Some highlights from the Revival. Sunday thru Wednesday starting at 7pm
Sunday Evening: Romans 12 was the main scripture used. Powerful scripture. Love is a choice, something to be worked at. Agape is Greek for sacrificial love.This Greek word was almost extinct before the New Testiment, and they brought it back because Jesus was the only example of this type of love. The deepest type of love is sacrificial love. And that's how God loves us. He sacrificed His son just for us. Now, we should choose to love Him back, by living as a....well living sacrifice. Holy and pleasing to God.
We as Christian, we are winners, not second rate citizens, uneducated but blessed and loved. As winners we need to be focused, risk takers and committed (but not to the psych ward ha). We have to be willing to step off the boat, go out on a limb for God. Step out of our comfort zone. We need to be committed also, we need the will to succeed.
Another good point Jason made was when's the last time you dreamed of what heaven will be like, when's the last time you talked to God about heaven? What an idea, dream of our reward just imagine....whoa. It'll keep you focused.
Found this info about the Greek word Agape might be educational.
Agapē (αγάπη agápē) means "love" in modern day Greek, such as in the term s'agapo (Σ'αγαπώ), which means"I love you". In Ancient Greek it often refers to a general affection rather than the attraction suggested by "eros"; agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for a good meal, one's children, and the feelings for a spouse. It can be described as the feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. The verb appears in the New Testament describing, amongst other things, the relationship between Jesus and the beloved disciple. In biblical literature, its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy. It is used in Matthew 22:39, "Love your neighbour as yourself" (see also Great Commandment), and in John 15:12, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (see also New Commandment), and in 1 John 4:8, "God is love."
Monday Evening:
Jason Pancake taught another great lesson. This one was about unity in the church.
Many times in church people become content with their position in the church, they see the same people, sit in the same seat, and basically do the routine. Sometimes when that routine is broken, people tend to freak out, or even get downright nasty about it. Here is a classic example; an old couple sits in the same spot every Sunday, well one Sunday some newcomers come to church and sit in that spot! Now, the old couple should just sit somewhere else, but that is their spot. So instead of sitting in the many other open seats, they ask them to move. Whether this is done politely or not, it’s still somewhat odd for the newcomers and has the potential to turn them off to the church.
This is where Jason’s lesson takes us. When there is disunity in the church, or when a church is split, it is destroyed from the inside out, not the outside in. Jason also spoke of other incredibly heartbreaking stories that he himself witnessed.
In this story he spoke of a church who took communion from glass cups, and for economic reasons they decided to switch to plastic cups, no big deal… right? For this church it was a huge ordeal. The church was literally separated over communion cups. During communion, they would take a giant curtain and draw it right down the middle isle, to one side of the church they would serve it in plastic cups, and the other side in glass. And the sad thing is that neither side really liked each other, over cups!
In another one Jason says he was speaking in a church that was primarily composed of white people. One day they had some newcomers, which is great, the more the better. But these people were black, which shouldn’t matter, but to the congregation it did. Once after a sermon, someone in the church pulled Jason aside and said, “What are you doing?” Jason replied “preaching’”, to which the man said “well, we don’t want those people here” Jason said “what people?” the man said, “those black people”……… what!? But Jason responded appropriately with, “well then you don’t want me”.
It's self righteous people who can destroy the church from within, not without. Jason even spoke of people complaining about their being to many people, but we want as many people as we can get! It shouldn’t matter what or who you are; black, white, emo, rocker, punk, asian, cowboy, goth……now I’m ranting, but its true, everyone has the same chance for salvation and they should all have equal opportunity to go to church, and for someone to shoo them away is shameful! People, love one another! Welcome EVERYONE!
Tuesday Evening:
Ummmmm...... yeah. It was good
Wednesday Evening:
Ummm, well wednesday was awesome too!