"GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS!"

June 25  "GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS!"   Rom 15:13

Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 15:13)      

We are living in some unprecedented times with “Evil” taking many forms and running rampant in the streets.  Common sense has been sacrificed on the altar of “political correctness,” and this has caused confusion and damage and disruption on many fronts.  What are we to do?  How are we to deal with the “display of Satan’s work?”  The answer is simple; WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS! Before the pandemic, a disturbing trend could be seen too often in many churches and that is apparent apathy of many Believers. They may attend services, but it appears that they are only "going through the motions." Their singing, their praying, their Bible Study, their zeal, seems listless. CERTAINLY GOD DESIRES MORE FROM HIS CHILDREN!  I believe the problem is one similar to an athlete or a sport team which is "in a slump." Such a person or team "goes thru the motions", but they are not performing up to their true potential. The solution in sports:  Work on "the fundamentals." The same is true with Christians; when we find ourselves "in a  slump"... We need to stress the fundamentals … We need to get "Back To The Basics!" We need to ENERGIZE OUR "FAITH"…. A Scriptural definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1. The NIV is helpful:  "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." "I like to think of faith as "confident trust. " We need to recognize the IMPORTANCE OF "FAITH"... Faith in God is essential to pleasing Him - Faith in Jesus is essential to finding forgiveness & eternal life. Without faith, the only alternative is doubt accompanied with fear and this state will cripple of walk!  We need to be about the business of  ENERGIZING OUR "FAITH"... The Word of God is designed to produce faith - Through intense reading of the Bible, we can "energize" our faith! When you find yourself in a “slump,” pick up your Bible and read!  Another important aspect for “getting back to the basics” is to FORTIFY OUR "HOPE"… VINE'S says that "HOPE"... involves "the happy anticipation of good" It is NOT wishful thinking, or an insecure "I hope so" But as VINE'S describes it further, it is "a confident expectation" A common definition of hope is "desire plus expectation." So, what is the IMPORTANCE OF "HOPE?" Hope is necessary to persevere - Hope is necessary for our motivation to become pure -Hope is necessary to increase opportunities to evangelize…and without hope, we not only lose our souls, we won't be any good for saving others! We must FORTIFYING OUR "HOPE!" The Word of God was written to produce hope - Through its revelation of God's dealings with man in the past, we know God keeps His promises…This encourages us to expect Him to deliver on His promise for the future. Nothing "fortifies" our hope better than those wonderful passages that reveal the eternal destiny of the dedicated saints of God! When an athlete gets discouraged, he or she is often told to "keep your eye on the prize!"  That is what we must do, and it is with the assistance of God's Word, that we can keep our focus where it ought to be. Getting "Back To The Basics" will also include an effort to... ACTIVATE YOUR "LOVE!"  Paul gives the best definition of love in 1Corinthians 13:4-8.  A simple definition that is easy to remember: "active goodwill!"   So what is the IMPORTANCE OF "LOVE?"... Expressing love gives us "assurance" of our salvation - Expressing love assures us that God will answer our prayers - Expressing love reassures us that we abide in God, and He in us… WE MUST ACTIVATE OUR "LOVE!"... Like the Thessalonians, we can be taught by God how to love. Jesus taught us how to love by His sacrificial life - God taught us how to love by giving His Son as a propitiation for sins. Through prayer upon what the Bible reveals about God's love for us, we can "activate" our love for others! With FAITH and HOPE, WE MUST ENHANCE OUR "JOY!" I like to think of joy as the "delightful response" to the grace we receive from God. If we are to be true and effective witnesses for Christ, we must understand the “IMPORTANCE OF "JOY"… Joy is an essential element of what constitutes the Kingdom of God! Joy lightens the burden of trials in this life - It is often the loss of this virtue that is most evident in the lives of many Christians! Both Jesus and His apostles gave us words whereby our joy might be full. Once again we see the value of daily Bible study… Just as the Bible can...1) Energize your faith 2) Fortify your hope 3) Activate your love...so it can "enhance" your joy! Jesus also stressed the importance of PRAYER in regards to joy. Answered prayer certainly excites us, and increases our joy! So to the practice of daily Bible study, a key to getting "Back To The Basics!" is the habit of regular prayer. I believe that there is one more “basics” that we must embrace in order to survive our present chaotic circumstances, and that is to ENJOY OUR "PEACE!"  VINE'S describes peace as "harmonious relations." It is used to describe such harmony between... Men, Nations, God and man and One's own self…A lack of peace often contributes to the "spiritual doldrums" that afflict many of us. "PEACE"... is another crucial element constituting the Kingdom of God -Peace with brethren contributes to receiving peace from peace from God and having peace with God has a positive effect in our peace with our enemies. Peace with God begins with justification found only in Christ… It continues in response to fervent prayer -Just as prayer can "enhance" our joy. To face the challenges of the future and to survive the confrontations with “Evil” that surrounds our lives, we must get back to the basics!  WE MUST: Energize our faith! Fortify our hope! Activate our love! Enhance our joy! Enjoy our peace! Restoring the basic elements of the abundant life found only in Christ is not a mystery: Receive the implanted Word of God! Continue earnestly in prayer! - It's just that simple! What God does with you, depends upon what you do!  It Always has; It Always will!! Be sure, be productive and continue to share the Love of God with others!  To God Be the Glory!  Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!