Week Four Devotional: GPS Check!
Read
Chapter Four (Profile of the Lukewarm) and Chapter Five (Serving Leftovers to a Holy God)
Listen to PURIFY
Reflect
In Chapter Four, Francis asks some hard-hitting questions: “Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? Or are you choking it out slowly by spending too much time, energy, money, and thought on the things of the world? Are you satisfied being ‘godly enough’ to get yourself to heaven, or to look good in comparison to others?” How often have we assumed that we are good soil (referenced in the Parable of the Sower)?
Whenever we engage in the exercise of introspection, it is important to always invite the Holy Spirit to help us. We never want to self-reflect from a place of condemnation; but we earnestly desire the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The difference between the two is the direction in which we are propelled: condemnation drives us away from God; conviction draws us to Him.
Take some time, with the Holy Spirit taking the spiritual temperature of our hearts, to consider each statement below describing the Profile of the Lukewarm. Where we are found healthy, rejoice and give thanks. Where we are found lacking, take a moment to repent, meditate on the corresponding verses that Francis provides in his book, and invite God’s help to rekindle the embers of your desire for God.
Am I someone who:
Attends church regularly because that’s what is expected of “good Christians”?
Will serve God and others, give money to church and to charity so long as it doesn’t impinge on my lifestyle and / or standard of living?
Chooses what is popular over what is right when I am in conflict, so I fit in with both - those within and outside of the church?
Doesn’t really want to be saved from my sin, only the penalty of it?
Is moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet I do not act and recognise ‘radical’ as what is expected of all of Jesus’ followers?
Rarely shares my faith with my neighbours, co-workers, or friends?
Gauges my morality or goodness by comparing myself to the secular world (i.e., I’m not as bad as so-and-so down the street)?
Says I love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of my life…but only a part? Does Jesus have full control of my life?
Loves God… but not with all my heart, soul, mind and strength?
Loves others… but not as much as I love myself? Am I primarily focused on loving those who (can) love me in return, or do I love those who cannot love me back?
Thinks about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven?
Is thankful for all that I have; but doesn’t consider the poor?
Does what is necessary to keep myself from feeling too guilty?
Does not live by faith because my life is so structured so that I never have to?
Realign
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 | For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and perfect what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Take time to pray through this apostolic prayer, asking God to perfect what is lacking in your faith, causing you to abound in love more and more, and establishing you in holiness as we await His coming.
Respond
“Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter” (Tim Kizziar).
Based on what you processed in Reflect, choose three statements of which you are most convicted of and write down how you can respond practically:
In your personal walk?
In your marriage / family?
In your ministry?
As we approach RL30, let us take the next week to pray - either in our discipleship / cell groups, or in the RiverLife Prayer Room - for the Lord to set our hearts on fire again, and that we would repent as a church of our lukewarmness (Rev. 3:14-22).
PURIFY
Words and Music | Ng Hui Ting, Josh Yeoh & Lam Zhengxin
VERSE 1
Mercy, You’ve shown me mercy
It’s Your blood that rescued me
Kindness, You’ve poured out kindness
While we were enemies
PRE-CHORUS
Show me how to walk in Your ways
Put in me the fear of Your name
CHORUS
The fire of God
The flame of Love
Purify my heart on the altar
I’ll bring my life, a sacrifice
Only for You, God, I surrender
VERSE 2
Holy, come make me holy
I want to be like You
Glory, show me Your glory
You’ve torn the veil in two
BRIDGE
Refine me, make me holy
Purify me with the fire in Your eyes