Chico Alliance Church
“CPR for a Healthy Walk" Part 1
INTRODUCTION
The sins of the churches in Revelation so severely condemned by Jesus have become common place in the church today.
Ephesus in spite of doctrinal purity, lost their devotional passion.
They lost the passion of their first love for Christ.
Jesus urged them to repent and return to the first deeds.
Pergamum believers lived in Satan’s territory and held fast the faith but neglected the walk.
They had become sensually focused and assimilated by their culture.
Jesus urged them too to repent.
Thyatira demonstrated love, faith, service and perseverance but tolerated immorality and association with the things of the devil.
Jesus urged them to hold fast till he comes.
Sardis succumbed to an external religious practice without the inward committed passion.
They bore the name “Christian” but were dead because their faith was name only.
Jesus found their actions failed to demonstrate a genuine faith in Him.
Jesus urged them to wake up and strengthen the things that remained.
He called them to remember what they had received and heard and to keep it and repent.
Laodocia became satisfied in their lukewarm commitment.
They no longer felt their need for Christ when in actuality, they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Jesus advised them to return to him for the things that matter.
He knocked at the door of their church so that he might be allowed back into their life and they would enjoy nourishment and communion with Him.
What about us? What kind of letter might Jesus write to us? Have we become enslaved once again to the flesh? Have we become so fleshly focused that we have lost our distinctiveness in the world? Paul talked about the deeds of the flesh. Paul talked about the fruit of the Spirit that will be clearly evident in those surrendered to the Spirit. There is a war for dominion over our soul. It is a war between God and Satan.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
The war will be won by Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. How many battles and skirmishes will we lose in the mean time? How do we recover from a fleshly focus and restore or renew a spiritual focus? We as a church must heed the warnings of Jesus to repent and restore our first love, return to the basics, look to Jesus the only source of true eternal life.
As a church we run the risk of losing our distinctiveness in the world unless we do.
The first step is to admit you have fallen victim to a fleshly focus.
Look what you do with your time.
Look what you do with your money.
Look what kind of things you read and allow to come into your mind.
Look at your fervency for the Word.
Man lives by every word that come from the mouth of God.
Long for the pure milk of the word that you may grow.
We are purified by the Word of God.
If you are not continually pursuing truth in the word you are not living or growing.
If you are not continually pursing the word you are unclean.
If you are not sowing to the spirit you will not reap eternal life.
Look at your family life.
Look at your thought life.
Look what controls you. Flesh, sexual and sensual experiences and feelings, visual stimulation, adrenaline rush, food, sensations, pride wasted time?
We must first recognize our vast need for renewal. We must come to the place where we cry to God in our desperate need.
In the next several weeks we will be learning CPR for a dying church or believer. Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. I will focus on three basic non-negotiable areas of the Christian life. If we are to lay hold of the eternal life and work out the salvation God has already worked into our life, we must fervently engage in these things.
Continually cultivate a dynamic relationship with God.
Persistently pursue meaningful connection with the community of saints.
Resolutely restore righteousness and resist the world, the flesh and the devil.
These three areas work together like a three legged stool to bring stability.
We need them all or there is imbalance and instability in our walk and in the church. Just like CPR we need at least three elements.
• Need to clear obstructions.
• Need the breath of life
• Need the pressure on the failing heart.
A healthy spiritual life depends on three elements.
• The breath of life. Sow to the spirit. Draw, near to God
• The pressure of the saints through meaningful relationships. Submit to one another
• The clearing of obstructions Starve the flesh of what energizes it.
I. Continually cling to Christ and cultivate Dynamic Relationship with God
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8
What does it mean to sow to the spirit? There are at least five conscious actions that cultivate relationship with God.
A. Humbly Submit and cling to Christ
Like any healthy relationship there must be a clear declaration and demonstration of commitment. Are you committed to anyone on this earth? What demonstrates that commitment? In marriage we are told to leave and cleave. We must be clear on the status of our relationship. Our relationship with Christ should bear no less demonstration of its reality than any relationship on this earth. Verbal and tangible demonstrations of commitment tell the real story. I want us to examine some key Bible verses which emphasize this principle and its key elements.
