THE CHURCH HAS BECOME LUKEWARM
- Kasule Jacob
- Sep 17, 2020
- 5 min read
“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 not cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelations 3:15-16).
The church has gone through different changes over the years. From the first church began in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost the gospel moved, in obedience to and fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s command (Matthew 28:18-20) to Judea, Samaria, and then to the rest of the world primarily through the ministry of Apostle Paul and his associates.
The New Testament is to a larger extent composed of books/letters written to churches that were planted by the apostles and their companions. Such letters are Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and a host of them. There’s something unique about the churches we read about in the New Testament and the churches we have today. The uniqueness is definitely not that the early Church didn’t have the technology and other equipment we now have in our churches.
The Biggest difference is found in the strong conviction the believers had about Christ and His mission. There was intentionality about wanting to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There was obedience to the revealed truth of God’s Word.
“The early Church knew its identity in Christ and that was a priceless possession for them. We don't hold the same values today like they did.”
Below are some of the things that have made the twenty-first century church become lukewarm:
1. There’s fighting in the church.
What kept the early Church together was unity and the members were committed to keeping that bond of peace. They were willing to make the sacrifice it took to stay together. We read in the book of Acts that, “All who believed were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). That statement can hardly be said about the believers today.
The church today has more factions within itself than you’ll experience or witness among unbelievers.
“If all our effort is directed towards fighting each other as believers, what do we have left to give to God’s work?”
2. More false teachers have risen from within the body of Christ and are devouring the sheep.
Apostle Paul predicted that this would happen. In his address to the elders of the churches in Ephesus he said, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).
The threat of false teachers that Paul warned about is so real today. These fierce wolves and their mushrooming churches and heretical teachings are growing by the day and the Church that has been entrusted with the truth is silent. We need to respond with the same kind of urgency that Jude had in addressing the threats of false teachers. Jude writes, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
The church (it’s people) have stopped contending for the faith. Many both don’t care what happens to God’s Word, or are themselves guilty of twisting the Scripture for selfish gain.
“If we are doing what false teachers doing, if we are on endorsing their work, what authority do we have to speak against what they do?”
3. Many shepherds either don’t care or are feeding on the flock
One of the saddest things today is that there are so many pastors and spiritual leaders who view the church as a business. Several church plants and church splits have occurred in the past 50 years as a business venture.
For many of these people, shepherding is not a ministry or service to the Lord and His people but and opportunity to make money. If money is the motivation there’s no telling how far a person will go to succeed, even if that might mean lying, cheating, stealing, or twisting scriptures to support such behaviors.
4. Entertainment on the sanctuary has replaced solid, expository bible teaching and preaching and we like it.
The twenty-first century church has failed to differentiate between the sacred and the secular; we have failed to cut the line between worship and entertainment; and as a result many of our churches have become disco halls instead of a worship sanctuary.
The only difference sometimes is found in the songs played but the dances, the environment and everything else will make it difficult for one to believe they are in the presence of God.
“There’s a big difference between performing and ministering. God has called the Church to the latter, not the former.”
We are guilty many a time of giving more attention and time to things that entertain us than to the faithful, expository preaching of the Word of God.
5. We have stopped talking about sin because we want numbers.
In our pursuit to be accommodative, many churches have stopped talking about sin and evil because they don’t want to lose numbers. Such churches and their leaders have resorted to fearing man other than fearing God. Their mission has changed from honoring God to honoring man.
Because a lot of churches are not preaching Christ crucified, preaching about the sin problem and the only remedy we have in Christ, the church is full of either lukewarm believers or none believers in sheep’s clothing.
And so the fire of God’s word is getting dimer by the day and we are not bothered by it. As a church we need to be more concerned about quality than quantity.
If we are going to be the Church Christ died for, the people He redeemed by His blood; the church that is united and not afraid to speak the truth, we will need to love God with all we are and hate sin with the same passion.
Time for slumbering is over, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).
Kasule Jacob (MTS) is the founder of Galactic Foundation Ministries in Uganda. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA. He is the Senior Pastor of Acacia Community Church in Jinja, Uganda; a Bible teacher with East African Outreach Pastor Training Center and an Adjunct lecturer of New Testament Greek, Church History, Hermeneutics, Bible & Family and Quasi Christian Religions at Uganda Baptist Seminary.
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