How You Can Prevent Yourself from Having a Spiritual Hypothermia

How You Can Prevent Yourself from Having a Spiritual Hypothermia

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Matthew 24:4-13

 

 

Introduction:

 The Lord told his disciples in this chapter in Matthew’s gospel that one of the signs of the end times is that the love of many shall wax cold. People who were once in love with God will forget about Him. Their love for God that once was hot will grow cold. I call this “Spiritual Hypothermia. According to Wikipedia, “Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism’s temperature drops below that required normal metabolism and bodily functions.” In other words, Hypothermia is when the body gets too cold that it cannot do what it’s supposed to do.

 There are three stages of hypothermia. The first stage is when the person’s hands become numb and are unable to perform complex tasks.  Breathing also becomes quick and shallow during the first stage. The person often feels a warm sensation as if they have recovered but they are actually entering the second stage. The second stage is when the person’s movements become slow and labored, accompanied by stumbling pace and mild confusion. The third stage is when the person has difficulty in speech and in thinking. Amnesia starts to appear in this stage. The person’s pulse and respiration rates decrease and the person slowly dies.

            Maybe some of you are in danger of spiritual hypothermia. Maybe you were once hot and fired up for the Lord but are now on the brink of freezing to death. You used to have your hands on the ministry but the coldness had already numbed them. The warmth of your love for the Lord is almost gone and you don’t even know the temperature is dropping. Maybe you are already on “the second stage”, where you are confused of whom you are anymore. The truth and joy of being part of God’s family is now the last thing in your mind. The excitement of seeing people getting saved and receiving the blessings of the Lord are all gone. It has become labor for you to do anything that is “Christian”. If you are not careful, you will have a total amnesia and you will be totally cold in the things of the Lord.

            Just as you can prevent your physical body from hypothermia, you can also prevent yourself from having spiritual hypothermia.

I.)                 You need to check your temperature constantly (1 Corinthians 10:12)

                                                                                                    

You need to take heed of yourself. You need to be careful in your Christian life. People who have gone cold in their spirituality never thought it would happen to them. They think they are still okay when they are not. Peter thought that he would never deny the Lord, but he did. Paul’s companions and co-laborers in the beginning of his ministry probably thought that they would be supporting Paul no matter what but at the end of Paul’s ministry only Luke was there to be with him. Many of them was struck by spiritual hypothermia. Back-sliding is not a 24 hour event (that’s why it’s called “sliding” and not “falling” or “back falling”). Then it might be too late when you realize that you are already at the bottom and it might be too late when you find out that you have drifted far away. The flesh, the world, and the devil are very tricky and deceitful. You have to be checking your spiritual life regularly

And you do this:

A.)   By discovering what occupies your time

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5 to redeem the time because the days are evil. You have to be wise is spending the time God gave you. Time is one of the most precious gifts you have received from God. One of the ways to tell if a couple’s love for each other is red hot is when they are spending a lot of time with each other. That’s why when people are in-love they ask each other after a date, “when will I see you again?” (Even if they have just spent time with each other). They love the other person so much that they are willing to give all their time for them.

 Is your love for the Lord still hot? How much time you give Him? We all have 24 hours. What do you do with them? Do you use most of them in reading the Bible or watching TV? Do you use your time telling people about the Lord or gossiping about other people Time is one of the most important gifts you have received from God. You need to check what you do with the time God gave you  and you can know if you’re still fired up for Him by the way you use the time He’s given you. You can also check your spiritual temperature…

B.)   By discovering where your money goes

 The Bible says that “…where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Are you heaping treasures up in heaven and for the things of God or are you heaping riches here on earth where moth and rust can corrupt? The Bible says in Matthew 6:24 that “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” It’s either your hot and in love with money and riches but cold with God or hot with God and cold with money. You cannot be in love with both! You cannot be spiritual and materialistic at the same time. I hope you see money as a tool and not as a god a tool to get by in this life a tool to support Christian work here on earth. You know the temperature is dropping when you give your leftover to the Lord. You know, dogs here in Americaare spoiled. In thePhilippines, we don’t feed dogs with special dog food such as “pedigree” and “eukanuba” . We feed them scraps from the table. We feed them the leftovers after everyone’s done eating. We gather all what’s left on every plate and we give it to the dogs. You know some of Christians treat God that way? They give God scraps from their wallet. They make sure they get the big chunks first and they make sure that they get to buy whatever they have been coveting for awhil. You know what that is? That’s hypothermia.

 God deserves your first fruits! Every single cent of your paycheck came from Him anyway. You know it’s getting cold when you seal the offering envelope with permanent glue or super glue. When you don’t give cheerfully anymore. You have gone cold when you start grudging every time the offering plate comes your way. You have to be careful and be mindful of where your money goes.

C.)   You also check your spiritual temperature by discovering what excites you and gives you joy

Maybe you are more excited being at the ballgame than being in church. Maybe it’s more exciting for you to watch grown men fight over one ball than being with believers praising one God and one Saviour. You have the symptom of hypothermia if those praise reports from missionaries don’t even make you happy anymore. People getting saved and making decisions to live for the Lord should make you want to jump, shout, and cheer as if someone hit a home run or a touch down! I hope you are more anxious about finding out the commitments made for the Lord in the services than finding out who’s going to be the next American Idol. Your temperature had just dropped when you yawn when Brother Jason read those reports on Sunday nights. It should be joyful for you to know that people are getting saved at our church almost every Sunday. Things that please the Lord would be pleasing to you if your love for Him is still hot.

D.)  Another way to check your temperature is by discovering who you fellowship with

1 Corinthians15:33tells us that “…evil communications (companionships) corrupt good manners”. Attitude is very contagious. One cold brother or sister in Christ can freeze the whole congregation. One leaven leaveneth the whole lump. If you’re hanging out with someone who is cold towards his or her relationship with the Lord, pretty soon you’ll be like them. I always get fired up when I’m around people that are fired up for God. You need to be in constant check of your spiritual temperature to prevent spiritual hypothermia

II.)              You also need to stay in the shelter to maintain proper temperature (Psalm 61:1-3)

 God provides shelter for all of us but it’s up to you and me if we would come and stay in this shelter. This shelter is the shelter of our fellowship with Him and His family. Warmth is in the shelter and once you get out of this shelter, you can expect that you will get cold

A.)   And you stay in the shelter by maintaining proper fellowship with the Lord in prayer and Bible study

The Lord said in John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” As the Lord Jesus Christ wanted His disciples to abide (rest and dwell) with Him, He also wants you, as part of His own body to abide in Him. He wants you to fellowship with Him

1.)    You fellowship with Him in Prayer

Prayer can be one of the hardest things to do in your Christian life here on earth but it is also one of the most important. Just as you fellowship with your friends and loved ones by talking to them, you fellowship with the Lord by talking to Him. It is your chance to praise Him. It is your chance to thank Him. It is your chance to pour your heart out to Him. It is your chance to ask Him for help. Just be honest to Him, He knows what’s in your heart. He knows if you’re getting cold or not and if you are, you can ask Him to help you get on fire for Him again

2.)    You also fellowship with God in Bible study

The clearest way God communicates with people today is through His words. You get to know His will, His warnings, and His attributes through the Bible. It’s impossible to get to know God without the Bible. Neither can you know what God wants you to do without the Bible. By studying the Bible you learn of God’s will and plans for your life. The Lord already provided everything you need to shelter you from exposure to the cold. It’s not His fault if you get spiritual hypothermia. He provided it all! He is available to hear your prayers and He’s given you His book. All you have to do is come to Him. Come to the shelter He’s provided for you!

