Make Room For Revival

Not at all safe to come in here this morning. But is it warm like it was yesterday? I'm looking around, I don't see anybody with a coat on. For the first time in our brief history here together, wasn't yesterday just glorious? Wasn't it all you could do to keep from running around outside with. Your. Bathing suit on, soaking up the rays? I don't know about you, but it was just good for my soul to feel warmth from the sun. You know, maybe you like. I recognized what a mess things were outside. All the jobs and chores you hadn't had time to do. We happen to live near two meticulous neighbors. I don't know why, but they just seem to smile all the more when I drive by and they've just picked up. This is no exaggeration. One of the neighbors picks up individual leaves in the fall. I'm not kidding you, if there's a leaf out there, she'll walk out and pick it up. I'm talking about in the middle of October when you can't even see my roof. But anyhow, they were out yesterday and it was just wonderful to be out. And the main thing was it wasn't the fact that it was such a nice day, but didn't it do something inside of you to stir you up in anticipation of what's coming? You know, if we have a day like that, it can't be too far down the road that we're going to be seeing sunshine and 80 degrees and warm gentle breezes, Right? So it's just as much what it does inside of you to stir up that anticipation as it was the enjoyment. Because we know there's going to be more snow before that anticipation comes in a lot of different varieties and forms. There's some folks here in the fellowship that are anticipating having a baby. And we just had a couple babies dedicated. We know what a life changing experience that is. This couple is really anticipating. In fact, they are confident that they're going to have a baby on Thursday. In fact, I was told I could prophesy it would be Thursday at 9:30. No, no, I won't prophesy that. It's a boy. That came from Dr. King and he ought to know. But I'm just saying that they're looking forward to that baby Thursday. There's a couple that I counseled yesterday for marriage getting married. Jim Bevers and Karen Simmons this March 30th. Boy, are they anticipating that after dating for 36 years, whatever it's been. They. Are looking forward to getting Married. There is anticipation and a family for nine weeks. They were looking forward to the day when they went. They knew they were going to go and pick up their new puppy. And they got their puppy yesterday. That's. That's the end of the anticipation. Now it's down to real life, right? And dealing with little puppy. There was anticipation at the Imicus home yesterday as Sherry came home from the hospital after weeks of struggling. Anticipation comes in a lot of different forms and varieties and it excites us. And you know what? It even motivates us to do the things that we need to do to get ready for it. You ought to see the list that Jim and Karen have for getting their wedding in order. You should see the things that a new baby requires of a family in terms of preparations and getting things in order. But let me ask you a question. This morning, maybe where you are, what are you anticipating that God is going to do? I mean, do you have any thought at all about what God might be wanting to do with you in the next six months or next year? Well, let me say it another way. Have you given any thought or are you anticipating in any way what God wants to do with North Way Christian community? What is it going to be like to be here two years from now? Is it going to be just the same? Or are you anticipating that God wants to do something different, something beyond what he's done to this day? Beloved, what you think about the future will determine what your actions are today. Let me say that again. What you think about the future will determine what your actions are today. I want to quote for you, if I may, just a couple of well known leaders in the body of Christ whom I think most of you will recognize. Larry Tomczak, for example, from down in Washington, D.C. said this about what he's anticipating that God's going to do. He said, I believe he is preparing us for a final latter rain outpouring of his spirit, which will be celebrated as America's third Great Awakening. History records that the first two awakenings saw millions of people come to Christ. Kenneth Copeland God is about to bring forth the grand finale. It will be the greatest outpouring of the spirit of God in the history of the human race. They're preparing for Pat Robertson. We're not going to see a million or 5 million or 10 million. We're going to see hundreds of millions of people come to Jesus. The list goes on and on and on. James Robison, Bob Mumford. People that have national ministries who are, I believe, called of God. To speak prophetically, they're saying that God is moving. I believe from what I observe that they're right. And I want to say something to you. The Lord seemed to speak to my heart yesterday about that wonderful warm day that we had. That just as that day was a sweet promise of that which God is going to bring in the spring and the summer, of his warmth and of his spirit, so too we have seen just the initial drops of what God wants to do with his church right here and in the days ahead. Just as that day yesterday was sort of a teaser, if you will, for what's coming. So what God's done here at North Way and in many of our hearts is just but an indication of what he really is going to do in the coming days. Don't get excited about that. Just don't let that stir you up at all. The Lord is moving church. I believe that God's done some wonderful things. I don't know. I get frustrated with myself because we so often fail to communicate very accurately all the things that God's doing. We have seen people, their lives are changed. There are people who are changing careers right in the middle of a business career, are leaving that and pursuing the kingdom of God full time. It doesn't make them any better. It just means they're responding in obedience to what God is saying to them. There are people, there are ones of you here today who have never walked with the Lord with any consistency. You find yourself fellowshipping with God's people, coming into a level of commitment you've never known. Yesterday we had 10 churches, about eight pastors and 10 churches represented at the warehouse for the initial support meeting of the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Ten churches, isn't that great? I know as a pastor what it's like, what a miracle it is to get 10 pastors together for anything on a Saturday morning. And God just birthing that right up out of the body. He's making a way where there was no way. We anticipate that in about six weeks we're going to be functioning in the Crisis Pregnancy Center. We see the Lord moving Eden Christian Academy. Maybe you hadn't heard that they were moving toward acquiring McIntyre School on a leased basis to house their kids for next year. And in the last moment, the school board reversed itself. And it was really a difficult experience. But you know what? God's going to bless Eden Christian Academy. You should have seen the attitude of those leaders as they heard that news. And they had every reason to be upset and angry because really the school district had reversed itself from what they said they were going to do. But they received in it an opportunity to thank God in the unseen and trust him. I believe that God's going to bless eden. They're expecting 200 students next year, that school. And there's so much more that's going to come than already is here church. And for that, my spirit says hallelujah. And it's okay for you to say hallelujah too? All right. We need to. You know, I said this earlier. You're saying hallelujah and amen will even help it to happen. Because there's agreement in that. Did you know that's why the Pentecostals do that? It's not because someone, their grandparents said, say hallelujah when the preacher says something you like? No, there's agreement in it. It's a spiritual principle. Makes sense to agree. But why do I believe this? Am I just picking up what someone else is saying and am I just reading other books and that's what I want to believe? No. Let me give you three reasons why I believe God is moving in this day. And we're going to see something that we've never seen before. One reason is because I believe that we have not seen the fulfillment of the Scriptures. As I read the prophets of the Old Testament, there is a gap between what they said was going to happen and what we have seen. Do you agree with that? When you read the Old Testament, do you see is the knowledge of the Lord filling the whole earth? Are people saying, where is your God? I want to come see him, as it says in Zechariah, the eighth chapter? No. In fact, we are far from seeing the fulfillment of what God promised he was going to do. And I believe we're going to see more of it than we've ever seen before. The Book of Joel is really a prophetic picture of what God is going to do in the last days, pouring out his spirit in a unique way. We're going to see that and be part of it. Secondly, I believe it because beloved evil is abounding. There's a principle that I agree with, that all truth is parallel. And just as evil abounds, what does the Bible say about grace? Grace all the more abounds. Just as you see an increase in that which glorifies darkness, so we will see increasingly a raising up of the light of the glory of God. And I want to tell you, don't be deceived, that because we're making some progress and we seem to be doing better in a Few areas that things are really well, we're on the mend. I don't believe that. I believe that in some way we are somehow coping and God is honoring the prayers of his people to some degree that sin hasn't engulfed our land. But I want you to know that underneath I believe there's defiance and rebellion towards God. There's people shaking their fist in God's face and yet God has promised to move up. And I want to say it happens to kids, to children. Just the other day my little son Jonathan had a six year old boy said, looked at him, there was a little group of them there and they were teasing, said, you must be gay. And then he turned to his older brother and said he doesn't even know what that means. And you better believe that that kind of thinking is just permeating. And those of you who have children in the public schools, you better be convinced that you're inputting as much truth and light into them as they're getting of darkness and blackness. And so I believe as evil abounds, grace will abound