Lukewarm And Loving It

Have you ever tasted a warm coke after it has sat in your vehicle on a hot summer day? Or how about taking a sip of coffee that has sat on the desk for a few hours?It just about makes you want to gag!

This is what we call lukewarm. The Bible talks a little about this in Revelation.

¹⁵ “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! ¹⁶But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Revelation 3:15-16.

Context is key in this passage. We can easily miss the original meaning if we don't keep in mind that John the writer of Revelations is talking to the 7 churches in the province of Asia. Did you catch that? To the church of Laodicea. The church was neither cold, refusing to follow Christ. It was neither hot as people were not filled with passion. I think it is possible that being lukewarm is the normal response of those in America. The people in this church were lukewarm, hypocrites. They professed to know Christ but they didn't truly belong to Him (Matthew 7:21). Does this sound similar to today's culture?

Cold? Could it be possible that we love being lukewarm. We are so close to the line of sin that we can tell ourselves we are okay. We can tie together the right words to lose the conviction of sin. We blame our sin upon what the culture around us believes and we blend into what is normal. Conformity is the goal.

Hot? We are so close to hungering after God but we do not want people to notice. Are we more afraid of what people think than what God thinks? Holiness is the goal.

In my own walk with God, the times I become lukewarm in my heart is when I am thinking only of myself. The sanctifying work of Christ continually pushes the fear of God into our heart. A reverential awe of who God is! You see, without knowing it, we might be lukewarm and love it.

One of the ways I have seen God bring personal and corporate revival is when we see God for who He really is. We are changed because of who God is! The God of the universe who holds the world in His hands has become our salvation. This is the greatest news!

I believe that the complete dependence upon God for salvation when we say "yes" to Jesus, is the same as we walk with Him on a daily basis. I believe that a daily hunger for this relationship with God will burn away the coldness in our flesh. We will burn anew because of His love. Daily. Don't miss this.

Following Jesus is not a one time decision. It is beyond church attendance. Being on fire is not an event. It is a lifelong, daily pursuit.

And there is nothing lukewarm in that.

Source Vision Kickoff!

[vimeo 56712859 w=600 h=350] Source United Kickoff Night from Source Student Ministries on Vimeo.

Source SM Recap: Volume #22

Current Series: “United Vision Night" Main Thought: Uniting Source to the vision to lead students to imitate Christ and influence the world. The Word: 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Timothy 4:12, Matthew 28:19-20.

Message explanation: We started 2013 with our vision of leading students to imitate Christ and influence the world with the gospel. We want to help students see that in order to be a student ministry (rather than just a group mentality) we need to have room in our hearts for people who need the love of Jesus.

I read this letter to the student to put it in perspective:

I was a visitor in your youth group a while ago. I only came once and I sat in the back, so you probably didn’t notice me. I’m not even sure why I went; I just heard about it and thought I’d check it out. It was an interesting service, a little different than what I was used to. You all seemed to be good friends with each other, but I felt like I was on the outside looking in. Oh, you came up and greeted me during the appropriate part of the service and most of you seemed sincere. But afterward no one sat with me or seemed to care. In my own way, I was trying to reach out for help. I probably looked a little tough by the way I dressed; maybe I intimidated you. But I wish one of you would’ve tried to get to know me. Instead I saw you sitting with your friends, having a good time. I never came back. I’m sure you didn’t notice.

Sincerely, The Visitor

Source student ministry exists to lead students to Jesus, connect them to the Church @ The Springs, help them grow in their faith, and challenge them to influence the world.

Goals for 2013:

Found people find people. Because we have been found by Jesus, we need to invest into relationships with others.

Growing students have room for more students. We want more students to know Jesus, but we want each person to be known, loved and cared for in small groups. Small group leaders are crucial in this process. They are another voice to help students navigate their struggles, questions and pain. Key words: Acceptance. Safe place. Openness. Encouragement. Support. Life change.

  Saved people serve people: Our mission is to lead students to serve others. Students are a part of Church @ The Springs. We should have so many students serving that when we are gone to camp, they will have a hard time filling the spots!

Element of Fun: We had leaders up front playing the cup stack game from minute to win it.

Music: Not Ashamed, Search My Heart, The Church, Revelation Song, Only to You, Your Presence is Heaven to Me (closing).

 Favorite Moment: One middle school student decided to follow in baptism! We emphasized three boards for students to write down their prayers and hopes for three areas in 2013. It was a moving experiences to read the boards and what students wrote down to pray for this new year! 

What’s Next: We are starting our new series, "Awaken a Generation" through Isaiah 6:1-8!