This week, Michael says, most people who attend church take church casually. Casual means occurring occasionally, superficially, without serious intent. The job of the church is to challenge men and women to be all they can be according to the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the main missions of church is to equip and inspire them to live the great commission. Most churches ask congregants to attend worship regularly, serve diligently and to give generously. Other than these three things, they don’t ask much. Casual is similar to average. Average is the norm, according to the standard of mediocrity. The church at Laodicea was average and lukewarm in awesome enthusiasm. Lukewarm is tepid, ordinary and customary. Ordinary lacks elation and refinement. God said, because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
The course of this world is course, ordinary, and lacking in superior value. Unexceptional is the norm according to the world’s standard. However, extraordinary rises above the standards of the world. We’re extraordinary because of God’s remarkable and amazing grace. By His grace we’ve been separated from the dark sin of this world to the higher standard of His Word. The world calls good evil and evil good. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. God has called men and women who know whom they have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which He’s committed to them against that day of righteous judgement.
The Jewish people of Jesus’ time wanted Him to be their earthly king. However, Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. The Pharisees asked him, “What’s your plan?” Jesus pointed to a few lowly Galilean fishermen and a tax collector and said, those men over there, they’re the plan. He didn’t see them as they were … He saw them as they would become. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the base and the despised things of this world to nullify the things the things that are not, so that he who boasts should boast only in the Lord. Jesus’ message was a message of paradox. He said that to be lifted up high, you need to become lowly. To be rich you must become poor. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must empty yourself of self.
Many pastors today are insecure, isolated, lonely. A Korean Pastor said, you forgot to add fearful. If that’s what Christian pastors are like, then what are the church members like? What’s the profile of the average church goer? Their under challenged spiritually and have needs to consider carefully to find something to which they can dedicate their life. They seem trapped in insignificance. They struggle with guilt and shame. They don’t understand the true meaning of grace. They are cultural Christians instead of a biblical Christian. The world has indoctrinated them so that they can’t say, “I was wrong, I’m sorry, or I love you.”
Let's continue Michael's message on "being a Christian" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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