Prepare the Way
Psalm 34
Lord’s prayer.
***
So, where are we going as a church? We’ve been through some difficult times. We’ve experienced some shaking. Some things have happened that would have destroyed a typical church. Yet we’re still here.
I think we’re going through this because Father wants to develop our faith. He has big plans for us. I want to keep that vision in front of you. I want you to discover your part in it. I don’t want you to lose heart or forget why you’re here or what this church is called to.
So from here we push on in the faith. We still love, we are still committed to one another, we are still persevering, we are still worshiping, sometimes through tears. We’re still here.
Say this with me: It’s been a rough ride sometimes… but I’m still here.
The leadership has some important decisions to make. Are we going to do a pastor search? Do we want to promote someone from within? Do we want to continue with a rotation of elders preaching? What is this church going to look like?
We don’t have all the answers. But I’m not panicking. I’m not in a hurry. Let’s wait on the Lord for His provision. Our hope is found in the Chief Shepherd, not in a man. We look to Jesus. And He is always faithful. Amen?
Being without a professional pastor might not be your preference. And that’s fine. I’m glad we don’t all think alike. I like hearing a variety of voices.
There aren’t a lot of churches like this. Most churches have a professional pastor. But even though we don’t have a man with a credential, we’re still are a church, because a church is people.
Church History
Let me give you a bit of church history. After the first generation of Christians died off, the state of the church was uncertain and fluid. The churches of that day were pretty loosely organized, with a variety of doctrines.
Sometime in the 2nd century, church bishops in important cities like Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome began to exert greater authority over smaller churches. These men began to meet together to resolve issues of doctrine and practice. They became pre-eminent.
So by the end of the 2nd century, Christian leadership had evolved into a hierarchy, with a central bishop having authority over the other clergy in his city. Thus the change from the New Testament practices to a pyramid began relatively early, and was really cemented in place when Constantine decriminalized Christianity in 313 AD.
Eventually, this led to a large part of the Church coming under the Bishop of the Church of Rome in 380 AD. And this is essentially the beginnings of the Roman Catholic Church, presided over by a pope, and with churches led by a professional clergy.
That clergy-led model is what we have today. The reason most of Christendom comes to a special building and sits and listens to a speech by the guy in charge is because that is what church has been doing for 1700 years.
Now, I’m not criticizing. There’s a comfort in structure, a familiarity. We like what we know. That’s not bad at all.
But the first generation church was a lot different. For us, it seems a bit strange reading NT passages about church order. It isn’t the way we do things. So, we might choose to ignore the discrepancy, or try to harmonize it with our doctrine, or even, we might try to get church to change.
It’s a fact that many pastor-led churches are very successful. But many are not. We all know this. We also know that church history is littered with the rubble of injured people, heresies of all kinds, and fallen pastors.
I don’t blame pastors. I don’t even blame our attitudes and expectations. I really think the problem is the model we inherited from the Catholic Church. It may have worked OK a 100 or a 1000 years ago, but I don’t think it’s working very well these days.
We all know that the Christian faith is on a downward trend in the US. In many parts of Europe it’s almost dead. We Christians are increasingly viewed as judgmental, rigid, and unpleasant. But the one thing that strikes me the most is surveys of the unchurched say we are BORING. Can you imagine? Boring?
I know I’m being a little unfair about the issue of church structure, but you see my point. That’s why I’ve been talking about a different way of doing church. I’m not looking for radical change, I’m just wanting to present alternatives. You decide if my case is compelling.
My particular goal is team leadership, so that the weight of ministry is carried by more than just one person. For me, it hasn’t about removing power from the pastor, it’s about raising the elders up. After that, it isn’t about removing power from the elders, it’s about raising the deacons up. And then, it’s not about removing power from the deacons, it’s about raising the people up.
I’ve really been talking about you.
You are a gifted people, and you might not even know it. As much as I value the elders and their incredible hearts, and the deacons and their selfless service, I see right here the key to a healthy and successful church. You.
If you were ever to catch a vision of what you can do in Christ, the gates of hell would not prevail. Untapped potential. Unused gifts. Unreleased ministries.
Say this with me: I am... the minister of this church.
That’s who you are. The pastors and prophets and evangelists and apostles and teachers are sitting right here in front of me.
You are a part of this thing Father has constructed. A vibrant, life-giving church is one where every person has a chance to be activated for Kingdom work.
So every time I get the chance, I’m going to hammer that home. I want to find a way to activate you.
But structure is only a tool, a means to an end. And that end is Father’s Kingdom work though His people. So if that means we decide to have a pastor, so be it. I’ll be in total agreement. Why? 3 Church structure isn’t an obstacle to Father.
But however it looks, I’d like us to be a healthy church. So, what is a healthy church? It would be easy to judge by numbers. The number of people who come on Sunday. The number of people on the worship team. The number of dollars in the offering.
While these are important, my list doesn’t have numbers. A healthy church
Honors the Word
Is unstoppable in worship
Is filled with Holy Spirit
Loves the saints
Obeys Father
Has vision for the lost
Is a church of prayer
Understands its identity and calling
We are doing pretty well on many of these, and are lacking in others. Where we are doing well, much credit goes to you. You are the ones who make this thing work. You are attentive to Father and to His people. Thank you for your service, your faith, your financial support, and your love. Thank you. Thank you.
So, to answer the question I asked at first, where are we going as a church? It might not look much different to the casual eye. But my hope is that we will increase in our commitment to
Preach the Word
Push deeper into musical worship
Love one another
Stand firm in faith and hope
Look to Father for our strength and our vision
It’s His church. Whatever good happens here is because of Him. He’s taking us through the challenges and difficulties, and He is making us stronger. He’s working through us and in us. He’s developing godly character in us.
We will need godly character in order to go where Father wants to take us. This is what I want to emphasize today, godly character in the context of a move of God.
