Pathways to Intimacy with God - How to Rekindle Your Spiritual Passion, Part 1

I have a confession to your prayers feel flat your motivation is low. If you feel spiritually drawing. We all experience those things from time to time but no matter how mature you are.

Here's what you gotta know sometimes we need to rekindle the spiritual action we all need that from time to time. Today welcome to this Friday edition of Living on the Edge with shipping being on the edges of international discipleship ministry in the Bible to be brewery entity to provide some practical steps to really connect with God. Just before we get started, let me encourage you to try using chips message while you listen is going to show a lot of scripture today is outline will help you jot down your own notes on a quick download when you go to LivingontheEdge.org click listen now okay let's get going. Shelley enjoyed your pores message how to rekindle your spiritual passion leaned back, if you will, and just try and imagine it's late.

You're fighting hard. It's a long trip and you been in the car, six or seven hours you've got to get there and you've already had the coffee or the Coke to keep you awake. You roll down the windows and you just can't keep awake and so you start punching the buttons on the radio you want to find anything. You don't care what it is but you want to find something that'll get your interest and keep you and we've all been there and you punch a button here and that's no good and you punch a button here and then someone's talking herein and then you punch a button and the song comes on and it's an oldie for you. For some, that means it's 20 years old. For others it was three years ago, but it's an oldie when you hear that song something happens you gonna stop and Elaine back in the seat and take a deep breath in your wake because the song doesn't just remind you of words or melody, but all the sudden, like a video recorder going off in your mind pictures and faces and people and events of a number of years ago begin to play out.

And as you see him you going down memory lane and is not just that you remember them but you actually can see yourself in places and talking to people and it's literally like reliving them that old song, something happened. It was like somehow it hit a nerve in a neuron hit your brain and recorder went on and it wasn't just that you see it, but is almost like you were there and all the emotions and all the feelings and what was really like when you were there in that situation begin to flood back to you. We've all had this experience. For some it's a song that you remember when you're just a kid and it brings back memories of what it was like where you grew up and brothers and sisters and family and for others it's a song that remind you of special special moments of first looks first dates first love and remember where exactly you were and what she had on her. What he had on your mind begins to spin down another world.

For others it remind you of a day when you walk down an aisle and that song that you all played and what it meant and all the nerves in all the doubts and when you look at all the things of occurred and for others. I've had this when were you hear a song and that song cause you to go back and relive some very painful moments of lost love and unreconciled relationships and even at times a song that was popular at a window of time in your life when you weren't living in a way that you knew of honor to God or did anything but hurt yourself and other people and it's dark as night and you're traveling on the back roads and no one's around and that song starts you on a journey and you think about people that you haven't thought for some of you for a decade or two, and it's not just a matter of hearing the song you actually are back there reliving the moment.

Sometimes you laugh out loud as you hear those songs late at night and sometimes you start to cry or feel remorse and for reasons that we can explore little bit later.

God has made our minds with the ability to bring back not merely the recollection of events. But God has made your mind in my mind with the ability to play full motion pictures with all the emotions with all the feelings with all the struggles with the you are there right now. And sometimes it happens with the song, about 10 days ago I was walking by my wife has a picture album near where you come in the door and I don't know why been there and sometimes it's a song that I member stopping and I started looking through picture album had wedding pictures of our kids where we were summer ago two summers ago and it got back to about three years ago and I'm sitting there in the middle of my house with no one around, and I can feel the tears starting to well up because I wasn't looking at pictures. I was starting to relive the actual places and moments and I have a theory.

I've got a theory that God has intentionally made your mind in my mind with this ability not just to remember. But to actually relive with all the thought process and emotions go with it in my theory is that God is made our lives like that because we have a very destructive habit of the humankind and the destructive habit is the problem of a wandering heart left to myself. My heart wanders from friends left to myself. My heart wanders from my mate left to myself. My heart wanders from God, and God has made our minds and our memories so that certain things at certain times can spark us in such a way that it can bring us all the way back to where we were five or 10 or 15 or even 25 years before and you just don't remember it you actually relive it with the full sense of the emotions and the struggles and the sorrow and the pain and sometimes the joy and excitement because it is a struggle to sustain the intensity and the intimacy required for relationships to grow me what it really takes for friendships to grow for marriages to grow to stay in touch with your kids for some of us as they move around the country. It takes a lot of energy and here's the deal, left to ourselves.

