Preparing for Revival - Message 4: Be Who You Are!
Last Sunday we made a decision. We want a revival from God to erupt in our lives, our families, our church, our community and our nation.
One of the chief reasons that revival does not happen is that many born again believers act like unbelievers. All too frequently, our lives don’t look any different than the decent non-Christian next door, except that we ‘go to church’. We live powerless. We live without confidence. We let worry rule our lives. We let the concerns of this world dominate our thinking and our time.
That’s called ‘worldliness’ and it is a sure sign that we are immature and need to grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Christian researcher and pollster George Barna issued a report in 2002 that identified the following things about the North American Christian: (source: barna.org)
• 44% of born again Christians between 18-34 will co-habitate outside the sanctity of marriage.
• Amongst those who have been married, 33% of all American Christians have been divorced. Amongst the general population, it is 34% who have been divorced. Absolutely no difference.
• Only 7% of born again Christians identify spiritual wholeness and growth as a primary factor that produces a successful life.
• Less than 10% of regular church attenders give 10% or more to their churches.
• Fully two-thirds of born again Christians believe that truth is relative not absolute.
• The average church attender spends more time watching TV in one day than he does in all spiritual pursuits combined for an entire week.
Is it any wonder that revival in America tarries?
A major reason for this is that we have yet to buy in to the reality of who we are in Christ. We really don’t grasp the significance of what it means to be ‘born-again’ – or to be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ – or to ‘belong to Christ’. We may be ‘believer’s’ but we aren’t yet people of faith.
We are a nation of immature believers. We are called by God to be SPIRITUAL, and we choose instead to be WORLDLY. It’s time to become who we really are – people of the Spirit of God! For revival to happen – we must BE who we really ARE!
The church in the city of Corinth was a mixed bag – it was active, it was alive, it was a passionate group of people – but it was also fleshly, sexually immoral, and worldly in thinking. Yet, God still loved the people of the Corinthian church, and when we get to Heaven, we will meet them.
Paul writes a rather stern letter to them – and I want to focus in on three verses of what he said to them:
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
This is a pretty strong statement from Paul.
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.” Vs. 1
1. What’s The Problem? They Are ‘Worldly’ Instead Of Spiritual.
Worldly means ‘carnal’ or ‘fleshly’ – literally it means that these Christians were being controlled not by the Spirit of God, but by their own human nature!
What’s the point of being a Christian if you are going to live like someone who isn’t?
I want you to look at Romans 8:5ff
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
Romans 8:5-9
Living life in a carnal – fleshly – worldly manner is directly opposite what God intends for us! Look again at the contrast between the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit:
FLESH = death, hostile to God, rebellious to God’s ways, completely unable to please God.
SPIRIT = life, peace, joyful agreement with God’s ways, evidence of belonging to Christ.
Paul says: Hey, Christians – stop living as if you still belonged to the world – and start living as a growing, maturing, faith walking believer! BE who you are!
When Christ came into your life it was for the purpose of changing the entirety of who you are. Being a Christian isn’t simply window dressing on your life, being a Christian is to be the definition of who you are! Paul says: “I cannot address you as SPIRITUAL – because you are acting like SPIRITUAL BABIES!”
Now, it’s okay to be a spiritual baby when you are first born again – but listen to me: You must grow up in Christ!
Ephesians 4:11 says…
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-15
The goal of being a Christian is to become like Christ!
Revival comes when people become like Jesus!
Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 13:11…
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11
Childish things are appropriate for children – they serve them well. But there comes a point when in order to move on in your walk with Christ – you have to put those things aside and become mature.
Now look back at our main text – focus in on verse 2:
“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.” Vs. 2
2. It’s Time To Move Up to Solid Food!
When a baby comes into the world – it needs milk. It cannot handle solid food. But as the baby develops, it needs different nourishment, solid food.
Spiritually speaking that is also true – when you first come to Christ you need to hear the basic Gospel message. God loves you. He sent His Son into the World. Jesus became the Perfect Sacrifice and died on the Cross for your Sins, and then on the 3rd day, He rose from the Grave. When you place your faith in Him, confess your sins, repent of your sins, get baptized in water and with the Holy Spirit – you are saved and will go to Heaven. That’s all milk. It’s pure and it’s good – but it cannot be the totality of your spiritual diet. You need to grow up and for growing up you need SOLID FOOD.
• SOLID FOOD prepares you to make a difference in this world for the cause of Christ!
• SOLID FOOD trains you in righteousness, in ministry, in spiritual gifts, and in the power of the Holy Spirit!
• SOLID FOOD enables you to get into the field of battle fighting for the Kingdom of God and for those who are perishing!
And for revival to come – you need to receive a diet of SOLID FOOD. Paul says that the people of Corinth were not ready for SOLID FOOD – and do you know why? Look at verse 3…
“Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?”
3. Worldliness doesn’t reflect who you really are!
They were worldly. They were living in the flesh. Their worldliness was manifested in petty jealousies and quarrelling. Jealousy and quarrelling are clear signs of spiritual immaturity! But, those aren’t the only two evidences of worldliness – how about these…
Galatians 5:19-21 lists some of the actions that are associated with worldly living:
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21
That’s a pretty nasty list. Revival comes when – by the power of the Holy Spirit – I put those childish things behind me and move forward into maturity.
What does maturity look like? Paul continues on in Galatians 5 with these words…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25
All of these are the evidences that God’s Spirit is working in our lives – and that we are becoming mature in Christ!
Revival comes when we stop living as if we were like everyone else around us, and begin to truly be who we are.
Look back at 1 Corinthians 3 – verse 3: “Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:3
You see – if you are a Christian – you are not merely human!
4. In Christ I Am A New Kind Of Person.
You are familiar with 2 Corinthians 5:17…
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17
This speaks to your truest identity. It’s not just that your sins have been forgiven you, given you a chance to start over – it’s far more. When you came to Christ – He came to you and completely restructured WHO you are.
In Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17, He says of us…
“…for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” John 17:14-16
‘not of the world any more than I am of the world.’ – He says it twice! Why? Because He wants you to get it: You may live in this world, but you no longer belong to this world!
Listen to Paul’s explanation of this in Ephesians 2:17ff…
“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:17-22
Through the Gospel – you have been adopted into God’s Kingdom and Family!
And as members of God’s family – we are to live DIFFERENTLY – Peter wrote:
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11
Why should we live differently than the world? Two reasons:
1. We don’t belong to this world! ‘aliens and strangers in the world…’
2. Sin battles against who we really are! ‘sinful desires which war against your soul…’
I am never more myself than when I live according to God’s plans!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we are members of God’s very own family!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we are empowered to live in the power of the Holy Spirit!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we belong to something that has eternal quality, value and meaning!
Worldliness stops you from being who you really are!
Worldliness stops you from experiencing the solid food of God!
Worldliness stops you from tasting the goodness of God and seeing His power at work in your life!
Worldliness leads to death.
HOW DO WE MOVE INTO OUR TRUE IDENTITY?
1. Remember that Christ has already overcome the world!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
The victory is assured – so long as you keep focused on Christ! What Christ has done – you can benefit from!
2. Remember God gave you the faith that overcomes the world!
“…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:4, 5
Active faith is faith that overcomes. Faith must move out of the intellect and into the core of your heart and passion – as you take this overcoming faith and walk in obedience to God’s way of living, the world will be overcome!
3. Remember that Christ’s power in you overcomes the world!
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
I ask again – do you earnestly desire for God to send a wave of revival our way? Than it is time for you to rise up and to overcome the world by BEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE! It is time for you to put aside the lesser in order to gain the greater!
Wouldn’t it be great if in 5 years, Barna did another survey of American Christians and all off those negative statistics would be turned around? If can happen as we live according to who we really are.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6
Today is a day to fan the fires of revival – let’s make the choice of the will to live according to our true nature. Let’s choose to abandon being ‘mere men’ and to fully embrace and pursue our identity as God’s sons and daughters!
