Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
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INTRODUCTION:
God called us out of darkness into his divine light and made us his sons and daughters. Are we serious of what God has done in our life? Are you fulfilling God’s call? Are you serious in obeying God, being led by the Spirit, and reaching the lost with the gospel? Do we have the desire to reach our city for Christ? Is there a burning passion within us to see our church on fire for Jesus Christ?
My purpose in preaching this message is: Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. When we can together as a church seek the Kingdom and righteousness of God, I am sure a revival will breakout and that is going to be a solution for all our needs. So you want a breakthrough, keep the Kingdom in mind, keep revival in mind.
Let’s see what are the requirements for a revival as a church.
In Acts 1 Luke talks about the resurrected Jesus taken into the clouds after giving the disciples 2 significant promises.Acts 1:8-11 “8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Before his ascension, Jesus gave the disciples 2 promises:
a. The promise of the Holy Spirit which will enable them to be witnesses in the world.
b. The promise that Jesus is coming back again to receive his church.
The first promise was fulfilled in the very next chapter. Acts 2:1-4 “1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”.
In Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the people with power and they started speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. One of the signs of revival is a Spirit-filled church where people worship the Lord in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes control of the services. But the sad part is that many churches just concentrate on the Holy Sprit and speaking in tongues, but they do not realize why the Holy Spirit is given to them. We are given the Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses of the Lord. In the NT church when the Holy Spirit came souls were added to the church. Right in Chapter 2 of Acts, Peter started preaching in the Spirit and souls were saved.
Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3000 were added to their number that day”.
Acts 2:47b “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”.
The real purpose of the Holy Spirit is to empower the church for the salvation of the lost. Therefore, if there is a true Pentecostal movement, souls will be added everyday to the church. Why is that we pray, preach, and sing but cannot see the kingdom advance so rapidly as in the first century?
How can we have the true Pentecostal experience? One thing that we must understand is that the Pentecostal experience will not happen unless people are willing to pay the price. A soul-winning church doesn’t just happen; there is a price for Pentecost!
The steps for revival are laid out for us in chapter 1 of Acts. Any church that makes the decision to become a spirit-filled, soul-saving church can if they just decide to follow what the disciples did in Acts 1. I would say great churches are made up of great families and individuals. At City Harvest we have wonderful people, you are awesome people but if we can have the traits of the 1st century church we can be a church that is seeing the lost in Bangalore City. Let’s see what they did for the revival.
Acts 1:12-14 “12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers”.
From this passage we can find 3 preparations made by the disciples and others that brought the Pentecostal Revival.
1. OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST.
Acts 1:12 “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city”.
Look at the words: They returned to Jerusalem. Why did they return to Jerusalem? This was in obedience to what Christ told them to do.
Acts 1:4 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about”. The 120 of them obeyed Christ by waiting in Jerusalem. They could have gone to any other city, and not experienced the power of God. When the fire of God fell, they were right there waiting for it!
We see this same patter of obedience in other scripture too. When God says people to meet at a certain place and I will bless you, protect you, or provide for you; whoever has been obedient to his word has found the favor of God.
God once told Elijah to go hide in Kerith brook. Elijah was obedient and God fed him during famine by ravens. I believe if Elijah had gone anywhere else, even a place not in famine, he would have starved to death or killed by Ahab. God said to Naaman, the leper to dip in Jordan. Naaman would have thought, “Why in muddy Jordan?” but he obeyed, and was made whole!
Listen, God did not ask the disciples a hard thing. God just required simple obedience and God was willing to fulfill his promises. It’s not hard what God requires of us, just simple obedience to Him and you see how God shower his blessing upon us. Now I want to give you three basic areas of obedience to the Lord as a church.
a. Obedience in Attendance.
When the revival came everyone was present in the upper room. Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”.
No church will ever be great where the people are erratic in their attendance. If you want God to bless all of us, if you want God to revive us, we need to be regular to church. I have seen the two basic reasons in my experience why people are not regular to church: Lack of commitment to God or lack of love to God.
Now commitment is something that has to come from within. No one can force anyone to come to church. Every member has to have a self commitment that church is important for me. We are all committed for what we want to do. If we have to catch a 6 am flight, we have the commitment to reach the airport by 5 am. If we want to see a cricket match we have the commitment to cancel all programs to see the match for the whole day. So if people really want to they can commit to be regular to church, nothing can stop them, they will make time for it. The only reason they are not regular is because they do not have any commitment towards God.
The second reason for missing church is lack of love to God. Don’t ever say, “I love Jesus and miss church often.” That is contradicting because you cannot separate Jesus from the church any more than you can separate the head from the body or a building from the foundation!
Jesus loves the church. Ephesians 5:25b “Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. So if you love Jesus you will love His church, you will never miss church”.
Some say, “I do not want to attend the church because I find this mistake there, they do not talk to me” and so on. Listen, with all the faults of the church Jesus still loves the church and gave Himself for it and it is only through church that God blesses people. So be obedient to God by being faithful to church.
