These are notes for my Bible study class on Sunday mornings at 9:45, a book called Downpour by James MacDonald.
A dry and dusty heart
There’s something about a dry spell that gets people talking. The bible is full of garden imagery, like Isaiah 58:11, that the human heart is like a garden. If you weed and water the garden you will experience a bumper crop. We are also instructed to guard our hearts, and take care of it (Proverbs 4:23).
Think about the condition of your heart right now. What one word might describe your heart? The Bible promises that time of refreshing may come (Acts 3:19). Where are you on the scale between parched and refreshed?
What do we mean by revival?
We are not commanded to seek revival, although the Bible frequently mentions people being revived. How would you define revival?
How about this? “Renewed interest after a period of indifference or decline.” It’s getting back on the right track; seeing the goal again; pursuing with a new passion; getting God back at the center of your life.
The cart before the horse
One cannot be revived if you have never been vived! We need to make sure we have already taken steps toward becoming a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The invitation
It does not matter how far someone is away from God or how they have been gone, the key is to return (Hosea 6:1-3). Our problems begin when we fail to “return” to the Lord. There is an invitation to “come.” It’s not too late for anyone to return. We also read, “Let us,” indicating that we are not alone, others are on this journey, too. The Hebrew word for return is used over 1000 times in the OT, 23 times in Hosea (like Hosea 5:4, 7:10, 11:5). Hosea encourages us, that good things await those who return to the Lord (Hosea 14:4, 7).
Promises to keep
These promises will keep us going when it gets tough:
- I promise to be dissatisfied with anything less than a genuine personal experience with God (Matthew 15:8).
- I promise to set God’s Word high above human teaching and to handle it with the respect it deserves (Acts 17:11).
- I promise to give God access to every area of my life (1 Corinthians 10:26).
- I promise to make this study about me and God alone (Matthew 7:5).
- I promise to put into practice what I am learning (1 Corinthians 8:1).
Returning
Returning is a decision, which starts with understanding three things:
- Turning to the Lord is recognizing that some things have to go. Get rid of stuff that is harmful and recognize sin for what it is.
- Turning to the Lord is repenting of sin, being sorry for what has been done, and moving in another direction, away from sin and toward God.
- Turning to the Lord is actually re-turning, to the place where water has once flowed before, wanting what God has for me.
The need for crisis
The author mentions a difference between faith in a crisis and faith in a process. People become followers of Jesus at a turning point, conversion comes in a crisis. It would be good for each of us to share our conversion experience, as time permits in class, otherwise, sharing it with others helps to solidify what has happened.
The author mentioned that while faith comes in a crisis, we wrongly believe that the Christian life will then be a process (called sanctification). “Process-only” sanctification leads to always adding to our faith; gathering more data in Bible study, with hopeful implementation. He says that the crises should not be left in the rearview mirror. We received Christ in faith, so walk in Him (Colossians 2:6). We often change our horizontal behavioral adjustments, but have very little heart transformation.
Through pain to purpose
Hosea 6:1 tells us that God has torn us so that He may heal us. The word torn is like that of a predator. It’s explicit, He is the one who has done this, make no mistake. God is behind the hurt in your life. God is trying to bring another crisis into your life, to move on to another area in your life that He wants to change in you.
Through death to Life
Although He has struck you down, He will bind you up (Hosea 6:1). Job declares that we should not despise the discipline of the Lord (Job 5:17-18). The surgeon wounds in order to heal; the bone is properly broke to set it; the skin is cut to remove the tumor. We must stop trying to live the Christian life as all process and no crisis.
What if I don’t return?
God would rather see you anywhere else than in rebellion and resistance to His will. His desire is for our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God is wiling to do whatever it takes to have you back.
What if I do?
We should know what the Lord expects; it will not be easy (Hosea 6:3). We are to press on to know the Lord. It’s more than just facts about God, it’s understanding the facts (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). Knowledge of the Lord is an experience with God. Press on is a military term that can be translated persecute, the way a warrior conquered and then vanquished the enemy. Intentionality and intensity all rolled into one. We must make a commitment; don’t be lazy or sluggish about our faith, get fired up about it.
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