One of the chief reasons that revival does not happen is that many born again believers act like unbelievers. All too frequently, our lives don’t look any different than the decent non-Christian next door, except that we ‘go to church’. We live powerless. We live without confidence. We let worry rule our lives. We let the concerns of this world dominate our thinking and our time.
That’s called ‘worldliness’ and it is a sure sign that we are immature and need to grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Christian researcher and pollster George Barna issued a report in 2002 that identified the following things about the North American Christian: (source: barna.org)
• 44% of born again Christians between 18-34 will co-habitate outside the sanctity of marriage.
• Amongst those who have been married, 33% of all American Christians have been divorced. Amongst the general population, it is 34% who have been divorced. Absolutely no difference.
• Only 7% of born again Christians identify spiritual wholeness and growth as a primary factor that produces a successful life.
• Less than 10% of regular church attenders give 10% or more to their churches.
• Fully two-thirds of born again Christians believe that truth is relative not absolute.
• The average church attender spends more time watching TV in one day than he does in all spiritual pursuits combined for an entire week.
Is it any wonder that revival in America tarries?
A major reason for this is that we have yet to buy in to the reality of who we are in Christ. We really don’t grasp the significance of what it means to be ‘born-again’ – or to be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ – or to ‘belong to Christ’. We may be ‘believer’s’ but we aren’t yet people of faith.
We are a nation of immature believers. We are called by God to be SPIRITUAL, and we choose instead to be WORLDLY. It’s time to become who we really are – people of the Spirit of God! For revival to happen – we must BE who we really ARE!
The church in the city of Corinth was a mixed bag – it was active, it was alive, it was a passionate group of people – but it was also fleshly, sexually immoral, and worldly in thinking. Yet, God still loved the people of the Corinthian church, and when we get to Heaven, we will meet them.
Paul writes a rather stern letter to them – and I want to focus in on three verses of what he said to them:
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
This is a pretty strong statement from Paul.
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.” Vs. 1
1. What’s The Problem? They Are ‘Worldly’ Instead Of Spiritual.
Worldly means ‘carnal’ or ‘fleshly’ – literally it means that these Christians were being controlled not by the Spirit of God, but by their own human nature!
What’s the point of being a Christian if you are going to live like someone who isn’t?
I want you to look at Romans 8:5ff
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
Romans 8:5-9
Living life in a carnal – fleshly – worldly manner is directly opposite what God intends for us! Look again at the contrast between the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit:
FLESH = death, hostile to God, rebellious to God’s ways, completely unable to please God.
SPIRIT = life, peace, joyful agreement with God’s ways, evidence of belonging to Christ.
Paul says: Hey, Christians – stop living as if you still belonged to the world – and start living as a growing, maturing, faith walking believer! BE who you are!
When Christ came into your life it was for the purpose of changing the entirety of who you are. Being a Christian isn’t simply window dressing on your life, being a Christian is to be the definition of who you are! Paul says: “I cannot address you as SPIRITUAL – because you are acting like SPIRITUAL BABIES!”
Now, it’s okay to be a spiritual baby when you are first born again – but listen to me: You must grow up in Christ!
Ephesians 4:11 says…
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-15
The goal of being a Christian is to become like Christ!
Revival comes when people become like Jesus!
Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 13:11…
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11
Childish things are appropriate for children – they serve them well. But there comes a point when in order to move on in your walk with Christ – you have to put those things aside and become mature.
Now look back at our main text – focus in on verse 2:
“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.” Vs. 2
2. It’s Time To Move Up to Solid Food!
When a baby comes into the world – it needs milk. It cannot handle solid food. But as the baby develops, it needs different nourishment, solid food.
Spiritually speaking that is also true – when you first come to Christ you need to hear the basic Gospel message. God loves you. He sent His Son into the World. Jesus became the Perfect Sacrifice and died on the Cross for your Sins, and then on the 3rd day, He rose from the Grave. When you place your faith in Him, confess your sins, repent of your sins, get baptized in water and with the Holy Spirit – you are saved and will go to Heaven. That’s all milk. It’s pure and it’s good – but it cannot be the totality of your spiritual diet. You need to grow up and for growing up you need SOLID FOOD.