***
A tangent. Here’s a little of my history. The first 20 years of my Christian life was spent being a proper, sober, serious Christian. I’ve attended churches that thought rock music is of the devil. I’ve been to churches that believe only the KJV is true. I spent a good amount of time in churches that sang only hymns. Three of them to be exact, then the offering, the sermon, and go home. Set your watch to it. 11 to noon. Bam.
I believed that if you wanted to hear from God, the only place for that was the Bible.
I thought charismatics, even the mild variety, were not Christians. I had all the proof texts. I chaffed when worship songs started stretching out to 5, then 10, and later, 20 minutes. I was very uncomfortable when people raised their hands in worship. Then people started waving flags and dancing and shouting “amen!” And people weeping! The horror!
A proper Christian doesn’t do such things. I frowned on emotion. It’s irreverent. Anti-intellectual. Unseemly. This was not for me, and as far as I was concerned, not for any real Christian. See, Christianity was serious business. Church had to be orderly. That’s why we handed out programs.
But Father had other plans. My world was about to change. One morning as I sat in church, I wept as we sang an old worship song. What? On another occasion my hands started going up. I couldn’t stop them. No! I was becoming one of THEM.
Some time after this some people I know went up to the Toronto revival. They came back with a little bit of it. It was heresy to me, people getting slain in the Spirit, rolling on the floor laughing and shaking. It was crazytown. I wanted none of it.
Then a friend invited me to join his noon prayer group. As far as I was concerned, this prayer group was a bunch of looney charismatics. But oh, they knew how to pray. And it turns out, they were actually wonderful people who undeniably loved the Lord. How was this possible? That threw me for a loop. It changed my whole thinking.
And, it put me on a mission to pursue Father’s heart. When you start pursuing Father’s heart, you soon realize that He’s actually the one pursuing you. When you start to understand that Father is bigger than your doctrine, you should start revising your position.
When you start praying dangerous prayers, like “Holy Spirit, do whatever you want to do with me,” He will.
Say this with me: It’s ok if Father wants me… to pray dangerous prayers.
***
As you can tell, I’ve been on a faith journey. Over the years I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen movements and ministry ideas come and go, preachers rise and fall, and churches start with promise and end in disaster. I could give up, or I could do something about it.
There has to be a better way. Has to be. That’s why I’m here. There are plenty of churches around. But there’s promise here. I believe Father wants to pour out His Spirit in power. On us. I want to be here when it happens.
So, my perspective has changed. Radically, in some cases. I’m finally starting to get a hint as to what’s important. But you don’t have to do things the way I do things. You won’t find me telling you to tone it down. And you do not need elder approval to do what Father is telling you.
Why? Well, there’s so much that just doesn’t matter to me anymore. I have a date with destiny. And frankly, so do you. Everything else pales in comparison.
That’s my motivation, to do whatever I can to make this church something pleasing to Father. It’s why I preach about these things. My faith is rising. I am full of expectancy. And I want you to see this too, and get Father’s vision for your place in it.
Say this with me: I want my vision… to be Father’s vision.
And my message is, Church, you need to get ready. A move of God is coming to the Gallatin Valley. It could happen soon. It could happen tomorrow. It could be happening right now, or 10 years from now.
That’s the vision I’m focused upon.
***
Do we know what it takes?
Revival. A move of God. Manifestations of God’s supernatural power. I know that many of you want this. Some of you have been praying for years. But let me tell you,
A move of God can be challenging.
Looking at past revivals, a lot of crazy stuff happened. And a lot of people got saved. But it seems like they always die out. It’s sad. It wasn’t a lack of God, and it wasn’t a lack of spiritual gifts, I’d say it was so often a lack of godly character.
So many leaders have fallen into sin. So many thought they were the star of the show. So many couldn’t bear up under the pressures.
A move of God can be challenging. When people start showing up in church asking “what must I do to be saved,” they will bring a lot of baggage. It’s not neat and pretty. There also might be witches or mockers who come and try to disrupt things.
We might be tempted to engage in the very same sins that people are getting saved from. And the newly saved have no idea what it means to live a life pleasing to Father.
It takes a mature people to bear up under a move of God. I would like to suggest that we better have our spiritual houses in order before we start praying for revival.
So I that’s why I wanted to talk about godly character. We need that before we need revival. Because I want this next move of God to endure.
***
Prepare the way
Is. 40:3 “A voice of one calling in the desert: “Prepare the way for the LORD, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”
If a move of God is to come, we need to prepare the way. Plow up the fallow ground of our hearts. Start building a highway of godly character.
While there are lots of things we could talk about when it comes to godly character, I want to consider three today. The first way we can prepare the way is the 26 Fear of the Lord.
27 Ph. 2:12 …continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…
Sometimes I’m offensive. I admit it. I say controversial things. I know. And the fear of the Lord is controversial. Unpopular even. I really didn’t want to talk about it today. But early one morning a few weeks ago I wrestled with Father about this in prayer.
He won.
So I am going to give you what I hope is a biblical perspective regarding the fear of the Lord.
Is your conception of Jesus like this:
It’s a beautiful scene. Happy. Jesus is smiling. He said to let the little children come to him. This is our loving and merciful Savior, the gentle shepherd. He is the tender, kind savior, meek and lowly, He weeps over the lost and endured the cross for us.
This is next one is the latest rendering done by forensic scientists (Picture two).
Probably more accurate than the traditional view. This Jesus looks like he could take Jeff Kitto in a fight. No wonder the moneychangers were afraid. This guy could kick butt, I bet.
Or how about this: (picture three).
This Jesus is called “one like the Son of man,” He’s the warrior King, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am. I suggest you make sure you’re on His side. John describes Him this way:
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. He’s dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet, dipped in blood, and a golden sash round his chest.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. With justice he judges and makes war. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Revelation 1:13-17 and 19:11-16
We might have our preferences as to which Jesus is more to our liking, but which one do you think might be the one who engenders the fear of the Lord?
What I want to present to you is food for thought. I’d like to suggest that maybe it’s not a good idea to be cavalier in the presence of the King of Kings, who holds life and death in his Hands.
It’s great for us to make declarations and command blessings and remind Father of the promises He has made. We are instructed to come boldly before the Throne. We need to understand His desire to bless us. But I also believe that He is a holy God and is to be feared with a holy and righteous fear.
You don’t hear preachers talking about this much. We think the fear of the Lord is a bad thing, distasteful, negative, something that arises from condemnation or lack of identity.
So the fear of the Lord gets watered down and redefined until it is unrecognizable. It’s been morphed into awe, respect, or reverence. We don’t get how the God of love should also be feared, as if one excludes the other. We don’t do well with non-binary equations. We want Him to be either the lion or the lamb.
But, the glorious nature of our God goes beyond our conceptions. He’s non-binary. There is no contradiction between fear of the Lord and His love.
In Him no darkness dwells. He judges the nations with justice. Vengeance is His alone. He has destroyed whole peoples. He is holy, holy, holy.
And He is the same God today. Blessing and discipline. Favor and correction. Loving Father and King of kings. Mercy and severity.
Ro. 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God… Paul sees no contradiction. He says, consider: give deep thought to. Take a look past the surface. We miss an entire piece of God if we don’t consider His sternness.
Fear of the Lord is a part of godly character. Father is pleased with those who fear Him. It commends us to Him. It delights Him. The Psalmist understood this: 35 Ps. 147:11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Say this with me: The delight of Father… is important to me.
Check through the Bible. Nearly every personal encounter with the most high God is characterized by fear.
Mini blitz of Scripture #1
Lk. 8:47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet.
Da. 8:17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.
Re. 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Ez. 1:28 …This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Ex. 19:16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
Ps. 119:120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.
Ac. 7:32 `I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
This is the God you worship. This is our amazing God. Highly exalted. The King of kings. It makes me want to worship right now.
Thankfully the high and mighty One overlooks our faults. He saved us and called us sons, but He could have just as easily left us in our sins and destroyed us. The blood of Jesus was shed for us and now covers us. He bestowed riches upon us, but we rely on His kindness for our every breath. We depend completely on His mercies.
That’s why I’m telling you about holy fear. I think it’s a necessary component for 44 godly character. The fear of the Lord is needed to prepare the way for a move of God. That’s what I’m asking you to do: prepare the way.
Any questions?
***
Obedience
Previously I’ve spent a fair amount of time on this stage telling you who you are. Or more precisely, who Christ is in you. But what is the purpose of understanding who we are in Christ if we don’t do what he commands?
So the second mark of godly character is obedience. I‘m being direct. I want the truth of your identity in Christ to permeate you, so that you become so consumed with pleasing Father that sin flees from you and grace upon grace abounds to you.
Should we enjoy His blessings and not do what he says? What good is it to be moving in the power of God but still be beholden to our old dead man? How does it benefit the Kingdom to say all the right words but never bear fruit?
Jeremiah Johnson is a prophetic type guy I discovered recently. I’m following him on Facebook. He wrote this:
Obedience without intimacy produces Pharisees. (Legalism)
Intimacy without obedience produces Prostitutes. (Hyper-Grace)
Obedience born from intimacy produces Power. (The Kingdom of God)
Father specifically created us for work in the Kingdom. He expects us to respond to the grace freely given by doing what He says. That’s what we were created for. Ep. 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
What good deeds have you been prepared for? Do them! My exhortation to you is to let nothing stop you from being obedient to Father. Obedience pleases Him.
Mini Blitz of Scriptures #2
Mt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Lk. 11:27-28 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” 28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Jn. 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
1 Jn. 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
****
Freedom
I need to go on a tangent here for a moment, but it ties in. In the Christian circles I’ve traveled, liberty has been the word, and it’s good word. 2Co. 3:17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Oh yes, we are free. We are no longer under law. Therefore, there is no condemnation. The old life is death, and now we are alive in Jesus.
He has made me glad. I am glad He set us free. I am happy that Holy Spirit is leading us into all truth and away from the bad doctrines and bad ideas and bad fruit. Freedom from, and freedom for. Deliverance from, and called to. Freedom.
How do we balance freedom with obedience?
Filled with power, but circumspect. Confident but meek. Free but restrained. But, let me tell you what freedom isn’t. Who are you to tell me what to do? I’m free. No man has authority over me. Stop talking about sin and repentance. That’s condemnation! I can do what I want because of grace. Don’t try to tell me I wrong. I’m hearing from the Lord. You’re trying to impose legalism on me!
Unfortunately, so many of us are still in some sort of bondage. Even some charismatics are so “free” that they are actually in bondage to their old self and its passions. Feelings are substituted for biblical truth. Power without purity. Lovers of the Glory, but ambivalent to righteousness.
I’m painting with a broad brush, I know. And frankly I don’t think any of you here today are like this. But here’s my point. If we are truly free, we have a different master.
Ro. 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
He set us free to become slaves; slaves to God. We get a door prize for this: holiness. Being slaves to God/leads to holiness/leads to eternal life.
Your freedom is:
Defined by the One who holds the reigns in your life.
Found only in the house of God.
Contained in the boundaries of grace.
Don’t go outside the boundaries of grace.
Staying in the boundaries of grace is Holiness.
***
Holiness
That’s my third mark of godly character: Holiness.
Titus 2:12 Grace teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…
The word “holiness” is Hagios: to be set apart. The word refers to something that is separated out from or called forth from the mundane, the profane, the common, the base. The picture here is a shepherd who looks at his flock and picks out a special sheep, which he sets apart from the others.
