People God Trusts: Trust with Revival

People God Trusts  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Intro:
John 14:16 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
John 14:26 NKJV
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 15:26 NKJV
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:5–7 (NKJV)
5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Today, we will continue with the thought, [People God Trusts], the title of my message is [Trust with Revival].
Who ever has trouble remembering something?
When I was a teenager, Pastor Tucker told me write my memories, my messages, my ideas, and my experiences on paper. He told me, there will come a day when you will not remember everything?
Yeah right, is what I thought, but I did not dare say that out loud.
Then when I moved to Salem, Pastor Davis told me the same thing, make sure you write it all down, get a journal, one day you will want to look back and remember everything that has happened.
It was the second time someone I respected tell me to write down my memories and thoughts. At the time, that didn’t make sense, I could remember:
where I preached
the pastor and family’s names
what I preached at that church
what I wore at that church
what all happened at that church
Even though I did not think that I would need to help remembering, I listened. I look back and I am so glad that I did, for some reason, I do not remember EVERYTHING like I thought I once would.
I have some tricks that help me, specifically writing and repeating. If there is something I need to remember, I will put it on paper and say it over and over.
For some reason that seems to help me remember. Then, when the time is right, whatever it was, will come back to my memory, I credit a lot of that to writing and repetition.
I cannot say for certain that this was Jesus’s intention in John 14-16, but I noticed something, He kept repeating Himself.
In three passages of Scripture, we read of Jesus speaking of the coming HELPER or COMFORTER.
Why did Jesus repeat Himself so much?
Jesus spoke this to His disciples on the Thursday night before His death. He knew the whirlwind of experiences the disciples would soon face.
Within the next twenty-four hours they would watch either up close or from a distance the:
betrayal
arrest
denial
trial
beating
crucifixion
burial of Jesus
Then three days later they would meet Him in His resurrected body. Jesus knew all of the emotions they would experience in a short amount of time.
So He repeated Himself over and over and John wrote it down:
I will ask the Father to give you another helper
The Father will send the Helper, the Holy Spirit and He will teach you
The Helper will come to you from the Father
I have to go away, if I do not the Helper will not come
What is Jesus’s point— the Holy Spirit will come help you in my absence. And the Holy Spirit did come. On the day of Pentecost, God breathed life and power into the New Testament church.
The 120 were filled with the Spirit, spoke in tongues, and it brought 3,000 to Christ that day.
Everything was great, but could it happen again? Could the miraculous, supernatural power of the Spirit really come upon them over and over.
I want to look this morning and see how God REVIVED the Early Church over and over. Supernatural life came into the Church on the Day of Pentecost.
The Helper came, but was He there to stay?
Today, I want to look at Acts 3 and 4 and see how the Early Church lived in a way that God could trust them. He trusted them enough to continuously pour out His Spirit and revive them!
As we’ve noticed every week, throughout Scripture, God desired to fulfill His plan and purpose. For some reason, instead of just doing what He wanted to do, He decided to use people.
He opted to work through people He could trust to accomplish His will.
It is easy to trust God, but does God trust us?
He can never love us more than He does right now, but He can trust us more!
I want God to trust our church with revival! So let’s look at how Peter and John lived in Acts 3 and 4 and see if we can discover the type of person God can trust with revival!
I have three points, [A Revival of Demonstration], [A Revival of Declaration], and [A Revival of Dedication].
Let’s begin
1. A Revival of Demonstration
Acts 3:6–10 NKJV
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
We’ve already established that Jesus promised to send the Helper and He came on the day of Pentecost. But what happened after that?
Peter and John continued living their lives, and it was time to go to the Temple to pray. As they prepare to enter into the by the Beautiful Gate, they hear a man crying out for help.
The man was crippled, unable to walk. It was part of Jewish custom that they gave alms or offerings to the poor and disabled. The crippled people would strategically wait by the Temple hoping people would be generous to them.
On this particular day, this crippled man awaited some sort of gift, but he was in for a surprise. Peter, who did not have money to help, had something better.
He looked at the man and commanded him to walk. Whose authority did Peter use?
He spoke in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In their culture, a name was important. Someone’s name represented that person’s authority.
Peter knew this, merely calling on the name of Jesus, Peter had confidence that God would demonstrate His power to heal!
Jesus was widely recognized by His demonstration of God’s healing power.
Acts 10:38 NKJV
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
This was also not the first time that God used Peter or John to heal someone.
Luke 10:9 NKJV
9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But this time was different. Jesus was gone to heaven and this was the first encounter Peter and John had in dealing with someone who was lame from birth.
I can’t help but wonder if the words of Jesus came back to their memory? Did the Spirit remind them, Jesus promised you the Helper, I, the Holy Spirit am your helper.
Their experience shows that the demonstration of God’s healing power was not limited to the life of Christ. When the same Holy Spirit who was in Jesus came upon the Early Church, demonstrations of power followed.
Acts 3 shows us that God’s power was not dead! God sent a revival of the demonstration of the power and Spirit upon Peter and John!
Who would like to see a revival of demonstration in our church?
2. A Revival of Declaration
Acts 4:7–8 NKJV
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
Acts 4:12 NKJV
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
After the man at the gate recieved healing, Peter used the opportunity to preach. Many people experienced the work of the Holy Spirit.
Not everyone approved though. The religious leaders arrested Peter and John and placed them into jail over night. Perhaps they thought that would intimidate them and sober them up from there erratic behavior.
Not so, they wanted to know how they had such power to demonstrate that type of work?
Notice the words in Acts 8— THEN PETER FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!
What did Jesus promise His disciples the night before His arrest?
The Holy Spirit will teach you and bring yo remember all that I said to you!
What else did Jesus say to them?
They will kick you out of synagogues and even kill you. Don’t forget that they will persecute you, but you will have the Helper.
Jesus’s words came to pass, they stood before the Sanhedrin, the governing body of the Jewish faith, trying to intimidate Peter and John.
Being arrested was intimidation enough. It did not help that the same people who arrested them were the same ones who arrested Jesus and falsely accused Him, leading to His crucifixion.
Peter and John had a choice to make, would they give into Satan’s intimidation tactic or not?
They chose to walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit came on them and they began to declare the truth of Jesus Christ as risen Savior. They pointed to Him as the ONLY one able to bring salvation!
What gave them the boldness to make such a declaration?
The Holy Spirit— the Helper. Jesus repeated it enough to help them remember, without the Spirit, we cannot move forward.
The religious leaders were unable to charge them with a crime, so they threatened them.
Acts 4:18–20 NKJV
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Do not speak in the name of Jesus anymore. I love Peter and John’s reply, do you think God wants us to obey you and not Him? We cannot stop telling everything we have seen and heard!
After a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, they made a declaration of Jesus’s ability and desire to seek and save that which is lost!
God kept the church revived. The promises of God did not die for them. Instead, He kept the promise of supernatural help alive through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Who would like to see a revival of demonstration and declaration in our church?
3. A Revival of Dedication
Acts 4:29–30 NKJV
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
While Peter and John were on trial, some of the other believers were praying. God answered their prayers, but this was where they had to decide what to do next.
God got them out of that predicament, but did they really have what it took to stay committed to the process?
God helped them once, would He continue to send the helper to them?
Here is where Satan would have loved to stop the Church. It is likely he lied to many saying, yes God got you through this, but next time it will be worse, do you really want to risk everything by going through this again?
But the church prayed, they lifted their voice in unity. They did not shy away from the threats and precarious situation that they faced, but they made a decision that shaped the future of the church.
Lord, you hear their threats, so GIVE US BOLDNESS to preach your word
Stretch out your hand to heal
Let miracles, signs, and wonder follow us
They dedicated themselves to the work of God for their lives. They wanted to continue to demonstrate and declare the Good News and they desired that the Holy Spirit would continue to empower their work!
How did God answer their request?
Acts 4:31 NKJV
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
The meeting place shook. Literally, the building began to shake and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and God answered their request— He gave them boldness to demonstrate and declare His power!
Think of how this felt for those in the room. We know for certain that Peter andJohn were present. We also know they were present on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell the FIRST time.
Imagine the joy, hope, power, and presence that flowed as they were all REFILLED with the Holy Spirit.
God kept His promises to continue to send the Holy Spirit as the HELPER!
Close:
What type of person does God trust with revival?
What kind of Church experiences an outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
He comes down on those who desire to demonstrate, declare, and dedicate themselves WHOLLY to God.
The promise Jesus made to the disciples the night before His death holds true to this day. He still longs to send the Helper to us. The Holy Spirit still wants to bring His work to our remembrance.
What is the point— we STILL need the work and Person of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our church.
I want God to demonstrate His healing and saving power.
I want God to empower us to declare that He is the ONLY way to receive salvation
and in this world that is so hostile to the Church, I want God to look on their threats and give us BOLDNESS to speak, declare, and live out His word!
Whenever people live a life that desires to demonstrate, declare, and stay dedicated to God’s word, He will send revival!
As I prepared this message, I felt God stir my heart for revival. As you know this is something I have preached about and we pray about it every Wednesday night.
We have gone through an entire study as a congregation historic revivals. And before every revival there were desparate circumstances that led the church to pray and hold onto God’s promise for the help of the Holy Spirit.
The morning I wrote this message, I found myself reading a book I have had on my shelf for probably ten years, entitled, Pentecost in My Soul.
It shares experiences of those who were pivotal in the formation of the Assemblies of God.
In each story I read of men AND women who were hungry for God to pour out His Spirit.
The Flowers— in 1907, not long after the start of the Azusa Street Revival, a church in Indianapolis heard about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Not everyone agreed and those who did left and begin seeking for the baptism. One lady, Alice Reynolds was baptized in the Spirit.
She wrote, “At that moment it seemed I wanted Jesus more than anything in all the world, and if this baptism in the Holy Spirit was to open the door to a fuller revelation of Him, then nothing was to hinder me from having it.
I needed no help and non one could have hindered me, for wave after wave of glory swept over me until there seemed to be a shining path reaching from my opened heart, right into the presence of God.”
In that meeting was a young man named J. Roswell Flower, he too was filled with the Spirit and he and Alice married and became formative in the founding and building of the Assemblies of God.
Near the end of his life some 60 years after being baptized in the Holy Spirit, he wrote, “The only thing that will satisfy the heart of the believer is to be brought face-to-face with Christ in living fellowship…Tarrying in prayer is a necessity if we are to submit ourselves to the guidance and anointing of the Holy Spirit. God wants to come down upon HIs people in power and will do so if we will spend time in His presence and will seek His face with this fixed purpose.”
Thirty years after Sister Flowers experienced the Holy Spirit she penned,
What is the fullness of true Pentecost--
What does the latter rain bring?
Heart-thrilling moments of worship and praise
unto our glorious King!
Blessed revealings that God doth prepare
Thus to unfold to His own
Glimpses of Christ in His beauty most rare
Unto our hearts clearly shown
Fullness of joy
Blessings untold
Jesus thy Lord
Thus to behold
What of the fullness the comforter brings
To witness for God each day?
Emboldened like Peter, Christ’s name to declare
The Life, the Truth, and the Way
The power Christ promised we thus may recieve
Anointed to sound His name
To men of all nations and tribes and tongues
His marvelous grace to proclaim
Spirit of God
This very hour
Breathe upon us
Fullness of power
These words got ahold of me. These are the type of people God trust with revival. The ones who still long for God to demonstrate His power.
The ones who will dedicate their lives to declaring His name.
The ones who remain dedicated to the cause of Christ, to tell others about Jesus and to live for Jesus through the person and work of the Holy Spirit!
Who wants God to trust Vulcan Assembly with revival?
Then let’s pray for God to demonstrate His power
Let’s declare His name to everyone
Let’s dedicate our lives and future to Him
and then wait, watch, and see as He sends the Spirit to help us, empower us, and embolden us!
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