Class Lesson August 2, 2015

Don't sleep through your spiritual life.  
Wake Up!

This series is important because the church in America needs revival. Period. And the church will experience revival to the degree that the members of the body experience revival. Average Christians may not see revival and spiritual renewal as a felt need in their lives, but this series of lessons can open their eyes to see that we should all examine ourselves and consider where we stand in our walk and commitment to Christ.

Been flirtin’ with disaster,

Y’all know what I mean.

And the way we run our lives,

It makes no sense to me.

I don’t know about yourself or,

What you want to be.

When we gamble with our time,

We choose our destiny.

- Molly Hatchet 


 

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Revival Starts With Me

The change that revival brings is uncomfortable. Real revival will reach inside you and destroy everything. You will be wrecked with a deeper understanding of the gospel and a more passionate relationship with Jesus. You will be purged of known sin. Your life as you know it will change to become more conformed to the image of Christ. The very act of this change is gut wrenching. When revival punches a person in their soul, it begins to remove layers of pain, baggage, guilt, sin and whatever else it needs to bulldoze to get that person in right standing with God.

Many people pray for revival. Many people pray for change. They want things to change as long as it is them that does not have to change. You cannot have one apart from the other.


This series of lessons is asking each of us to Wake Up and experience a spiritual renewal.




This series of lessons is asking us to...

Return to: 

God,

  

Your First Love,

Prayer,

God's Word,

  

Unity,

and the Task. 

What does it mean to Return to Our First Love?

 

 No, not this first love...

It means to...



Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do.

Think about this...

Have you got any hobbies or interests that you have loss touch with over the years?
 

We've all had at least one item we used to cherish that now lies forgotten at the bottom of a closet:

• A pair of running shoes from back when you loved to run.
• A box full of half-finished craft projects.
• A guitar that hasn't been tuned in years.

Losing our enthusiasm for a hobby isn't bad, but it's a whole different matter when we're talking about relationships. Marriages and friendships may start out strong and be bonded with love, but if we're not careful, other things can get in the way. We can get so busy with life that our loved ones get crowded out. We may wake up one day and discover our hearts have strayed. We've lost our love.

But what if we're not talking about a spouse or a friend, but Christ? In Revelation 2, we get a glimpse of a church that had been busy doing many things for God, yet ultimately lost its "first love" for Jesus.

Return to Your First Love

Revelation 2:1-4

2 “Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: “The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: 2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.

In the Book of Revelation, God granted John a vision about people and events yet to come (see 1:10-20). Jesus instructed the apostle to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor, starting with the church at Ephesus. While it appeared Jesus was pleased with everything this church was doing, He had one simple, yet stinging critique.

First, let's look at all the positive things Jesus pointed out:

1. They worked hard for the Lord, had patient endurance, and did not tolerate evil.
2. They rooted out false prophets.
3. They endured much for Jesus' name without growing weary.

We look at the list and think, "This must be a pretty awesome church." However, the church at Ephesus is a perfect example of the statement: "Good things are the enemy of the best thing." The horrifying statement Jesus made to the church at Ephesus was that, even though they were currently doing many good things, they had abandoned the best thing - their full-hearted love for God.

According to Jesus the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). Our love for Jesus is the most important thing about us. We must hold it as tightly as possible.

If you're married, you know "honeymoon love" is like nothing else. When you first get married, the newness and intensity of your love turns everything in your life upside down. But something seems to change over the years. Over time, a spouse may ask, "Why don't you love me like you used to love me?"

This is what Jesus was saying to the church at Ephesus. "I forgave your sin. I changed your life, but your love for Me is not what it used to be. Why don't you love Me like you used to love Me?"

Here's an even tougher question: is Jesus saying the same to you?

How would you compare and contrast doing things for Jesus and spending time with Jesus?

How can we evaluate whether we've lost our first love for Christ?

Several things can indicate that you are wandering from your first love:

1. We delight in someone else more than you delight in the Lord.

Your love for God should be foremost in your heart, exceeding the bond of any other relationship. Jesus identified the greatest of all commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).

2. Our soul does not long for times of rich fellowship in God’s Word or prayer.

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy . . . soul . . .” (Mark 12:30). When your mind, will, and emotions wander from devotion to God, watch out. Your relationship with God deepens as you spend time in His Word and commune with Him in prayer. If you forsake this fellowship, your understanding of your true condition before God will grow dull. As God’s children, His friends, and His bride (see Matthew 5:44–45, James 2:23, John 15:15, and Revelation 21:9), it is critical that we draw near to Him to engage in our relationship with Him. (See James 4:7–8.)

3. Our thoughts in leisure moments do not honor the Lord.

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy . . . mind . . .” (Mark 12:30). The things that captivate your thoughts in leisure moments reveal much about the priorities of your heart. The Apostle Paul instructed us, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

4. We make excuses for doing things that displease the Lord, claiming to be “only human.”

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy . . . strength” (Mark 12:30). God wants you to dedicate your life to Him as a “living sacrifice” (see Romans 12:1–2), discerning His will in all things and walking in obedience to Him. As your Good Shepherd, He will lead you “in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). There is no excuse for disobeying the Lord. His grace is sufficient to rescue you from every temptation. (See I Corinthians 10:13.) The truth is, “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren” (James 1:14–16). Your obedience to God demonstrates your love for Him. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love” (John 15:10).

5. We do not willingly and cheerfully give to God’s work or to the needs of others.

Generosity is part of God’s holy character: “For God so loved the world, that he gave . . .” (John 3:16), and He “loveth a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7). Therefore, “whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (I John 3:17). As believers, we are to love and give—even to our enemies. (See Luke 6:27–36, Romans 12:20, and Matthew 5:42.) We can do this only by the grace of God, as He renews our minds and teaches us to walk in obedience to His voice.

