PREPARE FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

PREPARE

Church, I’m praying for revival!

We've been praying for revival, and I’m talking about old-school revival where the Holy Spirit moves upon us and Wakes Us Up!... Stirs Our Spirit!... and Revives Us from our comfort zone … Revives us from lukewarm Christianity… Revives us from a Sunday morning meet and greet with religion …>> To an Intimate Relationship with the King of Kings …>> To Witnessing to everyone by how we live our life.

I’m talking about old-school revival where Strongholds are Broken…Where People’s Kids Get Delivered from Addictions…Where God Moves…because His people have humbled themselves, they have turned from their wicked ways and prayed…and God saw from heaven and moved on us because we have done what He has commanded us to do!

Church, I believe that a revival has taken place this week and it's just the beginning!

Not only has a revival began but it's going to break out from here. It's gotta leave these walls and impact others for us to see a mass revival. The only way for a mass revival to happen is for a personal revival to happen, because it starts here with each one of us.

We must have Personal Revival before we can have Corporate Revival, because until there is a fire burning in each one of us, we can’t effectively impact the world outside of these four walls!

If you are not a Christian and you are here, this message is always for you, and I pray you don’t leave this service without giving your life to Jesus.

But church, a revival is needed to get the ones already coming to church to be Revived, Rejuvenated, Refreshed so that we can make an impact on the world around us… So that we can be the Salt and the Light Christ created us to be… So that we can do what Christ created us to do!

In order for us to see a mass Revival or a present day Great Awakening is for the people of God to walk in the Spirit of God… intentionally living daily in the presence of God…boldly spreading the Word of God…enabled and empowered by the Fire of God…experiencing the love, peace and joy of God… accompanied by the Power of God… then we'll see the mass Revival of God.

And in order for us to live this way, we have to be prepared.

In 1 Peter 3:15 (CSB): “But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you".

1 Peter 3:15 (CSB)

But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

We must be ready; we must be prepared to tell someone about Jesus. We must be prepared to share the Hope we have in Jesus…All my hope is in Jesus.

I was hopeless before I gave my life to Jesus. I had no hope until Hope Himself showed up, and when Jesus showed up, I didn't receive hope only, I received joy, peace, love, grace, and mercy along with the hope. And Jesus put His love and burden for lost souls in me, so when I get a chance to witness, I speak Jesus.

We have to be intentional about our preparation, to be the disciples that Jesus commissioned us all to be. We have to prepare to witness, we have to prepare in order to live every aspect of the Christian life.

The definition of Prepare - make (something) ready for use or consideration…make (someone) ready or able to do or deal with something.

So, preparing something is getting it ready to be used or getting it ready to even be considered for use.

We as Christians must be prepared for God to even consider using us!

The second definition says to make someone ready or able to do or deal with something. So, this definition tells us without preparation we aren't ready to fight the fight that spiritual warfare demands we fight. We aren't able to do what God has at the very least commanded us to do, not to mention what He's wanting to call you individually to do, and we're not able or ready to deal with life the way God calls and instructs us too.

Sounds like to me without being prepared we can't be who God call's us to be… and we can't do what God calls us to do…we can't become who God calls us to become…we can't fight the war every Christian has enlisted to fight.

Without preparation we can't be used by God the way He wants to use us…we can't be considered for tasks that God would like to consider us for…

We must prepare to live our lives as a Christian…we have to prepare to be a witness everywhere we go…we have to prepare for fighting in the spiritual realm…we have to prepare to live on fire for Jesus…we have to prepare for the chance to be used by God.

Are you prepared?... is the question I came to ask you tonight.

The story of Pentecost through Peter’s eyes is an amazing example of what happens when we're not prepared - compared to when we are prepared.

We look back just 53 days prior to Pentecost. We see in

Matthew 26:58 that Peter was following Jesus at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and was sitting with the servants to see the outcome.

Matthew 26:58 CSB

Peter was following him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and was sitting with the servants to see the outcome.

Peter followed Jesus at a distance as they were taking Jesus away. When we haven't prepared in prayer… when we haven’t prepared in our personal study… and when we haven’t prepared in our fellowship with other Christians, we tend to follow Jesus at a distance. We lack that Holy Spirit boldness that comes with being prepared to serve the Lord!

Then we see that Peter denied Jesus 3 times, then he cursed and went out and wept bitterly.

When we haven't put in our due time preparing to serve God, we follow from a distance…we will deny Jesus when it's not convenient to be associated with Him… and our language and actions won't line up with what Scripture tells us a child of God should be like.

So, then Jesus is resurrected, and He comes back for 40 days, and before He ascends into heaven, He tells them to wait in the city for the Holy Spirit.

So, we know they spent 10 more days fasting and praying and preparing for the Holy Spirit, yes, but also for the great commission.

But listen, after spending an additional 40 days with Jesus and 10 days in prayer, Peter was a changed man.

Around 9:00 AM on the day of Pentecost, Jesus made good on His promise and sent the Holy Spirit that entered them, and just like Jesus said in Acts, Chapter 1, verse 8; “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on  you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth!“

So now it says in Chapter 2, verse 14, Peter STOOD UP with the eleven; the same Peter that followed Jesus from a safe distance less than two months ago is now Standing Up!

The same Peter that emphatically denied Jesus three times is now Standing Up!

The same Peter who cursed and swore…then remembering what Jesus said…went out and wept bitterly is now Standing Up!

I don’t know about you, but I think they put this one sentence in there because when Peter Stood Up, it meant so much more than just standing up.

I believe that Luke, as he was writing this story, remembered Peter Standing Up as a new man; He remembered Peter Standing Up redeemed, Standing Up boldly, Standing Up as a man changed by Jesus.

You see all it says is that Peter stood up with the eleven, but what it means is so much more than those five words.  It means that God Calls Us As Unqualified Sinners but He Transforms Us Into Qualified Disciples of Jesus.  It means that even though we have been around Jesus for a bit of time, we may still find ourselves denying Him, but if we repent, and prepare and allow God to prepare us, then He’s all the more willing to help us Stand Up!

What that means is when you pray and fast and spend time with Jesus in preparation and build that Spirit that’s living in you, then you too can Stand Up…and once you Stand Up with the Spirit of God, you will speak with a raised voice proclaiming the Word of the Lord!

See even the great disciple Peter was a wreck until He spent time with Jesus in preparation!