Three Chairs for Christians!

On November 14, Nueva Vida (the church where I serve as pastor) was privileged to host a missionary in  our service. Steven Jobert serves the Chinese who have settled in Paraguay. Soon, he and his family will be moving to Panama where they will work amongst the Chinese who have made that country their home. We were blessed to hear his admonition for us to continue our missions efforts amongst the Hispanics who live in Memphis.

One of Steven’s illustrations really seemed to minister to the congregation. He explained that a believer’s spiritual life can be represented by three chairs:

1) Chair #1 represents a believer who has a strong relationship with the Lord. Jesus is first in his/her life. This believer serves Christ and attends church services not because it is a requirement, but because he/she loves Jesus.

2) Chair #2 represents a believer whose relationship with Christ has cooled somewhat. Prayer and Bible reading have begun to diminish little by little. Other things take precedence in this believer’s life. He/she attends church not because of a love for Jesus, but because it has become a ritual. This believer has traded a relationship with the Lord for religion.

3) Chair #3 represents a believer whose relationship with Christ has grown frigid. This believer is hard to distinguish from an unbeliever because he/she no longer is concerned about his/her testimony. Spiritually, this believer is about as vibrant as a slab of granite.

Psalm 1:1-3 describes the type of spiritual digression that can occur in a believer’s life as well as the blessings that belong to the Christian who continues to love Christ above everything:

 

1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 
1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 
1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Jesus declared that the church of Ephesus had lost their first love (Rev. 2:4), but their relationship with Christ could be restored if they would return to Him. May God give us the wisdom to recognize when our relationship with His Son is beginning to grow cold so that we can quickly return to Him for refreshment and restoration!