It’s like being a surf bum all your life and then the president appoints you to the Supreme court. Before, you were nothing. No qualifications, no resume, no accomplishments. But now you have a high purpose and special duty.
Because we have this status, sanctified, set apart, separated out, we have Father’s call on us. Father has set you apart to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Say this with me: I have been separated out… for the call of my Father.
Jeremiah Johnson has this to say: The invitation to greater levels of consecration always looks like legalism to those who aren't passionately in love with Jesus.
Consecration is the old fashioned term for holiness. What he’s saying here is the more you choose to obey Father and be set apart for His purposes, the more you desire to do only those things that please Him. Though you have freedom, you consciously choose to embrace the boundaries of grace for the sake of His pleasure.
We separate ourselves from everything that might displease Father, and dedicate ourselves to holiness. That’s Paul’s point in this verse:
2Co. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Hmm. Fear again. This is quoted from the NASB. perfecting holiness in the fear of God. But the NIV says, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Remember, I told you that I thought the fear of the Lord was being watered down? The NIV does that here.
The Greek word translated fear (or reverence) is Phobos, which means fear, dread, terror. Holiness is perfected in the fear of the Lord. Another little nugget for you: Your process of being set apart from the condemnation of the flesh is perfecting holiness in you.
The word flesh in this verse, that’s the old dead man. We talked about the old dead man last time I was up here. Remember him? The one you drag around and need to let go of?
Being holy is not a training session to improve your old dead man. He can’t be cleaned up and taught good manners. He cannot enter the presence of Father.
Nope, that old man has to be abandoned. If he’s still hanging around, holiness will elude you.
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit…
Wash off the old dead man with the water of the Word, and be cleansed with Holy Spirit’s purifying fire. If there’s any darkness in you, get rid of it. The new self is the only way you can please Father, do His works, and enter His presence.
This is holiness, where not only do I delight in obeying Father, I fear disappointing Him. Now, I don’t know for sure that my sin actually disappoints Him, but in my mind, I certainly want to do what pleases Him and avoid what doesn’t.
Ep. 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Put off your old self. “Put off” is the Greek word “Apotithemi,” which means to cast aside, remove from your presence, to abandon and never return to. The old man is like a beat up old coat that you keep wearing because it’s comfortable. But it’s gross and full of holes. It stinks of spoiled meat. It’s full of maggots.
So unzip that old dead man, pull your arms out of the sleeves, and drop that thing in the garbage can and light it on fire. Then put on the new self.
“Put on” is the Greek word Endu, which means to sink into one’s clothing, clothe one's self. You have a new garment. You should put it on. This new garment imitates the nature of Father. It’s a garment of praise. It’s a garment of righteousness. It’s a garment of anointing.
Say this with me: It’s time for me… to get dressed up.
Better get your new man on. It looks good on you.
***
Let me pause and ask, do you know what it means to be set free from sin? Is there a death sentence hanging over you? Are you self satisfied and indifferent to the call of God? Or maybe you are a Christian but living under condemnation?
It’s time to come to Father and ask for His forgiveness through the blood of His precious Son Jesus. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. If you haven’t done this, now is the time. Time for the chains to fall away. Time for freedom. Time for new life.
Do it right now, while you have the chance.
***
Prepare the way
I think the time of casual Christianity is over. A move of God is serious business. Jesus wants a pure spotless bride, and my prayer is that Holy Spirit will bring His refining fire to bear upon us before he brings a move of God to the lost. 1Pe. 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
If there’s a revival of souls coming, let’s first have a revival in the people of faith. A revivial of Godly character. A revival of obedience. A revival of holiness. A revival of the fear of the Lord. Prepare the way.
This Scripture is one of my all time favorites:
Mt. 3:11-12 But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
I want the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I hope you do too. That’s what this baptism is. It’s a power event, but it is also a purifying event. And I want both the power and the purity. I want the wonders and miracles and healings and salvations. I want the harvest of souls and the harvest of righteousness... I want holiness. So Prepare the way.
Winnowing. When the wheat is brought in, it is taken to the threshing floor. The worker uses a winnowing fork to toss the wheat up into the air. The wind blows the lighter chaff away, leaving the grain. Then the chaff is burned, for it is valueless, while the valuable crop is gathered up and put in a safe place.
Why am I telling you this? Because as a leader in this church I feel I have the obligation to tell you the truth. But I’m simply talking to the air unless you are moved to action. I want you to take hold of the fullness of your identity in Christ.
That’s why I’m talking about a different side of Father than you may be used to hearing. He is like a multi-faceted diamond. Every time you turn the diamond, you see a new facet, a new part of Him, a new revelation of His glory and kindness and power and grace, it’s like seeing a entirely new perspective. Everywhere you look, there is a new beauty to behold.
Any questions?
***
(worship team)
Three marks of good character.
It doesn’t just happen. It requires discipline, perseverance, and being filled with the Spirit. You don’t get bragging rights. There are no kudos from man. But I believe these are necessary if we really are to see a move of God.
One of the things I feel is my obligation when I stand up here is to impart vision. It’s all well and good for me to tell you about vision. But I want you to see for yourself. How do you fit into Father’s purpose? What is being required of us as a church?
This is also a matter of prayer. How’s your prayer life? The Father’s heart can only be known in the context of raw, honest, intimate prayer. You don’t necessarily have to pray for hours on end, but you do need to pray with humility and boldness, contrition and confidence, trembling and persistence.
Prepare the way
The vision I’m presenting is Holy Spirit poured out upon all flesh in the Gallatin Valley. The imperative for your is to find the place where Father is central in your life, your thoughts, and your actions. The response is you discerning and doing the works Father has set before you. The result is the advancement of His Kingdom and the salvation of many.
Psalm 34
Lord’s prayer.
***
So, where are we going as a church? We’ve been through some difficult times. We’ve experienced some shaking. Some things have happened that would have destroyed a typical church. Yet we’re still here.
I think we’re going through this because Father wants to develop our faith. He has big plans for us. I want to keep that vision in front of you. I want you to discover your part in it. I don’t want you to lose heart or forget why you’re here or what this church is called to.
So from here we push on in the faith. We still love, we are still committed to one another, we are still persevering, we are still worshiping, sometimes through tears. We’re still here.
Say this with me: It’s been a rough ride sometimes… but I’m still here.
The leadership has some important decisions to make. Are we going to do a pastor search? Do we want to promote someone from within? Do we want to continue with a rotation of elders preaching? What is this church going to look like?
We don’t have all the answers. But I’m not panicking. I’m not in a hurry. Let’s wait on the Lord for His provision. Our hope is found in the Chief Shepherd, not in a man. We look to Jesus. And He is always faithful. Amen?
Being without a professional pastor might not be your preference. And that’s fine. I’m glad we don’t all think alike. I like hearing a variety of voices.
There aren’t a lot of churches like this. Most churches have a professional pastor. But even though we don’t have a man with a credential, we’re still are a church, because a church is people.
Church History
Let me give you a bit of church history. After the first generation of Christians died off, the state of the church was uncertain and fluid. The churches of that day were pretty loosely organized, with a variety of doctrines.
Sometime in the 2nd century, church bishops in important cities like Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome began to exert greater authority over smaller churches. These men began to meet together to resolve issues of doctrine and practice. They became pre-eminent.
So by the end of the 2nd century, Christian leadership had evolved into a hierarchy, with a central bishop having authority over the other clergy in his city. Thus the change from the New Testament practices to a pyramid began relatively early, and was really cemented in place when Constantine decriminalized Christianity in 313 AD.
Eventually, this led to a large part of the Church coming under the Bishop of the Church of Rome in 380 AD. And this is essentially the beginnings of the Roman Catholic Church, presided over by a pope, and with churches led by a professional clergy.
That clergy-led model is what we have today. The reason most of Christendom comes to a special building and sits and listens to a speech by the guy in charge is because that is what church has been doing for 1700 years.
Now, I’m not criticizing. There’s a comfort in structure, a familiarity. We like what we know. That’s not bad at all.
But the first generation church was a lot different. For us, it seems a bit strange reading NT passages about church order. It isn’t the way we do things. So, we might choose to ignore the discrepancy, or try to harmonize it with our doctrine, or even, we might try to get church to change.
It’s a fact that many pastor-led churches are very successful. But many are not. We all know this. We also know that church history is littered with the rubble of injured people, heresies of all kinds, and fallen pastors.
I don’t blame pastors. I don’t even blame our attitudes and expectations. I really think the problem is the model we inherited from the Catholic Church. It may have worked OK a 100 or a 1000 years ago, but I don’t think it’s working very well these days.
We all know that the Christian faith is on a downward trend in the US. In many parts of Europe it’s almost dead. We Christians are increasingly viewed as judgmental, rigid, and unpleasant. But the one thing that strikes me the most is surveys of the unchurched say we are BORING. Can you imagine? Boring?
I know I’m being a little unfair about the issue of church structure, but you see my point. That’s why I’ve been talking about a different way of doing church. I’m not looking for radical change, I’m just wanting to present alternatives. You decide if my case is compelling.
My particular goal is team leadership, so that the weight of ministry is carried by more than just one person. For me, it hasn’t about removing power from the pastor, it’s about raising the elders up. After that, it isn’t about removing power from the elders, it’s about raising the deacons up. And then, it’s not about removing power from the deacons, it’s about raising the people up.
I’ve really been talking about you.
You are a gifted people, and you might not even know it. As much as I value the elders and their incredible hearts, and the deacons and their selfless service, I see right here the key to a healthy and successful church. You.
If you were ever to catch a vision of what you can do in Christ, the gates of hell would not prevail. Untapped potential. Unused gifts. Unreleased ministries.
Say this with me: I am... the minister of this church.
That’s who you are. The pastors and prophets and evangelists and apostles and teachers are sitting right here in front of me.
You are a part of this thing Father has constructed. A vibrant, life-giving church is one where every person has a chance to be activated for Kingdom work.
So every time I get the chance, I’m going to hammer that home. I want to find a way to activate you.
But structure is only a tool, a means to an end. And that end is Father’s Kingdom work though His people. So if that means we decide to have a pastor, so be it. I’ll be in total agreement. Why? 3 Church structure isn’t an obstacle to Father.
But however it looks, I’d like us to be a healthy church. So, what is a healthy church? It would be easy to judge by numbers. The number of people who come on Sunday. The number of people on the worship team. The number of dollars in the offering.
While these are important, my list doesn’t have numbers. A healthy church
Honors the Word
Is unstoppable in worship
Is filled with Holy Spirit
Loves the saints
Obeys Father
Has vision for the lost
Is a church of prayer
Understands its identity and calling
We are doing pretty well on many of these, and are lacking in others. Where we are doing well, much credit goes to you. You are the ones who make this thing work. You are attentive to Father and to His people. Thank you for your service, your faith, your financial support, and your love. Thank you. Thank you.
So, to answer the question I asked at first, where are we going as a church? It might not look much different to the casual eye. But my hope is that we will increase in our commitment to
Preach the Word
Push deeper into musical worship
Love one another
Stand firm in faith and hope
Look to Father for our strength and our vision
It’s His church. Whatever good happens here is because of Him. He’s taking us through the challenges and difficulties, and He is making us stronger. He’s working through us and in us. He’s developing godly character in us.
We will need godly character in order to go where Father wants to take us. This is what I want to emphasize today, godly character in the context of a move of God.
