Pentecost; desperate for His presence
Acts 1:1-4 2:1-12
Selective scriptures
INTRO-
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY- I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO. THE DAY OF PENTECOST AND MOTHER’S DAY FALLS ON THE SAME DAY THIS YEAR. I STRUGGLED WEATHER I WOULD DO A TRADITIONAL MESSAGE OR FOCUS ON PENTECOST. I PRAYED ABOUT IT, WHICH IS GOOD TO DO ON PENTECOST AND EVERYDAY. I FOUND MYSELF CENTERING IN ON GOD. REFLECTING IN ON GOD’S GOODNESS. HOW MUCH ALL OF US NEED HIM TO BE MORE IN OUR LIVES. YOU HEARD THE SCRIPTURES READ- THE FIRST TELLING US OF THE HOLY SPIRIT COMING TO US AND THAT WE NEED TO BE IN A POSITION TO RECEIVE HIM INTO OUR LIVES. THE SECOND SCRIPTURE ;
BEING IN ONE ACCORD IN THE BODY
ALL THAT WANTED TO RECEIVE HIS SPIRIT- RECEIVED
THEY WERE AMAZED AT WHAT GOD HAD DONE
BUT THEY STILL WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPEN AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE CHURCH TODAY. PETER AFTER BEING WITH THOSE IN THE UPPER ROOM, COMES AND PREACHES HIS FIRST SERMON.
ACTS 2:17-21- READ
GOD WE NEED THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES, IN OUR FAMILIES, IN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR GOVERNMENT, IN OUR CHURCHES. HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF - THERE HAS TO BE MORE. THIS LIFE IS OKAY, BUT GOD I’M LOOKING FOR THE WOW FACTOR. AS THE DISCIPLES GATHERED, THEY WANTED TO RECEIVE THE MORE-
THEY REALIZED THAT THEY CANNOT DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
THEY REALIZED THAT IN THEMSELVES THEY COULD ONLY GO SO FAR.
QUESTION:
HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY SOME DON’T ASK JESUS INTO THEIR LIVES? WHY SOME JUST NEVER GET IT- THEY STRUGGLE WITH THEIR WALK WITH GOD. THEY BUILD A FENCE AROUND THEMSELVES, AND DARE GOD TO FIND A WAY INTO THEIR LIFE.
ILLUSTRATION- I WAS SENT A E-MAIL ABOUT WILD PIGS BEING CAPTURED. THEY PLACED A FENCE ONE SIDE AT A TIME UNTIL THEY GET USE TO IT AND ADDED ANOTHER UNTIL THEY HAVE ALL FOUR SIDES UP. THEN ONE DAY THE FINAL GATE IS SLAMMED AND THERE IS NO WAY OUT. THAT’S WHAT IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE TODAY. GOD DESIRES AND GOD HAS PROVIDED POWER IN THEIR LIVES BIGGER THAN THEY ARE TO LIVE LIFE VICTORIOUS AND THEY ARE ALLOWING THE WORLD TO CLOSE THEM IN AND AWAY FROM GOD A LITTLE AT A TIME UNTIL ONE DAY THE GATE CLOSES AND THEY ARE TRAPPED.
THERE IS A LOT OF NOISE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE. (AND THE CHURCHES TODAY)
REV 3:20- HERE I AM I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AMD EAT WITH THEM AND HE WITH ME. TO HIM THAT OVERCOMES, I WILL GIVE THE RIGHT TO SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE, JUST AS I OVERCAME AND SAT DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE. HE WHO HAS A EAR , LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES.
-WE DON’T HEAR GOD BECAUSE WE ARE TOO BUSY- ENTANGLED WITH EVERYDAY LIFE, PREOCCUPIED THAT WE NEVER HEAR WHAT IS GOING ON IN HIS CHURCH.
- WE DON’T HEAR GOD BECAUSE WERE TO FAR AWAY- GOD NEVER MOVED, WE HAVE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
PSALM 10:1- WHY STANDEST AFAR OFF O LORD. WHY HIDEST THOU THYSELF IN TIMES OF TROUBLES. HE HASN’T- WE HAVE
GOD KNOCKS ON THE DOOR OF OUR HEARTS AND WE SOMETIMES TREAT HIM LIKE THE RELIGIOUS CULTS WE TRY TO AVOID.
- WE DON’T HEAR GOD BECAUSE WE GIVE HIM A DEAF EAR, BECAUSE WE HAVE SIN IN OUR LIFE THAT WE ARE NOT READY TO GIVE UP. THERE IS A PICTURE OF JESUS STANDING AT THE DOOR AND KNOCKING WITH A TEAR IN HIS EYE.,LOCATED RIGHT AS YOU COME IN TO THE SANCTUARY.
HOW MANY IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, ARE SO BUSY AND PREOCCUPIED, THAT YOU DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE CHURCH SINCE 1957. THEY SAID AT DISTRICT ASSEMBLY “IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH THE AMERICAN CHURCHES HAVE DONE WITHOUT GOD”
IF YOU ARE GOING TO ANSWER THE KNOCK OF JESUS ON YOUR HEART, ALLOW HIM INTO YOUR LIFE, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE 2 THINGS HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE.
I. HOLY SPIRIT IS GOING TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE
ONCE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT LIFE VICTORIOUS IN OUR SELVES, THAT WE NEED THE POWER OF GOD WORKING IN OUR LIVES. THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT WILL DROP US TO OUR KNEES AND ALLOW US TO GET INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD. BEFORE WE CAN BE FILLED, WE MUST BE EMPTIED. GOD NEEDS A VESSEL HE CAN WORK THROUGH. WE NEED TO BE DESPERATE FOR HIS PRESENCE , WANTING WITH ALL OUR BEING FOR GOD TO WORK THROUGH US AND IN US ON A DAILY BASIS. JESUS WANTS TO BE INVITED INTO OUR LIVES. HE IS NOT GOING TO PUSH HIS WAY IN, HE WANTS TO TAKE RESIDENCY IN A HEART THAT INVITES HIM TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LIFE. GOD WANTS TO FILL US TO OVERFLOWING WITH WHO HE IS, TO CONFORM US TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, AND THEN POUR US OUT INTO THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IF WE ARE GOING TO ANSWER THE KNOCK OF JESUS ON YOUR HEART YOUR GOING TO
II. TRANSFORM CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
(TAKE A PICTURE AND TEAR IT INTO 4 PIECES. THEN HAVE ONE TAPED TOGETHER TO SHOW IT PUT BACK TOGETHER. THEN HAVE ONE THAT IS NOT TORN AND LOOKS PERFECT.) GOD WANTS TO HEAL COMPLETELY AND RESTORE WHAT THE DEVIL HAS STOLEN. HE IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE, SOME CHURCH TO TAKE BACK WHAT THE DEVIL HAS STOLEN AND DECEIVED PEOPLE WITH. JESUS KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITIES, IN OUR COUNTRY. HE IS LOOKING FOR SOME PEOPLE TO TAKE A STAND. GOD IS LOOKING FOR US TO GET INVOLVED IN HIS “MOVEMENT” AND TAKE THE TIME TO BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM STILL GOD. PSALM 46:10.
TO SAY AMEN-“SO BE IT” TO THE LORD AND GET ON BOARD.
DESPERATE FOR HIS PRESENCE- CRYING OUT TO HIM, WANTING TO KNOW WHAT HE WANTS DONE, WE CAN TAKE BACK THIS COMMUNITY FOR JESUS.
WE WILL NOT DO IT WITHOUT HIS PRESENCE OUR CHURCH IN CALI. COLUMBIA HAS 10,000 PEOPLE AT EACH SERVICE IN A BUILDING THAT HOLDS 1000. THEY DO 10 SERVICES AT A TIME, 1000 AT A TIME. 1000 IN AND THEN THE SIDES OF THE BUILDING DROPS DOWN LIKE TRUCK BAY DOORS AND ANOTHER 1000 COME IN THE FRONT DOOR UNTIL ALL HAVE HEARD THE WORD OF THE LORD. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? BECAUSE THERE IS A HUNGER FOR GOD. A HUNGER TO GET IN GOD’S PRESENCE A THIRST TO GET ALL THAT GOD DESIRES FOR YOU TO HAVE. IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH AMERICAN CHURCHES CAN DO WITHOUT GOD, BUT HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE DO WITH GOD? WE CAN TURN THIS CITY RIGHT SIDE UP INSTEAD OF UPSIDE DOWN FOR JESUS. SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE 120 WHEN THEY WERE IN THE UPPER ROOM. THEY WAITED FOR GOD TO SHOW UP AND HE DID. THEY WANTED MORE OF GOD AND HE DID NOT LET THEM DOWN. THEY SAW A NEED AND THEY BELIEVED GOD TO DO IT. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BEAT DOWN, BEAT UP, BEAT BACK-THEY MAY BE TOO WEAK TO GET TO THE DOOR. WHO WILL CARRY THE MESSAGE OF JESUS AND THE POWER WE HAVE IN CHRIST. JESUS IS STANDING AT THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART THIS MORNING HE IS HOPING THAT YOU INVITE HIM INTO YOUR LIFE. WHEN JESUS COMES IN, HE BRINGS PEACE AND JOY WITH HIM. THERE IS NO GREATER LIFE THAN TO SERVE JESUS CHRIST.
LISTEN CLOSELY
CAN YOU FEEL THE TUG OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON YOUR HEART? ARE YOU GOING TO RESPOND TO HIM THIS MORNING
MATT 11:28- COME UNTO ME, ALL YEA THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN OF ME, FOR I AM MEEK, AND LOWLY IN HEART AND YE SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS.
CLOSING
THERE IS MORE TO LIFE- IF YOU DO NOT KNOW JESUS THAT IS YOUR FIRST STEP. IF YOU HAVE NOT SURRENDERED YOUR LIFE TO JESUS.
“AS A DEER PANTS FOR STREAMS OF WATER, SO MY SOUL PANTS FOR YOU O GOD.:
WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR LIFE IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD. HIS NEARNESS. I AM GOING TO OPEN THE ALTARS- YOU COME AND FIND A PLACE TO PRAY .HE PROMISES THAT THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST SHALL BE FILLED (MATT 5:6)
PEOPLE WHO ARE DESPERATELY HUNGRY WILL DO ALMOST ANYTHING TO SATISFY THAT HUNGER. THEY ARE WILLING TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE.
REMEMBER- “WITHOUT ME , YOU CAN DO NOTHING”CITY TRANSFORMATION RESULTS FROM DESPERATE PEOPLE UNIFYING IN VISION AND PRAYER, ENABLING THE HEAVENS TO OPEN OVER THE CITY.
GOD LET US SEE YOUR SHEKINAH GLORY AMEN
