Unlocked
Pt. 4 - A Broken Record
I. Introduction
An unlocked door is just as strong and restrictive as a locked door if you don’t know that the door is unlocked. So, we have been talking about the fact that the Holy Spirit has been given to us and in this gift, things have been unlocked for us. He has unlocked power, power to pray, power to find our place and today the power to believe. Can I tell you that the Holy Spirit is a broken record? Ever heard that phrase . . . you sound like a broken record? It simply means that the record keeps skipping and therefore playing the same thing over and over again. That is how the Holy Spirit operates. Let me see if I can explain.
Throughout Jesus' ministry on earth, He worked miracles. In fact, one of the really powerful illustrations of that is Luke 4. This chapter starts like this . . . Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit . . . and then makes this statement “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
He simply declares that because The Holy Spirit is unlocked in Him and that He has the power to deal with financial issues, emotional issues, relational issues, physical issues and spiritual issues.
And then in verse 40 this is written . . . When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
So, it is apparent that the Holy Spirit unlocked the power for miracles in Jesus. But the Holy Spirit is a broken record.
Paul begins to tell us about the Holy Spirit and he says this . . .
1 Corinthians 12:1
Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
Then in 7-11 he makes this statement.
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."
Did you hear it? Did you hear the broken record? What the Holy Spirit did in Jesus He now repeats but this time He repeats it in and through us. The Holy Spirit unlocks faith, healing and miraculous power in us! Same song different singer. What He did in Jesus He does in us! Therefore, on Miracle Sunday we can believe that miracles are unlocked for us!
In other words, we must expect correct. Everywhere Jesus went He healed. Then we the Holy Spirit unlocks that same anointing in ability in the body. So, if we don't expect miracles then our level of expectation is met. The atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles. (SLIDE 10) Our level of expectancy reveals our belief about His level of ability!'
So, I want us to hear the same song played over and over! He touched them all and they were all healed.
Mark 16:17-18 - And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
So, as we pray over the same things Jesus dealt with today, I want us to do two things. I want us to expect the broken record to play! He did it then so we know He can do it now. It is unlocked for us. He put this on repeat. So, we need to expect this!
I also want us to do more today than just operate in intercessory prayer. Most of us know what that is. It is when I pray for someone other than myself. I stand in the gap and carry the burden of making the petition known to the Father. As we pray you will certainly operate in that kind of prayer. However, today I want you to take a step into another kind of intercession. I want you to begin to operate in Intercessory Faith!
There are going to be times today when the request is going to be so big, so daunting, so unlikely that the person that walks down for a miracle or who wrote down the prayer for a miracle will struggle to have the necessary faith that this thing can happen. So, like the 4 men who lowered their friend through the roof to Jesus, I want us to step in and believe for them. On their own they may not be able to believe. But the Holy Spirit also unlocks faith in us. So, there may be moments in the service today where when you see someone step out or where you feel led to invite someone to step out that the gift of faith is being unlocked in you. Don't hesitate. Operate in intercessory faith. Let your faith stand in for their lack of faith. They may have believed for this miracle for decades until they are exhausted and their faith supply is low. Believe for them. They heard the dire prognosis of the doctor and it has dampened their faith. Believe for them. They have endured such hardship that they are beat down. Believe for them.
So, let's stop just a moment before we begin praying for miracles and do two things. First, let's pray and ask the power of the Holy Spirit to be unlocked in us today. Let's ask Him to put miracles on repeat. Let's allow that promise to cause us to expect correct.
Prayer for expectation to arise.
Second, let's pray for the gift of faith today! Holy Spirit give us enough faith to spare. Enough faith to share with someone who can't believe for themselves.
