Sermon Central
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Are You Ready For A Revolution
Contributed by Melvin Maughmer, Jr. on Oct 27, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Are you tired of Church as usual? Do you want to experience God. Do you want to tear do traditions. Are you a revolutionary.
“Are You Ready for a Revolution”
By
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Now when you have a subject such as this “Are you ready for a Revolution”, you immediately develop 2 distinct groups of people.
The 1st group is those that sit on edge with a snarl on their face because they feel that their comfort zone is going to be disrupted – God forbid -. They fear that their traditions are going to be challenged and that change is about to come. Although change is inevitable they refuse to accept it and become immediately resistant.
The 2nd group is those that sit on edge with a gleam in their eye because they anticipate that the familiarity of their comfort zone is going to be disrupted – Amen -. They anticipate the challenge of traditions and eagerly await change to happen. They immediately become revolutionaries.
Rather you are the 1st group or the 2nd group the question is “Are you ready for a Revolution”?
According to Webster’s Dictionary a Revolution is: an overthrow or repudiation a thorough replacement of an established system, a sudden, radical, or complete change, an activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes, it is a change of paradigm (which is a change in the way of thinking). Many will call it a rebellion, which is opposition to one in authority or dominance.
In our history there have been several revolutions which have taken place. In 1755 the American Revolution started which developed this countries independence from the authority and dominance of England.
The Industrial Revolution, which started in the early 1800’s has changed and continues to change the way we operate.
The Civil Revolution changed the way people our treated.
A Political Revolution refers to the replacement of government.
We live in a time of hyperboles (which is extravagant exaggeration) and cliché. Everything is super-size this and mega that. We find everyone wants to be on the clicheic band wagon because they believe it will launch them into mega this or mega that status. For example the phrase “Kingdom” has been used extensively in the past few years. There are kingdom conferences, kingdom retreats, and kingdom seminars because they believe if they use the word then I’ll become the hyperbole, the mega this or the mega that. Yet they do not know what is entailed in the kingdom work or the kingdom life.
They treat the word kingdom like an Amish sticker. If I put this on it people will go for it because this is attached to it, but they don’t understand the dedication, work, and life that’s behind it all.
“Are you ready for a Revolution”
There is a shift that is taking place in the body of Christ. This shift is simply the mighty hand of God trying to wake up the church to more effective in getting the Word of God to the people of the world and bring many sons unto glory.
This shift in the body of Christ has respectively been called a spiritual revolution. And because of this title that is sweeping through the body of Christ there is a division within the body. You have those that want change called revolutionaries and those that are content in their comfort zones called the resistance. Regardless the side you are on the question is “Are you ready for a Revolution? First of all it’s personal.
I’m not talking about a new age change. I’m not talking about a cliché. I just want to know are you ready to radically change the established system. Are you ready to oppose the one in authority or dominance.
Remember revolution is an overthrow or repudiation a thorough replacement of an established system. In order for there to be a revolution there must be a revolutionary.
A Revolutionary is one that brings about a change it is one that literally turns the world upside down.
We find in our text Paul, Silas, and Luke is called “These that have turned the world upside down” – Revolutionaries.
They are called revolutionaries because they overthrew and thoroughly replaced an established system. Understand that the principality of divination had established itself in Philippi.
A principality is the territory or jurisdiction of a prince or order of angels that have been established and given authority and dominance.
WATCH THIS: - Paul overthrew and replaced thoroughly the established system
The Bible says in Acts 16:16 “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying”
Understand that when the Bible mentions a specific name like “There was a man by the name of Job” – that there is something about Job that we need to understand like his character, determination, etc. However when the Bible says a certain man or a certain woman there is something about the surroundings that we are to understand.
