Raise Up a Generation

Good morning!!

Pumped to have the chance to share with you this morning.

For those of you who responded to Jesus for the first time last night I just want to say that you have made one of the most important decisions of your life. I’m excited that you experienced Jesus in such a real way and that you want to enter into a relationship with him. Last night you heard about the passion I have for Jesus and I hope that today that continues to bleed out.

I’m excited this morning because I get the opportunity to share my dream with you.

You know I have spent the last 13 years travelling and speaking to a lot of youth. And over and over again I am proclaimed the message of God’s plan. And I have watched God do some amazing things in the hearts and lives of people. People who have said yes to Jesus and yes to God’s plan and I have sat back and watch God absolutely blow me away with what he has done in students lives.

It’s like my friends Andrew

Or my friend Brett. Some of you may recognize him. I first met brett when he was in like grade 8 or 9. I actually met him at a youth rally here in this room where I first met Marty and Melissa.

Or, it’s like my friends Marty & Melissa.

Or my best friend Nathan

Or my friend Brett. Some of you may recognize him. I first met brett when he was in like grade 8 or 9. I actually met him at a youth rally here in this room where I first met Marty and Melissa.

As soon as I met Brett I knew God has crazy things in store for him. He began to develop a relationship with Jesus and say yes to Jesus to go on mission trips and yes to his call to full time ministry.

You know I could go on and on and on about some of the amazing things God has done in hearts and lives. And God has just used me to put the challenge out there and call students to respond to Jesus. And I have sat back and watch God blow me away with what he has done in hearts and lives of those who have said yes to Jesus.

So I know for certain one thing for those of us in this room...

God has some crazy things in store for us.

God has some crazy things in store for us.

The Bible says that

1 Corinthians 2:9–10 NIV

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

So my translation of that verse is this - The stuff God has in store for us you can’t even imagine and yet the next verse is crazy because it tells us that the Holy Spirit has revealed those things to us.

I’m excited this morning because I get the opportunity to share my dream with you.

The whole plan starts and ends with Jesus and is all about Jesus but God has a plan that involves us and Jesus. That plan guys is CRAY - Like really CRAY, like CRAY, CRAY, CRAY. Like Cray squared. The plan God has for us is incredible.

I want us to believe God for the Cray!

The bible says that

Ephesians 1:19–20 NIV

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Romans 8:11 NIV

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

There is something here in these verses that has the power to transform your life and set the direction of your life.

Jesus rose again from the dead and conquered sin and death.

Check this out -

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you

I guess that is why I am so optimistic at what God wants to do here in South Shore through you

God wants to start a movement where God calls out, sets apart, raises up and sends us out to help bring transformation to the South Shore and he wants to use you to do it.

I’m so optimistic because I have already seen people like Brett, Andrew, Melissa, Marty and so many others who have said yes to Jesus and I have watched as God has done the incredible in and through their lives.

And I know that they are no different than you.

You see the moment you accept Jesus into your life the same power that raised Jesus from the dead begins to work in your life. So you have power at work in you that is the same power that brought someone back from the dead.

God wants his power to work in you so you can walk out the destiny God has for you and the destiny God has for us.

You see God has a plan for you singular and God has a plan for us Y’all!!

God’s plan for you personally ties in to God’s overall plan for all of us.

This morning I want to unpack what I believe is God’s plan for you and for Y’all.

But first I want to begin by saying that God is up to something really special here on the South Shore. God has put huge dreams in our hearts and these are dreams that we are beginning to see unfold.

I am here to tell you this morning that God has a huge part for you to play in what he is doing in the South Shore.

Almost every major move of God that has happened over the last hundreds of years was started and led not by adults but by youth.

I am here to tell you this morning that I believe in you. I believe in you because I believe in the God who lives in you. I believe in the resurrection power that is at work in your life. And I believe in my favourite verse in all of Scripture.

Ephesians 3:20 NIV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

The Jason Parker translation is God is able to absolutely blow your mind with what he can do in and through your life because his power is at work in you.

If you are here this morning and you have Jesus living in you I want you to do something.

You know that I got the power song - I’ve got the power

Well, I was preaching on this passage one time and right in the front row is this ex-hells angels guy who they called the fridge doctor. And I’m talking about how we got the power. He plays in a rock band and he yells out in his deep, rasping voice

“I’ve got the power.”

So if you have Jesus living on the inside you’ve got the power.

Now let me hear you sing that out if you have the power of Jesus in you in your deepest biker voice.

“I’ve got the power.”

Fallen Condition Focus

One of the challenges we have with believing God can do crazy stuff in and through our lives is that our outlook of ourselves and of others hinders us from believing God for the Cray. We also have the struggle of growing up in an area where people think that it can happen in other places but it can’t happen here. I grew up in a town where we lost so much and so it is so hard for my people to believe something amazing or spectacular could happen.

So we have the struggle of both dealing with ourselves and then dealing with a mentality that says it can’t happen.

Like for instance, God has some cray, cray, cray dreams for all y’all and it is hard for us to believe those things because we are like there is no way I can do that.

When God begins to show us his plan we quickly see our own limitations, our weaknesses, our sin and everything about ourselves. And Instead of having faith in the God who has placed his resurrection power we put faith in what we feel. Instead of putting faith in the facts of what God has done we put faith in our feelings of insecurity, weakness and fear.

Listen, some of the stuff that God has put in my heart for the South Shore is way bigger than me. Actually, by myself there is no way I can actually do it. But God’s vision for the South Shore is way bigger than our vision for the South Shore and I want to believe God for things that only he can do.

Listen, the stuff God has for you is way bigger than you and he wants you to bring your fear, your weaknesses, your insecurity to him and bring you to the place where you like - “God, you have given me this dream but I can’t do it.” It is kind of like the children of Israel who got trapped at the Red Sea with an army coming against them. You come to the point where you are like “God if you don’t show up I am going to fail.” God wants you to trust him in that crazy kind of way.

God wants to activate his dreams for your life. And God’s dreams for your life likely tie into God’s overall dream for the South Shore.

I want you to do something with me this morning. I want you to ask God to put the dreams he has for you in your heart. Let’s all do that. Everyone close your eyes and bows your head - I think God is going to do something really cool here. God is going to put some crazy dreams and visions in your heart in these moments. We are going to leave some space for God to speak. Go ahead and say God would you put your dreams in my heart. Now wait on him to speak to you. If something comes to your head or your heart - stop and write it down. Stop and put it in your phone without checking your social media accounts. Let’s lock in with Jesus here.

You see, I don’t think we spend enough time dreaming with God. He has some CRAY, CRAY, CRAY stuff in store and often times we have no idea.

Listen the stuff God has in store for you is so incredibly amazing!! He wants to call you out to follow him so you can step in it.

Listen the stuff God has in store for you is so incredibly amazing!! He wants to call you out to follow him so you can step in it.

I believe Jesus is calling out a generation of youth who will say yes to his call. Jesus is saying, come and follow me. Jesus’ call is radical and he calling a generation of youth here on the south shore to live a radical lifestyle.

He has some CRAY, CRAY, CRAY stuff in store for us but we have to follow his call to come out and be different.

Like let me ask you a question - Do you want to experience all that God has in store for you? Do you want to experience every single blessing God has for you? Do you want to walk into all God has in store for you? Let me tell you he wants you to.

But it requires us making the decision to follow Jesus not just with the words of our mouth but with our lifestyle.

Let me ask you another question - If you are a believer in Jesus, does your lifestyle reflect one that follows Jesus?

When a lot of us are faced with that question we struggle because on one hand we know God has amazing things in store for us and on the other hand we know that there are areas of our lifestyle that Jesus wants us to change.

Let me try and motivate you this morning - Do you want to experience all of God’s plan for your life?

If you will surrender your lifestyle to Jesus I believe you will experience all God has in his heart for you.

So this is what I believe God is doing here on the south shore in you guys.

God is calling you out

God is setting you apart

God wants to fill you His Spirit

God wants to send you out

I believe we are already seeing this happen. It is no accident that the most students per capita that attend Kingswood are from the south shore. God is raising up a generation of students who are sold out for Jesus who can lead a movement, a revival where dozens and dozens of people come to know Jesus over these next few years.

I think of guys like Brett Smith, Andrew, Aaron Doucette and others you may know who God has called out.

Called out

When God calls us out he calls us to not just accept him into our hearts but Jesus wants to transform our lifestyle. He wants to transform into one that looks like his.

So when Jesus calls us out he calls us out of our sin, out of circumstances at times, out of lack of faith.

Jesus wants to call you out. He wants to say hey you, I have some CRAY stuff for you will you come follow me with your lifestyle.

I mean, the offer is on the table and it is no easy task. Jesus didn’t make it easy. I mean the disciples had to give up everything to follow Jesus.

But man, what God has in store is so, so, so, CRAY.

