Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
[ True and False Disciples ] “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.
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There seems to be an epidemic in our churches today, maybe it's always been that way? I don't know, but we have a lot of people who want to call themselves "Christian" yet they aren't really committed to what the name "Christian" represents, which is "like Christ" or "Christ follower".
There is a serious lack of commitment among Christians and churches today. There is a serious lack of people truly surrendering ALL of themselves to God in relationship and allowing God to transform them into the likeness of Christ.
We live in a world today where people are more committed to their kids sports than they are their faith. Where people are more consistent in keeping up with their hobbies than they are in their church attendance and involvement in worship and service in the local body of Christ. Where people care more about their careers or bank accounts than they do their eternity. Where people are settling for a watered-down or pathetic Christianity instead of a life-changing growing and maturing relationship with Jesus Christ.
So I'm calling you out, I'm calling myself out. We need to pick a side, choose a team, get off the fence, and decide whether we are going to live for God or give him our total heart or not? Jesus reminds us in the gospels you can't serve 2 masters, and John in Revelation tells us what God thinks of Lukewarm Christians. There obviously was a point in your life where you realized you were lost and a sinner and needed a Savior and forgiveness of sins, but what happened?
You cannot grow as a Christian if you don't take your faith serious and make it a top priority in your life. You also cannot expect to grow if you don't serve the Lord and are very inconsistent in your church attendance and involvement. If you never read or study your bible or get involved in a personal devotion or study time, if you only pray when you want something, how can you expect to grow or be totally committed?
We have too many dwindling and dying churches that are not being a church but just a religious social club of mediocrity and we have too many self-proclaimed Christians who really aren't living or doing anything to be like Christ or follow Christ. Do you see something wrong with this picture? The bible tells us we will be known by the fruit we bear, well it's hard to bear fruit when you are not planting, sowing, toiling, or growing anything.
Salvation is free gift, but it's not a free ride. I think too many people want the benefits of Heaven, but they think they can just coast all the way there and live on this earth for themselves, their desires, wants, and continue in their human nature, and if so you've missed the point of salvation, eternity, and what it means to be a member of the church body and to be a Christ follower. Being saved is a gift that only God can give and only through Jesus, but it's also just the beginning of a journey. We must totally surrender our lives to God when we ask Him to save us, or we've started out wrong, and we also must be open and willing to allow God to transform us through His Holy Spirit, but also through our efforts. If we aren't willing, never pray, never read our bibles, or never show any type of commitment to His church and desiring to learn and grow in our faith, how can we be transformed?
I am calling you and me out today. Walk the Walk. If you're going to call yourself a Christian, than make the effort, be committed, and do the work. If not, then we just make the church and the name Christian look like a joke when we call ourselves Christians, but we never change our behaviors, lifestyles, attitudes, or we never go to church consistently, or serve or give regularly, and we never spend time in prayer or God's Word.
Christianity is a relationship and any relationship will not work if we don't invest it, commit to it, and make it a priority. We should not wear the name if we aren't willing to truly commit to that relationship. Though we will never be perfect and we'll fall short, sin, and make mistakes, that is not an excuse to continue treating Christianity like an option or church like a place I'll go if I don't have anything else to do. The church is the Body of Christ and the Christian is a body part in that body and a body will not be healthy when body parts aren't growing and working.
Calling yourself a Christian or just attending a church service occasionally will not save you, being a Christians and the Church is what you should be because you are saved. Take it serious. Make it a priority. Surrender. Transform. Be a Christ follower for real.
There seems to be an epidemic in our churches today, maybe it's always been that way? I don't know, but we have a lot of people who want to call themselves "Christian" yet they aren't really committed to what the name "Christian" represents, which is "like Christ" or "Christ follower". There is a serious lack of commitment among Christians and churches today. There is a serious lack of people truly surrendering ALL of themselves to God in relationship and allowing God to transform them into the likeness of Christ.
We live in a world today where people are more committed to their kids sports than they are their faith. Where people are more consistent in keeping up with their hobbies than they are in their church attendance and involvement in worship and service in the local body of Christ. Where people care more about their careers or bank accounts than they do their eternity. Where people are settling for a watered-down or pathetic Christianity instead of a life-changing growing and maturing relationship with Jesus Christ.
So I'm calling you out, I'm calling myself out. We need to pick a side, choose a team, get off the fence, and decide whether we are going to live for God or give him our total heart or not? Jesus reminds us in the gospels you can't serve 2 masters, and John in Revelation tells us what God thinks of Lukewarm Christians. There obviously was a point in your life where you realized you were lost and a sinner and needed a Savior and forgiveness of sins, but what happened?
You cannot grow as a Christian if you don't take your faith serious and make it a top priority in your life. You also cannot expect to grow if you don't serve the Lord and are very inconsistent in your church attendance and involvement. If you never read or study your bible or get involved in a personal devotion or study time, if you only pray when you want something, how can you expect to grow or be totally committed?
We have too many dwindling and dying churches that are not being a church but just a religious social club of mediocrity and we have too many self-proclaimed Christians who really aren't living or doing anything to be like Christ or follow Christ. Do you see something wrong with this picture? The bible tells us we will be known by the fruit we bear, well it's hard to bear fruit when you are not planting, sowing, toiling, or growing anything.
Salvation is free gift, but it's not a free ride. I think too many people want the benefits of Heaven, but they think they can just coast all the way there and live on this earth for themselves, their desires, wants, and continue in their human nature, and if so you've missed the point of salvation, eternity, and what it means to be a member of the church body and to be a Christ follower. Being saved is a gift that only God can give and only through Jesus, but it's also just the beginning of a journey. We must totally surrender our lives to God when we ask Him to save us, or we've started out wrong, and we also must be open and willing to allow God to transform us through His Holy Spirit, but also through our efforts. If we aren't willing, never pray, never read our bibles, or never show any type of commitment to His church and desiring to learn and grow in our faith, how can we be transformed?
I am calling you and me out today. Walk the Walk. If you're going to call yourself a Christian, than make the effort, be committed, and do the work. If not, then we just make the church and the name Christian look like a joke when we call ourselves Christians, but we never change our behaviors, lifestyles, attitudes, or we never go to church consistently, or serve or give regularly, and we never spend time in prayer or God's Word.
Christianity is a relationship and any relationship will not work if we don't invest it, commit to it, and make it a priority. We should not wear the name if we aren't willing to truly commit to that relationship. Though we will never be perfect and we'll fall short, sin, and make mistakes, that is not an excuse to continue treating Christianity like an option or church like a place I'll go if I don't have anything else to do. The church is the Body of Christ and the Christian is a body part in that body and a body will not be healthy when body parts aren't growing and working.
Calling yourself a Christian or just attending a church service occasionally will not save you, being a Christians and the Church is what you should be because you are saved. Take it serious. Make it a priority. Surrender. Transform. Be a Christ follower for real.
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