all the more. And making it increasingly clear, one day it will be so clear who is and who isn't. Right now it's a little cloudy, but it will be clear. There's a third reason why I believe it. And it has to do with something that I really can't defend in any way except to say it's my inner man. Somehow I. I don't think God's done here yet. I just don't think that we're finished seeing. When you see what the Lord is doing, do you feel like? Well, I guess that's all there is in God. Is that how you feel or do you feel like I do? The Lord wants to do so much more and I know it. When I read the Book of Acts, I see that we're on the way, but we sure aren't where God wants us to be. So for those three reasons, I believe the Lord has got much more to do with us. But what do you believe? That's the point this morning. What are you anticipating? If I were to ask you to tell me today? Yes, I'm anticipating that God is going to do this. What would it be? What would it be? Beloved, unless you anticipate, you won't prepare. And if you don't prepare, you won't participate. Let me say it again. Unless you anticipate, you won't prepare. And if you don't prepare, you won't participate. Our second baby, David, came rather unexpectedly. We had Gone through a rather long labor with the first baby. And so we knew we had eight or 10 hours to get everything ready. And so when Carol was first feeling the pains, I didn't pay much attention. To that. In a sensitive way. And as things went, as things went on, you know, she was. We were just real easy about. Well, we've certainly got eight or 10 hours along, about 12:30 or 1:00 clock in the morning. Things just happen so quickly. I mean, hard to describe. Made a couple of calls and had the doctor say to us, I'll never forget his words on the phone. I was on the phone, he said, very, very calm. He said, do you want to have the baby at home? I said, I'll be right over. Well, we covered the distance, I think it was five miles from our house to the hospital in. In record time. Police escort, the whole bit we hadn't prepared because I wasn't anticipating. And I almost. In fact, I just got in for the last part of the birth and the whole thing. And I almost didn't participate in that. If you don't anticipate, you won't prepare. If you don't prepare, you won't participate. Turn to Matthew 25. Let's see a scriptural confirmation of this principle. All right. Matthew 25. Reading quickly as we go. Verse 1. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them. But the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. And as the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. I want you to see. It's a characteristic of man, isn't it? They wore out, they were worn out. And at midnight there was a cry. Behold, the bridegroom, come out to meet him. Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps, and you can see the scurry of activity. And the foolish said to the wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going up. But the wise replied, perhaps there will not be enough for us. And for you go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast. And the door was shut. And afterward the other maidens came also, saying, lord, Lord, open to us. But he replied, truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Now church no matter what you interpret, this parable is meaning in terms of who the maidens are and what the oil is and all the rest of it. One thing it teaches is what Be prepared, be watchful, be ready. Because if you're not, you may not participate. And I remember so many times, long ago in my Christian experience reading this passage and other ones like it and saying, well, I wonder if that means I'll still be saved if I'm not ready. Is God still going to let me come in? We get caught up in the whole eternal security question. And that isn't the point, you see, the point is knowing that when the Lord Jesus moves your way that you're prepared to embrace Him. It's the kind of self preserving mentality that causes people to say things like can I be a Christian and still do this? Or how much of this can I have and still really be a Christian? Do you know people like that who say, well, I want to know God, but I really, I've got all these other things that I'm still concerned, can I still do these things? Can I still party and be a Christian? And they get off entirely on the wrong road of thinking that somehow God's called them to a life of balancing out what they want to do and what God wants to do. What does God say he wants of you? Everything. Same thing he gave to you. He gave you everything. That's what he wants. And I just. We are so prone to try to wrapping God up and having him work our way that we miss what he wants to do. Turn to Acts, the first chapter. Would you see an illustration of how the early church did the same kind of a thing? These early disciples, I appreciate them. Could you imagine what it would be like to be with Jesus for 40 days after he was raised from the dead? Here's a person that could appear in a room, walk right through that pillar and stand next to you. Here's a person in a glorified body who could, who could come and go as he wished with no physical limitations and sit there eating fish and bread. A totally mysterious, unknown kind of experience. And yet the old disciples there, look at