Class Lesson July 4, 2021

 

Question 1:

What are some things that easily distract us?

THE POINT

Stay alert and focused

on the things of God.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

For so many of us, childhood was a time of reminders. It was too easy to be distracted by play or the TV, and we’d have to be reminded to do our homework, feed the cat, or take out the trash. As we were learning a new skill, an adult often corrected us by reminding us of the correct approach.

Unfortunately, as adults we can be just as easily distracted. We get distracted from what we should be doing, and then another distraction comes along that distracts us from the first distraction! We need someone whispering in our ear constantly to remind us to focus.

A lot of things deserve our focus: our family, jobs, health, and church activities. But even when we’re focusing on these good things, we may need someone still whispering in our ear: Focus on God. Even with the good things we can do, we can lose focus of the main thing. We can become complacent in our walk with God.

The church in Sardis had become complacent. We can benefit from the words Christ spoke to them: His reminder to stay focused on what matters.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Revelation 3:1-2

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

Jesus’ fifth message was to the church in Sardis. Sardis was one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most important cities in Asia Minor. As we shall see, a complacent spirit ran through the church, which seemed to reflect the city itself. The city was set on a 1,500-foot-high plateau, and at its base flowed the Pactolus River, serving like a moat.

The citizens mistakenly saw their location as impregnable; perhaps that misplaced confidence led them to be complacent. Not impenetrable at all, they were conquered multiple times—first by the Persians, then by the Greeks, and finally by the Romans. In AD 17, Sardis was destroyed by an earthquake; and although the Romans rebuilt the city, it never recaptured its former glory. Even their massive temple to Artemis appears never to have been completed.

Such was the environment of the church in Sardis. When Jesus addressed the church, He identified Himself as “him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” The apostle John had previously identified the seven stars as the seven messengers, or “angels of the seven churches” in Revelation 2–3 (Rev. 1:20). The seven spirits may refer to the Holy Spirit (1:4). In his prophecy about the Messiah, Isaiah mentioned the Holy Spirit seven ways. In addition to being “the Spirit of the Lord,” He is “the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:3). This captures the Holy Spirit in His fullness—and the church in Sardis was in great need of the Spirit of God.

Question 2:

What does spiritual complacency

look like?

Jesus gave no indication that false doctrine was being taught in the church or any indication of troublemakers in the church. They may have looked problem-free, but they weren’t. Christ cut straight to the core and told them that, although they gave the appearance of “being alive,” they were dead! It would appear the church had adopted the same attitude as the rest of the city and was relying on its past successes. The church of Sardis was known for being alive and active; therefore, people far and wide would have talked about them and their good works. So why would Christ tell them they were dead? Because He is able to look below the surface and knew their works were ineffective.

Even today it is easy for churches to rest on the past. Satisfied with past successes, the church can become complacent and fail to complete the works God has given them to do. The church of today must maintain a bold witness for the Lord and not just rest on what was done in the past. Our work is not complete until the day Christ calls His church home.

Revelation 3:3

3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”

Christ called the church to remember the things they received from Him, specifically the things they had learned about Him. It would be valuable to remember where they were spiritually when He found them and the relationship that was started at that time.

In the classic resource for new believers, Survival Kit: Five Keys to Spiritual Growth, the Christian life is described as moving through stages. The first stage is excitement. When someone first comes to Christ, he typically feels an excitement that cannot be contained. An immense joy can flow out of him indicating that something is certainly different in his life. However, many believers progress to the silent stage when their enthusiasm and love for Christ have diminished. Christ was calling the church in Sardis to look back and remember what it was like in that first stage of excitement and joy and not continue living in the silent stage, failing to complete the works He had for them to do. Remembering the things we first learned in Christ should compel us and stir our hearts to return to and maintain the joy and fulfillment we once had in Christ.

Christ wanted them to do more than just remember; He wanted them to repent. Without repentance, one cannot experience the true joy and fulfillment that can come only through an active, personal, and growing relationship with Christ. Repentance involves a 180-degree change in direction. Failing to repent and turn back to Him meant Jesus was going to “come like a thief” in the night; they would have no idea when He would come.

HOW AM I DOING?

Evaluate the following areas of your Christian walk.

For each one, circle a response that best fits where you are right now.

Then write a prayer, asking God for wisdom and strength to stay alert and focused.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the

faith; be courageous; be strong.”

1 CORINTHIANS 16:13

Jesus told His disciples that His second coming would be like a thief in the night (Luke 12:39-40). Jesus’ return is something believers can joyfully anticipate, but Jesus was not referring to His second coming in verse 3. Jesus’ words carried a threat. Unless they repented, Jesus would visit their church for the purpose of discipline and chastisement.

Question 3:

What steps can we take to

maintain spiritual alertness?

Revelation 3:4-6

4 “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The church in Sardis was not without hope. They could still repent! And a few were in their ranks who had remained true to the faith. They had not given in to merely living on past hopes and successes; nor had they stained their lives with sin or compromise.

Question 4:

What are some ways our church

is like the church at Sardis?

Jesus promised three things for those who remained faithful.

1. Dressed in white. During the reign of King Croesus in Sardis, no temple worshiper was allowed to approach the temple of the gods with unclean garments. Worshipers were required to wear clean, white robes to approach their gods. Their physical garments may have been white, but their lives were soiled with sin. Unfortunately, that was true in the church as well, with the exception of those who had remained faithful. Christ said those few would “walk with me, dressed in white” (v. 4). White is the symbol of purity and the faithful were seen as worthy to wear white. In Christ, we are made pure through the blood of Christ. It is Christ who has made us worthy to walk with Him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
2. Permanently listed in the book of life. Jesus promised the righteous saints in Sardis that their names would appear in the Lamb’s book of life. Jesus’ affirmation, “I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life” (v. 5), is to be read as a promise, not a threat. We cannot imply from this that it is possible, once your name is recorded in the book of life that it can be erased. Rather, it is a promise that the believers whose names are entered in this book will spend all of eternity with Christ.                                                                                                                                     
3. Acknowledged before the Father. When we faithfully stand with Him and for Him, He does the same for us. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32). Even now, He stands at the Father’s side, interceding for us as our Advocate (1 John 2:1).

We must choose to live in such a way that our reputation and works are a solid reflection of our life in Christ. We cannot grow complacent and allow our work for the Lord to remain incomplete. Our garments must not be soiled with sin. Let’s reflect the worth Christ has given us!

Question 5:

How does our group help us avoid spiritual

complacency?

LIVE IT OUT

How will you make sure you don’t become spiritually complacent? What will you do to remain focused on Christ?

Choose one of the following applications:

• Celebrate. Thank God for salvation and the way He has worked in your life. Celebrate what He has done but ask God to keep you from resting on what He has done in the past.                                                                                                                                          
• Create a timeline. Chart out your spiritual progress beginning with the moment you placed your trust in Christ. Note the high points and times you faltered in your walk with Christ. Use this to challenge yourself to continued growth in Christ.                                                                                                                                                          
• Stand Together. God never meant for the Christian life to be lived alone. Partner with another Christian to help one another stay faithful and focused on Christ. Set aside specific times when you can meet, discuss victories and challenges, and pray for one another. 

Life is certainly full of distractions and things that would draw us away. But let’s stay alert and focused on our Lord.

Teacher's Notes:

Video: Church of Sardis

Click Here to Watch

 

Vigilant Against Complacency

The Passage: Revelation 3:1-6                      

Point: Stay alert and focused on the things of God.

 

 

The church in Sardis had become complacent. We can benefit from the words Christ spoke to them: His reminder to stay focused on what matters.

 

Synonyms for Complacency: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction

 

bighead, conceitedness, egotism, pompousness, pridefulness, self-admiration, self-assumption, self-conceit, self-congratulation, self-esteem, self-glory, self-importance, self-love, self-opinion, self-satisfaction, smugness, swelled head, vanity

 

 

The Church God Desires is one that is alert, vigilant, and relevant. The passage warns us against self-deception, self-destruction, and self-deprivation.

 

What is being described in the passage is a sleeping church. The church is said to have a reputation for being alive, but Christ declares that it is really dead. The church assumes that it is alert, but it is really oblivious to the fact that it actually on life support. This sounds like some of our congregations today. We are doing well by the world’s standards, but we are missing it by kingdom-standards.

 

The challenge for this church—and the challenge for us today—is to Be Real Before God (v.1-2), Be Responsive to God (v. 3), and Be Renewed by God (v. 4-6).

 

May the Lord help us—through this message—to stay alert and focused on the things of God.

 

 

Revelation 3:1-2

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

 

 

1. Be Real before God. (v. 1-2)

The Lord tells this group, “I know your works, you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God”. What a stinging indictment. They think that they are alive, but they are dead and the few things that has a little life is actually about to die. Sounds like a classic case of consumer Christianity.

 

A consumer-Christian is one who goes to church but is not changing. It is a Christian who may do church-work but is not involved in the work of the church. It may be someone who has good religion, but who lacks a good relationship with the Lord. The consumer Christ is the casual Christian who is not walking by the Spirit, who is not living by the Book, and who is not falling deeper and deeper in love with Christ. The challenge for us is to be real before God—to confess our sins, our selfish ambitions, and our success-driven service to God.

 

CHANGE REQUIRES MAKING CHOICES. It’s not enough to dream of changing. It’s not enough to desire change. To change, you need to make a decision. You must choose to change. Change is intentional. Are you going to be any different in six months? Are you going to be better a year from now? Are you going to be healthier, stronger, and more mature? Are you going to be happier? Are you going to be less in debt? Are you going to be more like God wants you to be? I can tell you the answer right now: These changes will only happen if you choose to change—because change doesn’t happen accidentally. Change requires a choice.

A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God to change us. No! God is waiting on you. He’s waiting on you to say, “Yes, Lord, I’m willing to make these changes.”

You will need to make intentional choices in order to grow. There is no growth without change, there is no change without loss, and there is no loss without pain. If you are going to grow, you will have to change. And change means you let go of some old things in order to grab hold of some new things.

 

It’s like swinging on a trapeze. The trapeze artist swings out on one bar and then has to reach out and grab the other one. At some point, he’s got to let go of one to grab on to the other, or he’s not going to make it to the other side. If he thinks he can hold on to both, what happens? He gets stuck in the middle, and he’s going to fall.

Some of you are stuck in the middle, and you’re falling because you haven’t let go of the old patterns, the old habits, and the old ways of thinking. You have to let go of your old ways.

 

The Bible says, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life” (Ephesians 4:22 NLT). In other words, let it go. Those old habits, those old hurts, those old patterns, those old sins in your life—let them go. The Bible says to throw them off and trust that God is working in you “to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV).

 

 

What does spiritual complacency look like?

What words come to mind when you think about being alive for Christ?

How do we let our guard slip in matters of faith?

How would you describe the reputation of Christians in today’s culture?

  

 

Revelation 3:3

3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”

 

 

2. Be Responsive to God. (v. 3)

In verse two, He called them to vigilance and alertness, but in verse three, He calls them to remember, retain, and repent. He wants them to remember the Word that they have received and heard. Then He wants them to retain the Word that they have received and heard, and finally, He wants them to repent.

 

That’s a word for us. Let’s remember what we have received from the Word. Let’s retain what we have received from the Word. And, let’s repent of the things that have caused us to get away from the things of God. Sometimes we can get too focused on what the world says about us and forget or ignore what the Word says about us. We must check our hearts and avail ourselves to the Lord so He can change our hearts.

 

What steps can we take to maintain spiritual alertness?

What are the consequences today of not being spiritually alert?

What are the benefits of being spiritually alert?

 

Revelation 3:4-6

4 “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

 

3. Be Renewed by God. (v. 4-6)

The words in this portion of the passage are very encouraging. Christ says, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.” Christ is saying that every Christian in the congregation is not a consumer Christian, is not a casual Christian, and/or is not a carnal Christian. There are some who have kept themselves spotless from the world and in intimate fellowship with Christ.

 

The question becomes: which are you? Are you a committed Christian or are you a casual or consumer or carnal Christian. Whatever your answer is, the good news is, you can be renewed today. You can be reassured that if you rededicate to staying alert and focused on the things of God, God will renew you now and reward you later.

 

How does our group help us avoid spiritual complacency?

How do even Christians defile their garments today?

What does a pure life look like?

How do we model purity in a culture that celebrates sexual impurity?

   

Conclusion: When we’re real with God, we can be real with ourselves. And, when we are real with ourselves, we can be real with others. When we are real with others, we can be blessed and be a blessing. May the Lord help us to be real with Him, be responsive to Him, and be renewed by Him.

Class Lesson June 27, 2021

 

Question 1:

When has ignoring a warning been a mistake?

THE POINT

Purity in all things impacts

your service for Christ.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Warnings come to us in a variety of forms.

• Some fall in the category of obvious  or unnecessary. Do we really need a printed warning telling us not to use a hair dryer in the shower?
• Some warnings come with a sigh of relief. You understand this one if, instead of a speeding ticket, a police officer ever let you go with a warning.
• Some warnings catch our attention immediately. When the highway sign says, “Bridge out ahead,” or the doctor tells you your current health habits are leading to heart disease, we certainly change direction—or at least we should.

How seriously we take such warnings can depend on who is giving us the warning. We may heed the warning from a neighbor about our health, but when it’s our doctor, we listen more carefully. When a warning comes from God, we should definitely take notice!

That was the experience of the church in Thyatira. They needed a course correction, and Jesus warned them what would happen if they failed to change.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Revelation 2:18-19

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.”

Thyatira was not a large city in comparison with the other cities Jesus addressed in Revelation 2–3. It was poorly defended and often overrun, but what Thyatira had going for it was its variety of merchants and manufacturing trades. It was probably best known for its purple cloth—the same purple cloth that Lydia sold (Acts 16:14)—which is still produced and sold in that area. Like the city, the church in Thyatira may have been small, but it was an active church.

Jesus addressed this church by first identifying Himself as “the Son of God.” Jesus stressed His deity. Jesus also described Himself as a warrior “whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” As the Son of God, His eyes are able to pierce through any façade that people put up and get right to the heart of what is happening—and that’s what Jesus did in this letter. With feet . . . like burnished bronze—a term the local bronze workers would have identified with—He is able to trample any sin under His mighty foot.

Jesus commended the church in Thyatira for four specific things they were doing right—their “love and faith, your service and perseverance.” The church’s love wasn’t just the casual expression of love we often use to describe our love for certain foods. It was agape love, a selfless love that spoke highly of what these believers had for Christ and as a result was being lived out in their actions to those around them. Love was the motivation behind their service, just as their faithfulness was the motivation behind their endurance. Jesus told them their current works, those things they were doing to expand the kingdom of God, were “more than you did at first.” In other words, their love and faithfulness were growing, and their service and endurance were increasing! When we have that same kind of love for Christ these believers had, others will see it through our service to Him in every aspect of our lives. We would be wise to learn from this early church on the way they loved and served others.

Question 2:

How does our church exhibit love,

faithfulness, service, and endurance?

Revelation 2:20-23

20 “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.”

Here was a church that was doing well in its love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. In fact, they were increasing in these things, yet Jesus still called them out. In spite of their love for Christ, they were tolerating immorality and idolatry in the church.

The key player behind these sins was a woman Jesus identified as Jezebel. Jezebel was likely not her name but a reflection of her character. This woman was behaving just like wicked Queen Jezebel in the Old Testament who actively promoted the worship of Baal among God’s people (1 Kings 16:31ff).

In His grace, Christ “have given her time to repent” (v. 21), but she refused to do so. Therefore, His judgment was coming against her—and it would be severe. But Jesus’ condemnation wasn’t just against the false prophetess Jezebel. His condemnation was also against those in the church at Thyatira who had tolerated her teachings. We are encouraged today to tolerate a lot of things that go against the clear teachings of God’s Word. Consequently, many churches today could be condemned for the same thing for which the church at Thyatira had been condemned. They allow teachings that contradict God’s Word when it comes to sexual immorality and idolatry. Many teach, for example, that homosexuality is OK. Others teach that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing, so it’s acceptable to chase after as many material possessions as possible. Many have tolerated the teachings of the world long enough that those teachings have now deceived many followers of Christ.

PURSUING PURITY

How would you respond if a friend made the following statements?

Choose one and record your answer in the space below.

“The world has moved on from the Bible’s old-fashioned views of sex and sexuality.”

“Whatever happens between consenting adults should always be OK.”

“Nobody has the right to tell another person what they should think about their own bodies.”

My response:

“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in,

that is really your God, your functional savior.”

MARTIN LUTHER

It’s interesting that the Lord links sexual immorality with idolatry. He does so because one ultimately and unfailingly leads to the other. Whatever it is you are living for becomes your god. Those who choose to engage in sexual immorality are making the choice not to follow God, and as a result they become idolaters.

When God’s judgment comes against such sins—and it will!—it sends a clear message to the other churches. “Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (v. 23).

We belong wholly to God, who is a just God. He is the one who will judge our minds as well as our hearts. He is the one who knows everything we think and sees everything we do. It is by our discernment and choices that we will receive our rewards or our condemnation. As followers of Christ, we must not allow immorality or idolatry anywhere near the church.

Question 3:

What are some characteristics of

a person who lives a pure life?

Revelation 2:24-29

24 “Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Cults and mystery religions flourished in the first century. A common feature was the promise that after a person was initiated, they would gain “deep secrets” or “special wisdom.” The irony was that Jezebel claimed to be God’s prophetess and claimed to bring a word from God, but all she supplied was knowledge and lies from hell. So, these “deeper secrets” for those special enough to receive them were nothing more than “Satan’s so-called deep secrets” (v. 24).

Question 4:

What are some ways our church is like the

church at Thyatira?

Thankfully, not everyone in Thyatira had been deceived by the teachings of Jezebel or captivated by her evil secrets. To these faithful believers, Jesus gave them only one charge: “Hold on to what you have until I come” (v. 25). These believers were encouraged to hold on to the truths they learned from God’s Word.

How do we avoid the deception of a Jezebel? We must stick to the gospel. We must “keep our noses” in God’s Word. His Word is truth, and by it we can discern what is not true. I mean more than just casually reading Scripture; we need to be diligent in our study to ensure we are “correctly [handling] the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Satan is the master deceiver, and although his lies can sound believable, anything that veers the slightest from God’s Word is not from God.

To the church in Thyatira, Jesus promised two things to those who stay the course, holding on to the truth in Christ: authority over the nations and the morning star. Jesus is the morning star and He has promised us all authority as we follow Him. Nothing is greater than a personal relationship with Christ.

Question 5:

How can our group help one another remain

faithful to the gospel?

LIVE IT OUT

How can we remain pure in Christ? Choose one of the following applications:

Commit. As you wake every day, even before you get out of bed, pray and ask the Lord to give you the strength to live for Him and by His standards as you go through the day.

Contrast. Make a list of things the world says are perfectly OK to do. Contrast those things with what the Bible says about them. Dig into the Scripture and find verses that address those things.

Witness. If you have a friend who has embraced the world’s practices of idolatry and immorality, schedule time to visit. Prayerfully share with this friend the truth of the gospel and the benefits it offers over sin’s deceptiveness.

The church in Thyatira had great faith and they kept on growing in that faith. Let’s strive to grow in our faith and service as well.

Teacher Notes:

Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them.

 

I don’t remember most of Autumn, because I lost my mind late in the summer and for a long time after that, I wasn’t in my body. I was a lightbulb buzzing somewhere far.

 

After the doctor told me I was dying, and after the man I married said he didn’t love me anymore, I chased a miracle in California and sixteen weeks later, I got it. The cancer was gone.

 

But when my brain caught up with it all, something broke. I later found out that all the tragedy at once had caused a physical head trauma, and my brain was sending false signals of excruciating pain and panic.

 

I spent three months propped against the wall. On nights that I could not sleep, I laid in the tub like an insect, staring at my reflection in the shower knob. I vomited until I was hollow. I rolled up under my robe on the tile.

 

The bathroom floor became my place to hide, where I could scream and be ugly; where I could sob and spit and eventually doze off, happy to be asleep, even with my head on the toilet.

 

I have had cancer three times now, and I have barely passed thirty. There are times when I wonder what I must have done to deserve such a story.

 

I fear sometimes that when I die and meet with God, that He will say I disappointed Him, or offended Him, or failed Him. Maybe He’ll say I just never learned the lesson, or that I wasn’t grateful enough.

 

But one thing I know for sure is this: He can never say that He did not know me. 

 

I am God’s downstairs neighbor, banging on the ceiling with a broomstick. I show up at His door every day.

 

Sometimes with songs, sometimes with curses.

 

Sometimes apologies, gifts, questions, demands.

 

Sometimes I use my key under the mat to let myself in. Other times, I sulk outside until He opens the door to me Himself.

 

I have called Him a cheat and a liar, and I meant it.

 

I have told Him I wanted to die, and I meant it.

 

Tears have become the only prayer I know. Prayers roll over my nostrils and drip down my forearms. They fall to the ground as I reach for Him. These are the prayers I repeat night and day; sunrise, sunset.

 

Call me bitter if you want to—that’s fair. Count me among the angry, the cynical, the offended, the hardened. But count me also among the friends of God.

 

For I have seen Him in rare form. I have felt His exhale, laid in His shadow, squinted to read the message He wrote for me in the grout: “I’m sad too.”

 

If an explanation would help, He would write me one—I know it. But maybe an explanation would only start an argument between us—and I don’t want to argue with God. I want to lay in a hammock with Him and trace the veins in His arms.

 

I remind myself that I’m praying to the God who let the Israelites stay lost for decades. They begged to arrive in the Promised Land, but instead He let them wander, answering prayers they didn’t pray. For forty years, their shoes didn’t wear out. Fire lit their path each night. Every morning, He sent them mercy-bread from heaven.

 

I look hard for the answers to the prayers that I didn’t pray. I look for the mercy-bread that He promised to bake fresh for me each morning. The Israelites called it manna, which means “what is it?”

 

That’s the same question I’m asking—again, and again. There’s mercy here somewhere—but what is it? What is it? What is it?

 

I see mercy in the dusty sunlight that outlines the trees, in my mother’s crooked hands, in the blanket my friend left for me, in the harmony of the wind chimes.

 

It’s not the mercy that I asked for, but it is mercy nonetheless.

 

And I learn a new prayer: thank you. It’s a prayer I don’t mean yet, but will repeat until I do.

 

Call me cursed, call me lost, call me scorned. But that’s not all. Call me chosen, blessed, sought-after. Call me the one who God whispers His secrets to. I am the one whose belly is filled with loaves of mercy that were hidden for me.

 

Even on days when I’m not so sick, sometimes I go lay on the mat in the afternoon light to listen for Him.

 

I know it sounds crazy, and I can’t really explain it, but God is in there—even now.

 

I have heard it said that some people can’t see God because they won’t look low enough, and it’s true. Look lower.

 

God is on the bathroom floor.

 

 

Video: AGT - Nightbirde

Click Here to Watch

 

 

I am so much more than the bad things that happen to me.

 

 

You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.

 

  

Strong in Purity

The Passage: Revelation 2:18-29                      

Point: Purity in all things impacts your service for Christ.

 

Revelation 2:18-19

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.”

 

Revelation 2:20-23

20 “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.”

 

Revelation 2:24-29

24 “Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

 

The Lord desires a church that is not influenced by the culture, but rather a church that influences the culture. This sermon calls us to be salt and light in a world that is marked and marred by corruption and darkness.

 

Impurity in our lives and in our churches has a tendency to spread like cancer which damages—and can ultimately kill—the body. It must be examined and excavated. Our impurities must be revealed and removed.

 

What is in our hearts will determine what becomes our habits. What we think will drive how we live. It is imperative that we have the proper doctrine so we can live with the proper devotion. It is imperative that think biblically so we can live biblically.

 

Icebreaker

·         When is purity especially important?

Revelation 2:18-19

·         What are some ways we measure a church’s spiritual growth?

Revelation 2:20-23

·         How should believers respond to immorality by others in the church?

·         How can we increase in our love of others without becoming tolerant of immorality?

Revelation 2:24-29

·         What are some things that may lead us away from Christ?

·         What are some things that we can do to strengthen our faith and live a pure life, so we are not led astray by deception?

 

Is Church Discipline a Thing of the Past?

 Lynn Pryor - Pastor

During a recent sermon, I ventured into turbulent waters—twice. I seemed determined to find something to upset one or two people.

• Many Christians drink alcohol. I don’t.
• Many Christians think homosexuality is OK. I don’t.

 

Both of my views fall in the categories of a “non-negotiable,” but for different reasons.

My choice not to consume alcohol is a personal decision, my own personal conviction. But the operative word is “personal.” I don’t drink, yet I have no qualms about those who do—so long as (1) they are not letting the alcohol take over (i.e., get drunk, which is wrong according to Scripture [Eph. 5:18]) and (2) they are not compromising their own convictions.

 

My stance on homosexuality is a non-negotiable for a wholly different reason: it’s spelled out in Scripture. People can attempt all the bad hermeneutics they want to justify their support of homosexuality, but they don’t succeed. Scripture condemns the act of homosexuality, and therefore, my stance on the matter is non-negotiable.

 

Of course, Scripture also condemns a lot of other actions. One of the most oft-quoted Scriptures condemning the act of homosexuality is Romans 1:26-27, and in the verses that immediately follow, others sins are also listed: envy, strife, gossip, and disobedience to parents.  (No one in the church ever talks about the #1 sin among Christians: gluttony.)

But let’s not make the sole focus of the Bible to be a list of things God is against. Let’s focus on what God is for: He is for us. He created us to live an incredible life with Him, and even when we rebelled, He took action through Jesus Christ to restore us back to that life. Any prohibitions are for our benefit. Do you want to enjoy life—I mean, really enjoy life? Follow these instructions.

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So let’s get to the conversation my wife and I had on the way home after the sermon. Mary asked a valid question: What do we do when someone wants to join the church who is a homosexual?

 

That depends.

1.   Is this a believer who struggles with the pull of homosexuality?

2.   Is this a person who proudly identifies himself as gay and thinks the act of homosexuality is perfectly OK for a Christian?

 

Let’s consider the first guy, but in the place of “homosexuality” insert any other sin: the pull of recreational drugs … pornography … anger … gluttony … a bitter spirit. We all struggle with sins and habits, and hopefully, we are gaining victory over those as we grow in Christ. And there are many homosexual believers who struggle. Do we push these struggling believers away?

 

I wouldn’t put such a person in a position of leadership, but neither would I ask someone to lead a small group who has a violent temper. However, I would encourage their participation with other Christians. The accountability and support of the body of Christ is a key factor for all of us to resist temptation, overcome sinful habits, and grow in our faith.

 

It’s a whole different issue with the person who believes his homosexual behavior is perfectly acceptable, and therefore, he will continue in it. Or the person who goes on a bender every Friday night but wants to be seen as a respected member of the church. We’re talking about continual sinful behavior with no reservations about it.

 

Paul had something to say about this:

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles ​— ​a man is sleeping with his father’s wife.  And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this?” (1 Cor. 5:1-2).

 

Paul’s choice of words shows this man and woman were living this lifestyle continually (and even worse, the church seemed to be OK with it). Paul’s response was to remove them from the fellowship of the church until repentance was evident.

 

As Mary and I drove home, our conversation landed on the issue of church discipline.

• At what point do you tell a person he’s not welcome in the church, or he can no longer have a leadership role?
• What sins call for church discipline, and what sins do we give a pass to?
• Do we make a blanket rule about a particular sin, or do we make it a case-by-case matter?

 

These are hard questions to answer (which is why most churches don’t deal with it). But I think churches need to consider how they will respond, since culture’s unbiblical view of sin is creeping into the church. Three principles need to guide the process:

1.   Stand your ground on biblical teaching.

2.   Stand your ground in love.

3.   Discipline with the goal of being redemptive. Seek to bring the person away from sin and into a life lived under the lordship of Christ.

 

Now it’s your turn.

• How do you think the church should respond to sin? (And if you want to discuss a particular sin, go for it.)
• Where do you draw the line at what sins call for church discipline and what sins don’t?
• How have you seen church discipline bring healing to a person’s spiritual life?