Are You Hot?

What’s up peeps and welcome to my B.U. TED talk!

Have you ever been on fire for God? As Christians, having the excitement fueling through you so high that you can’t even sit still while you’re talking about the goodness of God! The burning fire inside of you, convicting you to tell everyone you know about Jesus (to all who will listen). At that moment, you are completely HOT for God.

Matthew 25:23 KJV says, “ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Now we’re going to pause right here at this verse. While we jump down in the same chapter to verses 41-42 which states, “ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave no drink.”

Yikes!! I know, those last two verses were a complete 180 from verse 23. However, I want each of you to realize how important this topic is.

ARE YOU HOT? ( Witnessing for Christ)

Okay, so for the ones who do not know H.O.T. stands for “Humble, Open, and Transparent.” Shout out to Pastor Michael Todd from Transformation Church for coming up with the acronym for “HOT”. Now, I know it sounds cool to say “ I’m H.O.T.” but are we truly abiding by it? What kind of witness are you? As Christians, one of the main goals is to spread the gospel. Bringing the lost out of the world along with fallen Christians into God’s love. Yet, as we look around, we see more and more people leaving the church. The masses wanting nothing to do with God or Christianity. Why, well let’s think this way. First, those are Christians who are in the Church because of the ongoing hypocrisy of some people in the church these members decide to leave. Secondly, It’s hard to convince non-Christians to become Christians when they see Christians not living the Christian Life in their daily lives. This is a big turn off to the unsaved or those who are of the World.

Now I’m a firm believer in using examples for full clarity, so I am going to use sex as our example. Yeah that’s right, I said the “S” word. Some of you all probably squirmed just now when reading this. Honestly, I too use to be the same way. Because I don’t know about you all, but this was one topic growing up that was barely talked about. The discussion of sex is considered “taboo” in so many Christian homes and churches. Which is crazy when one thinks about it. Since God is the One Who created it. When done in His timing and will, sex can be a great thing. Yet, due to sin in the world and men by their decisions have made the world corrupt. Society has deemed sex to be a dirty or an unappealing topic. A subject that should be talked about only behind closed doors. Little dialogue and the bare minimal concerning sex is being giving to teens, young adults, and full gown adults. Numerous times we are presented with cliches telling us not to have sexual relations until we’re married. Many times, we’re never told why, nor is it ever fully explain about the repercussions that will results in sexual misconduct. It is as though, life places a bowl of candy aka sex in front of us. Now the church, ought to explain to us why the candy shouldn’t be eaten at this time. We should wait for His purpose and timing before partaking in it. Yet, in too many teaching and preaching scenarios this is not done. The reality is that many babes in Christ or unsaved people were and are left alone without biblical guidance to battle the temptations of life. While the church watches, many fall into the sexual traps of sin and fully endure all the repercussions that follow. Now, many are hurt and broken not knowing where to turn and at the same time, instead of Christians being ready with open arms, to have compassion to those who succumb. Many Christians do what they do best and that is to judge and condemn “these sinners” and once again another soul, GONE.

My dears, this example applies the same way to us as we are witnessing . Now let’s pause a second, I have to ask you all some questions. You’re a Christian right? You’re apart of the church right? You’re striving to be CHRIST-like right? But, if you’re not witnessing nor helping the lost, you’re out here running in the same circles as your unsaved friends. Replicating their actions, maybe even pegging them on to do outlandish things. Yet, what about their soul? Did you ever witness to them? You’re professing to be a Christian, right, so what happened? Where were you? Did you willingly stand back and watch someone you know fall? Did you see a need and bypass it anyway? What gave you the intuition to feel as though you shouldn’t help your neighbor. Your neighbor is not just your bestie, homeboy, ace boon coon, 4lifer, but EVERYONE is your neighbor ( Luke 10:25-37) That's who Christ died for, not just you, but EVERYONE!

I want you all to join me as we travel back in time, going back down memory lane. Now in elementary school, we were all surrounded classmates. In that moment surrounded by our classmates inevitably a question was asked, if someone they had “a crush” on someone else. Instantly, you could hear your classmates around you shouting, “Eww boy/girls have cooties!” I know this example might bring back some memories which is great; however, this scenario has the same effect on Christians, living our day to day lives. How? Simple, how we present ourselves to the unsaved and saved. This shows them who we truly are. Failing to connect our words to our actions. Christians have to realize something. Even though someone may have a particular lifestyle that differs from yours. Does this mean we judge them? No, Look down on them? No, Imagine how confusing and hypocritical it is to the world when they see some so-called Christians, shouting out and proclaiming Jesus. Yet, when someone is in dire need, we uncompassionately want to judge them. We want to judge those individuals who have had abortions, or those who were strung out on drugs, or didn’t wait until they were married before having sexual relations. Now that person has children, and could possibly be alone because their significant other left them. What about the people with alcoholic addictions? Lastly, how do we treat individuals with different political parties than you, because if we’re being real, a lot of true colors were displayed from Christians from the last president election. How do you treat someone, with different ideologies due to the environment they grew up in? How do we treat them?

In so many ways, we as Christians are basically saying to the saved and unsaved, “ Eww, you have cooties, back away.” Frankly, what we fail to comprehend is all these people are hurt and broken physically, financially, and spiritually. Many people are desperately looking for someone or something to reach out and embrace too. Yet, we as Christians in the church are not there, we have lost the fire. We are not there, waiting to grab their hand to aid and help them up. God loves each and every one of us. Here we all are made in the image of God struggling with the one thing God wants us to do continually. Which is to love unconditionally, being on fire compels one to walk the life God has calls for them.

The world views God by what they see in Christians. “ Your next door neighbor was hungry ( and you knew it) and you gave them no meat, the homeless was thirsty ( and you knew it) and you gave them no drink.” Are we genuinely content with knowing that there are people hungry and thirsty physically and spiritually; who will one day die not knowing the goodness of God? Eternally lifting up their eyes in hell all because we like having the title of being a “ Christian,” but did not do the work as Christians. Sadly, there will be many so-called Christians who will one day stand before God and be held accountable for their actions or lack thereof. The ones who thought they were spiritually elite, but did nothing for the gospel’s sake, will one day hear Jesus’ say to them, “ Depart from me for I never you.” ( Matthew 7:21)

The beauty of God is that He allows us to have a choice. He doesn’t force anything upon anyone, He leaves the choice of salvation up to us. I do want hear “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The question is do you?

Are you H.O.T.?

We are all called to make a difference so go out and do amazing things!