Rev. 2:2-4
" 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first."
The churchy christian no doubt will offend some of you because I listed him among the ones that forgot Jesus. He could also be called religious or borderline Pharisaical. This Christian has been going to church his whole life, he never lets you forget it, and does not do the "bad things." He can keep up the skin deep Christianity that allows everyone in the church to praise him. Inside though he is rotten and has never seen himself as a sinner in need of Jesus. The key to this Christian is that he acts but does not know why and he has become lukewarm and half into in his walk.
Christians go to church but the primary purpose of the church is for outsiders. This type of Christian has forgotten Jesus because they do not interact with non Christians because it is frowned upon to hang out with people who smoke. They also go through the motions at church almost like it is a country club for people who dress and think like them.
This person can often get so caught up in church and doing this and that, that they often forget why they are doing it in the first place!
This person can often get so caught up in church and doing this and that, that they often forget why they are doing it in the first place!
Characterized by:
- Thousands of church actives and go to about them all but never really any deep change
- Looks down on those outside the church because they might stain his sweet sweater vest
- This could also be the guy doing everything right and trying real hard to “play by the rules”
- Going on mission trips, serving, staying late but not knowing why, mainly doing it because all his friends are doing it.
Futility of the Christian:
3 problems:
- No interaction with outsiders
- Forgets church is for the people outside the walls, those who do not know Jesus
- Not understand culture or arguments against Jesus and thus ineffective in giving the gospel in a way that is culturally relevant
- So wrapped up in church you forget why you are actually serving
Bottom Line:
This Christian forgets two main things:
- Jesus loves the outsiders, so we need to love them too and not care what it does to our "image."
- Why he does he do different church activities, why does he serve, why does he stay late? Is it to impress others for a shallow positive judgment or is it to help the church reach outsiders?
