You lost that Loving Feeling...

A Cry for Revival (1-6)  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Biblically an awakening in the church community. To return to are first love.

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Sermon series The Cry of Revival
“Fan the flames of revival”
Title: You lost that Loving feeling…
Theme: Fan the flames of revival
Text: Revelations 2:1-7 (4-5)
Goal: to encourage the community to fan their spiritual fames of revival through love.
Action: Looking at the words given to the seven church as they were encouraged to fan their spiritual flames of revival.
ME: ORIENTATION: FIND COMMON GROUND WITH THE AUDIENCE
What does revival mean?
People are tired of just stagnant Christianity.
We talked about that in the church last fall.
WE: IDENTIFICATION (MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU STRUGGLE)
Are we stagnant?
Biblically an awakening, in the church community.
Of interest and care for spiritual things
Love for Christ and others that is on fire.
We need an awakening.
Two other phrases that may freak you out.
This is our church… this is God’s church.
We don’t want to change , keep every body happy… means we don’t seek God’s will.
Jesus speaks to different churches. mid 90’s
GOD: ILLUMINATION (THE GOAL IS TO RESOLVE THE TENSION
Jesus is speaking to the early

I. Jesus opening words to the church

20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Revelation 6:20 (ESV)
Revelation 2:1-2 (ESV)
2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary
2:1 holds (Kratein
The word for to hold is kratein, and it is a strong word. It means that Christ has complete control over the church If the church submits to that control, it will never go wrong; and more than that—our security lies in the fact that we are in the hand of Christ.
When kratein takes an accusative after it, it means that the whole object is gripped within the hand. Here, kratein takes the accusative, and that means that Christ clasps the whole of the seven stars in his hand. That means he holds the whole Church in his hand.
It means that Christ has complete control over the church. If the church submits to that control, it will never go wrong; and more than that—our security lies in the fact that we are in the hand of Christ.
(2) He walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. The lampstands are the churches. This expression tells us of Christ’s tireless activity in the midst of his churches. He is not confined to any one of them; wherever men and women meet together to worship in his name, Christ is there.
2
Toil:
The special characteristic of these words is that they describe the kind of toil which takes up all mental and physical effort that can be put into it. The Christian way is not for those who are afraid to break sweat. Christians are to toil for Christ; and, even if physical toil is impossible, they can still toil in prayer.
Barclay, W. (2004). The Revelation of John (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, Vol. 1, pp. 69–70). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.
Patient endurance
(2) The risen Christ praises their steadfast endurance. Here is the word hupomonē, which we have come across again and again. It is not the grim patience which resignedly accepts things. It is the courageous gallantry which accepts suffering and hardship and turns them into grace and glory. It is often said that suffering colours life; but, when we meet life with the hupomonē which Christ can give, the colour of life is never grey or black; it is always tinged with glory
Many came into the little congregations of the early Church with evil intent. Jesus had warned of the false prophets who are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). In his farewell speech to the elders of this very church at Ephesus, Paul had warned them that savage wolves would invade the flock (Acts 20:29). These evil people were of many kinds. There were messages from the Jews who sought to entangle Christians again in the law and who followed Paul everywhere, trying to undo his work. There were those who tried to turn liberty into licence.
There were professional beggars who preyed on the charity of the Christian congregations. The church at Ephesus was even more open to these recurring menaces than any other church. It was on the highway to Rome and to the east, and what R. C. Trench called ‘the whole rabble of evildoers’ was liable to descend upon it.

II. I Have this against you

Revelation 2:4
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first
A. Abandoned your first love
Their first enthusiasm and love for God has gone.
Jeremiah speaks of the devotion of Israel to God in the early days. God says to the nation that he remembers ‘the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride’
“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Jeremiah 2:2 (ESV)
* Their enthusiasm or the enthusiasm of the church.
* It is much more likely that this means that the first fine rapture of love for the church community has gone.
In the first days, the members of the church at Ephesus had really loved each other;
disagreement had never reared its head; the heart was ready to be stirred and the hand was ready to help.
But something had gone wrong. It may well be that heresy-hunting had killed love, and orthodoxy had been achieved at the price of fellowship.
When that happens, orthodoxy ( generally accepts Doctrine) has cost too much. All the orthodoxy in the world will never take the place of love

III. Take away

Will you seek revival?
Will you repent?
Will you change ?
YOU: APPLICATION (TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO AND WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD)
Conclusion:
Will you….
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