Relationships drift apart left to ourselves, marriages, friendships, drift apart. Now think of this. If it's that easy to drift apart from people that you can see, and you can touch and you can put your cell phone on automatic number and get them anytime you want them. Do you see how easy it is for you and how easy it is for me to drift away from a God who loves us, but we can't see you notice on the top of your teaching handout is Revelation 24 it says, yet I hold this against you, you have forsaken or forgotten your first love. And if you wonder who the who the author that is it's Jesus, and Jesus writes to the messenger in Ephesus. In Revelation 2 and he says these are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven lampstands listen how positive his recommendation is of this group of believers.

I know your deeds, your hard work. Your perseverance that you can't tolerate wicked men that you've tested those who claim to be apostles that are not, and you found them false. You persevered, you've endured hardships by Matt my name and you've not grown weary. That sounds like a pretty good report for Christian doesn't you get up during the Bible you give the first portion of your time. You get the first portion of your money you love God you share your faith you're involved in ministry, you help out with kids. You are a person who's working hard you persevered in your sick and tired of the evil that you see in the world and you are busting it and trying to be the man with a woman, or the student the God want you to be from all outward signs all the rest of us want to be like you. But Jesus knocks, and he says I have this one thing against you. You forsaken your first love.

What about me from the heart. What about us, just like a muscle that isn't used begins to get small and weak.

God says in all of our lives, our heart can grow cold and so God has a plan. He has a solution for wandering hearts and God solution is what's called focused remembrance that this series is about ancient paths. Things have been done for hundreds and hundreds of years this one for over 2000 years. He took something that was historic about what God did for his people, and he turned that into what we now call the Lord's supper where he brought his disciples around him and he would remind them that as you meet as you come together. This is my body given for you. This is my blood shed for you because this is what he knew for their life and for mine and for years it is very easy to lose your first love. You can be religious you can be moral.

You can work hard, you can persevere. You can be involved in church ministry. But you can let your heart drift away from God. The path of breaking bread together restores our spiritual passion by forcing us to do certain things. In fact, this is so historic acts 242, says, and they speaking of the early church were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship a notice to the breaking of bread and to prayer and the apostle Paul in first Corinthians 11 gives the fullest and clearest explanation of what God wants us to remember.

First of all, were to remember who Jesus is and what is done for us. When you hold a piece of this bread and this cup in your hands the first thing God wants you to do is stop and just like hearing an oldies song.

This comes on the radio, or a flash that comes your mind as you're eating a familiar restaurant he want you to hold this piece of bread and he wants you to remember who he really is and he want you to hold this cup and he wants you to remember or bring into vivid recollection what is actually done for you. What is done for me. Notice what he says here in first Corinthians 11 beginning in verse 23, for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus and in the night which he was betrayed took bread, and when he given thanks, he broke it and he said this is my body which is for you to do this in remembrance of me. If you have a pen. We circle the word remembrance, it's very important in the same way he took the cup after supper, say, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. What were doing in a circle again remembrance verse 26 for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes put a box around the word proclaim to controlling concerns are associated with the Lord's supper.

According to the apostle Paul here. The first one is the idea of remembrance or memorial. The word literally means to bring to mind to come into agreement with what God has done this same word is translated into Greek.

But when this word is used in the Old Testament in Numbers 23 it's used of them coming and blowing trumpets, and it would blow trumpets before a sacrifice to remind God this offering is coming to you that you deserve it and we honor you. It's the sacrifice that we bring to you this word memorial also has the idea bringing into vivid recollection consciousness.

This is not about holding a piece of bread and having a cup and saying oh yeah Jesus died for me. He was there somewhere, sometime, somehow goody-goody. Thank you, Lord, eat, drink, I'm done that's called for taking an unworthy manner. This word for remember means to bring to vivid recollection to come and renew your first love.

It has the idea of you going back in your mind and saying where was I sitting when I heard the gospel. What has happened in my life since my sins have been forgiven when I trusted Christ as my Savior, who is this Jesus he's fully man and fully God. It's contemplating as the ancients did on his work on the cross. It's imagining in your mind. Maybe even without the help of a famous movie of the passion and beginning to grasp at the emotive level, and bringing into vivid recollection. If I was the only person on the face of the earth, he would've gone down that trail and he would've been beaten and would've carried the cross, and his hands would be pierced with nails and they would lift it up and they would lock it in and he would hang on a cross between heaven and earth and God Almighty because it was holy would turn his back for this one brief moment on the son because he would become the sin bearer the sin offering and all your sin and all my sin and the sins of all people would be poured on him, and the wrath of God and his death would cover your sin that you would be forgiven and free see its holding that bread his body broken. That's the price tag it's vividly recollecting in your mind what it would've been like for his blood to be spilled, and then bringing that into your own experience and beginning to sit quietly and ponder and meditate in Thanksgiving and say this is what it was like in my case before 1972 and this is what it's been like after 1972.

