Shock And Awe
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Fresh Power - What Happens When God Leads and You Follow!
Fresh Power - What Happens When God Leads and You Follow!
Last Week, Kenny
This week we turn back to our summer reading of Fresh Power.
What happens when God leads and you follow. Or what happens when we turn our lives over to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit.
And here is what we have discovered so far.
That if you are willing to heed the Holy Spirit’s leading, he will have you in the right place at the right time for what he is up to in the world all around you.
The thought from that was that God has a plan for your life, but also for the lives of those around you. And he expects to use you to fulfill it.
That the Holy Spirit would teach us what is important in life and have us committed to those things.
And that the Holy Spirit knows our giftings, because he placed them within us, so he knows how to use those giftings and in what circumstances they are needed.
And then our last message was how God does that.
He makes us witnesses.
He opens our eyes to the truth and then allows the truth to change us
He works in our lives and cleans up all of those rough edges.
He gives us Witness
He gives us the ability to speak in tough situations
He knows the situation that he has placed us in and how to get his result done in it
I remember saying in that message that the Holy Spirit gives us the right words to say, the right attitude to say them in and the right time to smile, cry or even pray with them.
He Empowers us to Witness
He gives us the goods to match the words.
Before him, we didn’t have that.
Turn with me over to Acts 2
and today I want to talk about
Shock and Awe
Shock and Awe
On Friday March 19, 2003 the United States and its allies launched a massive aerial assault against Iraq
In just moments after the attack started, tremendous explosions began to rock the capital city of Baghdad. Other cities such as Mosul and Kirkuk were attacked as well.
This attack was named Shock and Awe. A name for what the United States expected it to do in the hearts of Iraq’s leaders, strike shock and awe into their hearts. The attack was done on such a large scale to alert the Iraqis to the fact that Saddam and his leadership was over.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held a news conference after about an hour and a half of this attack to let the American people know that it had started and to report these words. “Iraqi leaders are starting to lose control of their country and that the confusion among Iraqi generals was growing. He speculated that those close to the Iraqi leader would question where they stood in terms of their support for Saddam
According to our then president, George W. Bush and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, the coalition aimed to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism and to free the Iraqi people.
I chose to share those facts with you today because I believe that we as believers are called to do the same in our world.
We are here to be used by the Holy Spirit to:
disarm the enemies weapons of mass destruction.
To end the father of terrorism, Satan’s effect in peoples lives
And to free those whom we live with and work with and just do life with.
All of these were accomplished on the cross and are part of God’s plan for humanity.
How do we do it? Shock and Awe.
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.
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”
12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
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.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—
23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
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.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
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.
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”
12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
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.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—
23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
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.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts
If you read the chapter in the book with us this week, then you will remember that Pastor Cymbala is speaking about the Word that is spoken in the church.
He speaks about how weak the word is spoken to save the size of the crowd or to amass a large crowd
He speaks of how pastors don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.
And that’s great, but how do people change if it is the Word of God that changes us?
How many know it’s good when the word of God brings some pain of the truth into our lives?
How many know that we need the power of the Holy Spirit in us
How would Pastor Michael and Maria Durso ever be where they were today had not the Holy Spirit showed them the truth that it’s time to clean house?
Listen to me church, the world has enough to keep it distracted from the truth.
We have mind blowing technology in our pockets and at our fingertips all the time
We have video and instant communication
We have cars that are just about to drive themselves
We have VR that’s not perfected yet, but it is pretty cool
Hours upon hours are spent in these and many other distractions of our day.
We aren’t going to win their ears or their time, but speaking some watered down, everyone’s going to heaven version of the gospel.
WE need the Shock and Awe of the Holy Spirit.
This is that third point from the last message
He gives us the power to be witnesses. To back up what we say with the power of heaven in full demonstration on this earth.
This is pastors and church leaders and teachers speaking powerful, dramatic and truthful lessons from the gospel that rival all the distractions in our lives and demand attention.
