Don’t Bother?

To obey is better than sacrifice
I don’t need your money I want your life
And I hear you say that I’m coming back soon
But you act like I’ll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet
How you thrive on milk but reject my meat
And I can’t help weeping at how it will be
If you keep on ignoring my word

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want more than Sundays and Wednesday nights
‘Cause if you can’t come to me everyday
Then don’t bother coming at all

That’s a pretty full on song!
And when Keith Green wrote it a lot of people, even some of his friends, were concerned about that last line, that it might offend a lot of Christians, and make them feel condemned.
A lot of people advised him to soften that last line. But he kept it.

Didn’t Yeshua himself say the same thing when he told Yohannes to write to the church at Laodicea?
“I know your works, that you’re neither cool nor boiling. You ought to be either cool or boiling. So then, because you’re lukewarm, and neither boiling nor cool, I’m about to spew you out of my mouth.”

Yeshua wants you to be boiling, but he would rather you were stone cold than lukewarm.
(BTW: all the “you”s here are singular. This message is for individuals in the church, not for the church itself.
Is it for you?)

From what I see there are a lot of lukewarm Christians out there.
And even myself, I know I could be hotter.

In another of his songs, “Asleep in the Light”, Keith Green wrote these lines:

How can you be so dead
When you’ve been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave
And you - you can’t even get out of bed

Maybe Keith Green’s friends were right. Maybe this kind of message does offend people.
Maybe that explains why so many sermons are all so nice and encouraging. Kind of wishy washy compared with this.
So many pastors today need to keep the church on side or they’ll lose their salary.
But a pastor should be able to preach whatever Yahweh has put on his heart for his people.

Yahweh told Yisheyah, (Isaiah), “This people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honour me, but they have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught.”

That’s just religion. It’s not the spirit of God changing lives the way he wants to.
It’s not surrender.

Who are we living for?
Why do we meet together?
Are we entertaining or sacrificing?

Is your church lukewarm?
Are you?


	Don’t Bother?
READING Revelation 3 Isaiah 29 Amos 5 Because you’re lukewarm, and neither boiling nor cool, I’m about to spew you out of my mouth.	To obey is better than sacrifice I don’t need your money I want your life And I hear you say that I’m coming back soon But you act like I’ll never return Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet How you thrive on milk but reject my meat And I can’t help weeping at how it will be If you keep on ignoring my word To obey is better than sacrifice I want more than Sundays and Wednesday nights ‘Cause if you can’t come to me everyday Then don’t bother coming at all That’s a pretty full on song! And when Keith Green wrote it a lot of people, even some of his friends, were concerned about that last line, that it might offend a lot of Christians, and make them feel condemned. A lot of people advised him to soften that last line. But he kept it. Didn’t Yeshua himself say the same thing when he told Yohannes to write to the church at Laodicea? “I know your works, that you’re neither cool nor boiling. You ought to be either cool or boiling. So then, because you’re lukewarm, and neither boiling nor cool, I’m about to spew you out of my mouth.” Yeshua wants you to be boiling, but he would rather you were stone cold than lukewarm. (BTW: all the “you”s here are singular. This message is for individuals in the church, not for the church itself. Is it for you?) From what I see there are a lot of lukewarm Christians out there. And even myself, I know I could be hotter. In another of his songs, “Asleep in the Light”, Keith Green wrote these lines: How can you be so dead When you’ve been so well fed Jesus rose from the grave And you - you can’t even get out of bed Maybe Keith Green’s friends were right. Maybe this kind of message does offend people. Maybe that explains why so many sermons are all so nice and encouraging. Kind of wishy washy compared with this. So many pastors today need to keep the church on side or they’ll lose their salary. But a pastor should be able to preach whatever Yahweh has put on his heart for his people. Yahweh told Yisheyah, (Isaiah), “This people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honour me, but they have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught.” That’s just religion. It’s not the spirit of God changing lives the way he wants to. It’s not surrender. Who are we living for? Why do we meet together? Are we entertaining or sacrificing? Is your church lukewarm? Are you?