For years at the University of Alabama they had a coach by the name of Paul “Bear” Bryant. He is regarded as one of the all-time great coaches in college football. While he was still coaching, young football coaches from all over would come to watch this legendary man conduct his practices.
He said something during one of those practices that I want to share with you this evening. He told his players to never forget the basics. He said, “If you get away from the basics, you will always run into trouble. And when you do you must go back to the basics.”
Our scripture text from the book of Revelation is talking to the Pastor of the church in Ephesus. Ephesus was the capital of the province of Asia. It was called “The Light of Asia.” It was the ending point for a great system of Roman roads that constituted the trade route westward. It was famous for the great “Temple of Diana,” one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Ephesus was also the hotbed of every false religious cult and superstition. It was in this city that was filled with paganism that God planted a church to shine the Gospel light throughout Asia.
The Church that was in Ephesus had a great Christian background in that it was started by the apostle Paul and then had as its pastor, John the beloved. He was the pastor before and after his exile to the isle of Patmos. Timothy also labored there for a time. So this church was blessed with great leadership.
In the Lord’s message to Ephesus in Revelation 2 he said some very good things about this church first:
ß He said I know your “works.” It was commended as being active and energetic. They had many activities in the church. They were in “business” for the Lord.
ß He said I know your “labor.” They were commended for their labor. This is a different word than the first word - works. He said I know your works and I know your labor. It is a word for toil and working at a cost.
ß They were commended for their patience. Things were not always easy for the church in this pagan city because they were confronted with all kinds of trials and tests. Yet they were patient and accepted their difficult situation triumphantly.
ß They were commended for their sensitivity to evil. It was said that they could not bear them that were evil.
ß They were commended for their spiritual discernment.
ß They were commended for their endurance.
ß They were commended for their determination.
ß They were commended as a church that was doctrinally stable and sound.
But then the Lord says I do have somewhat against you because you have “left” your first love. Something had happened to this church that had left it cold, mechanical, and routine. They were not experiencing the Love of God as they once had but they had become comfortable with routine and ritual and tradition.
ß Hard work was not enough.
ß Sacrifice was not enough.
ß Doctrinal purity was not enough.
ß Hatred of evil was not enough.
Because they had left their first love.
Just think:
ß It is possible for a “whole church” to backslide from intimacy and devotion to God while working hard for him and staying doctrinally pure.
ß It is possible for an “individual” to backslid from intimacy and devotion to God while working hard for him and staying doctrinally pure and obeying all of the standards of the church.
So many times when quoting or referring to Revelation 2:4 we say they have “lost” their first love, but that is not what the verse says or implies. It says that they “left or have forsaken” their first love – not lost. That means that they left that place of spiritual passion by the choices they made and by the lifestyle they adopted.
Your first love is not something that you have accidentally misplaced or lost but you chose to leave it and if by your choices you chose to leave it then you know exactly where to go to get it back again. It’s not lost but you left it. If by a wrong choice you left it then by a right choice you can get it back again and have intimacy and relationship and fellowship with God.
Let me preach to you tonight and tell you that nothing is more important than your relationship with God. Yet sin, in its very essence, is an assault on that relationship. That is why sin must be uprooted from your life. That is why sin’s hold must be broken. That is why sin must be hated and rejected. The goal of sin is to steal that one thing in life that you cannot live without – relationship with God. Sin’s goal is to separate you from your savior. I pray that you don’t let it succeed in your life!
ß You can lose your friends and still be blessed.
ß You can lose your possessions and still be rich.
ß You can even lose your health and still be productive.
But if you lose your relationship with God, all of the friends, all of the possessions, and all of the physical strength in the world will never buy you one moment of true joy or satisfaction in your life. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. Knowing him must be your highest goal. Having a relationship with almighty God must be on the top of the list of your priorities.
If not, then when temptation comes, and it will come, and blows against your life it will expose a house without foundation and a tree without roots. The house will fall with a crash and the tree will topple with a sickening thud.
Don’t leave your first love. Don’t leave your relationship with God.
We were created to know and serve the Lord, to walk with him, to enjoy him, and to work for him. But as a people we have chosen instead to go our own way, looking to find satisfaction and fulfillment in:
ß Money
ß Achievements
ß Food
ß Sex
ß Education
ß Sports
ß Music
ß Arts
ß Family
ß Work
ß Religion
- the list is almost endless. But still there is a gaping hole in our spirits, still there is a wound that cannot be healed, still there is a heart cry that cannot be answered. Only God can fill that hole! Only God can mend that wound! Only God can answer that heart cry!
I’m preaching tonight that we must have a relationship with God and it must be the most valuable thing in our life.
“Back to the Basics.”
If you were to ask football poll experts which high school team was the best in America during the 90’s they would no doubt name the team coached by Nick Hyder in Valdosta, Georgia. During that decade, Hyder’s teams won more games than any other team. They were named national champions four times and have won more than twenty state championships.
At the beginning of one of their practice seasons, a young aspiring coach went to Valdosta to watch Coach Hyder in action. He wanted to see what kind of practices the coach conducted, hoping to pick up a few game-winning tips. He found the practices were well organized but boring to watch. They involved little more than hours of drills in blocking, tackling, throwing, catching, and kicking – the basics of football. The new coach thought to himself, “This is a lot like a Pop Warner practice – just a lot of hard work everyday on the basics.
At the conclusion of the week, the young coach went to coach Hyder to thank him for the privilege of watching his practices. He said, “One thing I don’t understand, Coach. You spent all your practice time this week doing things your players should have mastered years ago. Are you in a rebuilding year?
“No,” Coach Hyder replied. “This is a veteran team. In fact our offensive line will average more than two hundred and sixty pounds per man this season.”
“Wow,” said the young coach. “Then why all the emphasis in practice on the basics?”
Coach Hyder answered, “Do you want to know the secret of my coaching success? That’s why you came isn’t it? Let me tell you. The winning football teams always do the basic things the best – blocking, tackling, throwing, catching, and kicking. The more talented the athletes, the easier it is for them to get away from the basics. But it’s skill in the basics that wins games.”
How true that is. Take a look at any set of statistics for winning football teams and you’ll likely find that the teams with the most yards rushing, the best tackling, the best blocking, the most completed passes, and the most skillful special team play are the ones winning the game. It’s very rare that a fluke play wins a game for a team that is losing statistically in a big way.
What is true in football is also true in every other sport and also in every area of our lives. We must never lose sight of the importance of the basics in our life and more importantly in our walk with God.
∑ When we stop doing the basics it is so much easier to slip and fall in our walk with God.
∑ When we stop doing the basics it is easier to fall into error and be deceived.
∑ When we stop doing the basics it is easier to fall into sin.
∑ When we stop doing the basics it is easier to lose our relationship with God.
∑ When we stop doing the basics it is easier to begin to think like the world thinks, act like the world acts, and look like the world looks, which is always contrary to the Word of God.
∑ When we stop doing the basics we are putting ourselves at risk with the Lord.
As your pastor I want to get back to the basics in my life and in my walk with God and I say it’s time to get back to the basics in our walk with God as individuals and as a church. As your watchman, Pastor has picked up a trumpet tonight and I’m blowing it – Back to the Basics.
There are certain areas in life that we should never leave the basics behind no matter how sophisticated we become. One of those areas is our family. We should always stick to the basics with our family. There are certain things that will always help to establish and maintain a good and healthy family life.
They are such things as spending quality time together as a family. Doing things together, including eating meals together and attending church together. Parents attending events in which their children are participating. Parents being there for their children when their children need them to be and not just when it’s convenient.
The basics include communicating with one another. Talking over the day’s activities and events, as well as the news of the day. Dealing with problems as they arise. A good home life is marked by frequent free-flowing communication.
The basics include maintaining standards related to discipline and responsibility for one another. This discipline involves chores, expressions of respect, manners, and daily regimens designed to instill order and stability into the family structure. This provides a foundation for the family.
When we lose sight of these basics and let them slide families begin to unravel and eventually the very fabric of our social structure starts to come apart.
I’m preaching – Back to the basics! We need the basics in our families.
Another area of our life that we should get back to the basics in is the area of our faith or our relationship with God.
As you read the scripture and look at the nation of Israel, which were God’s chosen people, as a people we see that had a lot of ups and downs. They would live for God real good for a while and then totally blow it and backslide into gross sin. As a result they were a people that were constantly receiving a call from the prophets of God to get back to the basics in their relationship with the Lord. Our scripture text in the book of Jeremiah is one such call that went forth from the prophet to get back to the old paths – the tried and proven paths. They were called back to repentance once again but they would not hear. They were called to listen to the watchmen or the preacher but they would not listen.
The call is going forth once again today from the watchmen. Let’s get back to the basics in our walk with God. Let’s get back to the basics of our faith.
There are a few basic spiritual practices that I want to share with you this evening very quickly.
I want to share some basics of the faith.
The first basic is to read the Bible, which is the Word of God. Although the Bible is still the number one all time best-seller people don’t read it regularly or even frequently. People own bibles but there has been a decline in Bible literacy. People own Bibles but as you can well see they no longer follow what is in them.
Our values should be formed by the Word of God. If they do not come from his Word then I ask you where do they come from? There is no place to get values in this world that is better than the Bible. There is no person that can have better values on their own apart from the Bible. The values expressed in the Bible have stood the test of thousands of years of human experience. They build relationships marked by fidelity, honesty, truthfulness, and generosity.
When we stay in the Word of God and read the Bible daily we never need to wonder about what is right and what is wrong. We don’t need to wonder about which course of action to take in many situations because our moral and ethical structure is intact.
What does the basic practice of reading the Bible do for you as a Christian?
When we read the Word we become familiar with it. We see the broader context and themes of God’s word. Passages that we read and reread become embedded in our memory. When we know what the Bible has to say, we find it possible to apply the Bible with greater accuracy and impact to our daily problems and circumstances. The Spirit of God begins to call to our remembrance what we have planted in our hearts and minds. The Word of God becomes a priority to us and becomes part of the way we think and part of the way we respond.
To those that do not read the Word of God when the enemy comes in like a flood they are overtaken and destroyed. But to those who daily read His word – when the enemy comes in like a flood, immediately it comes to our mind that the spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against the enemy. We are protected by the Word of God.
To those who do not read the Word of God when you are going through trouble after trouble you will soon be overcome and give up and throw the towel in. But to those who are in the Word of God immediately it will come to your mind that the Lord will be with me in six troubles and in seven he will in no wise leave me. It will come to you that God will never leave me or forsake me and he is the author and finisher of my faith.
To those who do not read the Word of God when the enemy brings things against your life you will soon be overcome. But to those who are in the Word will remember that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. You will remember that the Lord is on my side and the Lord is my helper.
When you’re in the Word of God you remember that:
ß The Lord is my light and my salvation.
ß The Lord is my glory and the lifter up of my head.
ß The Lord is my refuge and strength a very present help in the time of trouble.
ß Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
ß The Lord is my hiding place.
ß The Lord is my high tower.
ß The Lord is my all in all – he is my everything.
We need the basics of the Word of God in our life everyday!
Another basic Christian practice is prayer. You will not be able to live an overcoming Christian life without prayer. You will never be able to defeat the devil without prayer. You will never win over temptation without prayer. The Bible tells the Christian to pray without ceasing. Prayer is an essential in the life of a believer.
We have prayer in this church. There are people who are faithful everyday to come and pray. There are people who are faithful to every Saturday prayer meeting. There are people who are faithful to ladies’ prayer and church prayer, and men’s prayer, and mission’s prayer, but it’s usually the same people.
