How To Know When To Change Churches

Westhat are some of the signs that a church building is growing lukewarm, much similar the Laodicean Church did?

Frog in a Pot

A church doesn't become lukewarm overnight. It takes year subsequently year for this to happen, but the tragic matter is, since it'south and then slow and gradual, many churches don't even notice it. It's like the frog on the stove. The estrus is slowly getting turned up, but it'south so slow, the frog doesn't discover, then he doesn't panic and jump out. Rather, not noticing the change, he's eventually cooked. If the frog had been tossed into hot water in the beginning, he'd have quickly jumped out, but because it was tedious but steady, the frog never noticed, and it lead to his death. The same affair can happen to churches and it happens without them even knowing information technology. Many churches take a routine where the opening prayer is followed past a song, then the collections or offerings is taken, then some other song…and all of a sudden, information technology'due south like getting dressed in the mourning. It'southward so much of a routine that information technology loses its meaning. When we worship God and come before Him, it should be annihilation but just post-obit a routine. It should be an experience where they tin can meet God. Early Church vs. Todays Church

Laodicea

When Jesus addresses the Laodicean church, He doesn't accept much good to say almost it. To brainstorm with, He instructs the Apostle John to tell them, "I know your works: you lot are neither common cold nor hot. Would that y'all were either cold or hot! So, considering you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I volition spit you out of my oral fissure" (Rev iii:fifteen-16). The more accurate clarification would exist that this church building is so lukewarm that Jesus vomits them out of His mouth because they are neither hot (on fire for Christ) or cold (refreshing to those who thirst for God), but are in fact, lukewarm, and it leaves a bad gustation in His oral fissure. Anyone who's drank lukewarm java knows information technology's not whatever good. It'due south the same with a soft drink that's gotten warm and grown flat. Let me say, that'due south a serious rebuke from Jesus. Why are they so lukewarm? In short, information technology is their prosperity, "For yous say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I demand zilch, not realizing that you lot are wretched, pitiable, poor, bullheaded, and naked" (Rev 3:17). Jesus' counsel to them is to "buy from me golden refined past fire, and so that you may be rich, and white garments so that yous may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to bless your eyes, and then that you may see" (Rev 3:xviii). They have possessions, but don't realize, spiritually-speaking, they are blind, impoverished, and poor. Their solution is to buy gold that's been refined past fire, pregnant perhaps, they demand to go through some persecution and trials because trials purify and strengthen our religion, however, they don't want that. They desire to sit in their pews and stew. They care only for themselves and their possessions. Piffling else matters to them, and that'southward why they're and so lukewarm.

Discipline and Love

You cannot have love without discipline, and you lot cannot have discipline without love, so Jesus counsels the church, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, and so exist zealous and repent" (Rev 3:xix). He loves this church, even though they're lukewarm, so Jesus reproves them by His Give-and-take and by His discipline, and that's in lodge for them to recapture their first dear…that zeal that they get-go had subsequently they were saved, so He desires that they repent, and oft discipline and reproof does that. It's nearly as if Jesus cannot get into this church building, so He'due south left continuing exterior the door. John writes, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20). The betoken is, Jesus is not inside this church, but has been pushed bated or exterior of the church, and at present He stands at the door. He knocks so they'll let Him enter, meaning He's not inside this lukewarm church. When God disciplines, He never disciplines in anger. It'due south always washed in love, considering if He didn't intendance about us, He'd let us do what nosotros want and that would terminate in disaster, then merely as a parent disciplines their child because they love and care for them, information technology's even more than so for Jesus Christ Who rebukes those He loves and chastens every kid of God (Heb 12:half-dozen-11).

Whoever Has Ears

Jesus oftentimes used the phrase, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him listen," and then this may hateful we're not listening to Christ or His Word, the Bible, thus He says to the church building at Laodicea, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev 3:22). The point is, a lot of people listen, just they don't really hear. Many people look but they don't really run across. Y'all can hear something, but if you lot don't act on information technology, do y'all actually have "ears to hear?" Jesus marks the deviation between hearing His words and doing them by maxim, "Truly, truly, I say to you lot, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). In the Parable of the Sower, only the seed that have ears to hear and then wills to act actually believe in Jesus and grow and thrive. You can say you lot believe in Jesus, but if you don't do what He commands, is that really conventionalities? I can believe in seatbelts, merely if I don't put them on, I'chiliad not listening to the government who command the states to wear them. Hearing solitary does nothing…information technology is those who practise the will of God that can really say they hear the Word of God and exercise them. Listening doesn't guarantee doing, just hearing is unlike; when we hear, we act (at least nosotros should). That's what Jesus wants the Laodicean church to do. They must repent and plough dorsum to their first love and exercise the kind of works they did when they were first saved. Leavening or yeast often represents sin in the Bible, and guess what…yeast or leavening works best in lukewarm water.

Conclusion

I believe the church needs revival. They need to repent and return to that zeal that the first century church had. They visited the sick, helped the poor, fed the hungry, went to the prisoners (Matt 25:35-36), and that was seen as doing it to Jesus (Matt 25:xl), however, if they practice nothing for Him, they are doing nothing to Him, and that'south one of the worst signs of an backslider or lukewarm church in that location is. In fact, it may reveal that they were never saved in the first identify, and the consequences of that are unspeakable (Matt 25:41-45), and tragically, for some, "these will go away into eternal penalisation, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt 25:46).

Here is some related reading for you: What is Backsliding: Is it Biblical?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible : English language standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Backslider, Laodicea, Lukewarm