Revive In 2005 (part 1)
Thesis: The Body of Christ in America needs to be revived in the New Year of 2005. They need to follow the example of King Hezekiah and do the two crucial steps common to all revivals.
Opening Illustration:
I am the New Year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.
I am your opportunity
to practice what you have learned during
the last twelve months about life.
All that you sought the past year
and failed to find is hidden in me;
I am waiting for you to search it out
again and with more determination.
All the good that you tried to do
for others and didn’t achieve last year
is mine to grant-- providing you have
fewer selfish and conflicting desires.
In me lies the potential
of all that you dreamed but didn’t
dare to do, all that you hoped
but did not perform.
All you prayed for
but did not yet experience -
these dreams slumber lightly,
waiting to be awakened by the touch
of an enduring purpose -
I am your opportunity
to renew your allegiance to Him who said,
"behold, I make all things new."
I am the new year.
Author Unknown: "Behold, I make all things new."
Rev 21:5 Jesus
Introduction:
We today are entering into a New Year a chance at a new start a new beginning with our lives. It’s a new chapter in our book of life. So what are you going to write about in this new chapter? You hold the pen to this chapter in your life it is yours to write. Will it be chapter filled with hopelessness and despair. Will it be a chapter filled with repentance and revival of your heart. Will it be a chapter filled with the same ho hum life of the previous chapter. Will it be an exciting chapter in your life or a sleeper chapter. Will people get excited when they read this chapter about your life or will they think this is boring! Will it be a chapter filled with the awe of miracles and revival like the ones written about Charles Finney the father of American revival!
Christian History Issue 20 stated, “Charles Grandison Finney is considered America’s greatest past revivalist. Church roles swelled in the wake of Finney’s revivals. Though it is hard to gather accurate statistics, he is often directly, or indirectly credited with conversions of around 500,000.” The time frame was in the 1830’s. It is said that his revival meetings transformed entire towns. It is said that in some towns after the meetings the bars would close down because there was no business for them and churches would spring up in their place. He stated in his message that he was to show what revival is.
Charles Finney made a significant impression upon the religious life of 19th century America, and his influence is still evident today. Called the “father of modern revivalism” by some historians, he paved the way for later revivalists like Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham. He constructed a theology that harmonized with the ideals of the Jacksonian era; if President Andrew Jackson was the political folk-hero of early l9th-century America, Charles Grandison Finney was its religious folk-hero. Just as the American frontier was being widened and common folk were getting the vote, Finney gave the public an opportunity to cast their votes on the matter of salvation. Charles Grandison Finney19th Century Giant of American Revivalism: Christian History, Issue 20, (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, Inc.) 1997.
He stated the following about revival: The following is taken from Christian History page 31, 32:
1. A revival always includes the conviction of sin on the part of the church.
2. Backslidden Christians will be brought to repentance.
3. A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God. Just as in the case of a converted sinner, the first step is a deeper repentance, a breaking down of the heart, a getting down into the dust before God, with deep humility, and a forsaking of sin.
4. Christians will have their faith renewed…they will see things in that strong light which will renew the love of God in their hearts. This will lead them to labor zealously to bring others to him.
5. A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians.
6. When the churches are thus awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow…
Charles Finney brought revival and the presence and the life transforming power of God to America in the early 1800’s and it forever changed the hearts of 100,000 of people. Finney reminds me of another revivalist. This man’s name and story is found in the Old Testament.
Scripture Texts: 2 Chronicles 29-31
2 Chronicles 29:1-11; 20-30; 35, 36:
1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
3In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD’S dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”…
20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the LORD. 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the LORD. 22So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar. 23The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. 24The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
25He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets. 26So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments, and the priests with their trumpets.
27Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. 28The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.
29When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. 30King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.
31Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings…
…So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. 36Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.
2 Chronicles 30:6-9 (Hezekiah sent this out to all the Jewish nation challenging them to come home to celebrate Passover to the Lord. He and the leadership had experienced a personal revival now he invited the entire people of Israel to come home to the Temple to experience revival themselves.)
6At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
“People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
2 Chronicles 31: 1, 2; 20, 21:
1When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property…
20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
T.S. - We must do right in the eyes of the Lord for a revival to sweep across America today and in the year of 2005 just like Hezekiah did in the OT era of Israel. How do we do right like King Hezekiah did and receive a personal revival which then will lead to a national revival?
I. We must commit to repair and cleanse the Temple of the Lord from all of the previous years of neglect and abuse.
a. We must re-dedicate ourselves to the Lord and choose to make the necessary repairs.
i. Hezekiah faced reality and said our temple is a mess-look at it! Listen to what he observed about His nation and the condition of The Temple of the Lord.
1. We and our fathers were unfaithful to the Lord! They walked away from God and His Temple.
2. They did evil in the sight of God by forsaking God and serving other god’s.
3. They walked away from God and shunned Him. They turned their backs on God!
4. They shut the door to the presence of God in Israel’s life by closing down the Temple services.
5. They even turned the lights out on God and His presence in the Temple.
a. Result was they paid for their inaction and godless actions, when they turned their backs on God.
b. God forsook them and He allowed them to destroy themselves from within and from without.
c. He became angry with them and pulled away His protection and blessings!
ii. Hezekiah faced the reality of his nation’s spiritual condition.
1. He simply said to Israel: We must re-commit ourselves to God We must re-focus what is to be our priority in life! We must come to the realization of the actual condition of His temple! We must come back out of the darkness of denial and face the reality of our Temple of God’s condition.
a. The Temple is a mess and we are a mess!
b. The birth of revival starts when we admit that we are a mess because we have turned our backs on God.
iii. We are told by Paul that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit!
1. Listen to what He says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17: 16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
a. When we accepted Jesus into our hearts and lives God entered into our hearts and set up residence.
i. In the O.T. era the Temple was were God’s presence dwelled and resided.
b. Paul tells us that Jesus sanctified our lives and made all things new and our bodies became His residing place upon our conversion.
i. In the O.T. era the temple was the only sanctified place were God resided.
ii. It was sanctifies because of the offerings that were done on a daily basis to atone for sins and trespasses against God.
c. So what does your temple look like today is God still reigning in it?
i. Are the doors in need of repair?
1. Or are the doors so damaged that they are left wide open for sin to enter in and take shelter!
ii. Is the temple a mess!
1. Is your temple filled with unholy debris and the filth from the world?
2. Has your temple been ram sacked by sin and neglect.
3. Is there unholy graffiti on the walls of your temple?
iii. Has your temple become abandoned?
1. Are there cob webs in the altar area of your life?
a. Has no one been in there to pray for years?
iv. Is the altar of sacrifice barren and void in your temple?
1. Has your sacrificial altar for the Lord been barren because you have not offered up to the Lord any sacrifices.
v. Is your temple void of God’s presence because He left due to neglect and apathy from you the temple keeper?
iv. An awakening like what Hezekiah brought to the nation of Israel (A revival) happens when a heart experiences and chooses deep repentance toward the Lord and His ways.
1. Hezekiah chose to take responsibility for the spiritual condition of his Temple and of his nation’s spiritual condition.
a. He took responsibility for their sinful actions and their lack of righteous action in life.
i. He took responsibility and did not play the blame game.
b. He chose to look at his life and the life of his nation through the eyes of the Lord!
i. They and he were doing wrong not right!
c. He wanted revival so his desire focused first on repairing the door to the Temple.
i. The gates-the doors were the gateway to the Holy of Holies and He knew he had to fix the gate first!
d. He no longer wanted to be apathetic toward God’s way of life.
i. He wanted to restore himself and his nation back to the sacrificial lifestyle required by God for His blessings and His presence.
2. How about you? Do you believe in Romans 12:1, 2 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
a. Do you want revival to come to you today like Hezekiah did in his day?
i. Then break out the spiritual tools and begin repairing the Temple.
1. Fix the doors! They are the barriers that keep out the dirt and filth of the world!
2. Then clean house!
b. We must also remove everything that is defiled out of the Temple of the Lord like Hezekiah instructed the Levites and Priests to do.
i. We have to clean the house of the Lord.
1. We need to clean off the altar of sacrifice.
a. We need to put it back into action.
2. We need to clean the holy of holies and invite God to come back and live.
a. This means it must be purified and made holy again.
3. We need to remove anything that is not holy from the temple.
a. Things that contaminated with sin and self.
4. We need to clean off the instrument of praise and worship and start playing them to the Lord again.
a. We need to institute praise and worship times in our temple again.
i. This will encourage and revive our hearts.
c. It took 16 days to clean out the temple because of all the filth and years of neglect. But they did it and God showed up again.
1. They worked hard at it but they accomplished the task.
2. They purified the temple and restarted the worship of the Lord with sacrifices, offerings and praise.
T.S. – Once the temple is repaired and cleaned then we must make a new covenant between us and the Lord like Hezekiah did.
II. We must make a new covenant with the Lord for 2005 between Him and us.
a. Hezekiah upon the repair and cleansing of the temple held a worship and altar service and made a new covenant with the Lord.
i. You might ask ‘What is a Covenant?”
1. A covenant is a formal, solemn and binding agreement between two individuals or parties. It is usually a written agreement. It is a promise between the two parties of a performance of some type of action.
ii. The historical view of Biblical Covenant making.
1. Two distinctions between Biblical Covenants and legal contracts:
a. A Biblical Covenant has no termination date whereas contracts do.
b. A Biblical Covenant applies to the whole being of a person not just a part of a persons being.
2. According to Jewish tradition there are 10 steps to cutting a covenant.
a. The first three steps are focused on the preparations that need to be done before the covenant can even be made.
i. The two parties involved in the making of the covenant must sit down and count the cost.
ii. They must arrange for there to be witnesses present during the cutting of the covenant.
iii. They must choose a place where the covenant will be made.
1. Jewish people always prepared the place for the cutting of the covenant by cleaning it thoroughly.
a. For example; Before Passover the Jews would wash and white wash their entire homes before celebrating the Passover Meal in their house.
b. This always happened in spring time. Many believe our spring cleaning comes from this custom.
b. There are 7 steps to the actual cutting of the Covenant. (Making the deal!)
i. The first step is the two parties exchange their robes.
1. This always signified a symbol of trust between the two parties.
2. You cannot make a covenant with someone you cannot trust.
ii. The second step is they would exchange belts.
1. This belt was used to carry the sword and also a person’s money.
a. So in essence they were saying: “Your battles are my battles and your resources are my resources.”
iii. The next step was they would take an animal sacrifice and cut it in ½.
1. They did this from nose to tail.
2. Once the animal is in two parts the two making the covenant with each other would step between the two parts and state, “These two halves have become one because as this one animal was one and has now become two, we are making vows to one another.”
3. They would also say to each other, “If either one of us break this covenant, may the birds of the air do to us what they will do these two halves.”
iv. The next step is they would actually cut their wrists.
1. In a sense they became blood brothers. This then would become a physical sign to their covenant.
2. Some historian say that people would actually rub dirt into their cut to make it scar worse so others would notice their covenant scar.
v. The fifth step is they would exchange vows, or oaths to one another.
1. Like what we do at weddings!
2. It’s the verbal, “I promise to keep this covenant until death separates us.”
vi. The sixth step is they would exchange names- they would take on God’s name if Biblical or if traditional, each others name.
1. On the taking of each other’s name they would pledge to not disgrace the other’s name by breaking the covenant agreement.
vii. The seventh step is the ceremonial meal.
1. Two elements involved and exchanged between the two parties.
a. The Bread- represents God’s Word.
b. The wine or juice-represents the Holy Spirit.
c. Upon the completion of consuming the two elements this would sign –seal and secure the Covenant.
iii. Covenant making was taken very seriously in the Bible and in the Jewish community. Upon the signing and sealing and securing of the covenant two parties would be joined over this covenant for the rest of their lives.
b. There is an Eternal Covenant spoken about in the New Testament between the Lord Jesus and His bride - the church.
i. Matthew 26:17-30 - The historical setting of the cutting of The Covenant (The Last Supper):
1. 17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 22They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.” 26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
a. It took place at the Passover Meal in Jerusalem with the 12 disciples and Jesus.
b. Passover was celebrate annually to remember when God delivered Israel out of Egypt as the death angel passed over and took Egypt’s first born. The next day Pharaoh let God’s people go!
ii. Jesus took the necessary steps in the cutting of this N.T. Covenant with His church.
1. He sat down and counted the cost.
a. Jesus did this in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-45).
b. Have you sat down and counted the cost. It will cost you your life!
i. You will have to say, “No my will Lord but yours be done in my life!”
2. He had witnesses to the Covenant.
a. All who watched Jesus die and then all who saw Him resurrected testify to the N.T. Covenant (Matthew 27:45-28:20).
b. This is why Jesus wants us to be Baptized to have witnesses to the Covenant between us and Him.
3. He choose the place to cut the Covenant
a. He chose the cross (Matthew 26, 27).
b. He wants us to chose the place and then open up our hearts – the temple and let Him in.
4. He exchanged his robe with us.
a. Remember it’s the symbol of trust!
i. He clothes us with the robe of righteousness when we choose him.
b. Jesus trusted the will of God and said yes to God’s will.
i. This showed his trust of the Father.
c. We should do the same and exchange our robe with him.
i. Do you trust Him enough to do this?
5. Jesus exchanged his belt with us.
a. He said, “Your fight Mike is my fight step aside!”
i. Then Jesus defeated my enemy Satan with the sword of the Spirit at the cross.
b. Jesus said, “My resources are your resources Mike!”
i. I will supply all your needs according to my riches in glory!
ii. I will take care of you and pay your bills and intervene with miracles as is needed.
c. So How about you?
i. Is His fight your fight?
1. Do you accept the Great Commission to go win the lost and spread the Good News!
2. Are you willing to pick up the Sword of the Spirit and go to war for Jesus?
ii. Are your resources His resources?
1. Is your time His time?
2. Is your money His money?
a. Notice in the story of Hezekiah the people upon the rededication of the temple brought their tithes into the house of the Lord and there were plenty to spare.
b. See 2 Chronicles 31:4-10
3. Are your gifts His gifts?
4. Is your life His life?
6. Jesus offered the living sacrifice for this Covenant.
a. Christ gave His life as the ultimate sacrifice.
b. So we ourselves need to offer a living sacrifice our lives to Jesus and His cause.
i. We can choose to step into His sacrifice and then surrender our life!
ii. But it’s our choice!
7. Jesus was willing to have his wrists cut and scarred for this Covenant.
a. Note: Isa. 49:16 - “The servant of the Lord has engraved Israel on the palms of His hands.”
b. Note: John 20:24-29 – Jesus and Thomas
i. 24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” 26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
ii. Remember to look at the picture of Jesus on the back wall today! See the scars!
c. So what are you willing to cut for the Lord --spiritually speaking!
i. What scars in your life reflect this covenant relationship?
ii. Have you become a blood relative to Jesus?
iii. What price are you willing to pay – physically?
8. He exchanged vows with us for this Covenant.
a. Jesus said, “Not my will but yours Lord!”
i. “Father forgive them they know not what they do!”
ii. “Into your hands Lord I commit my Spirit!”
iii. “It is finished!”
1. Also John 3:16 is a vow from God to us!
b. What is your vow to the Lord? Have you down your pledge to Jesus- it’s what you do at Baptism again verbally!
9. Jesus exchanged His name with us.
a. Jesus gave us the opportunity to becomes God’s children and be called Christians.
i. How are you doing in honoring the name of the Lord in your life?
ii. Truth is one day we will receive a new name if we remain faithful to the Lord.
b. Have you given your name to the Lord yet?
i. Charles Finney did!
ii. Apostle Paul did!
iii. Martin Luther did!
iv. Billy Graham did!
10. He participated in the Covenant meal and commanded us to do the same to remember this Covenant relationship.
a. Christ is ready again to participate in the meal of communion with us today.
i. He is here!
b. Are you ready to do this and renew you relationship with Jesus and be spiritually revived in 2005?
c. Remember when we eat the bread and drink the juice we sign –seal and secure the Covenant between us and the Lord.
Conclusion:
When we look at the last book in the Bible we discover a section in Revelation that addresses the churches of Asia Minor and the church of today. Listen to what the Lord says to His people today.
Rev. 3:1-6:
1“To the angel of the church in Sardis (Amery) write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis (Amery) who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
I believe this message from Revelation is for New Life Community Church and the church of Amery today. I believe we need to be revived in 2005. I believe we need to hear the word of the Lord today and obey it. We also need to repent for our own personal apathy, pride and sin. I do not even want you to think about how your neighbor or your spouse needs to do this. You need to do this! It’s about you and the Lord! So I have a specific plan that I believe God wants us to do today to start this year off right in His eyes. Here it is:
Altar Service:
Inform the church that any one is free to leave during the handing out of the Covenant Contracts if they do not want to participate in this altar service. Inform the church that we are going to write a letter of repentance to the Lord and offer him a living sacrifice for the upcoming year of 2005.
On the Covenant Contract which is handed out to the church is the following:
1. They 1st need to repent of their sins and then pledge to walk away from them in the New Year.
a. They are to write a brief repentance letter to the Lord. They are to name the sin’s they are vowing to walk away from and have no part of.
i. They must be willing to commit to laying them down and to practice them no more.
2. Then 2nd action is they need to give a burnt offering to the Lord.
a. They are to write down a sacrifice that they are going to do for the Lord this year.
b. A burnt offering is a sacrifice that will cost you something in your life. I believe that it needs to be significant!
i. It can be financially orientated!
ii. It can be time orientated!
iii. It can be gift orientated!
The papers are to be placed in this bin and then they will be taken outside to be burned. This will be New Life’s Burnt Offering to the Lord.
Once you have made your written Covenant with the Lord come and place your paper in this bin (remember count the cost 1st) and then go over to the communion table and partake of the Covenant meal communion. This act will sign –seal and secure the Covenant between you and the Lord.
If you desire prayer first our prayer team members will be here to pray for you before Communion or afterwards.
NOTE: Also after the service ---Have a Poster Board in the front to be signed by all who want to be “Revived in 2005.” This will be framed and posted in the church for this year.
