Our community group is reading through "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and discussing it together when we meet on Sundays. This evening we met and talked about chapter four which is titled "Profile of the Lukewarm." This has definitely been the most convicting and best chapter yet. I haven't read ahead in the book so I'm not sure if it's the best chapter in the whole book, but it definitely led our group into some very intimate, soul searching, discussions tonight.
In the opening of chapter four Francis mentions the parable of the sower and the different meanings of four types of soil. The seed (God's Word) that fell on the path was trampled on and quickly taken away, the seed that feel on the rocks had no roots, the seed that fell on thorns was choked out from the plants, and the seed that fell on good soil grew and produced lots of fruit.
Most of us Christians think we're good soil. I mean, why not? Why wouldn't we be? We go to church, we profess with our tongues that we believe Christ died for our sins, we say our prayers, we serve on Sundays.... we're good soil type of people.
Francis then tells us,
"Do not assume you are good soil".
Being of good soil means you're NOT a lukewarm Christian.
Of course
you're not lukewarm. Maybe not a "radical", but definitely not lukewarm.
Okay. Do me a favor and read some of the ways Francis describes lukewarm people and examine yourself. I didn't include all of them from the book, but I included most of them.
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE attend church fairly regularly. It's what's expected of them, what they believe 'good Christians' do, so they go" (Chan, pg 68).
"The Lord says" 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up of only rules taught be men" (Isaiah 29:13).*
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE give money to charity and to the church... as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living (Chan, pg 69).
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasure. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on'" (Luke 21:1-4).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin... Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one" (Chan, pg 70).
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for 'extreme' Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call 'radical' what Jesus expected of all of his followers" (Chan, pg. 70-71).
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people feel uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion" (Chan, pg 71).
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10: 32-33).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's one for pastors and missionaries and radicals" (Chan, pg 73).
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment" (Matthew 22: 37-38).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give" (Chan, pg 74).
"'All these [commandants] I have kept since I was a boy', he said, When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!' Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God'" (Luke 18:21-25).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE think about life on earth much more often than eternity in Heaven" (Chan, pg 75).
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be "good enough" without it requiring too much of them... They ask, 'How far can I go before it is considered a sin?... How much do I have to give?... How much time should I spend praying and reading my bible?'" (Chan, pg 76).
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went way and sold everything he had and bought it" (Matthew 13: 44-46).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America" (Chan, pg 78).
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
"LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably drink and swear less than the average, but besides that, they really aren't that very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong" (Chan, pg 79).
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23:25-28).
So, what do you think? How do you feel about your relationship with Christ? Pretty convicting stuff, isn't it?
Francis then goes on to explain that everyone of us messes up and we all sin. No one is perfect, but even though we're sinners, we're called to live a life that is far beyond anything that is normal and average. Christ didn't call some of us to be "radicals" by picking up our crosses and following him daily. He called ALL of us to live in such a way.
"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).
~Ash
*Italics on scripture added by me.