This is where I was before I heard the gospel.

I remember sitting in seats like this and a man sharing the gospel and coming to that moment of truth and realizing I desperately needed a Savior that I was a phony that I treated all kind of people in ways that were not only unhealthy and sinful, but I didn't like me. I wanted to be accepted and forgiven and I needed God memorial when we take the Lord's supper is not a little something we tack on to the service. The first concept is one of memorial.

If the idea that he is our sin offering these sinless that he paid the price that he suffered for you, and here's the core reason why because he loves you into the number one area that we don't believe in the Christian life. Down deep, we do not believe God loves us. That's what we cannot keep trying to earn his favor. That's what we keep playing all these games more than anything else. God wants you to grasp and understand totally apart from your works totally unconditional. He loves you. Not because there's something good in you, but because of something good in him.

He has chosen you to be the object of his affection, because beyond what any of us know his love is infinite and he cares about you and he wants a relationship with you, but because he is holy and we are sinful. The only means of relationship with a holy God was Christ. The fully man and fully God, stretching out his arms and dying in your place, and in my place.

And when we do that not only do we bring it to remembrance but look at the last line it says, and we proclaim his death. The word proclaim there is used elsewhere in the New Testament for literally preaching the gospel, it means it means telling the rest of the world.

I have been forgiven Jesus as my Savior. I have a new life. There is a difference and when we come together. It's not just to remember.

But as we do it we testify to the living fact that there is good news. We proclaim there is life there is forgiveness for everyone. Whosoever would come in so by way of summary in this first section the path of breaking bread together restores our spiritual passion.

How does your passion get restored by remembering who Jesus is your Savior God, your sin, substitute, and remembering what he's done. He has died.

Upon the cross for you. Apostle Paul makes it clear that is not only enough to remember who Jesus is and what he did but we need to remember who we are and are present need of repentance. Lord's supper is a time to look upward and outward and with praise and adoration but is also time to look inward to take a spiritual x-ray to take a spiritual MRI to let the spirit of God open his eyes into your heart into your life into your motives and mind and say Lord if there's anything that's not right. You see, the reason we drift is what it's a little subtle sin. Today a little subtle sin tomorrow a little attitude tomorrow. Another little motive next week and little by little by little we don't understand, and we drifted with the Lord's supper is to recalibrate your soul and what you recalibrate your so you get first clear on who he is and what is done and then you take that and look in the mirror and you say Lord, where am I really from your perspective.

Notice the apostle Paul's teaching picking up in verse 27 he says. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner circle that phrase will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of our Lord. A man ought to examine himself circle that phrase before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself, then listen to this very offense strange but powerful passage, verse 30. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep at the technical term used every time in the New Testament for when a believer in Jesus Christ dies and goes to heaven. But if we judged ourselves who not come under judgment when we are judged by the Lord were being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. Notice there is a warning there's instruction. There's a reason. And then there is a response the warning is don't eat or don't come to the Lord's table in an un-worthy manner. Passage is been much debated and go to commentaries and find a zillion different explanations of what an unworthy manner is option number one.

For many, it's an unbeliever taken Lord's supper. It's obviously not, you know, one of the things you need to do. I don't know where you're at, or where you come from.

I didn't grow up as a believer, but this is a holy moment. It's a holy moment for God's family. If you're not a believer in Jesus Christ you're instructed to watch and observe to see what happens. Don't go, don't take it, and in trying say with one of these people doing what does this really mean. Another explanation is been but there's some unconfessed sin in a person's life. It's an unworthy where there's unconfessed sin and you take in this way, and of course were instructed to make sure that there's no sin to literally say God is there anything between us I'm to sit quietly, no music, no strumming guitars dead cold silence we you can say Lord if there's anything between you and me in your believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you, will you show me you to show me right now and I know your heart is never to condemn and you're never vague when you show me if there's anything in my life that I need to tell you and come to agreement with you and ask you to forgive me and claim your promise that I confess my sin. Your faithful and just to forgive me my sin and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. That's certainly a part of the Lord's supper, but the actual phrase an unworthy manner. It is not so much pointed toward unbelievers and is not so much about unconfessed sin that something that believers would understand. They were to do to partake in an unworthy manner. The meaning of this word has to do with meaning taking it carelessly thoughtlessly routinely going through the motions. It would be having the more Memorial without the meaning no appreciation for who Jesus really is no recollection back to what is really done for you know, quiet, extended time to evaluate where are you really at in your heart and your life to recalibrate your soul.

