It's All About The "RE"

As a church pastor, disciplining a staff member for inappropriate and immoral behavior has been some of the most challenging times for me in ministry. As difficult as that is, I am bolstered by the words of the glorified Jesus who says to the church at Laodecia,

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” Revelation 3:19

The Laodecian church was rebuked and labeled lukewarm because it allowed sinful behavior to go on without the consequences of discipline. Like a child who is warned again and again not to get close to a hot stove, there will be consequences to their action; and if they repeatedly ignore the warnings, they will get burned.

We all know that as a loving parent we don’t want our children to continue to hurt themselves and others so out of love, we discipline our children in order for them to learn life’s lessons. The key to reconciliation of the relationship is repentance. “RE” like rewind or return. “PENT” like a penthouse which is the highest place in a building . Jesus says we are to go from the lower ways that we have been sucked down into by the evil one, and return to the higher ways of God.  Repent.  

I read of Pastor Craig Groeschel who found all these different “re” words, and put them together in one sentence. He calls it,  It’s all about the “Re.”

It’s all about the “re.”  When you rebuke the enemy, and return to God by repenting of your sins and receiving Christ, your spirit will be reborn, your mind renewed, your life will be rebuilt.  You will be reconciled by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, and while you rejoice, you will reap the rewards of a relationship with Jesus, causing real revival to break free.  It’s all about the “re,” And it starts with repenting from our sins.

What do you need to be earnest about and repent of?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.1John 1:9

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle