A FINAL WORD:
Unlimited Opportunity for Every Christian.
1 Tim. 6:12 (p841) June 19,2011
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses"
When does true revival take place? Many of us grew up in churches where we scheduled revival meetings...1 sometimes 2 weeks where a special speaker would come in and challenge our church to wake up, to rekindle the fire we once had...and many times people would have a re awaking with their faith..
There have been great revivals in history...
The term GREAT AWAKENING is used to refer to a period of religious revival in American religious history. Historians and theologians identify three waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 20th century. Each of these "Great Awakenings" was characterized by widespread revivals led by evangelical Protestant ministers, a sharp increase of interest in religion, a profound sense of conviction and redemption on the part of those affected, a jump in evangelical church membership and the formation of new religious movements and denominations.
True revivals...genuine awakenings...happen when God's people come of of their slumber...In America's history religious revivals came about during the darkest times and god's people began to shine again.
The Apostle Paul is dealing with a church that has become worldly in its leadership and its lifestyle...Timothy,his son in the faith is the minister of this church in Ephesus...its to Timothy that Paul write when he says Fight the good fight of faith...
There is a philosophy that has weakened this church...its crept into its leadership and its doctrine...Hermes what Paul says....
1 Timothy 6: 3-11 ( 841)
This church has begin to think and operate just like the world...many of its leaders have become more concerned about money and influence instead of Godliness...some have wandered from the faith...the result has been con traverses and farewells, envy, strife, gossip evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind...Satan has robbed their minds of the truth...
That's why Paul tell Timothy...but you man of Man of God...flee from all this...and as you run from this philosophy pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness...fight for it! That's the apostles remedy for revival...timothy was charged to pursue it.
And when Paul wrote to the Ephesians as a group of believers he tells them.
"Wake up, O sleeper rise from the dead."and Christ will shine on you." Be careful, then how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil" Eph 5:14-16
Church it is my firm belief that
I WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ROAR LIKE NO OTHER TIME.
Elton Trueblood wrote an amazing book called "The Company of the Committed" and he makes an important statement in it.
"The test of the vitality of a religion is to be seen in its effect upon culture"
Christ has called us to be light that penetrates the darkness....He has told us to be SALT that penetrates the darkness...He has told us to be SALT that is influencing our world.
And maybe you've missed many of those opportunities...maybe you've allowed your vitality to wane...We all have.
The point is that no matter how late it is in your christian life, no matter how little you've been involved, no matter how many opportunities you've missed....god will make it possible for you to do meaningful things...If you wake up, Christ will Shine! And that's revival.
Did you know Jesus spoke to the same church Paul spoke to...the same church Timothy ministered at...It's the first of 7 churches mentioned in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation...Jesus tells the Ephesians...
"You have forsaken your first love. Remember the heights from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first" (Rev 2: 4,5)
It wasn't too late...there was still an unlimited opportunity for the Ephesians to shine...but they had to change directions (repent) they had to return to loving Jesus first...and doing the things that kept that love a priority.
Did they? History tell us no...it's important to remember.
II ONCE YOUVE GONE TO SLEEP IT'S HARD TO WAKE UP
[I remember having my angioplasty after I had my heart attack...one of the best friends Greg Bowan came into see me right before it...Greg and I were doing a Senior High week of camp together when my heart attack interrupted it...when Greg came in I knew he was there and waited to talk to him, but they had me sedated that I first couldn't open my eyes...I couldn't talk to him....I was just way to sleepy.
And that's what happens to us when we start to go to sleep in our faith...once we've started to drift off it's had to wake up...its gets really comfortable....its relaxing...I don't have to fight the good fight if I'm sleeping spiritually...and Satan loves to keep us drowsy and we are surrounded by people who say....No....No...what your doing is normal and fine. don't rock the boat.
It is extremely hard to put Christ and His church first if you’ve not been doing it...It's hard to take advantage of opportunities to shine in the darkness...if you've been sleeping in your faith...how can I take that stand now? How can I separate myself from the world’s philosophy now?
Wake Up! Do it...It will cost you but its worth it...and the impact will bring vitally to your relationship with Jesus and act as SALT and LIGHT in your culture.
[If you remember the movie Chariots of Fire we looked at a few weeks....We heard Eric Liddel share the speech about running the race of faith...and the victory comes because Christ lives in you, the Kingdom of God is in you...The powerful part of Eric Liddel's testimony is that he would not participate on a race that took place on Sunday...on the Lord's day.
Please remember Chariot's of Fire is a movie...but Eric Liddel was a real man...
When Eric and his coach learn of his acceptance into the Olympics, a conflict is quickly noticed. the time trials for Eric's race are on a Sunday. Eric's desire to keep the Sabbath holy means he does not race on Sundays. He has always kept the Lord's day for worship and rest, and he is not going to change just for the Olympics! The people of Scotland are outrages. The golden boy falls quickly of of favor, as their hopes for Olympic gold are dashed. No matter how the public pressure mounts, Eric will not compromise his principles.
Finally a solution is found. The Olympic committee agrees to allow Eric to compete in two other events, which do not take place on a Sunday: the 200-meter and the 400-meter races. Though he faces tough competition is somewhat out of his league, Eric surprises the world with a gold medal win and new world record in the 400 and a Bronze in the 200. Eric returns as a national hero! Following the Olympics, Eric's fame spreads. He uses his many speaking engagements to share his faith, while living the life oa a celebrity.
But, in 1925 Eric leaves all that behind to return to China as a missionary. Eric and his wife serve for the better part of 20 years. When the horrors of World War II reach them, they continue to follow God. While his wife cares for their children, Eric faces danger to rescue and help the wounded, sharing his faith all the while, Eric continues to bear a strong witness even as he is marched off to a concentration camp for "enemy nationals." Eric Liddell is know around the world as a man of conviction. His athletic achievements gained him recognition for his day, but his choice to put God first has made him a hero for all time.
Is it hard to put God first...absolutely because I have the natural desire to put me first...we all have the tendency the justifying ...this one time...I won't let it become a habit. We are all like the Ephesians, no different...pretty soon "What is tolerated today becomes the accepted tomorrow."
But I'd ask you can you remember anyone else, who won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics No? why do we remember Eric Liddel? Because His life warranted making a move about..He ROARED like a LAMB...he put God first. He refused to fall asleep...He was awake in the light.
You and I might not run in the Olympics but we run in the same race of faith...and when you choose to be different...when you chose to take advantage of the opportunities..when you chose to fight the good fight...Your life is salty...It shines...you are a Lamb that Roars..is salty..It's shines..you are a lamb that ROARS.
"You take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses".
Let me end with one final challenge.
III YOUR CONFESSION DOESN'T ROAR UNTIL YOU LIVE IT.
It is scarey to walk down the aisle at church...It is a cause for anxiety when you look out at hundred of people looking back at you...and someone asks you...."Do you believe Jesus is God's son? Do you accept him as your Savior and Lord?
Will you repeat after me..."I believe that Jesus is the Christ...the Son of the living god, and I accept him as my Lord and Savior".
And then you surrender your life in baptism and if you scared of water it can be terrifying. The words... "I now baptize you in the name of the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...for the forgiveness of your sins and so that you might receive the gift of God's spirit to live in you...Down into the water...then up.
Exciting, scary, emotional, powerful...and other than a few people who are first way too busy to beat the baptists to the restaurants...the many witnesses explode with joy...we sing in praise of God and celebrate the confession...your friends and family can't wait to hug you.
It might be a little scary...but overall your confession and baptism is a time of joy...for you and the many witnesses"
But this is not the place where your confession becomes a ROAR... It is not the place or time where your confession...which means "I agree" by the way proves that you agree with God that Jesus is his son sent into the world as Savior.
It should be a memory that floods your soul with the courage of salvation...its a Helmet you put on...
But will you agree with God when you are surrounded by those who don't? When the world uses Jesus name as a cuss word will you say it with adoration and praise.
That's important because God hasn't saved you...called you when you made this confession, for the many witnesses in the church...He's called you to take hold of this eternal life so it impacts a dying world...you're now one of his confessed servants..so you can invite other to the banquet.
Will you fail at times...yes Will you deny him like Peter did in the garden...absolutely.
Will you compromise and sometimes act more like a house cat than a roaring lamb? Sure, especially when your young in the faith...definitely if you've allowed yourself to fall asleep in the faith.
But then God gives you another opportunity...and the Holy spirit speaks to your soul with conviction... And you roar...you wake up and Christ begins to Shine on you and through you...and there is nothing so wonderful and empowering as the confession you make at this moment...It might cost you a gold medal, but you win the applause of heaven.
Here's how Bob Briner ends he book "Roaring Lambs....the book that motivated this entire series. Bob Briner dies in 1999 he was an Emmy award winning producer who wrote Deadly Detours and Business Bases from the Bible. He co-hoisted with Micheal W. Smith the syndicated Radio Show "Roaring Lambs...
In the preface of this book, I tried to relay something of my questions about the purpose for many of the things I have been allowed to do. In no way do I have all the answers. I have not arrived. God has helped me, however, to see and understand something of what He wants me to do. He wants me to study and obey His Word. I know He wants me to be salt . The Word tells me so, I want also to be a lamb that roars for Him in such a way that the sound becomes light, illuminating the Cross and directing men and women to the One who died there. He commands us all to do this. He gives us the privilege of doing this and to be in the arena, in the game--the one that counts for eternity.
Don't sit on the bench. roar into action. Throw your head back, shake your mane, and really roar for Christ! The rewards are incalculable, beyond price.