them. Verse 6. So when they came together, they asked him, lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? What did they want? They were still looking for Jesus to walk in there in the White House and swat out the Roman legions. They wanted Rome to be knocked off its power throne and they wanted Israel to be made the ruling nation. That's what they're saying. You're going to Restore the kingdom of Israel, like we've been waiting for this. I mean, you didn't do it when. You were here before. How about now? Looking for God to work in a way that somehow would meet what they thought he should be doing. I love Jesus, he said, it's not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. You're not going to know everything you feel you need to know. And it doesn't matter, he said, because you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be my witnesses. Beloved, if we prepare for the wrong thing, will miss it. The disciples were told how to prepare for what God wanted to do. And what did he want to do? He wanted to create a church that would change the world. Now, how are you preparing for what you're anticipating? What? I don't know what I'm anticipating. Well, then you can't be prepared. If you don't know what's coming, then how can you get ready for it? When you walk out these doors, in a few minutes it might be pouring down rain. Did you anticipate that? And your car might be three deep in the parking lot. And if you're not prepared for that, you will experience extreme negative discomfort. We need to to understand how God wants us to prepare. Do you recall in the book of Zechariah, and don't turn there, but do you recall when the prophet prophesied of the rebuilding of the temple? And he said, how is this going to happen? And he said to Zerubbabel, not by what might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. Now that Picture in Zechariah 4 is of what God wants to do to rebuild the church in the last days. It's a prophetic picture, if you will, of what's going to happen in the last days. Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. Can I give you two unacceptable preparations? Let me give you two ways that you can waste your time and miss what God's doing. Here's number one. Not by might. The word in Hebrew for might is hael H A Y I L. It means sheer human strength, the power of numbers. It means the might that you get with wealth. It means in 1st Samuel, 30 mighty men or heroes. You know how some people are thinking they're preparing for what God's going to do? They are setting up heroes and they are watching the heroes to see if they're going to do what God wants them to do. And they are not Going to be prepared for what God wants to do through them. Many people are going to be waiting for the move of God by watching someone on television. Tell them it's going to happen and they're never going to participate in it. I don't want to be a spectator. Do you. Do you want to watch what God's going to do, or do you want to be part of it? Turn to someone and say that. Do you want to be a spectator or a participant? I want to participate, Unfortunately. Church. Can I tell you, I think most of us came from churches where we were spectators. We watched somebody with some particular gifts and abilities, and that's all we had to do, is just watch and either say, I like that guy, or I don't like that guy. God's saying, no, I want to participate. I want to have you share in what I purpose to do. Now there's a second false preparation. Not by power. The scripture says the word there is natural power or strength of personality. There's a danger in some of us of seeing ourselves as being part of North Way, and therefore we're part of some really neat people. And really neat people will certainly do what God wants them to do. You know, And I affirm that we have a lot of wonderful people in our body, and I praise God for it. But, you know, that's not how God's going to get it done. Church. God isn't looking for neat people. He's not looking for a yuppie church to somehow put his mark. These people are a little more acceptable than the ones down. Not at all. It isn't by natural power, but by my spirit that I will see these things done. And I want you to know, if we start trusting in just how nice it is being together and how neat we are, we're going to miss what God wants to do. I believe that the Lord is conveying a thought in these two words of might and power, of false security based on human strength. That's what those two words say to me, that the church needs to watch out, that they don't try to do God's work in the man's power. And you know something? We evangelicals are really good at that. We're really good at organizing ourselves. We have more books on the excellence of management and how to plan a crusade and how to do this and. How to do that. And we can get it all down just right and by human strength. It looks really good, but underneath it's nothing of God. Anyone remember the name of the football player that about A year and a half ago, was preparing for. It was in the summer. He was preparing for the season. I think he was a second year running back. I couldn't find in my files anywhere. But this man weighed 225 pounds. A tremendous athlete. He was a name that I'm sure I'd recognize if someone remembered it. Yeah, David Overstreet. Thanks, brother. And he was working out in Arizona and looking for a great season and all the rest. And he collapsed and died while he was jogging. Just right down. 225 pound professional football player. And the externals, the guy was perfectly fine. He passed all his physicals, but inside he suffered from some sort of congestive heart failure and died just like that. I want you to know that there's a lot of what's happening that we think is glorious out there, but down underneath the heart isn't pumping. And we'll be unprepared for what God wants to do, the wave of his spirit. If inside we haven't grabbed hold of what God said. Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit. Are you convinced, Church, that only by the spirit of the Lord are we going to see these things happen? Is it insignificant that Paul said in Ephesians 6, we don't wrestle against flesh and blood? I don't believe this building is in God's way for what God wants to do here. I don't think the building is where God wants us ultimately. But it isn't by flesh and blood. It's not by bricks and mortar. It's by the Spirit of the Lord. It's not wrestling against those things which we touch and see. It's against the things that we don't see, the spiritual places. And when the Spirit of God comes, it's with power. Someone said the other day that what does it mean when it says not by might, not by power, but by my spirit? Does that mean there's. What kind of answer is that? Is there no power in the Spirit? And what do we know? The book of Acts says just the opposite. When the Spirit came in Pentecost, what two things accompanied the Spirit? Fire and wind. And the Lord moved. And there was a manifestation of power. In Acts chapter four, as the disciples came together and the Spirit moved, what happened in the house in which they were seated? It shook with the power of God. Have you ever been in a meeting where you could feel literally the presence of the Lord? I believe in the last days, these days that we're coming into, we're going to see more of the manifestation of the power of God than we've ever seen more miracles. The class that I participate in at Fuller a year and a half ago, the demonstration of signs and wonders church that's happening around the world is just going like you wouldn't believe and we're going to see more of it. By my spirit, says the Lord, the power of the Spirit of God, Whatever the spirit is doing, let me just. Say. Whatever the Spirit is doing there's enough power there to touch you where you are. And I conclude with this today. I don't know your circumstance but I know this, that our efforts at trying to be better and trying to discipline our way into holiness and all the rest just don't hack it. Is anyone else tired of saying well God, I'm going to try over again to read through the Bible this month, honey if we can pray once this week together be a great victory in God. I believe that what God wants to do with his Spirit is going to be so dramatic in our daily lives that we are not going to be able to keep up with him. That we are going to have so much out there happening that we are going to say lord, what do I do next? Not oh God, how can I ever get through this? One more time. I am in numbers again. I think God is going to rescue us from the promise box one last time. If God will just give me one scripture I can make it through another day at work. That's not his best. That's not the power of the Spirit of the Lord. We're going to see it and it's going to start when we realize that it won't happen any other way. Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit. Is the name David Livingstone familiar to anybody? David Livingstone was a tremendous person 1800s who dedicated his life, this article says to explore the unknown parts of Africa in order to open it up for the gospel. And he showed what a man could do who had a hope of what God would want to do in a particular place. Early in his career, Livingstone had to choose between concentrated missionary endeavor among the individuals of a small tribe or the opening up of the entire continent of Africa. Including surveying the continent, exploring the unknown areas and locating healthy sites for mission outposts and paving the way for a civilization which would break the horrors of slavery. David Livingstone expected God to change the continent of Africa long before missionaries had ever been there. And because he chose the latter path and gave himself the entire continent opened up. And do you know that there are more people finding Jesus Christ today in Africa by far than there is in America or anyplace else. And that by the year 2000, the continent of Africa will be largely a Christian continent because one man anticipated what God wanted to do. What are you anticipating the Lord is going to do? And once you've anticipated it, how would you prepare? Let's pray. Lord, speak to us in these quiet moments of what you want to do. Father, we just make confession right now that those of us who have not been anticipating anything, those of us who expect very little, Lord, speak to us now. Get us ready in our spirit to hear your. Hallelujah. Holy Spirit, fill me with your love. Help me reach my hand out to my brother. Holy Spirit, fill me with your peace. Let it flow for me unto a louder make my life bring glory to you. Lord, take my life. You