everywhere I go.  Now, with the invention of data streaming and apps, I can listen to these stations and even my own playlists on my phone.  Praise God!

There are times when I find myself lost in the music and lyrics while I'm reading, writing, or working on some of my "task list."  I get lost in the praise, worship, and enjoying the Glory of God.  I can see how easy it would have been to join in with the crowd that day when Jesus riding through the town as "King."  I most probably would have been singing more than one chorus of , "Hosanna in the highest!"

Then the music dies down.  I have a meeting to attend.  I move on with my day.  Do my words and actions continue to show Praise and Worship to my King?  I'm not saying I need to break out into song during meetings with people.  I am saying, though, that the way I treat people should be an act of worship, too.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

I don't want my praise to be hollow, shallow, or unworthy.  I don't want my worship to be short-sighted, short-lived, or false.  I don't want to be lukewarm in worship and praise.  I want my whole life to be an appropriate, acceptable act of worship and praise.

Lukewarm Sharing

Then Jesus came to them and said, 
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." 
(Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

The toughest part about this "lukewarm" discussion is that most of it centers around our personal holiness.  While that's all well and good, that is only the precursor to what Jesus want's us to accomplish.

He didn't command us to go into all the world and avoid sexual immorality.  He didn't command us to go into all the world and make people tithe.  He commanded us to go make disciples of all nations - fully devoted, teaching-following disciples.  Our Commander and Chief told us to bring people to Him, baptize them in Him, and teach them to obey Him.  Those are our marching orders.

I grow weary watching how our society has convinced believers that they "can't" discuss God or religion in our schools, our workplaces, or, for that matter, in polite company.  It simply isn't done.  At the same time, we forget that we can't not discuss it.  We've been told to discuss it.  We've been commanded to discuss it.  We are given the mission to discuss it.

As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:16-17 NIV)

The woman at the well brought streams of people out to hear Jesus.  Matthew (Levi) threw a party so his "sinner" friends would meet Jesus.  We are implored by God to share with our spouse, children, parents, friends, neighbors, and enemies.  Sharing God is not an option.  It's not for the "mature" Christian.  It's for all of us.  No holding back.

Lukewarm Living

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:14-16 NIV)

One of the most dangerous teachings that the church has propagated over the last several centuries is the idea that once we are saved, we cannot lose that salvation.  God warns us otherwise.

He tells the church in Laodicea that he is about to "spit" them out.  At this point in church history there were no church buildings.  There were no doubts what the word "church" meant.  He was referring to the group of people who believed Jesus is the Christ, proclaimed Jesus as Lord, and experienced fellowship of the Holy Spirit.  They were Christians...whom God was going to spit out.

That's not the only warning He gives us, His followers:

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume His enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us. For we know the One who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge His own people." It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31 NLT)

Lukewarm living is dangerous. You never know how long God's patience will last before He decides to "spit out" even His own people. It's not good enough to simply proclaim Jesus as Lord. It never was. Lordship means, by definition, that He is in charge, He calls the shots, and that we follow Him. Anything less would be considered insubordination, going AWOL, or even...lukewarm.

Lukewarm Leaving

...Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:27-28 NIV)

I find myself challenged by my own teaching/preaching yesterday.  Francis Chan has forced me and, through me, our part of His Body to truly count the cost of following God.  Truth be known, I've been challenged by this truth for a long time now.  Chapter 4 of Chan's book, Crazy Love, simply gave me an opportunity to talk about it.

I care about people.  I love them more than I'm sure they will ever realize.  That's why, at times, ministry is so hard for me.  I've spent enough time in God's Word to have a pretty good understanding of His Design for things and how we fit into His overall Plan.  I've also learned the blessings that come from walking with Him and the problems that arise from leaving Him.  The contrast is stark.

When I try to explain all this to people, I find so many who want to know the "bare minimum" necessary to escape punishment and receive blessings.  But it just doesn't work like that.  Every place in our lives where we walk with God, we receive the blessings that go along with that place of obedience.  Every place where we leave Him or work against Him, that is a place where we will struggle.  Things in life seem "grey" because we choose to follow Him in some areas and not to follow Him in others - not because life has "grey areas" to God.  We're either with Him or against Him.  There's no half way in between.

Becoming a Christian, then is not about believing.  It's about leaving.  We have to leave our sins.  We have to leave our trust in people who do not follow Christ.  We have to leave our old ways of thinking and acting and living.  We have to be willing to leave everything behind and start painting a new picture of ourselves, our relationships, our livelihoods, and even our very lives.  Walking with God is not an addition to our current state of being.  It's a total replacement of everything we are.  We cannot make such a move half way.  We simply have to leave everything...and follow Him.

Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:27-30 NIV)