Times of Refreshing IV

I'd like to have us look at the Scripture tonight in sort of a context for, and I have, golly, so many notes and so I'm not going to even attempt to get through everything, but I want to, I felt kind of, and I'll explain this, I felt that where we are right now maybe requires a little bit of backpedaling to give some context. On Grand Opening Sunday, if you recall, I concluded the message of that morning by talking about the cross on top of this building and saying that all the activity that went on inside this building would be for the purpose of raising up Jesus Christ and his cross and trusting him to draw all men to him. And there was great symbolism in that, but also there's a reality to the power of the cross that I want to talk about just for a little while tonight. This morning as I was preparing the message and looking out the window in my office, I noticed this huge, beautiful hawk. It was a hawk, and crows don't soar, right? You know, they flap. It wasn't an eagle, it was a hawk. But it was soaring just in circles, just round and round over the property, just big and just the thermals and up and down. And see, his perspective was even above the cross and looking over the whole of the thing. And I thought to myself, well, give us a perspective about what you're doing that even goes above maybe what we have seen in the past. Now, if you were new or you haven't been to a Wednesday night, first overhead here, the first week we talked about manifestations of the Holy Spirit as signs of God's working that point us to a greater purpose. Very important. Folks, we're not here to pursue signs as ends unto themselves. We're not here to, well, gee, if I don't have an experience, if I'm not slain in the Spirit, if I don't get holy laughter, then I'm out of it. We're not here for signs. By the way, if you're not taking notes, you're not going to remember much. Not that there will be that much that you may want to, but I know a lot of you do want to be able to talk about this, so I encourage you. Do we have handouts, Marilyn? We have some more. Mike, there's some people that need some sheets up here in the front. Pastors, even. The second week we talked about four messages of the Holy Spirit for the current day. Remember those four messages? Repentance, returning to God, refreshing, and rejoicing. Repentance, returning to God, refreshing, and rejoicing. That was week two. Week three was the musical that Stephen mentioned, Take My Heart, O God. And last week we talked about the seven major signs around the world that God's Spirit is preparing for something major. Seven signs. I listed them in the North Way Notes last week on Sunday. If you weren't here last Wednesday, you can pick up that little outline. But more important, folks, many of you confirmed to me a sense about one or two of those as being particularly powerful in your own experience. Now tonight I want us to go just maybe a little bit beyond that and talk a little bit about where does all this come from and give it some context because I know and you know that there is in all of us an inclination to kind of get on something that's maybe a little bit emotional and we hear about something that's exciting and stirring and we say, well, I think I want that, but I'm not really sure what it is. And I want to back up a little bit, especially for those of you who have an appreciation for biblical basis of things, for foundations. I want to talk about this because our basic proposition is simply this. This would be the first thing I'd write down. God has supplied everything to us that we need for life and godliness in the cross of Jesus Christ. In other words, he has already promised to supply and has already taken the action that guarantees the supply of everything we'll need for life and godliness in the cross of Christ. The cross of Jesus is the center point of all human history. It's, if you will, the fulcrum. I mean, all of history kind of stands on that pinnacle of the cross. Man will either be judged eternally as received by God or as separated from God based on the cross of Christ. And all the blessings of God were released at that point. And understand, this whole issue of the atonement, I mean, this is a doctrine that many of us only know the word about. We don't know what it means. And that's, you know, that's, I think, a charge to be laid at the feet of many teachers these days. We tend to just want to nibble at the lighter things and we want to hear the message about being happy, but we don't want to hear how did God supply for our happiness. There are two major spheres of blessing that God released to us on the cross. Two things, and I have two circles. If you can put up one at a time, that'd be great. The first sphere of blessing that the Lord supplied to us is that Christ bore our penalty for the sin that deserved judgment on the cross. This is what's called the substitutionary atonement. In other words, we should have been on that cross, dear one. You and me, we should have been there for our sin. Our sin was worthy of the judgment of God. And had it not been for the cross, God would have no choice but to penalize us unto spiritual death because of our sin. But Jesus took our place on the cross. That's the substitutionary atonement. The penalty for our sin was born by Christ on the cross. 