Spiritual Adult Leadership Template
Boosting Our Flavor and Savor
Revelation 2:1-8
Introduction: There is no more basic barometer of our commitment to Christ than our desire to worship Him and be in the presence of his people at church. There should be no more basic a yearning among believers than to worship our Savior.
TRANSITION: In the book of Revelation, the vision of John relates issues concerning 7 churches. As John moves through these churches, there is a sort of progressive blandness that accumulates towards the person of Christ, and towards His desires for them. Yet, at the very beginning – with the first church, Jesus lays out the foundational cause of this blandness.
We need to remember what we learned last week regarding our place in this world:
§ Our PRESENT, ASSUMED, DEFINITE, LIMITED, and POSITIVE condition is SALT!
§ It is possible to lose both our SAVOR and SALTINESS, and therefore become DETRIMENTAL to the body of Christ!
§ Not only can we do better, we MUST do better!
The root cause for this “blandness” – this diminished yearning to be around the people of God seems to be a loss of our love for God. In a general sense this kind of loss, this increasing blandness leads to a destruction of unity between believers, and the inability to make disciples.
I would like to share with you seven conclusion I draw from this passage concerning the importance of our relationship with God, and one very practical suggestion.
1. MY LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR CHURCH HISTORY.
§ The word works means – things you do, labor, undertaking.
§ John uses this word to describe miracles
§ Our Love for God needs to exceed my love for the things I simply like to do
§ Our Love for God needs to exceed those things which are truly special in my life. Those things of extraordinary significance.
2. MY LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT I DO FOR HIM
§ The word labor means hardship, toil, or extra effort
§ The thought is diligent service
§ My Love for God has to exceed my service for Him
§ My Love for God should not be based on what I am doing for Him, but what He has done for me!
3. MY LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY BURDENS
§ The thought is our ability to withstand temptations and trials
§ The level of my relationship with God is not measured in what I can avoid for Him, but rather how much I love Him.
§ The level of my relationship with God is not measured in what I am doing regularly, but it is measured by the level of my love for Him
IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE LABORING WITHOUT REALLY LOVING! THEN GOD BECOMES OUR JOB!
4. MY LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN RESISTING THE EVIL AROUND ME
§ Understand the difference between bearing the burdens of those who are weak, AND rejecting the burden of those who are false.
§ We know what divides evil and good
§ We are discerning of what is right and what is wrong
5. MY LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY THEOLOGY
§ Looking into what was being taught in the church
§ Realized the error of the teaching
§ Rejected the teaching
§ Error dealt with the separation of clergy and laity
§ Error would eventually find its way into the church
§ Developed the sit and watch/perform for me mentality
6. MY LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY LIFE
§ We need to remember where we came from
1 Cor. 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
§ We need to see where we are going
2 Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
§ We need to break the cycle – getting back to what we used to do – loving God
2 Cor. 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
7. THE CONSEQUENCES OF DOING NOTHING
§ Jesus is on his way
§ The effectiveness of our activity depends on our loving God.
§ Cannot love those we do not spend any time with
§ Card in you bulletins today.
Cards says this: “Understanding that I am to be the salt of the earth, and that part of being salt is my relationship with my Lord and my fellow believers: By God’s Sustaining Grace I will Endeavor to Be With My Fellow Believers in Corporate Worship ___ Sundays This Year. Name: _________________________
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