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. James 4:4-7
Out of our sense of need and a clear understanding of our state of personal unworthiness we humbly approach a holy God for mercy and grace. The word submit in this passage is a good word. It is a composite of two words. To arrange in an orderly manner, appoint, or position something. and the word “under”. So the composite of these two word urge us to “arrange under.” We must consciously take our proper place under God. This calls for a clear recognition of who is boss. Jesus said a worthy disciple denies selfish ambition, agrees to suffer death and obediently follows a new master. The fleshly mind cannot subject itself to the ways of God and is not even able to do so. Rom 8:7 Israel refused to submit to God.
For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they (Israel) did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. Romans 10:3
The regenerated mind now has a choice and must continually exercise that choice.
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? Hebrews 12:9
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
So often relationship with God is something we see as merely a part of our life. We see Christ as a special added feature for our enjoyment and peace of mind. Our lifestyle demonstrates that to be true. We make decisions on the basis of how it affects us not the kingdom. We avoid the denial of self part and the taking up the cross part and the following His direction part. We view Him as OUR helper and comforter in time of need. As long as things are going fine, He is just on call to bail us out of trouble. If things don’t go our way, our devotion to Him becomes strained. We see cultivating relationship with Him as optional not essential. Christ must not be considered part of our life, He is our life. He must not be an add on but the adored one.
Col 3 made it clear that” our life is hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who IS our life is revealed, then we too will be revealed with Him in glory”.
You may have made such a commitment but slowly wrestled the reign of your life back from Him. We must once again hear His call to “come unto Me all you that labor and are heavy laden. Take My yoke, submit to My agenda and learn of Me remembering that My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
This kind of commitment is what it means to love the Lord with all you heart soul, mind and strength. Most decisions to follow Christ are made out of convenience not genuine commitment. Not come to Jesus because He is God but come to Jesus and He will save you, help you, fix your problems, give you peace, love you, lift you. These are true, but it is time we first humbled ourselves under the mighty hand of God. This concept is communicated and demonstrated in many different ways in the Scripture. This calls for a continual first love demonstrated by devoted deeds. Paul told the Colossians to “hold fast, cling to the head who is the source of life and growth.”
In His last word to the disciples, Jesus clearly communicated this principle.
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away (or lifts up); and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes (cleanses) it, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:1-8
• Jesus claims to be the true vine, the one true source of life as opposed to false ones.
The branch has no life in itself
Apart from Him we can do nothing.
Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. John 6:53-57
Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." John 13:8
The disciples recognized this on at least one occasion.
Jesus said therefore to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. John 6:67-68
We demonstrate the “fruit” of the one to whom we are connected. If we are connected to Christ, we demonstrate His character. If we are connected to the world we demonstrate the was of the world. We were freed from the law so that we may be “joined” to another, cleave to another.
Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Romans 7:4-6
When we are connected to the Infinitely Righteous One we will bear the fruit of righteousness.
The connector to a VCR player does not produce the signal. The VCR produces the signal and the connector transmits the signal. Apart from the VCR, there is no signal. Apart from the Vine, there is no fruit.
• The Father cultivates the plants in the vineyard to bear much fruit
1. The father “lifts up” branches not consistently bearing fruit resulting in a consistent fruit bearing branch.
This a very controversial and debated part of the passage. The Greek word “airo” used here and many other places in the New Testament is translated differently in different contexts. It can mean “to lift up from the ground”, “lift up in order to carry”, “to take or carry away”.
It was used of the passage quoting the Old Testament passage concerning the angels given charge to “bear” up Jesus lest he dash his foot against a stone.
It was used in the passage about taking up the cross.
It was used in the instruction to “take” his yoke upon ourselves.
It was used in picking up the remaining fragments of the feeding of the five thousand.
It was used of the men who “carried” the paralytic to Jesus.
It can also be understood to communicate something taken away, like the parable of the talents, the body of Jesus, the seed in the parable of the sower, the sins of the world.
It is context and usage that ultimately determines which interpretation to take. I lean toward the idea of “bearing up” or “lifing up” for the following reasons.
First, Jesus calls the inconsistent fruit bearing branches as IN HIM.
Second, like the word for “bearing fruit” the verb is in the present tense form which indicates a continuous action. If He meant to “take away”, it seems more logical to me that a “point in time” action tense would have been used indicating a once for all action on the part of the gardener such as is used later concerning not the inconsistent fruit bearing branch but the branch refusing to connect to the vine at all. He refers later to the branch that does not abide rather than as here the branch In Him (abiding).
Third, it is more consistent with the character of the father to continue the work started in all those placed “in Christ” from the foundation of the world.
Those not consistently bearing fruit are lovingly lifted up out of the dirt and damp ground that hinders the consistent bearing of fruit so that they may be exposed to the air and sun necessary to become a healthy, continual fruit bearing branch. The Father is not content with just plain old fruit bearing He cultivates for MUCH Fruit!
2. The father prunes consistent fruit bearing branches resulting in more fruit.
The Father work among the branches of the vineyard to stimulate more fruit. This work is a cleansing process which cuts away disease and unnecessary parts of the branch that diverts energy from the bearing of fruit.
For they (earthly fathers) disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Hebrews 12:10-11
The Father works in us in order to keep the connectors clear so that the character of His son will broadcast to the world around us. It is the word of God that cleanses and sanctifies. Jesus purifies the bride by the washing of the water with the Word. This is a work done by the Father in the vineyard. There is also a part we play in this process according to several passages calling for us to cleanse ourselves. We will discuss this latter under the “R” section of the CPR.
3. The father encourages deeper connection which results in much fruit.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.
It is that intimate connection and understanding of the love of Christ for us and through us that leads to the divine fullness Paul prayed for in Ephesians 3. It is this same unity and connection that Jesus prayed about in his prayer in John 17. It is this same unity and connection that Jesus longed to restore for the Laodocians when his stood at the door and knocked.
• The ultimate purpose of our life is to glorify the father by much fruit bearing.
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you. John 15:16
• Much fruit bearing is the result of prayer
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.
• Much fruit bearing demonstrates true discipleship.
"By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32
• Failure to abide (be connected to the vine) results in purging from the vineyard as a dried up worthless branch that refuses to be connected to the vine.
"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 1 John 5:12
This is a sobering part of the passage. I am here to tell you today that Jesus is the only way to life. Without connection to Jesus you will be hauled from the vineyard and burned.
If you are without fruit…
If you have no heart for deeper relationship with Christ…
If your life does not demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit…
If you have not made a commitment to submit to Christ and cleave to him…
You better question whether you are connected to the vine.
If you are not connected to the vine and draw your life from Him, there is no life.
He who has the Son (by reason of abiding in Him) has life. He who has not the Son does not have life but the wrath of God abides on Him.
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Matthew 7:15-23
I believe in our current passage Jesus makes reference to Judas who even though he saw the works and heard the words, never connected to the vine. How about you?
Conclusion
The first area of attention has to do with cleaving to Christ.
This is a commitment to Him as Lord of your life.
This is a commitment to consider Him number one above all else.
It was Paul’s commitment in Philip 3
Reviving heart hardened by the deceitfulness of sin requires CPR. WE MUST:
Continually cleave to Christ and cultivate a dynamic relationship with Him.
Persistently pursue meaningful community among believers.
Resolutely resist conformity with the world the flesh and the devil.
The first step in cleaving is a decision to abide in the vine. Christ must become our primary focus. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
I want us to be like the church at Philadelphia.
“I know you deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Behold, I will cause those of the come synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie behold, I will make them to and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”
Have you checked your connection lately?
If your are banking on some kind of religious ritual or activity to determine your standing in the vineyard, I issue you a solemn warning.
Whose image broadcasts to a fallen world?
Fruit comes from identification with Christ.
The first step in cleaving is a commitment to cleave.
