Can you be too relaxed?

The Relaxed Church 

Revelation 2:12-17 

Can you ever be too relaxed? I do believe that there are times that our bodies need to relax. We must sit back and refresh ourselves. Even spiritually we must have times that we relax in the Lord; allowing his spirit to refresh and renew us.

We may have become too relaxed in the areas of morals, integrity, and character today. We have allowed too much of the modern culture to dictate our reactions, responses, and actions. This is a dangerous place for the Christ followers. We can compromise to such an extent that there is no difference in us and the world and that is contamination and not relaxation.

Trouble with Relaxed Compromise in our lives

Jesus addresses this problem in the lives of the people in the city of Pergamum. They had relaxed to such an extent that their compromise with the community placed them in immediate danger of the swift discipline of Jesus.  We can learn a lot from their relaxation.

This relaxation can create a fatal moment for the follower. We maybe too relaxed in inclusion and involvement. Jesus charged them with following the pattern of Balaam. He is mentioned in scripture in Numbers 25&31. Basically this is his philosophy - “If you cannot curse them – coax them to compromise.  Are we mixing pagan idolatry and immorality in our everyday life?

Maybe we are too relaxed in practice and promotion. Jesus mentions the Nicolatians; they promoted compromise with pagan religions and practices, specifically the inclusion of perverse sexual rituals. I am concerned that today more Christ Followers are getting their morals from the Media/entertainment than from the Bible/Church.

All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals.  

Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.   

Mahatma Gandhi

Compromise: An agreement between two men to do what both agree is wrong.  

 Lord Edward Cecil

Turn around and receive your reward 

 Jesus is calling us to turn around (Rev. 2:16a “Repent”) and come back to him. We must no longer be relaxed with the world practices and patterns. There is too much on the line for our families. For those of us who choose to turn around there is a reward from him. I love the way Jesus paints a picture for us in Revelation 2:17. …To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.  

Did you see the three images that Jesus promises as our reward?  

1.       Hidden Manna is an image of nourishment to your soul. We do not need the things of this world to fill our inner desires we can be feed from the Word of God. He is our source of all things holy.  

2.       White Stone was used in two specific ways that show how great our turn around can be. It signified an acquittal by a jury. Through the blood of Jesus we have been set free! And the stone was admission ticket to a public festival. We have an invitation to the banquet of God celebrating the work of Jesus our King.

Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval.
Thomas S. Monson

3.       New Name is either the name of Christ applied to his followers or new personal name for us as a believer. I like to think of this as the name we drop as the entrance password to come into his presence.  

I think a man becomes less than a man when he begins to compromise on what he believes is right.
Mike Singletary

 

Stand strong! Never surrender! Never compromise with this world.