Thermometer or Thermostat

So as the title suggests my topic is temperature. Everyone loves coming into a cool 71 degree house getting a glass of lemonade, or something after lawn chores, a high intensity workout, or just being outside in general throughout the summer. 

The flip side of that is you’ve shoveled snow, built something, or if you’re a lunatic like me you have had an intense workout while it’s freezing outside. You’ve walked into the warm embrace of central heating, or a hot shower. 

Feels good. You enjoy both at different times in the season. When it’s hot you like cold, when it’s cold you like hot. It all depends on your personal preference to the conditions around you. 

Well now this is a devotional so let’s take it to the word. 

John 1 starting in verse 19. 

Tells the story of John the Baptist. 

The Pharisees sent ones to ask him, who he was, and what he was doing?

He answered honestly “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness” 

He came in the spirit of Elijah Jesus tells us this in Matthew 11:14 

He had to come before the day of the lord Malachi 4:5 

From my perspective on reading this, and seeing the world today I notice some similarities. 

Politics were corrupt. Rome ruled over the area. Pharisees, who were the Jewish political leaders of the time, were also corrupt. Very legalistic, to the point that through all of their traditions, and writings from prophets they lost sight of the relational aspect they had with their God. 

It’s evident all over the New Testament, world history, and today the temperature is  HOT. 

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? 

Are you a thermometer? Are you sitting in church, work, or conversation saying “yup it’s hot, or cold”!

I think that is what the Pharisees were doing. They knew tensions were high with Roman Rule. I think that now tensions are high because of our rulers. 

John the Baptist wasn’t a thermometer. 

HE WAS A THERMOSTAT. 

Thermostats will for one will tell you it’s cold, or hot, but what happens if it is too hot? You turn the thermostat down. Too cold? You turn it up! 

They control the settings of the area they’re in control of. 

John was to “prepare the way of the Lord” 

The Holy spirit who called him said (this is my brain playing this out) it’s time. It’s cold here turn the heat up. 

So John prepared the way of the Lord. 

Jesus is the ultimate thermostat. 

His Grace to the sinners led to repentance. 

His Grace will take addicted drug users and turn them into preachers. 

His Grace took Paul from a Christian killing Jewish legalistic to the greatest missionary we’ve ever seen. 

His love makes you feel welcomed as family. His truth makes you convicted, and want to repent. 

His life, death, burial, and resurrection is the thermostat in which our lives need to be controlled by. 

If we’re too Hot, pissed off at the world's issues, we need only to come to him. 

Matthew 11:28 

If we’re too cold, and not doing what we’re supposed to do. (Leading family, in the word, discipling) go into his word. 

He is the thermostat. 

No matter the situation Jesus can, and does change the temperature of our lives.