NJ - Embracing the New Normal

WELCOME:

Good morning and welcome! It is great to be here with you all today, thank you Ps Silja for the opportunity of bringing Gods word to His church! For those of you that have not had the chance to meet Rachel and myself, my name is Nathan, I am married to Rachel. We have five adult children one is our daughter in law, they all love God and are active in church life.

We look forward to chatting with you after our service.

LETS PRAY

Father we love You, and thank You, You are a good God. We thank You that You are here with us today. I pray that our minds with be alert and our hearts open to receive all that You have for us today. Bless Your people today in Jesus name. Amen

Rachel and I have the privilege of leading Oasis Church, and also the ACC Capricornia Region. There three key things that we are praying for and imparting into our church and the region, they are:

Equip / Empower / Encounter

EQUIP - We are to be equiped, and we are to equip others for the work of the ministry.

EMPOWER - Empower people to step into all that God has for them.

ENCOUNTER - We all need to have regular encounters with Holy Spirit.

I have titled my message: Embracing the New Normal

Jesus told them to wait for the gift of Holy Spirit

There were 120 people in the upper room waiting for the gift of Holy Spirit

Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1–6 NKJV

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

We hear them speaking in our own native languages!

We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!

But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”

Peter Preaches to the Crowd

Acts 2:38–41 NKJV

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins

you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

The promise is generational

Those who gladly received his word were baptised

Point 1

The birth of the church - IT LOOKS DIFFERENT

As we read in scripture we see there is a big difference pre (Acts ch2) Day of Pentecost to post.

They needed to embrace their new normal, this looked so different now. In life there are many times we have to embrace change.

Going from being single to dating

Getting married

Changing jobs

Having children

Handing over to the next generation

Acts 2:17–18 NKJV

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

We have to embrace the new normal.

What is the new normal that God is doing in the church today?

God is wanting to pour His Spirit uniquely out upon every church

What is the new normal that God is doing in your life?

Ephesians 4:1–6 NKJV

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Ephesians 4:11–12 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Point 2

My sheep know my voice

It is in our obedience to and following Gods voice, that we are willing to embrace the new normal.

John 10:27–30 NKJV

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

We can see that God is moving around the world, there are pockets of His Spirit being poured out.

There are multiple accounts of universities experiencing a move of God that is bringing repentance to hearts, and igniting a hunger inside people for more of God.

What is God wanting to do here?

What is God wanting to do in you?

We need to position ourselves to hear His voice, nobody else can do this for you, it is your personal choice to come into His presence.

What does it really look like, to be positioned to hear Gods voice? (PERSONAL DISCIPLINES)

Read your bible

Prayer

Gather together in Jesus name

Matthew 18:18–20 NKJV

18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Revelation 2:7 NKJV

7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

All who are willing, are invited to hear (Obey) what Christ says to His church. It is for everyone.

In Revelations at least five times God says: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Are you willing to hear and obey what Christ is saying to you?

I believe that God has taken back what belongs to Him. (HIS CHURCH) Gone are the days of just following a method, it is time for us to embrace the new normal

Point 3

Hear and Do

We know that obeying the Father was supremely important to Jesus. (Only Do and Say what the Father Does and Say)

Obedience is the response of faith to any instruction from God.

Jesus taught that true faith will always be manifested in obedience to God’s revealed will.

Successful Christian living really is the result of us seeking and knowing God’s will and then doing it in faith.

James 1:22–25 NKJV

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

The people in the upper room heard Jesus speak to them and they were obedient to His instruction and did it.

Matthew 7:24–27 NKJV

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

John 8:31–33 NKJV

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

What is the new normal that God is doing in the church today?

What is the new normal that God is doing in your life?

What is God wanting to do here?

What is God wanting to do in you?