Teaching Notes are Bible studies we taught before GraceLife Ministries began publishing articles online in 1995. Some were presented as sermons, others as group studies.
Our hope is that these older studies will be a blessing to you in your life and ministry. Please use them in any way God leads you.
These teaching notes are from a study about Revival.
[These notes are from a study taught more than 40 years ago. The notes are in outline form.]
Under Attack
An all-out attack has been leveled on the Home. Never since Noah’s day has there been such a total breakdown of family relationships. I believe with all my heart that the salvation of America as a free nation is the Church and the salvation of the Church is the Christian family.
Jesus predicted that the last generation would be “eating and drinking; marrying and giving in marriage” (Matthew 24:38). One million couples will divorce this next year [mid-1970’s]. By 1980 the national divorce rate will be 50% or higher. In some American cities the divorce rate is already 100% and climbing. that means that for every marriage there is one divorce. Tens of millions of children are products of broken homes which has led to an all-out rebellion among the young people of America.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “In the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be…disobedient to parents” (2 Timothy 3:1-2). One secular writer has precidted that the family will not survive the twentieth century. Therefore, today I want to share with you a “Family Survival Kit.” I want us to look to God’s Word and see His formula for survival of the home.
It would take hundreds of seminars to even begin to unfold God’s principles for successful living, but I would like to lay down some of the basics that must be alive in our lives for prosperity to visit our homes.
Psalm 1 tells us that the righteous man will prosper “whatsoever he doeth.” If you and I are to be prosperous in raising our families, we must do whatever God asks of us. There can be no success outside of obedience to “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Revelation 2
Turn to Revelation 2:1-5
“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
The Ephesian Church was an extremely active church, not unlike many of our churches today.
[indepth about active points]
But this church and its families had a great problem … they had left their first love.
[indepth about losing love]
Notice that Christ promised blessing upon that church and its members if they did two things: “repent, and do the first works.”
While preparing this message, I sensed the Lord speaking to me about the two principles in verse 5. The principles there are the answer to all of the problems of the Church, all of the problems of the family, all of the problems of the individual Christian. The principles are:
- Repentance — “attitude of the heart”
- Doing the first works — “behavior of the life”
For our nation to survive, for our Church to survive, for our families to survive, we must have the right heart attitude and the right behavior of life.
“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen.”
[indepth about their falling out of love with God and losing the right heart attitude]
The second thing that Christ commanded us to do was to “do the first works.” I asked God for insight into what He meant by “the first works” and felt impressed with three basic works or priorities that were lying dormant in the lives of the Ephesians.
- The priority of the family
- The priority of the church
- The priority of the purpose
“Do the first works” — have the right behavior of life
Ephesians 5
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Ephesians 5:25
[indepth about love .. indepth about husband being provider, protector and priest]
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” Ephesians 5:21-22
[indepth about submission]
Parents … “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Provers 22:6)
[indepth about raising children — we teach by saying what is right and by doing what is right]
Next Time
We will look at Church and Purpose in part 2 of this study.
[Thank you for reading these teaching notes from more than 40 years ago. My prayer is they will be a blessing to you and your ministry.]
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Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts
