B B ack to the asics Foundational

B B ack to the asics

Foundational Principles Must Be Honored Vince Lombardi was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers of the NFL from 1959 -67, winning five league championships during his 9 years as coach.

Foundational Principles Must Be Honored Each year he would start training his team by saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football. ” His success was in bringing the team back to the basics.

We Live in Troublesome Times

Are we in a financial recession? Will we survive? Our country has gone through 13 economic cycles. We survived all of them and I think we’ll survive this one.

Don Truex circulated this note: “Due to budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas and oil, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for any inconvenience. ”

We can survive a financial recession… …but can we survive a spiritual recession?

“Of All Sad Words Of Tongue Or Pen…” What if we have: • Sound Reputation • Sound Teaching • Sound Leadership • Sound Work But the Lord says, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev. 2: 4)

Honest Evaluation Must Be Pursued “Test Yourselves” (2 Cor. 13: 5) • Am I being choked by the world? “The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ” (Mark 4: 19)

Honest Evaluation Must Be Pursued “Test Yourselves” (2 Cor. 13: 5) • Am I relying too much on self? “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. ” (Revelation 3: 17)

Honest Evaluation Must Be Pursued “Test Yourselves” (2 Cor. 13: 5) • Am I disappointed in others and blaming God? “Now indeed there are many members, yet one That brother didn’t speak to me. I wasn’t invited to the party. body. She didn’t buy one of my products. hand, ‘I And the eye cannot say to the have no need of singingnor again he has. to the I haven’t lead you’; as much as the head feet, ‘I have no need of you. ’” (1 Cor. 12: 20 -21)

Foundational Principles Must Be Honored “I’ve got good news for you! “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ” (Romans 1: 16)

Barna Survey of Non-Christians • 87% - too judgmental • 85% - hypocritical • 78% - old fashioned • 75% - too involved in politics • 90% - anti-homosexual

Life-Way Research § Late in 2007, 1023 respondents (aged 18 -30) who say they attended church at least twice a month for at least 1 year of high school gave some startling results § 70% of 18 -year-olds who attended church regularly in high school walk away by age 23.

Life-Way Research • By age 30, 34% of them have still not returned. • 1 in 4 of kids who grow up in “Protestant” churches leave.

Why Do They Leave? • 27% wanted a break • 26% say the church is too judgmental • 25% moved to college • 23% are too busy working • Many wanted something practical

In many places, those in the 1830 year old demographic are tragically missing. Nurseries are gathering dust; Bible classes are empty.

Drastic Measures Must Be Taken “Struggles of a Cradle Christian” • The Doubting Dilemma • Worship Burnout • Shattered Idealism • Self-Righteousness

Drastic Measures Must Be Taken “Struggles of a Cradle Christian” Third & fourth generation Christians are doubting, so… …we’ve got to bring them back to the basics.

Drastic Measures Must Be Taken Finding Solid Ground #1 – Remember the height from which you’ve fallen #2 – Repent #3 – Repeat the first works

Drastic Measures Must Be Taken Finding Solid Ground “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen…” (Revelation 2: 5)

Drastic Measures Must Be Taken Finding Solid Ground Turn to Me “‘Now, therefore, ’ says the Lord, ‘Turnto Me heart, with all your heart with fasting, with weeping, & with mourning. ’ So rend your heart & not rend your heart, your garments; Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious & merciful, slow to anger, & of great kindness; He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2: 12 -13)

Drastic Measures Must Be Taken Finding Solid Ground “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ” (Matthew 15: 8)

Self-Discipline Must Be Employed “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. ” (Hebrews 12: 1)

Self-Discipline Must Be Employed “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ” (Galatians 6: 9)

“Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you’re made of. ” -- John Maxwell

Repentance is not just turning from sin… …it is turning to God!

We can survive a spiritual recession. But we must get back to the basics!

Yes, we can survive even a spiritual recession, so let’s turn the light back on!