Pastor Cymbala put it this way in our reading this week. God is more interested in whether his church is living out what it was meant to be: the Holy of Holies for His Spirit. He wants the church to be a place of awe and wonder - two qualities that we have largely lost in our meetings.
How man would say with me today that we are going to continue to pray for and believe for the authentic move of God’s Holy Spirit in our services and in our lives? Amen.
Shock and Awe Confuses the Enemy
Shock and Awe Confuses the Enemy
Look at
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
I remember watching the TV reports during the Iraqi war. I remember pictures of and reports of Saddam Hussein’s ranks, in total chaos.
They didn’t know what had hit them.
I believe that this is what our enemy needs to experience today.
He is so comfortable in our world.
He is much to comfortable in believers lives and in the church. How many know that needs to change?
I don’t want to run our services to gather the throngs of people to fill our pews because they like what they hear.
I want to sing and celebrate and preach in a way that invites the power of the Holy Spirit into our service that our pews would be filled because peoples lives are being changes.
The enemy is running in confusion
He has figured Christianity out, but he can’t figure out the power and actions of Gods Spirit.
We need more of that in our lives.
I believe that as I preach the Holy Spirit inspired and filled Word of God for us today that Satan has to run from us instead of abiding with us
That the compromises of this world would be broken in our lives
And that ranks of the soldiers of hell would be put into utter chaos and confusion.
That satan would not know what to do next.
It would cancel his control over us
It would negate his attacks on us
Examples:
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?
4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”
5 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.
6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”
7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives.
8 And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.
Some of us need to begin to pray in our spiritual prayer language a little more.
I know that there is confusion in the church on this subject, but I want to tell you, it brings confusion to the ranks of hell.
And if you are not there yet, then we need to pray that God would move in our lives and in a new and powerful way
We need to pray that our church services would be spiritually charged atmospheres where God’s Spirit is free to move the way that He wants to move every time we get together
And then we need to open our lives up to allow Him to move amongst us. Not to judge it or mock it when he does.
When the enemy is confused, people will be set free.
Shock and Awe Brings Marvel and Amazement
Shock and Awe Brings Marvel and Amazement
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”
12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
I remember in the war the bands of Saddams men who would wave the flag of surrender as our soldiers crested a hill in their caravans of weapons.
Shock and Awe had won out.
When the power of the Holy Spirit moves in the church, the world will show up.
Why? Because of total amazement.
We are a power hungry and excitement seeking society
So when the true power is evident, that false powers will be revealed.
And people want to experience the true power and the true highs of life. Thats why so many are willing to try everything and anything to get it.
People are willing to spend anything to experience it.
And here it is among us today and it’s totally free.
But here’s the problem!
When the power of the Holy Spirit moves in the church, the church won’t know what to do.
We aren’t used to experiencing his power anymore
We don’t know what it looks like. Many judge it and believe it to be wrong.
We have churche’s preaching against it
We have people running from it
How many know that if we aren’t okay with the move of the Holy Spirit then He isn’t going to move
And in that way, we are hindering the world from experiencing it as well.
Listen, I’m not praying for a move of the Holy Spirit in our church that you are going to be okay with.
That’s our problem now in the church. We have to try and please everyone.
I’m praying for a move of God’s Holy Spirit that would be totally biblical, so that even if you aren’t okay with it (for whatever reason) you still can’t speak badly about it, because it’s in the Bible.
I want a move of God’s spirit that shakes us up
I want a move of God’s Spirit that wakes us up
I want what we see here in
Peter, speaks a message that would not pass in most churches today.
Where are his three points
Where is his political correctness
Where is his presentation speech language
He tears them apart with the truth - You killed the son of God.
He shows them prophecy and explains it
And then as the Shock and Awe is setting in
he offers them repentance. (Not offer, but tells them to repent)
AND THEY DO!
If I had time for a third point today it would be this
Shock and Awe Demands a Response
Shock and Awe Demands a Response
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.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
acts 2:
PRAY