It's just going through the motions is just doing what you've always done. It's coming to church and going through the spiritual motions of taking the Lord's supper. That's what it means to take it in an unworthy manner and what it does it diminishes his work on the cross. What it does it diminishes his blood that shed for you.

What does it diminishes the fact that you've been sealed with the spirit that your child of God, and you don't take time to let the spirit of God love you and care for you and God's plan always in every time and convicting is never to be down on us is to point something out like a surgeon sees a piece of cancer and cuts very carefully so that no arteries or anything would be hurt and gets just the thing that needs to be and lifts it out and is it painful yes and removes it so you can be hold to be healed. That's God's heart and when you take the Lord's supper. It's always brings you to a time when you come back to verse things that your first back to the relationship will be back with but if you chose to do your listening to Living on the Edge tripping from chip stock today is from a series pathways to intimacy with God of you voted helpful.

Let me encourage you to take advantage of the serious discounts and order a copy today they go agree with me. There's no way we can catch all the key points just once through, so if you were listening about yourself. You know what I really want to take this more seriously. Don't let your good intentions slip by. Give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org pathways to intimacy with God. Do it today. I'll be right back in just a minute to talk specifically about today's message but before I do.

We talk a lot in the pathways about the role of God's word, and often we think of God's word. The focuses almost completely on taking it in meditating on renewing your mind and that is absolutely critical, but in spiritual warfare. What we must learn how to do is to use the word where were offense of with that member.

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He said out loud. It is written, it is written, it is written, and he defeated the enemy during this series of pathways.

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Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org will your strip with a final thought as we close today's program and we think about the larger issue of rekindling your spiritual passion it.

It is obvious is very clear teaching from the Lord Jesus to remember to keep the main thing the main thing.

God's unconditional love. That's the vertical and that horizontal relationship so that we are holding the bread and the cup recognizing the body of Christ, as well as what is done for us but but the principle is focused remembrance and let me give you three or four things to help you rekindle your spiritual passion. The Lord's supper is absolutely God's commanded way that we do that corporately, but let me give you maybe three or four ways that might help you personally. I mean he might save yourself and I'm I just need a shot in the arm today and Sundays.

A few days away and here's a few things it help me number one I keep a journal and and I write down things what God's doing. I write some prayers down. I often when I need rekindled. I'll go back and read a day or two for a week or from really discourage a month or two, and in reading past answer to prayers. It reminds me God was faithful. I remember how bummed out.

I was or how I was struggling that I look at that answer and that's a powerful way. Second is sometimes there's a song like I have a couple people that lead worship that really sensitize my heart to God and so I will on. I'll need that that intimacy with God and all let the room get little bit dark and I shut my eyes and I sit on the floor and I to sing along quietly with that and it's amazing how that truth goes through my head into my heart. 1/3 wave is been helpful as is to literally get out of a photo album, or you get it on your mobile device and look at some of those pictures and look into the eyes of if you're married, your wife, your kids are close friends or people from a Bible study and just remember there people who really do care about you and love you and you love them and in life matters changes your perspective and then another way is that you memorized the number verses in the past but sometimes when I need rekindled.

I'll just review some verses that have met a lot. You know Sam over my mind and that I find myself kind of praying them back to God and these are things that bring about a focused remembrance that bring the grace of God and the reality of his presence and his power.

In the past into the present and when that happens, the spirit of God will take the reality of who he is and begin to apply it in your current circumstances and you realize the God who loves you too slow to anger whose abundant lovingkindness is available who's here who's now and will meet you right where you're at, regardless of how you feel it Living on the Edge were happy to let you know about an easy way to listen to or extended teaching podcast your trip anytime on Amazon's Alexa echo and echo.just say Alexa and able the trip Ingram podcast once Alexis enabled with that skill. All you need to say is Alexa play.

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She continues his series pathways to novellas is debris thing. Thanks for joining this vision of Living on the Edge