Revelation 3:16

 

I want to tell you about our lukewarm members. I’ll not call them by name. I am afraid I would miss somebody! But I’ll draw you a picture.
He looks like this:

1. He attends fairly regularly. Oh, he will miss on some occasions. For instance, if one of the children gets sick, and the entire family can’t worship,
he’ll stay home too. Or, if company comes he’ll miss the morning service, because he can go at night and take the Lord’s Supper. Or, if he is a little
“under the weather” he finds it easy to miss. But generally, he is at the services.

2. He attends quite often on Sunday night, but he will miss the evening service a little easier, a little more often, then he will miss the morning
service. The weather can get too cold and the roads too bad to come back at night, especially if he was present that morning. And he comes some on Wednesday nights, but he misses them even more often than he does the
Sunday night service.

3. He worships in the proper form—in fact, he may even be insistent that certain traditions are followed. He sings - if he is in the mood for it, and
if it is a song he knows and likes. Otherwise he will look around, observingly, at the other worshipers and make mental memos ofsome of the
sour notes he hears. He takes the Lord’s Supper - nearly every Sunday - but he seldom
really thinks of the cross when he does. He gives when he is present, however, he sometimes finds it convenient to cut his contribution to
accommodate the monthly bills which seem to get bigger and bigger each time. Too, he sometimes sends his contribution to other places because “I don’t like some of the things that go on here.”

4. He prays in private - but only in times of distress or when he feels a special need.

5. He reads the Bible, but only occasionally. However, he intends to form the habit of daily Bible reading soon. He has started a few times in the past, only to get side tracked within a few days.

6. He makes a few visits in the interest of the church - but most of his invitations are general, and indefinite, then he makes excuses for his friends.
7. He is ALWAYS dissatisfied with the zeal of others, and complains at the shortcomings of the church. But he is happy - at least not critical - of his own
zeal.

8. He is quick to blame the church for any of his own shortcomings - it is the fault of the church if his children lose interest, if he does not grow spiritually himself, etc. Apparently, he takes no account of the spiritual growth of others who hear the same sermons and attend the same Bible classes! He fails to reason that if they can grow, he can too.

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