6. We cease to treat others as we would treat the Lord.

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). “Love one another” is not a suggestion; it is a command that we are enabled to fulfill by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Do you find that you are quick to judge and condemn others? Consider God’s love for you and His command that you love others with His love. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (I John 4:10–11).

7. We view Christ's commands as restrictions to our happiness rather than expressions of His love.

God’s commandments, the words of your wise and caring Father, lead you toward what is good and away from what is evil. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). Obedience to His commandments brings true freedom and joy. (See John 8:31–32, 36.)

8. We strive for affirmation from the world rather than approval from the Lord.

Jesus faced misunderstandings and rejection because of His obedience to God, and you will face similar situations. “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19). “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (I John 2:15–17).

9. We fail to make Christ or His words known because we fear rejection.

If your faithfulness to God depends on the reaction of those around you, you are serving men instead of serving God. (See Galatians 1:10.) Jesus’ obedience to God aggravated many people, including the religious leaders of his community. “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20). Be faithful to proclaim the truth in love, because God “hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5–6).

10. We refuse to give up an activity that we know is offending a weaker brother.

In every generation, Christians seek God’s will concerning discretionary activities. “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died” (Romans 14:12–15). (See also Romans 12:10 and Philippians 2:3–8.)

 

11. We become complacent toward sinful conditions around us.

Jesus warned that “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). Witnessing the sinfulness of the world around you should motivate you to follow after God with even greater determination. “Be sober [discreet], be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the faith” (I Peter 5:8–9).

12. We are unwilling to forgive our offenders.

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar . . .” (I John 4:20). Holding a grudge against another person indicates that you have lost sight of the greatness of God’s forgiveness of your sin and your need for His grace. (See Matthew 18:21–35.) Bitterness is the natural fruit of unforgiveness. As believers, we are to “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:14–15). A spirit of forgiveness is essential to the Christian. Jesus said, “If ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:26).

Points:

1. God knows our weaknesses and our strengths.
2. God’s love and God’s kind of love are at the heart of the Christian experience.
3. A church may function well but more from habit than from the love of Christ.
4. Our actions are to be an expression of our love for Christ and others.
5. When a believer does not depend on God to meet his daily needs, his love for God grows cold.

Are you cooler toward God and less passionate about spiritual things than you once were?

 
 

"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord." 

- D. A. Carson

Revelation 2:5-7

5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God’s paradise.

The church at Ephesus may have lost its first love, but Jesus offered them a clear solution. Twice in verse 5 He used the word "repent." On a practical level, to repent means we change the way we're living and adopt a new way. Thinking specifically about salvation, we repent when we surrender our lives to Jesus.

Unfortunately, many Christians don't understand that the word "repent" goes far beyond a one-time experience of repentance before God. To be a healthy follower of Jesus, we must be continually turning our backs to our sin and choosing to live for Him instead. Repentance is a daily discipline.

For the church at Ephesus to repent - to turn back - meant they would "do the works you did at first" (v. 5). Jesus called them to do whatever it was in the beginning of their spiritual walks that led them to such a strong relationship with Him.


What's more, Jesus laid out a condition in verse 5. If the church refused to repent, He would come and remove their lampstand from its place. When you blow a candle out, the candle loses its ability to give light - to have influence over the darkness. If the church at Ephesus did not repent and return to a love for Jesus, He would remove their influence.

Verse 7 is essential to the entire process of returning to your love for Jesus. Jesus has given us the key to the entire process, and it's not what we typically think. Here's the key: "Listen."

The whole process of repentance and renewal cannot begin to happen if you don't listen. Jesus said, "Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches" (v. 7). In other words: listen up, everybody!

What does it look like for a follower of Christ to repent?

What did the Spirit say to the church at Ephesus - and to us? Listen and hear these three words:

1. Remember. Think about the healthiest and most productive seasons in your spiritual life. If you find yourself at a place where your love for Jesus has waned, return to the things that were present when you were walking closely with God.
2. Repent. Anything, no matter how good, that keeps you from your love for Jesus is a sin. Surrender these things before Jesus and watch Him begin to move in your life once more.
3. Return. At the heart of Jesus' message is a loving call: "Return to Me." As we turn from sin, we turn toward Jesus. We simply must return to Jesus.

How do we get love and passion for Jesus back to where it needs to be in our church? We must return to Jesus. When we return to Jesus, we will regain a love that truly does permeate everything we do.

It's a simple formula, really. When our love for Jesus is wrong, nothing is right. But when our love for Jesus is right, He makes everything else right!

How do we train ourselves to listen to God's Spirit throughout the day?

Points:

1. The way to restore our relationship with the Lord includes remembering His goodness, repenting from our sin, and committing ourselves to His service.
2. The Lord warns those who refuse to repent that they will be subject to His judgment.
3. The Lord promises the victory of eternal life to those who hear and heed His Word.

The point of the lesson is clear and simple. It is a call to return to a love for Christ and a love for others that permeates everything we do as a local church and as individual believers.

LIVE IT OUT

How do we return to our first love? Consider the following suggestions as you follow Christ in the days to come:

• Remember. Write down the top three things that describe your Christian walk at its most healthy.

• Repent. Spend time identifying any habits or patterns in your life that are detrimental to your love for Jesus. Repent right now before God. Turn from those sins today.

• Return. Write down a practical plan for drawing closer to God. This may be a renewed commitment to daily Bible reading, prayer, sharing your faith, and so on.

The wonderful thing about the grace of Jesus is that it doesn't matter where we've been or what we've done - His grace is greater than all our sin. Throw yourself into the loving arms of Jesus and watch Him bring back your love for Him.

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan