We have heard of people doing crazy things for God. They leave their jobs, household, and walk out for the sake of the Gospel. We can read a description of people in the bible who did that , especially in Hebrews 11: 8 – 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Radical living was not only for the early church believers, but is what the church of today is also called to.
Christians were called to live like the early church believers who denied themselves, took up their crosses, sold their possessions to the poor, and shared everything they had.
Feeling a sense of frustration with ‘comfortable’ Christianity.
It wasn’t just for the apostles. It wasn’t just for the early believers. It’s for us today.”
He lamented that Christians were too often “missing it” – the level of commitment and passion to spreading the Gospel demonstrated by the early church.
“You go to church these days and you stare forward and sing a couple of songs and listen to the message and go home,” he said.
“Haven’t you wondered how come everyone’s so content and everyone acts like this is the norm and this is ok when in your heart it’s driving you crazy and it doesn’t square with Scripture?”
He said it was easy for Christians to say “Amen” to sharing in the fellowship, resurrection and glory of Christ, but not so easy for them to say “Amen” when it came to sharing in His sufferings.
Even though it could be difficult, Chan told Christians it was in the midst of the danger and conflict that came with going out into the world and making disciples that the real peace of Jesus could be experienced.
Deception/ Conviction:
When we read the Bible, feel convicted, not do anything about the conviction.
It becomes easier to read the Bible, feel convicted and do nothing about our convictions.
Eventually it becomes a habit, a very dangerous habit. We start deceiving ourselves. We need to call for introspection in our lives.
What could be worse – A church that has terrible teaching and very little Christian action or a church with excellent teaching but very less Christian action. Of course the latter.
It says in Matthew 11: 21
21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
We are exposed to so much but how does it play out in my life?
Over the period of time, we are able to assume the lives of people. We look at them, they look very godly, holy Christians but internally the truth is something else.
Revelation 3: 1b – 4 I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
If we were to interview your family, friends, people around about who you are, what would they say about you? What is your ‘Reputation’? However, if God were to tell about you, what would He say? What is your reputation with God? He might just say, we have a reputation but we are dead. A reputation of being alive but dead. Will Jesus confess our name before the Father? God looks at the ‘Character ’ and not our external reputation. My deeds stand before God. It’s so silly to consider our reputation when there’s something big to come.
Eg. I know I am going to hell but my reputation is such that people think I am in heaven. Atleast, I have the reputation of going to heaven.
I need to be honest with surrender. We have an incongruent life.
Matthew 7: 2121 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
We would have a reputation but there would be no love. It’s a fear, it’s like jumping out of the plane with a back pack, and trying to assume it’s a parachute. It’s a concern. Above all, it’s a deception. What I am in public is very incongruent of who I am with God and internally.
A lot of people think about this incongruency but they never speak up. What’s the difference between a dead person and me? They are dead but we are dead in trespasses of sin, without the Holy Spirit. We ought to become alive and regenerated.
When I am right with God, my relationship with God would cry out to Him as ‘Abba Father’. He’s the Lord of my life. It’s not about reputation.
John 3: 16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 14: 12
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Incongruency in believing God’s word. I doubt the latter when we compare these verses, because I able to believe the first but I am not able to believe the latter. That’s very strange.
“I feel very concerned for those people who walk into these buildings we call church and think they are Christians because they said a prayer and made a decision,” he said.
“Saying a prayer means nothing if there’s no follow through.”
He continued: “Where’s the obvious truth and where’s the obedience cos I think we’ve missed some obvious things and created a system that doesn’t really make sense and we’ve done that because we don’t really want to live out Christianity, we don’t really want to become like Christ.
“Do you really want to be like Christ – rejected your whole life, spit upon, crucified? … We don’t want that part of Christ and yet it is those times when we are rejected for the Gospel that we really feel the peace and come to remotely resemble Jesus.”
Revelation 3: 15b I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Vs. 19 says 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Therefore become zealous and repent. I’ll change your heart of stone – come to me.
Example of his grandmother: You are so big. But people don’t realize that they are so small. Look at my friends out there.
Is it that I am so holy or is it that I live in a place where godliness is not lifted up? Is it because people around me are so luke warm that they find me hot or full of passion for God.
I am lukewarm has to be changed. We need to be passionate about the biblical truths, we can’t be so casual. We ought to know Jesus and not make it an element of faking it. Don’t doubt your salvation, that is, becoming so sure of salvation and become lukewarm or we may suddenly doubt our salvation and fake it.
I need a new heart. I want my Spirit to cry out ‘Abba Father’.
Let’s pray.
Courtesy: Pastor Francis Chan
Sandra wife of Virjil . The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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