The Mountain Top

Intro:

So, we just got back from camp… It was pretty awesome!

Some of you felt refreshed.

Some of you felt renewed.

Some didn’t care...

When we go to camp, we always have this thing called “a mountain top experience.”

Usually a time of getting away from the world and you feel the presence of God… You feel the Holy Spirit… and you are greatly encouraged and excited.

When our camps are over… usually this joy and excitement lasts for a couple weeks..

Then, students begin to fall away and make stupid excuses.

Tonight… We’re gonna talk about the reasons why this happens and how we can practically keep our excitement.

There are people in the Bible who had mountain top experiences...

Abraham, who had a vision in which God told him all that was to come, how he would bear a son and, through him, become the father of a multitude, and how he would prosper in every way and live to a ripe old age and die in peace.  (Genesis 15)

• There was Jacob, who wrestled with an angel all night until he received a blessing … and a new name. (Genesis 32:24-28)

• And Gideon, who met the Lord on the floor of the wine press trying to hide wheat from the Midianites. (Judges 6:11)

And Samson, who called on the power of God to bring down the mighty Philistines. (Judges 16:28-30)

• And Isaiah, who said, “In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1)

• And who could forget Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones? (Ezekiel 37)

The list goes on.  Each has one thing in common: A close, personal encounter with the Lord God Almighty.

Why do we lose our excitement and joy?

We see this year after year… People losing their excitement and joy… why?

Here’s a few reasons, I believe causes this loss of excitement and joy.

Not Saved in the first place

Choose bad friends

False Expectations

Not saved in the first place

Not everyone who goes to church is saved, it would be foolish to even think that.

If you’re not saved… You may have a great emotional experience but it was nothing more than just that… emotional.

2 Cor 13:5

It’s so important to check and see if you are saved...

How Do I know if I am saved?

You believe in the fact that Jesus is God… Died and Rose again...

You believe that He is Lord - Romans 10:9

Produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life. - Gal 5:22-23

Do Not Practice Sin - 1 John 1:9

This verse should scare us out of sin, and make us run into the arms of Jesus.

2. Choose the Wrong friends

I think the number 1 reason why people fall away from church… youth… Jesus.. is because of who they choose to be around.

One of the best choices you have in life is choosing who your friends with.

No one forces you to hang out with the bad friends you have...

No one makes choose the friends you have now...

What kind of friends should you choose to have?

Godly friends - OBVIOUSLY

Proverbs 18:24

Proverbs 12:26

Proverbs 22:24-25

You are shaped by your friends

3. False Expectations

Many people expect their christian walk to always be like their mountain top experience… but that is not the case.

These experiences are good and they should change and transform you, but they aren’t meant to last forever.

You can’t hold onto a moment forever...

When these moments happen, embrace them, but don’t hold onto them forever....

Look forward to new moments… If we continue to look forward, we can look to what God has for us next!

If we continue to look back, we are going to stay stagnant and slowly decline in our walk.

We embrace our experience… and look forward to the future.

Mountain top experiences should transform us… Also, it should be short moments that lead to new experiences and services to the glory of God.

Practical Ways To Stay Excited

Stay Connected

Stay connected to the Vine..

Studying your word!!!

Stay connected to other christians!

Stop being stuck up… and build relationships with other believers.

Stay Involved

Stay involved in going to church… even when you don’t feel like it.

Stay involved in serving, or get involved in serving.

Stay involved with church activities...

Stay Disciplined

If you truly want something… You will work for it.

Stay disciplined in your study and prayer times.

Stay disciplined with the people you hang around.

Stay Committed

Stay committed to the Lord.

When you feel like God isn’t close… when you feel like prayers aren’t working… Stay committed.. Keep on going..