It is not my intention to put anyone on a guilt trip this evening but perhaps I can help you to see and get a glimpse of what you might be missing by not making prayer a vital part of your life. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to the church. No matter what your circumstances are in life, prayer can be a wonderful and thrilling daily adventure. If you are not involved in prayer in your life you are living far below the level that God has for you.
Remember if you will then he will.
Prayer is not just our wish list to God!
When we work, we work – but when we pray, God works.
I look in the Bible and I see that Jesus did nothing except that he first prayed. So how do we think we can get by without prayer?
Prayer is the way:
ß You defeat the devil
ß You get the lost saved
ß You acquire wisdom
ß A backslider gets restored
ß The saints get strengthened
ß The sick are healed
ß We accomplish the impossible
I could go on to list the things that God does as a result of prayer but the list would be endless. We need prayer! Let’s get back to the basic of prayer!
When we are in daily communication with God, we find it much easier to express all of our emotions and ideas to him. We stay emotionally and spiritually cleansed as we ask the Lord to forgive us, lead us, guide us into his paths for our lives, and provide for us. As we hear our request and ideas being expressed before the Lord, very often we have an immediate and intuitive understanding about whether our request are valid, our ideas are good, and our intentions and underlying motives are right. This is especially true when we couple prayer with Bible reading.
Another basic is church attendance. When we attend church regularly, we build Christ centered relationships. We are in fellowship with others. We find our time priorities coming into focus as we make church attendance and participation an important part of our life.
Hebrews 10:25
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
ß Bible reading
ß Prayer
ß Church Attendance
These are the basics and we all know on some level that we should do these things but only very few of us actually do them. Some people even think that they have become too spiritual to do the basics. I’ve arrived at a certain level of leadership and so I’m exempt from that basic thing. I’m beyond that! I’ve arrived at a certain level of spirituality and so I am no longer required to do that very basic thing. I’m this in the church or I’m that in the church and so I’ve paid my dues as far as the basics go. No, No, that is not how it works at all. In fact the higher you go up in leadership the more you need the basics and the more you need to protect your relationship with God.
When we do the basics and crises hits your life, and they will, we don’t have to spend time getting reacquainted with the one who alone is able to help us out of that situation. If we have been doing the basics we don’t have to rush off to try to find something from the Word of God to encourage ourselves because God will bring to our mind what we have already placed there. If we do the basics, when tough times come we already have a support group in place because we have been attending church and we have built up friendships among God’s people.
Just remember during crisis there is no time to go back and learn the basics!
3 Hebrews – everything possible was done to get them to leave the basics of their faith and their walk with God. In their new homeland of Babylon they were subjected to various techniques and practices aimed at stripping away their identities and instilling in them something that they were not.
ß They were taught a new language.
ß They were told new religious stories.
ß Given different food
ß Different drink
ß Compelled to learn new skills
ß Given new names
ß Shadrach – Hananiah
ß Meshach – Mishael
ß Abednego – Azariah
Our God is able…But if not…
The simple truth is this: When the basics are in place, the crisis can be faced.
Daniel
ß A coach knows that a player is courting disaster when he begins to rely on his athletic ability to the neglect of the basics.
ß A businessman begins to run into danger when he starts trusting his instincts and throws all standard financial principles aside.
ß A husband or wife flirts with disaster when he or she takes a marriage for granted and stops doing the basics related to romance, appreciation, and expressions of love.
ß Parents put themselves into the danger zone when they stop disciplining their children, spending time with them, communicating openly with them, or making them a priority.
In our spiritual lives we are opening ourselves up for disaster when we say:
ß I’m too busy to read the Bible today – I’ll do it tomorrow.
ß I don’t have time to pray today – God will understand.
ß It’s all right if I don’t go to church this Sunday – I don’t need to go every Sunday, I can miss a time or two.
