Revive 2025

Philippians 3:13-14

 

Can you sense it?  Do you feel it?  Are you expecting it?

There’s something in the air, and I’m not talking about government drones / some virus going around / the effects of holiday fruitcake and eggnog.

 

There’s an anticipation that we are on the cusp of something big.  What could it be?  We must answer correctly, because there’s a wrong answer floating around as well, and if we choose to place our hopes there we could be on the cusp of something bad.

 

If you surveyed 100 Christians right now about why they are hopeful I think about 90 of them would answer that it’s because of the new administration.  And there’s nothing wrong with being excited about positive possibilities.  But our hope must be in the Lord. 

 

• If our economy revives but we don’t, that’s not good enough.
• If the president becomes our object of trust then the real KING may decide to ‘trump’ all our blessings.
• If Congress comes alive but the church goes to sleep, we’re in trouble.
• If Elon’s plan saves money but God’s plan doesn’t save souls, then America just becomes a better place to go to hell from.
• It really doesn’t matter what happens in the White House if we don’t focus on revival in God’s House, your house, and my house!

 

Let’s focus on how to truly revive in 2025…

1      Find some dissatisfaction

ill.--Cruise control/coasting - God isn't pleased!

 

How many of you like to really relax as you drive? (I want to die just like grandpa, in my sleep, not screaming like the passengers he was driving!)

 

For a church to go backward, it doesn’t require people to go backward, just to stand still.  Have you found a comfort zone in your spiritual life?

 

We’re not talking about contentment here

        Materialism—Godliness with contentment is great gain

        Spiritually—don’t ever be content, satisfied

 

Here’s the attitude to have:  However much I read my Bible last year, it wasn’t enough (prayed, gave, served, worshipped, attended services)

        I’m pressing on the upward way…new heights I'm gaining ev’ry day…higher ground!

 

In 2025 our God will want many to take a step up…

        To sit and soak and sour for another year would be “cruise control” (idling)

 

It is easier to just stay where we are.  We have a way to be comfortable…but we would have to coast, we wouldn’t go forward.

 

Why do we get self-satisfied? 

We become inward focused rather than looking outward at the fields white unto harvest.

We lose our burden for the lost.

We try to become more independent and lose our dependence on the Lord.

We compare ourselves to others who are not making good progress.  Since when are inferiors our standard? 

“comparing yourselves with others is not wise”

We develop a false sense of spirituality when we compare ourselves to anyone other than our Savior...but when we measure next to Him, we quickly recognize how small we are.

 

        Phil. 3:13—“brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended” (arrived)

 

No cruise control, put the pedal to the metal

 

If we’re not careful, we can allow ourselves to get to the point of complacency.   (beat down with the woes of life, failures of yesterday)

 

Pastor pounded the pulpit… “Ignorance and complacency, that’s our problem!  You sir, on the front row, do you even know the difference between ignorance and complacency? …

        “I don’t know and I don’t care”!  [correct]

 

When is a church officially dead, and when can we write Ichabod on the door?  When we’ve looked inward and backward so long we can’t find it within ourselves to look up, and look ahead!

 

find some dissatisfaction...

 

2.     Find some devotion

Phil. 3:13—“but this one thing I do…” (one of the most important phrases)

To the self-righteous rich young ruler, Jesus said, “one thing thou lackest”

To busy Martha, working in the kitchen, criticizing her sister Mary, Jesus said, “one thing is needful.”

Ps. 27:4 David said, “one thing I have desired of the lord.”

 

Paul said, "This one thing I do"…a statement of devotion

 

        His Christianity was not a sideshow ... not a compartment of his life

 

A wheel has many spokes, and so do we in our lives:

Work life, school life, hobbies, family life, church life

 

The spokes have nothing to do with each other

 

Your church life doesn’t show up at work, on the basketball court…to view your family life at home you’d never dream you also had that church life.

 

Jesus doesn’t want to be a spoke at all, he wants to be the hub of the wheel, out of which all the spokes grow and connect

 

Christianity shouldn’t be a compartment of our life, it should BE our life!

 

We need to trade some commitments of this world for commitment TO our Lord. 

 

We need to learn to say no…be less devoted, that we may become more devoted where it counts.

 

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last!

 

When I was a child, I laughed and wept,

And time crept

When I was a youth, I dreamed and talked,

Time walked

When I became a full grown man,

Time ran

When older still I daily grew,

Time flew

Soon I shall be traveling on

Time gone!

“Redeeming the time!”

