Church on Fire Part 2
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“The Sermon on the Move”
“Church on Fire Part 2”
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
The Ascension
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
PRAY
In 3 ½ years of ministry we do not have one single record of Jesus coming against the Roman government physically or even verbally. On the contrary we read words that are directly linked to the customs of the Romans that directed the disciples to do everything in their power to get along, and even submit to the governing authority.
Jesus said things like when you’re ordered or under obligation to go one mile, don’t do it with hate in your heart, but walk 2 and show joy.
If they order you to give them your shirt provide them with your tunic in addition.
When asked about paying taxes (stepping on some toes now), he said, “give to God what belongs to God, and give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.”
Last week I had intended to get through a lot more material than I actually got through, BUT in what I did get through I pointed out the fact that Jesus Promised to build a CHURCH.
He intended to build an organization that would both glorify Him, and seek to carry out His mission.
Unfortunately, somewhere between Caesarea Philippi and 40 days after the resurrection, THE DISCIPLES MISSED IT!!!
Their understanding turned away from the direct revelation of Jesus’ words, the revelation of the Father, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and had turned back to their cultural understandings of what the Messiah was going to do.
Last week I hit hard on the need for revelation in the church, and in the individual lives of Christians. Let me issue or reissue a warning here… If your revelation doesn’t line up with the Word of God, your revelation is coming from a different kind of spirit.
Prophecy and revelation will ALWAYS line up with and agree with the Word of God!!!!
ALWAYS!!!!
I think at times the modern Church has lost its way.
I am afraid that we have misplaced our priorities
I believe that it has been largely done in good faith or with a hope that sinners would be saved, but too often instead of focusing on the GOOD NEWS (THE GOSPEL), we have pointed at the SIN.
Too often instead of being relational with individuals, we have been at war with groups that have ideas that differ from our own.
This next statement will likely be controversial. It will be hard to swallow I KNOW because it was hard to write and harder to say out loud. BUT I BELIEVE IT EMBODIES RATHER POINTS TO THE FAULTY MINDSET OF THE DISCIPLES IN VERSE 6.
“Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
THE CHURCH PROMISED IN MATTHEW 16 WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A POLITICAL MOVEMENT THAT RIGHTED THE WRONGS OF A CULTURE GONE BAD!!! IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTENDED TO BE AN INSTITUTION THAT RESCUED SINNERS FROM THE GATES OF HELL!!!
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTENDED TO BE THE ORGANIZATION THAT HELD THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND HAD THE AUTHORITY TO BIND HELL AND RELEASE HEAVEN ON EARTH!
LONG STORY SHORT: THE CHURCH HAS A PURPOSE, RATHER A MULTITUDE OF PURPOSES!!!
Last week I yelled and hollered and got excited about the church needing POWER.
As I looked across the congregation there were tears. I could see in some of your eyes memories of a better time when the church was more alive. A time when we were referred to as Holy Rollers because we were like God and we were moving.
Unfortunately, I think somewhere along the line that fire went out. The roaring flames turned to glowing coals, and now are maybe ash covered embers. Somewhere there is some heat. There is some potential, but there isn’t a whole lot that looks like POWER!
What changed?
I think it is about losing focus.
The truth is POWER WITHOUT PURPOSE IS POINTLESS.
More truth, rather better truth, POWER WITHOUT PURPOSE IS IMPOSSIBLE!
IN SCIENTIFIC TERMS, POWER IS THE MOVEMENT OF ENERGY WITHIN A TIME CONTEXT.
SPECIFICALLY POWER= WORK (OR ENERGY EXPENDED) / TIME ELAPSED
In the social context POWER IS possession of control, authority, or influence over others.
So for the church to be the church that Jesus intended, we have to be MOVING, and INFLUENCING.
To be moving and influencing we have to have PURPOSE
I. The Promised Church
a. Matthew 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
i. Storm the Gates of hell
1. For the lost
2. For what the enemy has stolen from us
a. Finances
b. Health
c. Emotions
ii. Release the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
II. The Partnering Church
a. Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
i. Discipleship
ii. Fellowship
iii. Evangelism
iv. Baptism
v. Authority/Power
III. The Proclaiming Church
a. Mark 16:15-18
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
i. Proclamation by Word
1. Preaching
2. Teaching
3. Speaking in New Tongues
ii. Proclamation by Deed
1. Salvation
2. Deliverance
3. Signs, Miracles, and wonders
4. Healing
IV. The Propelled Church
a. John 20:19-23
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
i. Sent
ii. Whole
iii. Led by the Holy Spirit
V. The Prepared Church
a. Luke 24:44-49
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
i. Fulfilled not abolished Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
ii. 3:1/2 year of preparation
VI. The Powerful Church
a. Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
i. Baptized not just filled with the Spirit