B.)   You also stay in the shelter by fellowshipping with God’s people in service and in worship (Hebrews 10:22-25)

 The Bible tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We are all sinners protected by God’s shelter of love, mercy, and grace. We might as well enjoy each other’s company in our shelter. The more we are, the warmer it gets. The warmer the congregation gets; the least chance of anyone getting hypothermia. We need to fellowship with each other.

1.)    You fellowship with God’s people in service

The Bible says that we are the body of Christ. Just like our body parts work together, we should work together as a church for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 3:9 tells us that we are laborers together with God. One of the reasons why Christians get discouraged in their ministries is when they feel like they are alone in their service for God. Many of them quit because they get frustrated or disappointed that other believers seem to not care. There are also those who don’t want anyone else to be  part of the ministry. Because of pride, they want to get all the credit for themselves. Forgetting that it’s all about serving God and not about getting recognition for themselves. You can prevent hypothermia by not being selfish and self-centered in your ministry

2.)    You fellowship with God’s people in worship

That’s why we have church services. Not only so we can serve God and minister to each other but  so we can also worship and praise God as a church family. It’s always a blessing to hear the people of God singing praises to God together. It gets you excited about God. It always fires me up when I’m at the men’s retreat singing with other men. It feels like we are soldiers about to go to the battl. You can always worship God by yourself in your prayer closet but you also need to worship Him with other believers to keep you hot and excited for Him. We are just  like charcoals. You have already heard Pastor Blue use this illustration: That if you put charcoals together, they would stay hot longer than leaving one charcoal burning by itself,; it will soon get cold and die out if you separate it from the rest of them. You can and you should worship God on your own but if you neglect your fellowship with other Christians, you will get cold and get spiritual hypothermia.

C.)  When you are staying in the shelter,  you are  away from the world (I John 2:15-17)

 The Bible tells us not to love the things of the world. The things of the world would cause Christians to forget about God. There is a serious problem with your Christianity if you love the world more than  you love God. We all came from the world, and if we are not careful we can easily fall back into it. One example of someone who didn’t stay in the shelter was a man named Demas. He was Paul’s companion in the ministry along with Luke and Mark. He was a co-laborer of the apostle Paul. But Paul said in 2 Timothy that Demas had forsaken him because Demas chose to be in the world. Demas had a severe case of spiritual hypothermia. You can be like Demas if you are not careful. You can be in the ministry one moment and out of the shelter and into the world the next. The farther you are from the flesh, world, and the devil, the closer you are to  God

1.)    You need to keep your heart pure to have a close fellowship with God

James 4:8 says to “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” A way you draw nigh to God is by having a clean heart.

2.)    You also need to set your heart on spiritual things and not on carnal things

Since you have been saved and that Heaven is your heavenly home, you need to set your affections on things above and not on things on earth as mentioned in Colossians 3:2. You need to be hot for God and cold for the things of this world.

III.) Lastly, You need to build a fire in your heart and mind and keep it hot  (Acts 28:2)

 Paul was shipwrecked while he was on his way to Italy as a prisoner and they found themselves on an island called Melita. The natives of the island were hospitable so they took Paul and his companions as their guests. The Bible says that the natives kindled fire for them. The reason why they built a fire in this verse is because of the cold. Before electricity was discovered, and before the modern heater was invented, the number one way to keep warm is by building a fire. That’s why some homes (especially the older ones) have fire places. And to build a fire, you need fuel. You would need to burn something To keep fired up for God, you need to get fuel from your mind. As most of us have learnt, our feelings and actions start from the mind

A.)  You can fuel your mind by reading good books

 Someone said, “Readinggives delight, class, and ability; the wise crave it, the crafty discourage it, and the stupid neglect it.” You get knowledge and wisdom from other people by reading books. You can also learn from and about other people’s experiences by reading books. Even the apostle Paul liked to read. Paul asked for his books from Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:13. And Paul also encouraged Timothy to give attendance to reading in 1 Timothy 4:13.  As there are so many good books that are in print today, there are also many that are junk. You have to be careful on what you real. It has to match with what the word of God says. If it contradicts the Bible, then you know it’s garbage. Readingis good for you. I have noticed that many people who are excited about the Lord like to read. Many preachers that are fired up for God are readers. You guys should see Pastor Blue’s books in the office…there are tons of them. You need books to fuel your mind.

B.) You also fuel your mind by meditating on the word of God

Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good reports, virtuous (moral/honorable), and on praises. You can find all of these in the word God. The word of God is true, honest, just, pure, and lovely. It’s also a better source of good reports than any news paper or magazines. You can learn good values and morals from the word of God. By thinking of God’s words, you get rid of other things in your mind that may cause you to get cold in your relationship with the Lord. Meditate on God’s word to keep the fire burning

C.)You can also fuel your mind by listening to good preaching

Preaching is when God’s words are proclaimed. God’s promises and statutes from the Bible are made known through preaching. Saints are edified or built up through the preaching of the word of God. The Bible says in Romans10:17 that “…faith cometh by hearing…”. Your faith will be strengthened when you hear the preaching of God’s words. When your faith is increased the more joyful you become in your Christian life.

D.) You should also fuel your mind by looking forward to the coming of the Lord

Titus 2:13 says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”. If you are saved, the thought of the Lord coming back for you should get you excited. You should be looking forward to being with the one who created and saved you. Just like the children in the nursery or daycare being happy every time they are reminded of their parents return to pick them up, you should be happy every time you remember that Jesus Christ is coming back for you. His coming would end all of your problems and sorrow Most of all, you will finally be with Him when He comes. That hope should thrill your soul as a child of God

E.) You fuel your mind by remembering what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you

Hebrews 12:3 tells us to “…consider him (Jesus Christ) who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

1.)    Remember His Provisions in your life

-Philippians4:19 promises you that God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. I hope you believe that. I hope you believe that your needs are met. I hope you don’t think God is too poor for Him to take care of His children. He will never get bankrupt of blessings. You know, if I loose everything I have, my provisions for my family would be affected but God will never get poor and bankrupt. So when the Bible tells you that God would supply all your needs, you can be certain that your needs would be met. So just relax, don’t worry too much. Just trust the Lord and what He’s promised you.

2.)    Remember his presence in your life

-Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” However you feel in your Christian life, The Lord promised you that He’s always going to be there for you. He said that He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. When you are happy, He’s there. When you are feeling down, He’s there He is always there!

3.)    And finally but most importantly, remember that the Lord Jesus Christ saved you

Let me remind you brothers and sisters that we were once dead in our sins and were on our way to hell but God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for us. He didn’t have to do that, but He did. You should be praising the Lord every time you think of that fact. You should be thankful every single day for what He’s done on the cross for you. None of us that are here this morning deserve the love of God. What we truly deserve is the wrath of a just and holy God but he loved you and me. He commendeth or proved this love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He promised the hope of eternal life even before the world began (as stated in Titus 1:2). That thought alone should be enough to set your heart ablaze! The thought of God Himself sacrificing Himself for dirty, rotten, and wicked sinners like you and me should make your love for Him even hotter. Never ever forget that Jesus Christ, the Son of God did so much for you. Because if you do, your love for him will might get cold. The fire in your heart will die, And you might get spiritual hypothermia 

Conclusion:

The sad truth is that the temperature in many churches today is constantly dropping. These churches had members that were fired up for the Lord but they have left their first love and their love for their Saviour had gone cold. If you are not careful, you can be numbered with those that have been struck with spiritual hypothermia.You need to take heed, keep close to the Lord, and never let the fire in your heart die out.

 If you are not saved today, if you haven’t trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, the bible says that you are dead in your sins. You are spiritually dead. You know that a dead person is already cold and cannot get hypothermia. What you need to consider is your final destination. The Bible says that the wages (payment) for sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. All you have to do is trust on what He’s done on the cross to save you. All you have to do is accept and trust Him as your personal saviour. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.