I don’t think there’s a question in anyone’s mind that our nation, our city, and our church needs revival. There’s a darkness that’s settling over our cities and our churches.
It’s the encroachment of satanic influence. It’s driving families to turn against each other.
Matthew 10:21-22 “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
All of hell is being unleashed on us. We keep trying to fight this fight in the natural, we want more gun control laws, we want more police protection, we want more legislation to stop the crime.
Let me tell you, you can’t build a big enough police force to stop what has been set in order.
You can’t fight a spiritual battle in the natural.
The force that’s driving this upheaval is backed by demonic influence, so we must approach it on a spiritual playing field.
The only way to stop all of hell, is the God of heaven. That’s why we desperately need God’s intervention. This is why we need revival, not brought by man, but brought by God.
Before we can experience revival in our cities, we need revival in our churches. There are too many churches where Ichabod was been written over the door. The glory of the Lord no longer resides there. Other churches allow anything to go.
That can’t be if we’re going to see our city brought to Christ. As sure as I stand before you tonight, God has a will for our city. God loves the people of Fort Wayne. We might have the title of an All American city, but in this city of churches, we’re far from being a Godly city.
There’s something wrong in a city that has its newspapers supporting homosexual activities, has full-page articles on a certain birth control device that men use.
This city is far from perfect; the sin is a stench in the nostrils of God. But God loves its people, and you hear my heart tonight, until we can start loving this city and loving these people, we will remain a small ineffective church that barely makes it by.
It’s not enough that we love our church, God’s called us for greater things than just our church.
God’s not looking for social clubs or bless me clubs. He’s looking for someone who will share in His love for the city. He’s looking for someone that will do whatever it takes to reach out and share His love with this people.
The question is what is it going to take. That’s what I want to share with you tonight.
First, there needs to be a renewal of prayer and worship
We’ve turned it into a joke about people sleeping in our church, but let me share with you something, it’s no joke to God. I’m going to talk to you now as your pastor and Christ’s representative here in this church.
God is not pleased with our halfhearted attempts in our worship services. Sam Hinn writes in his new book, “Changed in His presence”…
“It is easy to see how someone views the worth of another person by the attitude they show them and by how they treat them.
Do we show God how valuable He is to us in our worship? Do we show Him how much He is worth to us?”
The answer is, your attitude in worship is showing God how valuable He is to you.
I don’t want anyone amening me for the next few moments because of what I’m about to share from my heart.
I believe that God is displeased with our lack of involvement in Worship.
We wonder why we don’t get anything out of a service, it’s because many times we aren’t engaged in our Worship.
Our lack of engagement in our worship has even caused visitors in our church to be confused because they didn’t know if they should be standing or sitting because half of the church was sitting and the other half was standing. I believe our lack of enthusiasm in our worship has caused people to not come back.
How can we expect someone else to be excited about our church when half of it seems to be bored to death.
I know some people are not physically able to remain standing because of health reasons, but something is wrong with us if we’re able body people who won’t reverence God enough to stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
Let me tell you, I’m tired is not an excuse. I don’t like the music is not an excuse. How can we tell God that we want Him in our church, but not show Him the honor due Him?
Don’t take this wrong Nathan because I’m not complaining about you, I don’t like every kind of song we sing, that’s just personal preference. There’s some I like better than others, but when I come into His house, and gather in His name, it’s not about what pleases me, it’s about me pleasing Him, and creating an atmosphere where God knows He’s welcome and we do this through our expression of love and being engaged in worship.
Worship that is not expressed is not worship. The way we Worship displays our passion for God or the lack of it.
I’m not talking about how loud you shout, or if you’re running the aisles, I’m talking about you expressing your love for Christ through your worship.
I know when someone’s engaged in worship or not. When you’re snoring, you’re not engaged in Worship. When you’re cutting your fingernails, you’re not engaged in worship. When you’re looking at your watch to see how much longer you have to put up with this, you’re not engaged in worship.
But if you’re standing or sitting, with hands lifted high and tears running down your facing, or you’re lifting up your voice with praises, or clapping your hands, then you’re becoming engaged in worship.
If we’re going to experience revival in our church, then we must get back to the heart of Worship.
You can now amen again if you want.
Not only do we need to renew our worship, but we’ve got to renew our commitment to prayer.
Since Cindy and I have come to Fort Wayne, I’ve not sensed any spiritual direction in our city.
The voices of the men of God have remained silent for the most part. There needs to be someone crying over our city. Their needs to be someone who’s willing to weep over it’s sin, and plead for forgiveness and God’s mercy on us.
I’m talking about more than forming a protest group in front of an adult business.
I’m talking about the absence of cries in the prayer closet.
God is looking for intercessors. He cries out for someone to stand in the gap.
Ezekiel 22:30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”
God didn’t want to bring judgment on the land; He would have shown mercy if it had been asked for.
But God is a God of righteousness and judgment and He cannot let sin go unchecked.
That’s why it’s important that we understand that the church is the watchmen of the city. Listen to what Jeremiah 29:7 says…
“And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”
We need to be the prayer covering over our schools. We need to be the prayer covering over the families of our city. We need to be praying for our police officers, firemen, Mayor and city council.
It’s up to us to release God’s power through prayer in our city and neighborhoods. It’s up to us to release God’s power through prayer to raise the spiritual climate of our city.
As I shared this morning, I can sense a resistance from the enemy against our church, that’s why we need to be praying and fasting like never before.
The enemy does not want us to experience a breakthrough. For 46 years the enemy has held us down, it’s time we throw off the grave clothes, and come alive through the power of prayer and rise up and walk.
We need to be walking or driving through your neighbor-hoods and praying blessings, peace, health and salvation for your neighbors.
It’s up to you to help raise the spiritual climate of your neighborhood, as we take responsibility in our neighborhoods then our city will be affected.
Revival will not come, and changes will not happen until we get down to business and pray.
God wants to send revival, but He’s looking for someone who will take revival seriously, who will take the fact that people are lost and going to hell so seriously that it becomes His will that motivates our life, instead of our own.
Lord willing we will look at some more keys to revival but before we close tonight, I want to ask you, how seriously do we take the mandate that God’s given us to reach this city.
Does your life reflect a desire for a divine visitation from God? If it’s not what it should be, you can begin afresh tonight.
