Awakening a Comfortable Church

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

"Many churches today have wonderful buildings, faithful congregations, dependable supporters, encouraging weekly services, but something is missing.  Like the believers in Laodicea, our modern church is missing a zealousness for Christ."

Would any coach want an entire team of content mediocre football players, playing for him? Would any business want a whole company of uninterested employees working for them? Would any pastor want to eagerly lead a congregation of happily complacent believers?

Jesus is the Founder and Chief Shepherd of the church. In straight forward terms He condemns any of His congregations that are filled with these type of contented mediocre, uninterested and complacent followers. There was once a church just like this, and Jesus wrote them a letter saying, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 2:15-16)

Jesus used temperature language to illustrate where this church stood in relationship with Him. They did not have a cold distant relationship, nor a passionate one. They were somewhere in the middle, which Jesus forcefully called, lukewarm.

The church had good biblical doctrine. The congregation was morally upright. They were not lazy, but a group of doers, always getting much done in the church. Consequently, their divine rebuke did not result from their beliefs, morals or activity. Instead, it came from their attitude toward their Chief Shepherd. They acknowledged Him, talked about Him, but they did not operate their church, nor live their lives in dependency on Him. And anyone that visited the church could sense this. They may not have been able to put their finger on it, but there was something or rather, someone missing. Jesus.

This is the state of so many churches today. They have wonderful buildings, faithful congregations, dependable supporters, encouraging weekly services, but something is missing. Jesus says to them what He said to the Laodicean church, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:19) Like the believers in Laodicea, the church today is missing a zealousness for Christ. This is another temperature word referring to hot or boiling. There is no burning passion for Jesus. There is no boiling love for Him. Just a contented lukewarmness. And people can feel it. Amidst the solid teaching, friendliness, good programming, something is missing.

In love for His church, Jesus comes to its door and patiently, but steadfastly knocks. All the while, the door remains unknowingly closed to dependency on Him. Even so, He knocks, waiting for anyone in the church to come and welcome Him back in. If they refuse, He will “spit them out of His mouth.” But if they respond and turn from their lukewarmness to a renewed walk with Him, He offers a great promise of blessing upon them.

My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, take time to examine the spiritual condition of your church and your own walk with Christ. Where is the passion for Jesus? Where is the boiling love for Him? Where is the heavenly zeal? This is not about feelings, but about the bent of one’s whole life and the spiritual state of a congregation.

Listen to Jesus’ loving and persuasive words to His precious bride, “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. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev. 3:20-22)

Hear the Spirit’s call to His church and respond. May we, the church, repent of our lukewarmness and be awakened to a fresh zeal for Christ, the one who died in our place.

A prayer for you. “Shepherd of the church. Search our hearts. Point out if we have strayed from you and lost our zeal. We repent of our love for the world and dependency on ourselves. We turn to you asking that you pour out upon us a renewed passion and love that burns with a raging fire, that nothing in this world can extinguish. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”