and are your words. Make me whole. Lift me up, move me out into your world. Holy Spirit, fill me with your love. Help me reach my hand up to my brow. Holy Spirit, fill me with your peace. Let it flow me into another. Holy Spirit, fill me with your love. Help me reach my hand up to my brother. Holy Spirit, fill me with your peace. Let it flow me into another. Holy Spirit, fill me with your love. Help me reach my hand back to my brother. Holy Spirit, fill with your peace. Coming weeks, we're going to be looking at the way in which God moves on a body of people by his Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit himself can sovereignly create in you a desire. But there is something that God's given us to prepare our own hearts for that, and we're going to talk about that in the coming weeks. That anticipation would grow, that we'd make preparations in our heart that we'd participate in what God wants to do. I believe that you're here because that's what you want. Let's pray together and believe the Lord to do that. If you've come today as a visitor, or perhaps maybe you've been here a number of times and you're not sure that you've ever begun a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Can I say to you in all love that your sin has shut you off from God? It's my privilege today to say to you that you can find forgiveness. And before anyone leaves, I want to ask you, do you need to receive the Lord today? God's stirring a few hearts this morning, I believe, to make a decision. We don't know what life holds for us. We may have 50 more years or a hundred. Today may be the last day of our lives, you know, if you're prepared to meet Jesus if you're prepared to stand before God. If you're not sure of that, you can be right now. You can just enter into a relationship with him and find your life changed. Let's all bow our heads for a second, please. Is there anybody today, as there was in the first service, who would say, I'm not sure about my relationship with God. I don't know where I am. Maybe sometime years ago, you made a commitment at a camp or at a church service, but you haven't, as an adult, said, yes, Lord, I know that I need a relationship with you. If you're here today and that describes you. And you just need to know that your sins are forgiven, that you have eternal life. And you want me to pray with you right now, as everyone has their head bowed in prayer, Lift your head and let our eyes meet. Would you? That'll be a way of saying, as I want to know that I'm born of God, that I have a relationship with God's son. Go ahead and do that. I won't embarrass you, but I do want to agree in prayer with you. You're saying, pray for me. I want to know I have that relationship. So. Are you looking at me, sir? Just look at me. Only if that's why you want to respond today. I want to know the love of God in Jesus. Anybody, put your hand up. If I miss you because we're standing, it's kind of hard to see. Anybody? Anybody in the front? Father, stir us by your spirit to do that which you've called us to do. Now send us out into the world. Lord. That you died for. In Jesus name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Let's sing that one last time. Holy Spirit, fill me. Fill me with your love. Help me reach my hand up to my brother. Holy Spirit, fill me with your gift. Let it flow from me unto another. Let it flow from me unto my brother. Let it flow from me. Wednesday night as we gather with Patrick Johnstone. I think you'll find a challenge that we've never had a chance of hearing from a man who's been around the world. Make a point of being here, would you? Love one another. And we'll see you on Wednesday. God bless you. Sa. It, Sam. Sa. Set you free for out of Zion. Cause I deliverer in the year of jubilee. For in the furnace of my tribulation I have chosen. May be whole and so for I am. I'll give thee silver. And for grass I'll give ye gold. Thou art My chosen for I have sought thee Now I grave it on my hand and I together, all together Come back to the land Hallelujah oh, hallelujah oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord oh, hallelujah oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah Praise the Lord. Will set you free for out of Zion come Zion in the year of jubilee for in this fur of much affliction I have chosen beauty old and silver I am I'll give you silver and the breast of the gold. Thou art my chosen for I was O king thou a graven on my hand and I will gather all those together they shall come back to Amen. Oh, hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord oh, hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord oh, hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord I will praise in the presence of your people in the midst of the congregation I will sing There is power when your people come together to extol Mighty God in unity with my brothers I will exalt you with my sisters I will exalt you I will praise you in the presence of your people in the midst of the congregation I will sing There is power when the people come together Stolen Mighty God in unity with my brothers I will exalt you with my sisters I will exalt you I will praise you in the presence of the people in the midst of congregation I will sing There is power when your people come together to extol the mighty God in. Now we'r