• SOLID FOOD prepares you to make a difference in this world for the cause of Christ!
• SOLID FOOD trains you in righteousness, in ministry, in spiritual gifts, and in the power of the Holy Spirit!
• SOLID FOOD enables you to get into the field of battle fighting for the Kingdom of God and for those who are perishing!
And for revival to come – you need to receive a diet of SOLID FOOD. Paul says that the people of Corinth were not ready for SOLID FOOD – and do you know why? Look at verse 3…
“Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?”
3. Worldliness doesn’t reflect who you really are!
They were worldly. They were living in the flesh. Their worldliness was manifested in petty jealousies and quarrelling. Jealousy and quarrelling are clear signs of spiritual immaturity! But, those aren’t the only two evidences of worldliness – how about these…
Galatians 5:19-21 lists some of the actions that are associated with worldly living:
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21
That’s a pretty nasty list. Revival comes when – by the power of the Holy Spirit – I put those childish things behind me and move forward into maturity.
What does maturity look like? Paul continues on in Galatians 5 with these words…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25
All of these are the evidences that God’s Spirit is working in our lives – and that we are becoming mature in Christ!
Revival comes when we stop living as if we were like everyone else around us, and begin to truly be who we are.
Look back at 1 Corinthians 3 – verse 3: “Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:3
You see – if you are a Christian – you are not merely human!
4. In Christ I Am A New Kind Of Person.
You are familiar with 2 Corinthians 5:17…
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17
This speaks to your truest identity. It’s not just that your sins have been forgiven you, given you a chance to start over – it’s far more. When you came to Christ – He came to you and completely restructured WHO you are.
In Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17, He says of us…
“…for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” John 17:14-16
‘not of the world any more than I am of the world.’ – He says it twice! Why? Because He wants you to get it: You may live in this world, but you no longer belong to this world!
Listen to Paul’s explanation of this in Ephesians 2:17ff…
“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:17-22
Through the Gospel – you have been adopted into God’s Kingdom and Family!
And as members of God’s family – we are to live DIFFERENTLY – Peter wrote:
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11
Why should we live differently than the world? Two reasons:
1. We don’t belong to this world! ‘aliens and strangers in the world…’
2. Sin battles against who we really are! ‘sinful desires which war against your soul…’
I am never more myself than when I live according to God’s plans!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we are members of God’s very own family!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we are empowered to live in the power of the Holy Spirit!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we belong to something that has eternal quality, value and meaning!
Worldliness stops you from being who you really are!
Worldliness stops you from experiencing the solid food of God!
Worldliness stops you from tasting the goodness of God and seeing His power at work in your life!
Worldliness leads to death.
HOW DO WE MOVE INTO OUR TRUE IDENTITY?
1. Remember that Christ has already overcome the world!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
The victory is assured – so long as you keep focused on Christ! What Christ has done – you can benefit from!
2. Remember God gave you the faith that overcomes the world!
“…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:4, 5
Active faith is faith that overcomes. Faith must move out of the intellect and into the core of your heart and passion – as you take this overcoming faith and walk in obedience to God’s way of living, the world will be overcome!
3. Remember that Christ’s power in you overcomes the world!
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
I ask again – do you earnestly desire for God to send a wave of revival our way? Than it is time for you to rise up and to overcome the world by BEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE! It is time for you to put aside the lesser in order to gain the greater!
Wouldn’t it be great if in 5 years, Barna did another survey of American Christians and all off those negative statistics would be turned around? If can happen as we live according to who we really are.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6
Today is a day to fan the fires of revival – let’s make the choice of the will to live according to our true nature. Let’s choose to abandon being ‘mere men’ and to fully embrace and pursue our identity as God’s sons and daughters!
posted by Doug Love at 11:08 AM
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