***
A tangent. Here’s a little of my history. The first 20 years of my Christian life was spent being a proper, sober, serious Christian. I’ve attended churches that thought rock music is of the devil. I’ve been to churches that believe only the KJV is true. I spent a good amount of time in churches that sang only hymns. Three of them to be exact, then the offering, the sermon, and go home. Set your watch to it. 11 to noon. Bam.
I believed that if you wanted to hear from God, the only place for that was the Bible.
I thought charismatics, even the mild variety, were not Christians. I had all the proof texts. I chaffed when worship songs started stretching out to 5, then 10, and later, 20 minutes. I was very uncomfortable when people raised their hands in worship. Then people started waving flags and dancing and shouting “amen!” And people weeping! The horror!
A proper Christian doesn’t do such things. I frowned on emotion. It’s irreverent. Anti-intellectual. Unseemly. This was not for me, and as far as I was concerned, not for any real Christian. See, Christianity was serious business. Church had to be orderly. That’s why we handed out programs.
But Father had other plans. My world was about to change. One morning as I sat in church, I wept as we sang an old worship song. What? On another occasion my hands started going up. I couldn’t stop them. No! I was becoming one of THEM.
Some time after this some people I know went up to the Toronto revival. They came back with a little bit of it. It was heresy to me, people getting slain in the Spirit, rolling on the floor laughing and shaking. It was crazytown. I wanted none of it.
Then a friend invited me to join his noon prayer group. As far as I was concerned, this prayer group was a bunch of looney charismatics. But oh, they knew how to pray. And it turns out, they were actually wonderful people who undeniably loved the Lord. How was this possible? That threw me for a loop. It changed my whole thinking.
And, it put me on a mission to pursue Father’s heart. When you start pursuing Father’s heart, you soon realize that He’s actually the one pursuing you. When you start to understand that Father is bigger than your doctrine, you should start revising your position.
When you start praying dangerous prayers, like “Holy Spirit, do whatever you want to do with me,” He will.
Say this with me: It’s ok if Father wants me… to pray dangerous prayers.
***
As you can tell, I’ve been on a faith journey. Over the years I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen movements and ministry ideas come and go, preachers rise and fall, and churches start with promise and end in disaster. I could give up, or I could do something about it.
There has to be a better way. Has to be. That’s why I’m here. There are plenty of churches around. But there’s promise here. I believe Father wants to pour out His Spirit in power. On us. I want to be here when it happens.
So, my perspective has changed. Radically, in some cases. I’m finally starting to get a hint as to what’s important. But you don’t have to do things the way I do things. You won’t find me telling you to tone it down. And you do not need elder approval to do what Father is telling you.
Why? Well, there’s so much that just doesn’t matter to me anymore. I have a date with destiny. And frankly, so do you. Everything else pales in comparison.
That’s my motivation, to do whatever I can to make this church something pleasing to Father. It’s why I preach about these things. My faith is rising. I am full of expectancy. And I want you to see this too, and get Father’s vision for your place in it.
Say this with me: I want my vision… to be Father’s vision.
And my message is, Church, you need to get ready. A move of God is coming to the Gallatin Valley. It could happen soon. It could happen tomorrow. It could be happening right now, or 10 years from now.
That’s the vision I’m focused upon.
***
Do we know what it takes?
Revival. A move of God. Manifestations of God’s supernatural power. I know that many of you want this. Some of you have been praying for years. But let me tell you,
A move of God can be challenging.
Looking at past revivals, a lot of crazy stuff happened. And a lot of people got saved. But it seems like they always die out. It’s sad. It wasn’t a lack of God, and it wasn’t a lack of spiritual gifts, I’d say it was so often a lack of godly character.
So many leaders have fallen into sin. So many thought they were the star of the show. So many couldn’t bear up under the pressures.
A move of God can be challenging. When people start showing up in church asking “what must I do to be saved,” they will bring a lot of baggage. It’s not neat and pretty. There also might be witches or mockers who come and try to disrupt things.
We might be tempted to engage in the very same sins that people are getting saved from. And the newly saved have no idea what it means to live a life pleasing to Father.
It takes a mature people to bear up under a move of God. I would like to suggest that we better have our spiritual houses in order before we start praying for revival.
So I that’s why I wanted to talk about godly character. We need that before we need revival. Because I want this next move of God to endure.
***
Prepare the way
Is. 40:3 “A voice of one calling in the desert: “Prepare the way for the LORD, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”
If a move of God is to come, we need to prepare the way. Plow up the fallow ground of our hearts. Start building a highway of godly character.
While there are lots of things we could talk about when it comes to godly character, I want to consider three today. The first way we can prepare the way is the 26 Fear of the Lord.
27 Ph. 2:12 …continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…
Sometimes I’m offensive. I admit it. I say controversial things. I know. And the fear of the Lord is controversial. Unpopular even. I really didn’t want to talk about it today. But early one morning a few weeks ago I wrestled with Father about this in prayer.
He won.
So I am going to give you what I hope is a biblical perspective regarding the fear of the Lord.
Is your conception of Jesus like this:
It’s a beautiful scene. Happy. Jesus is smiling. He said to let the little children come to him. This is our loving and merciful Savior, the gentle shepherd. He is the tender, kind savior, meek and lowly, He weeps over the lost and endured the cross for us.
This is next one is the latest rendering done by forensic scientists (Picture two).
Probably more accurate than the traditional view. This Jesus looks like he could take Jeff Kitto in a fight. No wonder the moneychangers were afraid. This guy could kick butt, I bet.
Or how about this: (picture three).
This Jesus is called “one like the Son of man,” He’s the warrior King, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am. I suggest you make sure you’re on His side. John describes Him this way:
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. He’s dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet, dipped in blood, and a golden sash round his chest.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. With justice he judges and makes war. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Revelation 1:13-17 and 19:11-16
We might have our preferences as to which Jesus is more to our liking, but which one do you think might be the one who engenders the fear of the Lord?
