Class Lesson August 9, 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.

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Do you want God to say “YES” to every one of your prayers?

A friend of mine took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When lunch time arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, "Son, we'll just have a silent prayer." Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time. When he finally looked up, his father asked him, "What in the world were you praying about all that time?" With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, "How do I know? It was a silent prayer."

What have we taught our children about prayer? How does prayer bring about revival? We have said that our nation, state, local community, and church need revival. We have said that revival begins with ME and that it’s has to start with PRAYER! Many preachers use 2 Chronicles 7:14 in their revival call. "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

What does this verse really say? It’s used as a banner in many a revival service. But the world seems to continue to influence the Church. We hear about lots of revival services but we hear very little about genuine repentance. We don’t hear a lot about people humbly praying, but we do hear a lot about people going to worship because it’s more entertaining.

 
What’s the conclusion? Do God's people really want to seek God's face and pray or have we forgotten how to approach the Lord in genuine prayer.
 



Now, Americans are praying people. Over 86 percent of Christians pray at least once a day, but what are we praying about?
 


Most prayers are tied to something we need or want, but what would happen if Christians began using our prayers to earnestly seek what God wants? 
 


God’s call to return to Him means we humble ourselves before Him and pray. The Old Testament leader Nehemiah gives us a great example of what it looks like to pray and fast.

 
You’ve heard it said that we are all only a phone call away from a crisis situation. How would you handle a crisis situation? How would you pray? Would you pray first?

Is your prayer life up to the challenge of a crisis situation?

How do you typically respond to bad news?

The Point:

Move forward by retreating into prayer.

It's staring right at you:

• The warning light on your car's dashboard.
• The unopened bill.
• The calendar reminder to make a doctor's appointment.

You know what you need to do, but you don't want to take the next step. Why? Because you know that it's likely to be bad news.

We can try to avoid bad news - pretend it's not there. But that doesn't change reality. We have to face up to bad news when it comes. The key question is: how do we face an onslaught of bad news?


When we pray, remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.

2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.

3. The power of God that can accomplish it. 

That's what Nehemiah was faced with in this week's lesson: a mountain of bad news that hit him like a truck. Fortunately, Nehemiah responded by turning to God in prayer. His example can help us do the same.


A recent study indicated most Christians pray at least once a day. The question is, What are they praying about? Most prayers are tied to something we want. What if Christians began to pray only for what they needed and earnestly sought what God wants? The path back to a renewed relationship with the Lord is marked by humbling ourselves before Him and praying that His will be done and His name glorified.

Return To Prayer 

Nehemiah 1:3

3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.” 

After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the people of Israel were allowed to return to their homeland, including Jerusalem, in 538 B.C. Around 90 years later, a man named Nehemiah, still living in Babylon, asked his brother Hanani about the condition of Jerusalem and those who had returned to live there. The report he received was grim, the people were in trouble, the walls around Jerusalem had been broken down, and its gates were destroyed.

Nehemiah was stunned. No walls and no gates meant the residents of Jerusalem were completely unprotected. They were vulnerable to any number of threats. Why would God allow this to happen? After all, these were His chosen people, and He had promised they would return to their own land and prosper after the exile (see Jer. 29:10-11, 14). But God also said: "You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (vv. 12-13).

God wants a relationship with us. To accomplish that goal, He often moves in our lives in one of two ways:

1. He moves in response to our desperation for Him.
2. He allows trouble in our lives because He knows that will bring us to desperation for Him.

When I think about that word "desperation," I think about growing up in south Texas. The summers there are boiling hot, and I think about going outside to play as a child. I often took no water with me, and in the scorching afternoon heat I would suddenly realize I was thirsty. To ignore that thirst and keep playing would eventually lead to dizziness, nausea, and even a loss of consciousness. At some point, I would become desperate for water and hydration. 

