‘WHAT TO DO WHEN LOVE GROWS COLD’I LOVE MY CHURCH’ SERIES

Sunday, January 12, 2014 AMText Revelation 2:1-5Do you remember that love you had when you first fell in love with your spouse? You couldn’t spend enough time with them. You couldn’t wait to see them. You wanted to hear their voice. You looked forward to your weekly dates. You worked on yourself trying to be a better person for the person you were falling in love with. Do you remember that passion you had when you first got saved? Do you remember that feeling of awe that God would love you so much? I love the passion of new Christians. It is contagious. It is without judgment because they remember how God redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. I believe one of the reasons the church today has little to no impact as a whole on its culture is that we’ve forgotten what Christ did for us on the cross. We’ve somehow gotten over where He has delivered us from and we’ve grown cold and stagnant. George Gallop did a survey of 13,000 people in 130 countries. It is the only time he has taken a survey that could be considered more or less worldwide. It was a survey of people who used to go to church but no longer do. There were a number of questions in the survey. One of the questions asked, What would need to happen for you to return to church? The number one answer was “Passion in the lives of the members and leaders.” What people wanted to see was a fire. A zeal. An enthusiasm among Christians that made going to church meaningful.When I speak of loving my church…it’s much deeper than just the church. The church is not the structure, it’s the people, it’s the person who unites us—Jesus Christ—the head of the Church. Because of what He did, we have all things common. Our passion for Christ and His church becomes contagious. It causes people who have lost their passion for the church to take notice. Consider this—your co-workers are watching your

relationship to see if there truly is something to being a Christian. Your neighbors are looking at your testimony to see if God has changed your life. They are watching how you face trials and tests. Is your faith really something that sustains you? Read Rev. 2:1-7The Lord is challenging the church @Ephesus. This church had remained faithful, yet they had lost their passion and zeal for serving God. The church @Ephesus set the standard for most of the N.T. churches. It was the climactic church of Paul’s day. The furnace was still there, but the fire had gone out.

1. REFLECTWhat were they to reflect on? Remember from where they had fallen. Forgetfulness is often the initial cause for spiritual decline. The church was extremely active—yet they were cold in their walk with Christ. If you attended one of their services you might be surprised at all of the activity that was going on. They had a ministry for everyone and everything. They were busy! I’m afraid this describes much of the American church today. We have become very active & busy, yet we’ve lost that passion that we once possessed when Christ first saved us. Christ wants us to remember back to that day when Christ first saved us and that early time of growth when we were passionate about going to church, reading our Bible, spending time in prayer. Recently I read an article that showed one of the biggest issues that the church is facing today is the scandal of the semi-churched. This is not the Chreasters—those who only attend on Christmas and Easter—they have been in existence as long as we’ve had Christmas and Easter. The point is people who went through the trouble of joining a church, like their church, have no particular beef with the church, and still only attend once or twice a month. God’s Word tells us: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much

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the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ Hebrews 10:25Remember when you couldn’t wait to get back to church on Sunday? 4 questions to consider:

A. Have you established church going as an inviolable habit in your family?

You know how you wake up and try to decide if you are going to take a run on a rainy morning? That’s not how church life should be. I’m thankful my parents made this decision an easy one growing up—there wasn’t a decision—we were going. Giving your family the same kind of habit is a gift they will appreciate later.

B. Do you plan ahead on Sat. so you can make church a priority on Sunday?

We are all extremely busy—with work and school more demanding than ever. Doing yard work, homework and getting to bed on time, ensures families can get to church on Sunday.

C. Do you order your travel plans so as to minimize your being gone from your church on Sunday?

I’m not talking about never missing due to travel…everyone needs a break from their job, school, routine and even their place of service in the church. Visiting out of town family is important. However if you constantly plan your weekend as ‘Your Time’ with little to no thought about Christ and His church—you might need to rethink your priorities.

D. Are you willing to make sacrifices to gather with God’s people for worship every Sunday?

Pastor you don’t expect me to cancel my plans for Sat. night do you? I can’t possibly rearrange my work schedule. Sundays are my only day off—that’s my time. How will I ever get the yard done? My kids won’t be able to play on the soccer team if we don’t go to Sunday games. I have this project for School—I know they gave it to us 3 months ago, but I have to stay home and do it or I will get a bad grade. Surely God doesn’t want me to sacrifice too

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much just so I can show up at church! Not exactly the way of the cross, is it? Christ tells us to remember where we have fallen…go back to whatever it was that robbed us of our passion and zeal for Christ and His Church.

2. REPENTTo repent means to turn from. It is a deliberate rejection of our sins. Mark 12:30 tells us anytime we fail to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength it is sin. God recognizes that we go and do, and that we work so hard and try to serve so much, but there is a missing element. He says, “You have left your first love.” That word “left” implies an intentional, deliberate choice on our part. ‘Draw night to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.’ James 4:8David said, ‘Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleans me from my sin! For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.’ Psalm 51:2-3‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation.’ Psalm 51:10 & 12 Country Music—play it backwards—get your truck, dog, girl and job back. Repent of our sin and we can once again experience the joy of our salvation. Repentance is a changing of the mind. God wants us to repent where we have abandoned our first love. Repentance is healthy for the church.

3. RETURNWhat were they to return to? Go back to the things you did at first. They needed to recapture the richness of Bible study, devotion to prayer, and passion for worship that had once characterized them. Christ understood the importance of this situation. They were operating as a church—yet Christ was not the center—they had lost their focus. We must return to that passion to want to be with the Lord and fellowship with the people of God.

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There is no excuse for not being in the Word in 2014. It’s never been easier and more available. If we make personal worship a priority—corporate worship will also be a priority! Christ gave them an ultimatum—reflect, repent and return—or else I will remove my light from this place. No Love, No Light is the Rule! Love is to be paramount; nothing less will do. If there is no real love for the Lord Jesus, the reason for the assembly’s existence has vanished. In order to fix the problem we must fall in love with Christ and His Church all over again. A local church that is functioning without love for the Lord is worse than useless. It gives the wrong impression of what Christianity is all about, and is best removed. Application:It is interesting to note that the final verse that Paul wrote in his letter to the church @ Ephesus said, ‘Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.’ Eph. 6:24Have you drifted in your Love Relationship with Christ and His Church?The church that had once been zealous and alive had lost their first love was called to remember, repent and return to their first love. A group of people would continue to assemble there, but there is no indication that Christ was found there again. Repent for placing idols in front of ChristReturn to your first love and allow Him to renew your passion for the church and reaching others with the gospel.

I Love My Church!

Community Group QuestionsI LOVE MY CHURCH series

January 12, 2014Text: Revelation 2:1-5

1. Read Acts 2:46-47 and discuss the secret to the early church’s growth and ability to

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reach their community. What type of attitude about time, possessions, and worship prevailed in those early days? Do you think the church could ever experience that kind of Spirit-filled power today?

2. Discuss how the church @ Ephesus could go from being a premiere assembly experiencing God’s favor to facing God’s stern warning?

3. Read Rev. 3:14-16—How did Christ characterize the church @ Laodicea and how did it make Him feel? How do you think the Lord feels when He sees His church so apathetic and cold today?

4. According to our text this morning, what is the solution to rediscovering the passion and zeal you had when you first got saved? Discuss the Impact a Contagious Church has on it’s community.

5. Go around the room and share someone that you plan to invest in this year in order to lead them to faith in Christ. Spend time in prayer praying that God not only saves them, but that they we rediscover the passion for Christ and His church.

Community Group QuestionsI LOVE MY CHURCH series

January 12, 2014Text: Revelation 2:1-5

1. Read Acts 2:46-47 and discuss the secret to the early church’s growth and ability to reach their community. What type of attitude about time, possessions, and worship prevailed in those early days? Do you think the church could ever experience that kind of Spirit-filled power today?

2. Discuss how the church @ Ephesus could go from being a premiere assembly

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experiencing God’s favor to facing God’s stern warning?

3. Read Rev. 3:14-16—How did Christ characterize the church @ Laodicea and how did it make Him feel? How do you think the Lord feels when He sees His church so apathetic and cold today?

4. According to our text this morning, what is the solution to rediscovering the passion and zeal you had when you first got saved? Discuss the Impact a Contagious Church has on it’s community.

5. Go around the room and share someone that you plan to invest in this year in order to lead them to faith in Christ. Spend time in prayer praying that God not only saves them, but that they we rediscover the passion for Christ and His church.

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