The Importance of Faith in Discipleship

Rep. Steve Israel says the American church is lukewarm about money, sexuality and power. The danger of being lukewarm on these issues is that Jesus just isn't around us, he says. Israeli: We are corrupted by sexual immorality at every level of the church. And we reflect the affluence of our society; there is no counter narrative here.

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Episode notes

Exploring how recognizing spiritual poverty amidst material wealth can awaken the church from complacency, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford dive deep into the contrasting messages to the churches of Smyrna and Laodicea in Revelation. They examine the dangers of lukewarm faith, affluence, and the lack of contrast between the church and the surrounding culture, urging us to self-examine and rediscover true dependency on Jesus.

Key Takeaways:

• Contrasting Smyrna and Laodicea – Understanding how one church was materially poor yet spiritually rich, and the other materially rich yet spiritually poor, and what this contrast teaches us today.

• The Metaphor of Lukewarm Faith – Unpacking the meaning behind hot, cold, and lukewarm in the context of Laodicea's water supply, and how it reflects spiritual complacency.

• Affluence Leading to Spiritual Blindness – Discussing how material wealth can create self-sufficiency that excludes Jesus from the church, paralleling modern challenges.

• Money, Sex, and Power – Examining how these forces intertwine and affect the church's ability to offer a counter-narrative to prevailing cultural norms.

• Awakening to Dependency on Jesus – Encouraging listeners to self-examine and repent where affluence and comfort have blinded us to our need for God.

Guest Highlights:

Seth Erre – Makes a special appearance, bringing his unique energy and contributing to the conversation.

Resources Mentioned:

• Revelation 2:8-11 – The Letter to the Church in Smyrna.

• Revelation 3:14-22 – The Letter to the Church in Laodicea.

• "The Market as God" by Harvey Cox – Insights on how the market functions as a religious system in modern culture.

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

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