In a similar way, we can deceive ourselves into thinking our spiritual lives are fine - even when we have no intimate walk with Jesus, no fellowship with others, and no sense of being on mission to make disciples. The reality is that we need the refreshing water of God's presence in our lives.

God's people were in a desperate situation, and Nehemiah knew it. Fortunately, the desperate situation moved Nehemiah to desperately seek God.

What are some symptoms of spiritual trouble in today's culture?

Nehemiah 1:4-6a

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, 6 let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites.



Hearing the plight of God's people and Jerusalem humbled Nehemiah. He was so broken at the news that he sat down before the Lord for days in order to mourn, pray, and fast. He allowed the devastation of his people to drive his desperation to see God move.

It's interesting that the first words of Nehemiah's recorded prayer weren't focused on the bad news he had received. Instead, Nehemiah began by focusing on who God is - by throwing himself on the foundation of God's character. Standing on the truth of that foundation, Nehemiah prayed that God would listen to his prayer and respond with compassion. 

In the same way, our hope for moving forward spiritually isn't based on overcoming our problems, but on the simple fact of who God is. If you find yourself in a place of devastation and desperation, consider the character of God and surrender to Him. This is the path to spiritual renewal and awakening.

I admit this can be difficult.

When we see a problem or encounter a crisis, our first response typically is to try and fix it ourselves. Nehemiah did the opposite by retreating into prayer and fasting. By turning away from his problems, Nehemiah sought the ultimate solution to those problems. The reality is that retreating into prayer is actually the best way to move forward. Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort. When we seek God in prayer and fasting, He responds.



"Fasting is abstaining from food with a spiritual goal in mind. When we fast, we;re willing to give up the most natural thing our body desires - namely, food - in order to beg the God of heaven to do something supernatural in our lives." - Ronnie Floyd

Nehemiah responded with mourning, praying, and fasting. When should we incorporate these practices in our lives?

Nehemiah 1:6b-10

6b I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses.8 Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.” 10 They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand. 


As Nehemiah contemplated the circumstances of his people, he knew they must deal with their sin. Repentance was the only answer. It's interesting that Nehemiah included himself as part of the problem. He wasn't living in Jerusalem, yet he counted himself and his family among those who had sinned against God, Nehemiah sought restoration for his fellow Jews, but he began with himself. That's important.

Before God brings revival to a nation or group of people, He brings it first into the hearts of individuals. One person's confession and repentance can be the spark that ignites a great awakening. Nehemiah was that spark for the Jews in Jerusalem, God burdened Nehemiah about his own condition, and He used Nehemiah to rebuild and restore.

In September 1857, God used another spark by the name of Jeremiah Lanphier. He was a businessman so burdened to see God move that he began a prayer meeting in Manhattan. While it started out small - the first meeting only had six in attendance - God began a wave of prayer and renewal that led to the revival of 1858. More than one million people were converted to faith in Christ in one year.

Can you imagine what would happen is that kind of movement happened in your community today? In our country? Millions would come to Christ! And it all starts with prayer. You never know how God will use the spark of one desperate, praying believer to influence another person, who influences others, who influences others - until millions of lives are changed to the glory of God. Be that spark.

What role should confession play in our lives?

What's one step you could take to improve your prayer life?

LIVE IT OUT

How will you move forward with God this week? Consider the following suggestions:

• Pray every day. Stop trying to fix your problems on your own and take your problems to the only One who can really solve them.

• Schedule time for uninterrupted prayer. Block out at least 15-30 minutes for longer experiences with prayer. Guard that time and use it to focus on God as you pray for revival for yourself, your family, your church, and your community.

• Fast. Fasting can take your prayer life to a whole level. Consider fasting as a group on a particular day.

We all receive bad news, but there is a way to deal with it: pray. There has never been a great movement of God that was not preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God's people.

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, I say it is my desire, so now I make it a promise: to spend more time with You in prayer. Amen.

See you on Sunday!


In His Love,

David & Susan







 





  

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