Difference between an amateur and a professional:

        Amateur does things from time to time…in spurts

        Professional devotes full time…it’s his life’s work

 

You’ll never be effective for the Lord by attending church in spurts

        [try telling your spouse you will be faithful to them ... in spurts!]

 

        The Sunday morning Christian will go backward in their spiritual life week after week, and sadly, will likely never realize it.  Morning is when we feed you the milk…it’s for babies.  But who is hungry for the meat we give in our evening services?  Are you content to remain a baby Christian?

        [Praying in spurts, Bible reading in spurts, giving in spurts.]

 

Let’s become a church of devotion, with a professional mindset, 24/7, full-time job…this one thing I do.

 

        D.L. Moody, preacher, promoter, evangelist, did YMCA work, had many irons in the fire…he preached one Sunday night, and said, “Go home and think about getting saved for a week, then come back, and we’ll lead you to Christ.”  Great Chicago fire killed thousands that week, including many he had preached to.

        Moody decided to preach like there’s no tomorrow…and he decided that he needed to devote himself to evangelism only…

"this one thing I do!"  He then shook 2 continents for God!

 

dissatisfaction, devotion...

 

3.     Find some direction

V. 14, “forgetting those things which are behind…”

 

Kimberly and I served in a church in Savannah, GA…nearby in Valdosta was a track and field prodigy, who set records his freshman, sophomore and junior years, and was a shoe in for big scholarships and the Olympics one day.  His senior year, he was blowing away the entire field…rounding the fourth turn he was ahead by 20 yards, turned around and looked over his shoulder, tripped, and lost!

 

Did you know that the month January got its name from Caesar, who named the month for the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god…one face looking backward, and one forward.

 

In 2025, we need 20/20 vision…and that means there’s no looking backward…the past is passed…no man putting his hand to the plow, looking back, is fit for the kingdom of god.

 

No looking back at past sin…He forgives it, He forgets it, so should we!

It’s Satan who reminds you of those past sins, not God.

        When you think of it, thank God for forgiving you the 1^st time!

 

John R. Rice, “No matter what you did in the past, your future is spotless!”

 

No looking back at past failures…different than past sin.

 

“Most new year’s resolutions go in one YEAR and out the other”

 

        Last year’s resolutions, weight loss, smoking, etc.

                You only fail when you stop trying!

 

A just man falleth 7 times and riseth up again!

 

Babe Ruth held the home run record for many years…remember his other record? …strikeouts.

 

Winston Churchill said, “Success is the ability to move from one failure on to the next.”

 

Abraham Lincoln

        1831—failed in business, went bankrupt

        1833—back on his feet, failed again

        1835—fiancee died

        1836—nervous breakdown

        1838—ran for speaker of house, was defeated

        1840—elector, was defeated

        1843—congress, was defeated

        1848—congress, was defeated

        1855—senate, was defeated

        1856—vice president, was defeated

        1858—senate, was defeated

        1860—was elected president, one of the greatest who ever lived. [second only to Jimmy Carter!]

 

He moved from one failure to the next without quitting.

 

Success is getting up just one time more than you fall down!

 

        No looking back at past bitterness.

 

If anyone could be bitter in the OT it was Joseph, betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery.

 

He could have said, “I'm in this situation because of what others did, thru no fault of my own!”  But he realized forgiveness is a choice.

Don’t say you can’t forgive that person who comes to your mind in bitterness…just be honest and say you won’t forgive.

Remember, bitterness never hurts the one you’re bitter toward…bitterness always turns on its creator, and poisons him.

 

          No looking back at past events. [longingly]

ill.--we have taken a few walks down memory lane with family this Christmas, and it has been fun.  And you can actually learn from the past and use it to propel forward.

 

Good or bad…we love to reminisce of the good old days-ok if we don’t dwell on it and allow it to affect our present!

 

        Who are we right now?  God has proven He can do great things—let’s be aware, let’s learn from it that God can do it again…if only we’ll follow Him in that direction!

 

We can learn from the past—but then move on!

        what we did right/wrong

 

Jesus said to look on the fields white unto harvest…those who aren’t yet saved!

But it’s negative/discouraging to dwell on someone you miss who’s not here…it’s painful to lose anyone…even worse, is what will result if we dwell on it.

 

Dissatisfaction, devotion, direction…

 

4. Find some determination

V. 14               “I press toward the mark…”

 

“By God’s grace, I hereby pledge to focus on the goal, to die trying if necessary, to go forward positively for God in the new year!”

[individual/family/church/ministry]

        What is the mark?  To know Him, and to make Him known.

 

Ps. 65:11—David said, “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness”

        God help us to Revive in 2025!