How many of you are more encouraged when everyone is there at church? It’s more exciting, singing is better, response is great, there is great enthusiasm! We have a more spiritual service when all come because every one of you matter, and each one who walks in the door is adding to the presence of God because we are the temple of God. So let’s make a decision “I’m not going to come to church when I feel like it. I’m going to be committed to church and make the extra effort to come and bring others to church.”
b. Obedience in Tithing.
I am not talking this to raise funds for the church. You are abounding in your giving and our church is well supplied. Tithing is about obedience and blessings! It is keeping you in mind because when you give you receive the blessings attached with it.
Most of you are already in obedience here, and I’m sure! God is blessing you for your obedience. It is my prayer that every one of you can participate in the tithing and be blessed abundantly. Remember, your support enables us to support God’s work. This week we have adopted one more church 300 KM from Belgaum for our missions and we plan to support their monthly rent to start with. It is all done with your abundant supply, and when the work happens there you are blessed.
The word “tithe” literally means tenth, ten percent of your income. It’s a definite portion, and has to be brought to a designated place, the church. Malachi 3:10-11 “10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty”.
Keep 90% with you and partner with God for the 10% and see how God blesses you.
c. Obedience in Ministry.
That’s using our gifts in the church, not saved to sit but to serve! Willingly help in needed areas for the Lord’s sake! God is willing to send a revival but are you willing to use your gifts for the Lord? Are you willing to spare your time and come and use your gifts at City Harvest? There’s a price for Pentecost…are we willing to pay it!
2. UNITY.
Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord with prayer and supplication, with women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers”.
Look at the term – One accord, it means one in mind. The NT Church was united. You can see the unity of the first church throughout Acts.
Acts 2:1 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place”.
Acts 2:46 “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house..”
Acts 4:24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:
Acts 5:12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
The people sensed that God had promised them something big and great, God had a great purpose for them. They knew that this was no time for arguing, petty quarrels, hurt feelings, or power struggles. Each one was living for something bigger than themselves, so they had one mind! That’s the kind of church God blesses.
Some may think it was easier for them than it is for us…No! They were just like us. I can show you scriptures which show these same people were not always getting along. But during this 10-day prayer meeting there was probably a good bit of apologizing and forgiveness which had to be done!
Illustration: I can see Martha going to Mary to apologize for being critical of her worship while she was working in the kitchen. Mary admits she never helped out as much as she should have at home, they hug and make up and are now in one accord.
I can see James and John approach other disciples and apologize for sending their mom to try to make them get good treatment and great positions in the Kingdom. They now realized it was arrogant, prideful, and egotistic; ask for forgiveness, hug each other, and now they’re in unity!
Maybe Thomas stood up to confess his unbelief. When the other disciples told that Jesus was alive, he probably called them liars and said I will not believe unless I put my finger into the nail print of Jesus’ hands. Thomas asked for forgiveness and now they are in unity!
God loves to bless churches like that. I pray that we will be quick to forgive, that we will be a church that is filled with peacemakers who will put what is best for the Kingdom ahead of own personal feelings.
3. PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord with prayer and supplication, with women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers”.
The early church constantly prayed through the book of Acts and the revival fire caught up the entire region.
See their prayer chapter by
Chapter 1. They prayed for guidance.
Chapter 2. They prayed daily.
3. They went to the temple at the hour of prayer.
4. Prayed for courage.
6. Prayed continually.
7. Stephen prayed as he was being stoned!
8. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans.
9. Saul of Tarsus prayed for 3 straight days after being saved. Peter prayed before raising a woman from the dead.
10. Peter prayed on the housetop, and God told him of Cornelius, opening the door to the Gentiles!
12. Believers prayed for Peter in prison and he was miraculously rescued!
13. Church of Antioch fasted and prayed prior to sending out Paul and Barnabas.
16. At a prayer meeting God opened Lydia’s heart to the gospel. Also prison doors were opened when Paul and Silas were praying.
20. Paul prayed for his friends before leaving them.
27. Paul prayed for God’s blessings in the midst of a storm.
28. Paul prayed to God for the healing of a sick man.
These are just the recorded instances of prayer in the early church. Prayer was the foundation of the church. Clearly from Acts 1-28 it’s obvious that things happen when God’s people pray!
It takes a lot of prayer to have a powerful church! When people are willing to pray individually and corporately, God sends his revival. In one mind they started praying and giving their needs to God.
Prayer is the most important of 3 points we are looking at today. We have great opportunities for prayer here. Please look at the slide. Come pray, you will be blessed, church will be blessed, our city will be saved.
CONCLUSION:
Are you ready for a revival? The disciples of Jesus decided to walk in complete obedience, unity, and prayer and turned their world upside down. There was a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit, people were added everyday to the church, people were blessed and the Kingdom of God grew. We too can experience this in City Harvest and Bangalore city provided we are willing to pray the price. How many of you commit for a revival this morning. To be obedient to God – ATM, to be united, and to pray. Let’s pray.
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