What I want to present to you is food for thought. I’d like to suggest that maybe it’s not a good idea to be cavalier in the presence of the King of Kings, who holds life and death in his Hands.
It’s great for us to make declarations and command blessings and remind Father of the promises He has made. We are instructed to come boldly before the Throne. We need to understand His desire to bless us. But I also believe that He is a holy God and is to be feared with a holy and righteous fear.
You don’t hear preachers talking about this much. We think the fear of the Lord is a bad thing, distasteful, negative, something that arises from condemnation or lack of identity.
So the fear of the Lord gets watered down and redefined until it is unrecognizable. It’s been morphed into awe, respect, or reverence. We don’t get how the God of love should also be feared, as if one excludes the other. We don’t do well with non-binary equations. We want Him to be either the lion or the lamb.
But, the glorious nature of our God goes beyond our conceptions. He’s non-binary. There is no contradiction between fear of the Lord and His love.
In Him no darkness dwells. He judges the nations with justice. Vengeance is His alone. He has destroyed whole peoples. He is holy, holy, holy.
And He is the same God today. Blessing and discipline. Favor and correction. Loving Father and King of kings. Mercy and severity.
Ro. 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God… Paul sees no contradiction. He says, consider: give deep thought to. Take a look past the surface. We miss an entire piece of God if we don’t consider His sternness.
Fear of the Lord is a part of godly character. Father is pleased with those who fear Him. It commends us to Him. It delights Him. The Psalmist understood this: 35 Ps. 147:11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Say this with me: The delight of Father… is important to me.
Check through the Bible. Nearly every personal encounter with the most high God is characterized by fear.
Mini blitz of Scripture #1
Lk. 8:47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet.
Da. 8:17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.
Re. 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Ez. 1:28 …This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Ex. 19:16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
Ps. 119:120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.
Ac. 7:32 `I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
This is the God you worship. This is our amazing God. Highly exalted. The King of kings. It makes me want to worship right now.
Thankfully the high and mighty One overlooks our faults. He saved us and called us sons, but He could have just as easily left us in our sins and destroyed us. The blood of Jesus was shed for us and now covers us. He bestowed riches upon us, but we rely on His kindness for our every breath. We depend completely on His mercies.
That’s why I’m telling you about holy fear. I think it’s a necessary component for 44 godly character. The fear of the Lord is needed to prepare the way for a move of God. That’s what I’m asking you to do: prepare the way.
Any questions?
***
Obedience
Previously I’ve spent a fair amount of time on this stage telling you who you are. Or more precisely, who Christ is in you. But what is the purpose of understanding who we are in Christ if we don’t do what he commands?
So the second mark of godly character is obedience. I‘m being direct. I want the truth of your identity in Christ to permeate you, so that you become so consumed with pleasing Father that sin flees from you and grace upon grace abounds to you.
Should we enjoy His blessings and not do what he says? What good is it to be moving in the power of God but still be beholden to our old dead man? How does it benefit the Kingdom to say all the right words but never bear fruit?
Jeremiah Johnson is a prophetic type guy I discovered recently. I’m following him on Facebook. He wrote this:
Obedience without intimacy produces Pharisees. (Legalism)
Intimacy without obedience produces Prostitutes. (Hyper-Grace)
Obedience born from intimacy produces Power. (The Kingdom of God)
Father specifically created us for work in the Kingdom. He expects us to respond to the grace freely given by doing what He says. That’s what we were created for. Ep. 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
What good deeds have you been prepared for? Do them! My exhortation to you is to let nothing stop you from being obedient to Father. Obedience pleases Him.
Mini Blitz of Scriptures #2
Mt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Lk. 11:27-28 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” 28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Jn. 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
1 Jn. 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
****
Freedom
I need to go on a tangent here for a moment, but it ties in. In the Christian circles I’ve traveled, liberty has been the word, and it’s good word. 2Co. 3:17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Oh yes, we are free. We are no longer under law. Therefore, there is no condemnation. The old life is death, and now we are alive in Jesus.
He has made me glad. I am glad He set us free. I am happy that Holy Spirit is leading us into all truth and away from the bad doctrines and bad ideas and bad fruit. Freedom from, and freedom for. Deliverance from, and called to. Freedom.
How do we balance freedom with obedience?
Filled with power, but circumspect. Confident but meek. Free but restrained. But, let me tell you what freedom isn’t. Who are you to tell me what to do? I’m free. No man has authority over me. Stop talking about sin and repentance. That’s condemnation! I can do what I want because of grace. Don’t try to tell me I wrong. I’m hearing from the Lord. You’re trying to impose legalism on me!
Unfortunately, so many of us are still in some sort of bondage. Even some charismatics are so “free” that they are actually in bondage to their old self and its passions. Feelings are substituted for biblical truth. Power without purity. Lovers of the Glory, but ambivalent to righteousness.
I’m painting with a broad brush, I know. And frankly I don’t think any of you here today are like this. But here’s my point. If we are truly free, we have a different master.
Ro. 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
He set us free to become slaves; slaves to God. We get a door prize for this: holiness. Being slaves to God/leads to holiness/leads to eternal life.
Your freedom is:
Defined by the One who holds the reigns in your life.
Found only in the house of God.
Contained in the boundaries of grace.
Don’t go outside the boundaries of grace.
Staying in the boundaries of grace is Holiness.
***
Holiness
That’s my third mark of godly character: Holiness.
Titus 2:12 Grace teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…
The word “holiness” is Hagios: to be set apart. The word refers to something that is separated out from or called forth from the mundane, the profane, the common, the base. The picture here is a shepherd who looks at his flock and picks out a special sheep, which he sets apart from the others.
It’s like being a surf bum all your life and then the president appoints you to the Supreme court. Before, you were nothing. No qualifications, no resume, no accomplishments. But now you have a high purpose and special duty.
Because we have this status, sanctified, set apart, separated out, we have Father’s call on us. Father has set you apart to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Say this with me: I have been separated out… for the call of my Father.
Jeremiah Johnson has this to say: The invitation to greater levels of consecration always looks like legalism to those who aren't passionately in love with Jesus.
Consecration is the old fashioned term for holiness. What he’s saying here is the more you choose to obey Father and be set apart for His purposes, the more you desire to do only those things that please Him. Though you have freedom, you consciously choose to embrace the boundaries of grace for the sake of His pleasure.
We separate ourselves from everything that might displease Father, and dedicate ourselves to holiness. That’s Paul’s point in this verse:
2Co. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Hmm. Fear again. This is quoted from the NASB. perfecting holiness in the fear of God. But the NIV says, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Remember, I told you that I thought the fear of the Lord was being watered down? The NIV does that here.
The Greek word translated fear (or reverence) is Phobos, which means fear, dread, terror. Holiness is perfected in the fear of the Lord. Another little nugget for you: Your process of being set apart from the condemnation of the flesh is perfecting holiness in you.
The word flesh in this verse, that’s the old dead man. We talked about the old dead man last time I was up here. Remember him? The one you drag around and need to let go of?
Being holy is not a training session to improve your old dead man. He can’t be cleaned up and taught good manners. He cannot enter the presence of Father.
Nope, that old man has to be abandoned. If he’s still hanging around, holiness will elude you.
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit…
Wash off the old dead man with the water of the Word, and be cleansed with Holy Spirit’s purifying fire. If there’s any darkness in you, get rid of it. The new self is the only way you can please Father, do His works, and enter His presence.
This is holiness, where not only do I delight in obeying Father, I fear disappointing Him. Now, I don’t know for sure that my sin actually disappoints Him, but in my mind, I certainly want to do what pleases Him and avoid what doesn’t.
Ep. 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Put off your old self. “Put off” is the Greek word “Apotithemi,” which means to cast aside, remove from your presence, to abandon and never return to. The old man is like a beat up old coat that you keep wearing because it’s comfortable. But it’s gross and full of holes. It stinks of spoiled meat. It’s full of maggots.
So unzip that old dead man, pull your arms out of the sleeves, and drop that thing in the garbage can and light it on fire. Then put on the new self.
“Put on” is the Greek word Endu, which means to sink into one’s clothing, clothe one's self. You have a new garment. You should put it on. This new garment imitates the nature of Father. It’s a garment of praise. It’s a garment of righteousness. It’s a garment of anointing.
Say this with me: It’s time for me… to get dressed up.
Better get your new man on. It looks good on you.
***
Let me pause and ask, do you know what it means to be set free from sin? Is there a death sentence hanging over you? Are you self satisfied and indifferent to the call of God? Or maybe you are a Christian but living under condemnation?
It’s time to come to Father and ask for His forgiveness through the blood of His precious Son Jesus. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. If you haven’t done this, now is the time. Time for the chains to fall away. Time for freedom. Time for new life.
Do it right now, while you have the chance.
***
Prepare the way
I think the time of casual Christianity is over. A move of God is serious business. Jesus wants a pure spotless bride, and my prayer is that Holy Spirit will bring His refining fire to bear upon us before he brings a move of God to the lost. 1Pe. 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
If there’s a revival of souls coming, let’s first have a revival in the people of faith. A revivial of Godly character. A revival of obedience. A revival of holiness. A revival of the fear of the Lord. Prepare the way.
This Scripture is one of my all time favorites:
Mt. 3:11-12 But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
I want the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I hope you do too. That’s what this baptism is. It’s a power event, but it is also a purifying event. And I want both the power and the purity. I want the wonders and miracles and healings and salvations. I want the harvest of souls and the harvest of righteousness... I want holiness. So Prepare the way.
Winnowing. When the wheat is brought in, it is taken to the threshing floor. The worker uses a winnowing fork to toss the wheat up into the air. The wind blows the lighter chaff away, leaving the grain. Then the chaff is burned, for it is valueless, while the valuable crop is gathered up and put in a safe place.
Why am I telling you this? Because as a leader in this church I feel I have the obligation to tell you the truth. But I’m simply talking to the air unless you are moved to action. I want you to take hold of the fullness of your identity in Christ.
That’s why I’m talking about a different side of Father than you may be used to hearing. He is like a multi-faceted diamond. Every time you turn the diamond, you see a new facet, a new part of Him, a new revelation of His glory and kindness and power and grace, it’s like seeing a entirely new perspective. Everywhere you look, there is a new beauty to behold.
Any questions?
***
(worship team)
Three marks of good character.
- Fear of the Lord,
- obedience, and
- holiness.
It doesn’t just happen. It requires discipline, perseverance, and being filled with the Spirit. You don’t get bragging rights. There are no kudos from man. But I believe these are necessary if we really are to see a move of God.
One of the things I feel is my obligation when I stand up here is to impart vision. It’s all well and good for me to tell you about vision. But I want you to see for yourself. How do you fit into Father’s purpose? What is being required of us as a church?
This is also a matter of prayer. How’s your prayer life? The Father’s heart can only be known in the context of raw, honest, intimate prayer. You don’t necessarily have to pray for hours on end, but you do need to pray with humility and boldness, contrition and confidence, trembling and persistence.
Prepare the way
The vision I’m presenting is Holy Spirit poured out upon all flesh in the Gallatin Valley. The imperative for your is to find the place where Father is central in your life, your thoughts, and your actions. The response is you discerning and doing the works Father has set before you. The result is the advancement of His Kingdom and the salvation of many.
