AFK Christians

Preliminary:

I want to thank those of the staff, faculty, school board, and General Church Board of BHC for coming out today. Revival has begun and I hope

Introduction:

Online Gamers sometimes use the term AFK

Can someone tell me what AFK stands for?

It stands for: away from keyboard or away from keys

“When an online gamers have to step away from a game, typing “AFK” into the game’s chat window lets the other players know they’re going silent.”

It is somewhat of a polite way to disconnect or to let other people know you are unavailable for further conversation.

The problem is - this isn’t just a gamer’s situation - I’m afraid we have some AFK Christians - figuratively speaking of course

There is an incident in the Old Testament that gives us some insight into how this works. Turn with me to Genesis 35 and we will be reading verses 1-5

Genesis 35:1-5.

Genesis 35:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. 2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

You have probably learned in Bible class or from Sunday School or even your own personal devotions the story of Jacob and Eau.

So to sum up quickly - Jacob and Esau were brothers - Jacob cheated Esau out of a very important birthright blessing and Esau vowed to get even with Jacob by murdering him. Such brotherly love.

Well a couple of years pass and Jacob and Esau meet again - by this time they have both grown up a little, matured a little, and no doubt have had time to cool off and the past is put behind them.

Our reading picks up after Jacob and Esau have reunited and life has returned to some sense of normal.

Jacob has settled into his daily routine.

Then one day, God says, "Jacob arise GO UP to Bethel.

in scripture this command comes out of the blue,

There is no real lead up to this command.

but I wonder....

Has Jacob been afk with God?

Has Jacob been letting some things slip.

Been getting lax in his devotion and worship,

been thinking more about his things than pleasing God?

I don't know - I'm just wondering if that’s what is going on

Because God has to deal with somethings in Jacob’s life that appears to have taken his attention away from God

And God in his faithfulness puts out a warning - a notice- a reminder.

When my boys were younger they used to have a special saying about my phone. When the battery would get low it gets a red mark in the battery notification area and makes a funny bleep bloop sound. They didn't know how to say the battery was low - so they would simply say, "Your phone is on the no-no thing."

I wonder was Jacob spiritually getting on the "no-no thing" in his spiritual life? And God said lets do something about this.

Lets get you back on the spiritual charger.

In order to fix the problem, to get the phone off the "no-no thing" was to plug it into the charger. To recharge the battery.

Here are some reasons why I think this -

When God told Jacob to go back to Bethel, Jacob had to change some things

Put away the strange gods that are among you

Which they gave to Jacob and he hid them under a tree (Gen. 35:4)

be clean - purify yourself - be holy - Remember this was before the 10 commandments were given and yet they understood there was an aspect of realizing there are somethings that should not be comfortable or tolerated in God’s presence

Change your garments - there was obviously an issue with their clothes - they had to be changed -

God is interested in getting Jacob back on the keys - getting his spiritual battery off the ‘no-no thing” and he does this with four imperatives or four commands in Gen 35:1

Hypothetical situation here:

So I’m sitting at home and I get hungry - I want to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - there is just nothing and satisfying and delicious and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If I am going to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich what is the first thing I have to do?

GET UP - I want to be clear here, we do not save ourselves, we do not grow spiritually by ourselves - but we do grow by obedience to God and God’s Word - and Jacob’s issue is that he needed to GET UP - That is the first step in his making his way to Bethel - It is one thing to want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - it is another to get up and go fix it.

To get back on the keys to get off the ‘no-no thing’ Jacob was going to have to make the choice and commitment - I’m not staying here - I’m not staying afk, I’m not living on the ‘no-no thing’ anymore.

Today - If you haven’t caught my drift yet - I have a feeling there are some sitting right here - who in the past have had a vibrant and growing relationship with Jesus - but you have disconnected, you have gone afk, you are living on the ‘no-no thing’ The first thing you are going to have to do is realize that God is calling you to get up - make the choice the commitment - that starting right here right now - I am getting up - no I can’t do it on my own - but God is calling you to it and what God calls you to he has grace to enable you.

But it wasn’t just GET UP - it was GO UP -

The Hebrew word rendered "go up" is a very interesting word.

In Synagogue or places of worship in Judaism - it is used when referring to a special part of the Torah service today we call it “aliyah”

Aliyah is also referred to the modern practice of the immigrating of Jewish people to the nation of Israel. It is considered "going up" to Israel.

it was prophesied over 64 times in the Bible that God's people even though scattered to the four corners of the world would one day - "go up" to Jerusalem.

Aliyah means to go up toward God or rise or ascend.

So Jacob to recharge to get his spiritual battery off the 'no-no' thing took an Aliyah went up to Bethel

It wasn’t just GET UP and GO UP - it was also PUT UP

Put up your tent - unpack your belongings - stay here, live here KJV says DWELL -

You know if we are going to reconnect with God we are need to be where God is - Now I know my theology training is kicking in and saying “BUT GOD IS EVERYWHERE” and that is so true - but there are some places the pull you away from God and some places that nudge or push you toward God - Jacob was in a place that apparently was pulling him away and God said, “GET UP, GO UP, PUT UP” Plug in reconnect

You know some people stay on the ‘no-no thing’ so long their spiritual life has died - that is what happens to our phones - God’s spiritual plan isn’t one of charging and going and doing your own thing for a while and then recharging - God’s plan is for us to stay connected.

Jesus makes a powerful truth claim in John 15:5-6 that I think we need to take note of

John 15:5–6 “5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

The Xylem Pull Process -

There is a fantastic process in botany called the Xylem Pull. This is a process by which plants take in and release water.

In the middle of the plant from the root all the way up through the leaves is a tremendous vascular system.

The root absorbs water and then it is channeled through the vascular system up through the plant.

What is most interesting about this to me is that it works like a chain. Every water molecule is connected to another water molecule in a gigantic chain up through the plant.

So as one water evaporates out the leaf of the plant through the stomata, another molecule is absorbed through the root. So on and so forth.

Now my point in all of this - in order for a leaf or branch to stay alive and watered, it has to stay connected to the supply chain from the root.

But its not just GET UP, GO UP, PUT UP, we also have to BUILD UP

Putting up - dwelling in HIM that is what that “abideth in me” is dwelling but also building those altars those places of worship of communication of cultivating our relationship with HIM!!! -

This morning I am sure that I am talking to some of you who are living on the ‘no-no thing’ you are afk from your conversation with God - its time to get up, go up, put up and build up

You do not need to leave here today still living on the ‘no-no thing’

Lets reconnect

Mrs. Snider is coming to the piano - and here is what I want us to do this morning - I would like the entire student body to move right up here to the front - and If God is calling you to get up, or go up, to reconnect with Him calling you off the ‘no-no thing’ I want you to respond to that - talk to Him His presence is here this morning and revival is a great time to recharge to reconnect.

As the student body is coming I would like the Faculty and staff, the school board, General Church Board, and local pastors to form a circle around these students and we’re going to lift in prayer

I would like to start with our Staff represented by Pastor Chad, following him I would like the chairman of our school board to pray, followed by Bro. Albert representing our General Church Board, and then Bro. Greg Miller representing our district pastors

lets pray that this revival will be a time of reconnecting or perhaps connecting for the first time with God