Answers in the Fire - Holy Convocation 2023

Introduction: Faith must be progressive (Idea to Manifestation)

Scripture says that in the last days many will fall from the faith, that means at one point they were a part of the faith but somewhere along the way, they begin to lose faith. And I often wonder how someone could fall away from THIS faith, and I’ve come to realize that reason why many people fall away from the faith is because they consider that this faith is not working for them. And I don’t blame them, because could it be that we have shouted so long on NOW faith, which is not a phrase of time but a phrase of explanation but we already have a theology class coming up, Could it be we have built up such an appetite for immediate results that we can’t fathom something called a process. Could it be we have become so accustomed to telling people date stamps that we have forgotten to tell the people that there are some things that God will make you wait on just to test your faith. And so many people are falling away from the faith because they are missing out on that aspect of this faith. Our faith must be progressive. Our faith must be something that goes through the process of maturing, must be something that we cannot see in the present time but we know one day it’s coming. I’ll never forget the convocation where our theme was from IDEA to MANIFESTATION. And the reason why we must get back to this mindset is because we’re going to come to a season where it may not happen tomorrow it may not happen next week. It may not even happen next year but you are coming to a season where every idea that’s in your mind is about to come down to your hands. And I believe we are getting back to the place where we learn how to serve God without results, and learn how to serve God while you’re waiting for the manifestation. Tell somebody its coming to your hands. We then can preach a holistic gospel, and a realistic gospel to the up and coming generation. A generation that is entitled therefore, they feel as though what’s coming to them is come to them immediately. We have cell phones where we can find out anything in a matter of seconds. We used to have it to where you had to wait to get home in order to call your friend after school but now you can call them as soon as you get out of the door. We have it now to where you had to wait til Sunday to share your testimony, but now you can use social media to share your testimony and it has created a generation that does not know how to wait, but tell somebody our faith must be progressive.

We get stimulated over ideas and plans but never over the execution, even our salvation takes work, yes Jesus paid it all but you still must keep your subscripton active by working out your soul salvation with fear and trembling, God gives but we must maintain. In Jeremiah 29 before he reveals why he has them in bondage he instructs them on how to maintain life after he delivers them, he says build houses, plant gardens, get married and reproduce, because I’m going to deliver you but if I don’t teach you how to live after your deliverance you’ll be right back in bondage in 6 months, and some of us are in cycles because we didn’t learn anything in the wilderness, but you ought to tell somebody learn from this season.

So we must go from a season of praying and believing which requires one level of faith, to now a season of receiveing and maintaining which is another level of faith, because we are se used to shouting about what’s about to happen we haven’t sat down long enough to receive it and we are dancing and believing for something that’s at the door waiting for us to receive it, and this is where our text pays its registration fee.

In our text, Peter is in prison and while he is in prison in v.5 the saints gather at Mary’s house and began to pray for Peter to get out. This is us in January at worker’s meeting, we made our petition known to God about some things we were believing him to do. Some of it was personal and some of it was for our Church, but whatever it was you made your request known and you started rebuilding the altar, you started serving more, praying more, studying more, and it seemed like nothing was happening not realizing while you were serving and while you were still