For some of you Jesus is calling you out of unhealthy relationship. For some of you God is calling you out of the plans you have for your future. Your future belongs to God. God is calling some of you out of friendships because they are bringing you down. Jesus wants to call you out and set you apart.

2. Set Apart

After Jesus calls us out there is the process where we let Jesus shape us and mold us. This is the time where Jesus puts gifts and abilities in us. It is where God develops our character and changes us more and more into the person he wants us to be.

This part is so exciting for me. Some of you are in this room and God has already given you special abilities and gifts he wants to use and you have no idea.

Some of you God wants to place special abilities in you.

3. Filled with the Spirit

And as God works un us and we surrender more and more to Jesus we come to this moment where we are like “Ok God, I want you to have all of me; fill my whole being with all that you have. Jesus take complete control.” That is exactly where God wants to take us.

A vessel of no resistance to the Holy Spirit - A vessel that will go wherever God leads.

You are kind of like a cloud that is just moved along whatever way the wind blows - that’s where God wants you to be.

God gives you his power and the ability to walk out your calling and God’s plan for you.

4. Sent out

When God fills us with the Spirit the Holy Spirit inside us compels us to go to the world and share the hope we have in Jesus.

I want you to check this out - if you have accepted Jesus the Holy Spirit lives in you. The Holy Spirit is compelling you to go and share the love of Jesus. You see how amazing God is;

God’s plan to reach the world is to put his Holy Spirit in you so he could share his heart through you. Do you see it??? Pause & Repeat

You see you are God’s plan A to reach the South Shore; there is no plan B, you are the plan.

Unless something dramatic happens a lot of the churches in our communities are going to be closed and God is calling you youth to rise up and lead this movement that will be effective at reaching those who don’t know him. To start new churches and to revitalize some. God wants to send you. And some of you are ready for that and some of you need to get ready for that.

So where you at this morning? Are you ready to be sent?

Called Out

Or maybe when you think about God using you, you realize stuff in your life needs to change? Maybe this morning you need to confess that stuff in your life isn;’t right with God and this morning you want to make things right. God is calling some of you out of stuff and this morning, by the help of Jesus, you can do it.

Set Apart

Or maybe there is stuff in your heart that God is working on. Maybe there is attitudes and things that God is working on that you need to surrender to him.

Filled with the Spirit

Or maybe you are at the point where you are ready to surrender all to him. You want Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit or you want to surrender all to him.

Sent Out

Or again, maybe you are ready to be sent out by Jesus. You are longing for people to come to know Jesus.

Kingdom Come in Me

My dream is that God would raise up a generation to see Revival blazing, to seek the lost and show his heart.

Jesus heart is breaking and I want him to use us to stop its aching and raise the banner of the cross.

The world is desperate need of what Jesus has to offer and he wants to offer it through you.

I want God’s power to be revealed and I want to see God’s power transform peoples lifestyles and for people to truly experience how amazing Jesus really is.

Listen, I believe God wants to raise up pastors, missionaries, preachers, evangelists, church planters along with doctors, politicians, social workers, social justice advocates from right here in this room who are sold out for Jesus. I believe God wants to make the South Shore into a hot bed for people to be called out and sent out all over the world to represent Jesus. Do you believe that? Any maybe, just maybe for some of you it starts with a decision you will make today. So what will it be?

I believe for some of you in this room you are going to look back at this moment, this weekend, this day and say that was the moment when I truly decided to follow Jesus and believe him for the destiny he has for me. I’m confident of that because I have watched God do this over and over again in the lives of students who have said yes to Jesus.

This is what we are going to do. I am big believer in helping people respond to what God has spoken to them about. Not out of manipulation but to tangibly do something with what you have just heard so this is what we are going to do.

This is what we are going to do. I am big believer in helping people respond to what God has spoken to them about. Not out of manipulation but to tangibly do something with what you have just heard so this is what we are going to do.

We are going to have a couple people youth leaders at each station and I want them to have a chance to pray with you as your respond to what God is speaking to you about. So if you feel God speaking to you now is the time to respond.

I want to invite the worship team to come at this time and set the tone for us to meet with Jesus.

Up front here we see four stations that highlight different things

4 stations of Prayer

- Need Bristol Board

- Need Prayer Leaders

Called Out

God is speaking to you about following him

You know there are things in your life that need to change

Set Apart

Spiritual gifts

Character

Surrender

Ready to surrender all

You want God to fill you with the Holy Spirit

Sent Out

You want God to send you

You are hungry for people to know Jesus