1 Peter 2 verse 24 says, "...he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree." Think about it. Let me say it again a little more slowly. He himself bore our sins in his body. Every time you've had an angry thought, every word of judgment, every gossipy story, every curse word, every lustful glance, every lie, every doubt about the character of God, every sin, Jesus bore. Just think about that. Lord, even as I read the words, I'm given pause. But you yourself, Jesus, bore on your body the penalty for my sin. Why did you do it? 1 Peter 2 verse 24 goes on, "...so that we might die the sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." You see, the second thing the cross does, the second sphere, is to provide the basis for all of God's work in our lives. To sanctify us and restore us from the brokenness of sin. Let's put that up. The provision for God's blessing. So you see, there's two provisions going on here. There's a provision for forgiveness of sin. There's also the provision for the fullness of blessing. The totality of sanctification, or being made holy by God's activity in our lives. And this, you see, it says in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21, "...in him we might become the righteousness of God." His purpose is to present us holy in his sight. Colossians 1 verse 22. "...that we might die the sins and live for righteousness." 1 Peter 2 verse 24. Now this includes such things in that sphere. You could write down physical healing. You could write down the blessing of wholeness, emotionally and psychologically. You can write down the fullness of God's purpose. You see, all this has been provided at the cross. Not experienced now, but provided for. The cross of Christ is the solution to every problem we face as men and women. The cross of Christ is clearly God's answer to man's problems. Now here's an important word. Write it down. The fountainhead of all blessings that we desire. The cross of Christ is the fountainhead of all blessings we desire. That it's from the cross that everything that you desire, of fullness, of the presence of God, of the joy of the Lord, of the healing of God, of the deliverance of God, of the wholeness of God, has been provided for at the cross. It is the fountainhead of all blessings. Now, historically, can both of those go up, Ruth, at the same time? Can we put them both up? You're so clever. A new anointing has fallen upon you. Historically, we have been taught to believe that the provision, if you'll leave it up, I need it, I do need it, the provision of number one, the number one circle, we've been taught to believe that Christ bore the penalty for us on the cross. We've been taught to believe that that future benefit will most assuredly be ours. Is that correct? And when will we know that it's really true? When will we know? No, you don't really know. You trust when you accept Jesus, but when do you really know? When you're standing in front of him, saying, okay, Lord, all I have is I trust in the cross, the blood of Christ. Then you will know. We're taught to believe that some future day, the Lord's going to say, welcome home. Why? Because you've been a good guy? A good gal? No, why? Because you trust in the cross of Christ, that he bore the penalty for your sin. We've been taught that. But, similarly, we have been taught not to believe the second provision is for now. We've been taught to believe, in fact, in some cases taught against believing, that God would want to release the blessings that the cross provided for living in this life. We've been taught not to believe that healing is for today, or that deliverance is for now, or that God somehow would do miraculous things in our lives now. And, folks, I won't ask you to lift up your hand, but many of us were raised in churches or spiritual environments where the predominant teaching was, hey, well, all that stuff ended when the apostles died, because all we really need now is the word. We've got the word, and that's the final revelation, and we don't need the crutch of those miracles. I don't know about you, but every once in a while, I need a good old crutch. I need, not because, why? Because I want to authenticate in my experience that the word of God is true, and because I want some assurance here and now that what I believe in circle number one is going to happen. Because my simple little argument is, if circle number two isn't happening, how do I know circle number one will? And if I'm believing for circle number one, why in the world don't I want to believe for circle number two? I mean, it's pretty simple. And yet many of us, and I go back to one of my major convictions in the body of Christ, many Christians live underneath the full provision of God because they're taught to believe that all the things that God provided at the cross, hey, that was for back then, that first Peter, let's not take the scripture and divide it, first Peter said what? He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, circle number one, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, by his wounds you have been healed, circle number two, okay? Now, why is it then, someone's got to be thinking, why is it then that we don't see the answers to the first, I mean, why do we so rarely have those moments when we encounter God, like some of the gals described? Why do we pray and see people not get healed or not see people get healed? Why? Does anyone ever struggle with those questions? Only if you're breathing, okay? Most Christians I know struggle all the time with these things. The real reason why we do not see the manifestations of God's spirit or the consistent fulfillment of answers to the prayer for healing, deliverance, and the miraculous intervention of God is simply because of a principle that's very clear in Scripture about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, dear ones, is already here, but not yet in fullness. Jesus came announcing, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What does that mean? Put your hand out there. The kingdom of heaven is here and now, but the kingdom of heaven is yet to fully come. And so we're living in this sort of overlap of the two circles, you see. We are living in the fullness of the kingdom, but not in its total manifestation. And so every once in a while, God pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse, see? And Debbie Beck had a glimpse, a special glimpse this weekend. And so did Debbie Frank and Durrell and whoever else. Maybe God gave you a glimpse. And maybe someone will go home and pray with their husband or wife tonight, and God will answer a prayer in a special way and give you a glimpse of what thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It's all about it. We just don't know when it's going to happen. But unfortunately, because it doesn't happen all the time, and I have to say, for me, it doesn't happen as much as I wish it would, I'm sometimes led to believe that it won't happen at all. And that's not what God says. God says, you don't know when I'm going to pull back heaven's curtain and just allow my grace and power to flow into this realm and bring about the change that you all yearn to see. You see, it's not our responsibility to figure out why God just doesn't always move, but it is our responsibility to pray that he always will. And we're going to do that tonight. We're going to pray that he's going to move. And we've got some phenomenally challenging situations here, let alone just some hungry people. Debbie, thanks for saying that. I was hungry for God. And maybe tonight you just need prayer for your hunger. Maybe you've been walking in a dry land, and you don't know why God's not answering your prayer, and nothing's going right, and your job's boring, and this is wrong and that's wrong. And I want to say tonight, if God is going to supply circle number one, then why not believe and entrust him to supply circle number two? It's the fullness of provision for your every need that's been already met in the cross. As John Wimber writes, his sovereignty, lordship, and kingdom are what bring his healing. Our part is to pray, thy kingdom come, and trust him for whatever healing comes from his gracious hand. We have no right to presume that unless God heals in every instance, there's something wrong with our faith or his faithfulness. We just don't know why God does it. I'll tell you why, because he's sovereign. If he did it every time, you'd be sovereign. And when God does it, remember, it's not so that we can run around and say, I've been healed, look how great I am, or look how great that healer is. It's so that we can say, God, look how wonderful you are. I give you the praise and the glory, and thank you for changing my life. Now, I just want to kind of bring things, I mean, time is going, I want to leave time for ministry tonight, but this whole issue of God moving, manifesting himself in signs and wonders and visions and appearances and so on, and these kinds of things that we'll talk about here tonight, I mean, is this a relatively new thing? Answer the obvious question, no. Let me take you all the way back to the Old Testament. Signs and wonders appeared all the way back in the Old Testament. The first that I can first record in the incident of using those words that I could find was in Exodus chapter 3. What was the first sign and wonder that God used, Bible scholars, back in Exodus 3, just think about it. Yeah, when God used Moses as a deliverer from the bondage of the Egyptians, God said, well, I'm going to send Moses and he's going to work what? Signs and wonders, so that Pharaoh would release the people of God. All of that, Exodus chapter 3, verse 7. And we know way back then, God was already using those manifestations to demonstrate that he had a desire to invade daily life with his power. But the miracles of that old age were not just for deliverance, they were also for provision, because then God opened the Red Sea. The Bible says that was a sign from God. Then he opened and crossed the Jordan River and then he brought the people to the Promised Land. Prophetic ministry throughout the Old Testament included signs and wonders. The first reported healing done by Elijah was a resurrection. The son of the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. That was a sign and a wonder. What was it? It was a sign and a wonder that God was invading the here and now with his redeeming power. Elijah also raised someone from the dead. 2 Kings 4, 32-37. The son of the Shunammite woman. But both Elijah and Elijah often moved in the miraculous to demonstrate that the words they were speaking were the words from God. That was the reason God gave for signs and wonders. These parallels continue on. By the way, there's many interesting parallels there between the ministry of Elijah and Jesus. Jesus raised from the dead. Jesus took food and multiplied it as did Elijah and Elijah and so on. But the purpose is very clear. They were moving toward that prophetic fulfillment, of course, that we see in Christ. The only other timeline in the case tonight is for Isaiah 53. Do we have that in a scriptural form? Do you know, Ruth? Because this, to me, is the most powerful scriptural teaching on preparation for the intervention of God in signs and wonders. Do we have it up there? Read it out loud with me, would you please? Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. Yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. And by his wounds we are healed. Now what does that sound strangely like? 1 Peter 2.24. You see, Isaiah prophesied almost a thousand years before Peter wrote it that God, through his son Jesus, would bring deliverance from sin and provision for life. So way back then, God was already preparing us to receive signs and wonders. Again, I want to say, healing is provided for. Now listen, this is a doctrinally interesting subject. Healing is provided for in the atonement, but not guaranteed. Healing is provided for. Why? Because the atonement, Jesus being on the cross, broke the power of sin. Sin is what brought sickness and death into the human race. So the atonement paid for sin, thereby it paid for our healing. But all healing is not automatic. Healing comes by God's hand in response to faith and prayer and just the basic trust of his people. The work of the atonement is to heal us from sin and to return us to God, as Peter tells us. It makes physical healing possible, but doesn't guarantee it. Here's what Gordon Fee, who is a wonderful charismatic professor at, I believe it's Gordon Conwell Seminary, he says this. Healing is provided for in the atonement because the atonement brought release from the consequences of sin. Nonetheless, since we've not yet received the redemption of our bodies, suffering and death are still our lot until the resurrection. And we still have to deal with it. Now, number two, signs and wonders in the Old Testament. Number two, signs and wonders then in the New. And we see, of course, Jesus came prophesying of himself in Luke 4.18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. And he declares those wonderful prophetic words. Now the signs and wonders begin to be manifested in Jesus' life. Anyone here have a problem believing that Jesus was able to do miracles? I think not. I mean, we probably all read the Gospels and say, wow. I mean, God, just to have walked with you for a couple of days, you know. I mean, to see you walk by those two blind men and watch you reach out and touch them. To see you, Lord, just touch a crowd of people like this and see each one who was sick be healed. Signs and wonders. Okay, let me put it up there. Well, remember Jesus himself said that the miracles he performed were a confirmation that the kingdom of heaven had invaded the earth. Jesus was saying what is yet to come has already invaded in fear and trembling, but with the demonstration of signs and wonders so that your faith might rest on the power of God and not the wisdom of man. Dear ones, I'll tell you what, when the power of God comes, it doesn't matter much what you say. Lives change because they see the manifestation of the Spirit. Just a couple of those scriptures, if you'll put up there. Could you flash up 1 Corinthians 4.20? One of my favorite ones. It always brings me back to reality when I think things are just... Read this with me. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power. Let's all say that. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. How many wish it was the other way around? I don't need anything, this is fine. I'm almost there. The kingdom of God is a matter of power. In other words, anyone can talk. We probably have too much talking. It's the power, amen, that we want to see happen. Now there, the Old Testament tells us it's going to be. Jesus demonstrated that it is and Paul affirmed it. I just want to end five things right now. Right attitudes for today's move of the Spirit. Number one, it's right to expect the supernatural manifestation of signs and wonders. And to raise your expectation of them. It's right to do that. Expect signs and wonders. And can I say this? These gals all mention the fact that when they went on this retreat, it enabled them to focus and to really get into the Lord. I want to commend you for coming out tonight. I know how hard Wednesday nights are with our lives being so full. But folks, we won't see change until we focus ourselves and say, God, I'm not giving up. Someone can say amen or something. I need to know that you agree with me that there's a price to pay. And folks, they come wandering in once a month and say, well, nothing's really changed in the North way. And they wonder why nothing's really changed with them. I mean, God is not interested in casual seekers. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. But we can expect Him. And I want to say we can expect Him now. I sense now God is moving in response to hungry, caring, seeking hearts. Number two, it is right to aspire to use one's God-given gifts in ministry. And I appreciate it. And I know when the Lord gives a gift, when He gives a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom, or He gives a word of discernment, or He gives a prophetic message, that it's right to want to be used that way. Paul said, I would that you all spoke in other tongues, and even more, that you prophesy. Why? Because prophetic words build up the body. It strengthens the family of God. And the best place I know to learn to be freer, to move, is in small group contexts. And Bill Cook would be a wonderful mentor for you to be sensitive to the Spirit in that way. Go to the seminar or become a home group leader. Get the training that it takes to learn how to release people in their giftedness. Number three, it is right to want to be a conduit. I hate the word channel because you think New Age. But to be a... What's another word? Pipe. A vessel. There you go. That's it. A vessel of divine power in other people's lives to their point of need. I don't believe it's right to want to be a vessel of divine power to control people. But it is right to be a vessel that's there to meet a need. How many of you have looked in the eyes of a person and wished you could help them? I mean to tell you, I looked in the eyes of a person that was working on this project for many months. He stood in my office and said with tears that he felt he was losing possibly his life, but at least his stability. And I so wanted a word from the Lord to right then come forth and to heal him and to deliver him. And so I did what I told you I would do and what I asked you to do. I prayed and I even asked him for permission to anoint him with oil. And to my knowledge, nothing supernatural happened in that moment. But I just heard another report where that young man is increasingly desperate for an answer. And how many of you don't know when you're going to be the last one in God's line that's going to deliver the final blow to the devil and set someone free? I cared about his need and I know you do too. And that's when you want to be that vessel of divine power. Not just to pat them on the head and say, well, things will get better. But to pray a prayer of faith and to believe God for someone at their point of need. Number four, it is right to want to see God's power manifested in a way that has significant evangelistic effect. I know of no better way to get someone's attention than to have a word from the Lord for them if they don't know Christ. I mean, you get people's attention when you can speak something powerful into their lives. How did you know that? Well, the Lord showed me. I mean, that's a scary moment of truth when the Lord gives you something and you say, by the way, does the name Jeanette mean anything to you? The Lord showed me that you're having an affair with her. Have you ever done that? You better be right. Oh, no, it doesn't mean anything to you? No, it doesn't mean anything to me either. Oh, okay. I've had those kind of things and I'll tell you what. I just wanted to get some gas or get my shirts cleaned. Number five, it's right to want to be divinely empowered for righteousness, for moral victories, for deliverance from bad habits, and for pleasing God. Dear ones, it's right to want the power of God to refresh you. It's right. It is a right thing to desire that. I just want to say in conclusion, I'm going to be, throughout all of this series, encouraging you to seek, but listen, also appealing to you to not push people to go a direction that you're going. Understand something about this. I think God needs to be trusted with who gets what in this thing. Okay? And I don't know how the power of God is going to move, but I think we need to trust Him that if one receives a touch from the Lord in a healing way, that maybe that was for them but not for you. If God causes five to fall under the power of the Spirit but not you, then trust Him for that. One of the big mistakes that happens in these things, we start to see manifestations and we say, well, God, I've got to have that. Let God decide if you have to have that, and please don't you help someone to have it. If you're ever being prayed for around here, and someone lays hands on you to receive the power, and you've sent this whack in the forehead, just kick them in the shin. Tell them, if it's going to be God, you'll go down. You don't need them to help you do that. We don't need to be knocked over. But can I tell you this too? God is perfectly able. There are more than once, I can remember in my life, and I know some of you have been praying for me, more than once I've already been down. So you can change your prayers. I went up saying, I'm not going to go down. We always think we have such a big God. Don't wrestle with Him. But sometimes you can even think, well, I could get up if I wanted to. Did you ever think that? Let me conclude with this quote by Dr. John White, who, by the way, he's a psychiatrist, and also a wonderful Bible teacher, who I'd love to get here at North Way at some time, who's very much into fully teaching on this whole thing of the move of God. In his book, he's written a couple of books, and the one, When the Spirit Comes with Power, is an excellent book that he wrote about much of what we're seeing. Here's what he says. My aim is not to promote manifestation so much as to encourage us all to be open to what God is doing and to what I believe He wants to do in sending revival. I do not want you to close your mind to what God may be doing or to go chasing after unusual experiences under a misapprehension that you need to be zapped to be revived. Let me read that again. It's a misapprehension that you need to be zapped to be revived. Unusual experiences are by definition unusual, not part of normal discipleship. If God should have an unusual experience in store for you, and if that should help your relationship with God well and good, but the experience itself is neither here nor there, except for being an evidence that God is moving in revival. It is your relationship to God that matters. Revivals make people holy. Your goal in mind must be to pursue God Himself and to let Him make us holy. It must be to inquire whether further steps of obedience are called for in some area of our lives where we may have been close to Him. It must also be to collaborate with His purposes by praying according to His will. And to pray such prayers means we must know what God wants to do in our time. Revivals make people holy. Let's stand together. Can we say that tonight? Lord, I want to be holy. I want to be touched by Your Spirit. Let's come before Him. Just put your books and so on down and let's just ask the Spirit of God right now in this time of refreshing. And here's what I'm going to do. If you this evening just resonated with that hunger in your heart, I want you to come up here with me and just say, Lord, breathe on me tonight by Your Spirit.