When a regular churchgoer’s next generation falls away from the faith, it can cause more than a shake-up in the family unit. Wounds run deep because of this; repair appears to be quite a long shot! As the blame game hunts for culpable parties, it is blatantly clear that the parents of the one falling away should not be totally accountable for the slip-up. What started this train wreck?
It is all boiling down to one thing – a lukewarm pulpit! All very well said in Revelation 3:17. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. ” Such an earthly institution takes it for granted that all is very well and cool; what do they really need when they have a pastor that is almost at par with a rock star. Then there are those intricately choreographed Sunday services against the backdrop of state-of-the-art sound systems. Tastefully furnished pews accompanied by sumptuous snacks after the conclusion of the day’s proceedings.
From a purely secular angle, it all appears to be the case of not lacking anything. But everything is way off target. Whatever has been mentioned above is purely material stuff. Does this address the subject of an individual’s eternal destiny? Definitely not the case! It might be themed as a feel-good sort of set-up, but it fails by huge margins when the Counsel of God is absent. Material opulence is no remedy for spiritual poverty!
Someone who fits the party animal label might wallow through all this fanfare. There is no such thing as a perpetual party animal simply because life on this fast-failing planet is pockmarked with a host of jarring reality checks. There is an unavoidable need for breathing spaces versus all the likeness of a non-stop discotheque, if not high society clubhouse! If a church cannot provide that cooler bag slot, then there is a need to consider other options.
The earlier mentioned verse of Holy Writ is spot on with the use of words like wretched, blind, poor, miserable and naked. At least one if not all of these adjectives apply to almost every member of a lukewarm church. The older folk live with it, but what about their offspring? They could tag along merrily in their formative years, but come teenagehood – that is where they will start asking questions. More so when they are bombarded with seductive alternatives through their smartphones. At these tender stages of development, anything catching their appeal goes – hook, line and sinker. Then there is that irresistible lure of social media.
It will come to that point when what the pulpit offers is overwhelmed by these other options. By late teens through to early adulthood, the die could be cast when they experience cognitive dissonance of a mind-boggling nature. They more than visualize the disconnect between meaningless sermons versus the challenges of the world outside the pews. At best, they could log into an online service and sleep through half of it should there be little encouragement. Worst of all, they could mouth the lyrics of REM’s “Losing my Religion” if not David Bowie’s “Modern Love” while cooling it off in a long bath!
When a young man or woman gets to that state, it sounds like everything is as good as lost. They could embrace other beliefs versus the Truth besides being at the mercy of malevolent spirits of deception that masquerade in the form of yoga, Reiki and Kundalini. This is when things really get very nasty! Are not these sufferers wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked? Even if this pack of horrors does not pummel them, one thing sure would. Worldliness! They will live without God in their own weaknesses, even to the extent of being blind to it. Or be like a naked character once bitten by the moment of reckoning!
If you really want to take more than a shot when it comes to trying to get them back to the Lord, kindly read and reflect on the contents of Ephesians 6:12. A lukewarm church has cordially invited the enemy to wreak havoc on the flock. Spiritual warfare is a reality, so first of all, don’t go in full frontal on your own strengths because the powers, principalities and evil forces in high places will have a field day at your expense. You sure have a substantial to-do list.
- Helmet of salvation
- Breastplate of righteousness
- Shield of faith
- Loins girded with truth
- Sword of the Spirit in the Living Word
- Feet shod with the Gospel of peace
Quite a mouthful, but be assured that the Holy Spirit is more than willing to give you a helping hand in all this. It primarily involves a mindset reconfiguration, but it can be almost painless provided you believe in the power of Christ versus your own through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Most important of all, walk out of that lukewarm church that has everything rooted in lawlessness. You could be better off walking with the Lord in the event you have difficulty finding a church that leans to the Truth. Lukewarmness equals deception that leads to perdition and ultimate destruction!
Yours in Christ
Edwin
Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com