Awakening and Revival | 9.19.21 | The Pursuit

but god is doing something uh important and profound and i don't know about you but i just feel fortunate i feel fortunate to be a part of it and so we're going to be calling just some extended times where we're going to gather and seek the lord and go to encourage you to join us as well i'm just going to share briefly and then going to pray for you with the time that we have left over the last number of weeks i felt like the lord is challenging me to continue to speak in the direction of awakening and revival we're actually supposed to be doing a different sermon series right now we had planned which we still will at a later date we had planned to do four weeks on sexual identity i think it's super important that we teach biblically on the topic of sexual ethic from a new testament perspective because my my concern is that we live in a culture that's been more discipled by cnn than by the word of god so we're going to be calling people back to scripture and i'm going to be unafraid to teach on the high ethic of the new testament however for the next number of weeks i just felt impressed on in my spirit i needed to hit pause on that and just teach on awakening and revival because we are sitting in the movement that we prayed to happen it's your fault it's my fault we prayed for this and so now we're going to take time to teach on this so that we have language for what we're experiencing sometimes people leave this environment a little disoriented and they're like how is church and you're like i don't have words i think it was good but other than that i don't have words and i think scripture helps gives us language for some of the things that we're experiencing and in doing so helps broaden our perspective for what god desires to do in this hour it has never been more important for the church of christ to find her prophetic voice we need the church to be everything god knows she can be in this hour the world is waiting in earnest expectation for the church of jesus christ to act as if it were the church of jesus christ and so fred you're sitting in a more profound season and moment than you even recognize and that is oftentimes how significant moments happen to us we don't realize their significance until after the fact and right now we're sitting in one of these open heaven moments where god is drawing unusually close to his people and in response like the sons of issachar who knew the times and the seasons of their anointing in response we are drawing near unto god and i think as you and i continue to do that we're going to continue to see some profound things happening in this community in luke 24 starting in verse 13. just let me put it on your radar somebody this week contacted me they said there's somebody who set up a fake social media account for you and they're messaging people asking for money now just let me say something let me say something the only time i asked for monday is money is sunday mornings if you ever get a request from somebody on social media asking them to buy you a gift card it's not from me please don't buy anybody gift cards we've had some folks who are almost scammed and they said pastor i bought you a 300 uh you know google uh uh gift card and uh just helping out the ministry i said that wasn't me so anyways if anybody contacts you just know we do ask for money but that's sunday mornings not any other time during the week so just help us there don't get scammed now luke 24 watch watch what happens verse 13. now behold two of them were traveling that same day to a village called emmaus which was seven miles from jerusalem two of them we don't know who the two were at one point luke tells us that one of them was cleopas but we still have no idea who that is because he's not mentioned anywhere else in luke 24 luke is recording the events that happen on the sunday morning that jesus is raised from the dead which is by the way why we have church on sunday morning it's a celebration of the risen savior but the events that happen in and around the resurrection are crucial for you and i to understand as we build a christological world lens by which we understand the world around us and in luke 24 the bible says that there are two basically no name individuals who are walking to emmaus the point of the story is not us it's him watch in a hundred years when people write about what god did in the northwest i hope our name is forgotten and his name is memorized that's the hope of glory god doesn't send revival so we can build our brand god sends revival to reawaken the nations of the earth because he is their desire i'm not spending my oil building my brand no we host an encounter because the lamb who was slain is worthy to receive the reward of his suffering and that's why we say over the northwest give up your dead give up your prodigal give up your backslidden give up your addicted why because the king of glory is here and every room that he enters is a room marked with resurrection and now two no-name faceless disciples were walking to emmaus and they walked together and as they talked together of all these things which had happened so it was while they conversed and reasoned that jesus himself drew near and went with them but their eyes were restrained so they did not know him and he said to them what kind of conversation is that that you have with one another as you walk and are sad i want to set the scene for you this morning jesus has just risen from the dead yet his disciples are still distraught and bewildered not knowing that christ has been resurrected but it wasn't for a lack of trying for mary magdalene and mary the mother of james and the other women went to the tomb and they saw that it was empty and they had an interaction with the angel that said why do you seek the the living amongst the dead he's not here he is risen and the bible said that these women ran back to tell the apostles but their words seemed to them like idol tales or nonsense and they did not believe them watch the bible says that these two disciples walking to emmaus they couldn't tell that it was jesus who appeared with them on the road because their eyes watch were restrained another way to say that is this their ability to have vision was restricted because of their unbelief watch until you deal with the disappointment of your unmet expectations you aren't able to see and believe what is actually true about your life or circumstance every lie that you've believed about god every lie that you believed about you must be taken captive in order for you to see clearly in the season ahead friend you need vision for you you need vision for the road ahead you need vision for your traveling companions you need vision for this community you need vision for your family you need vision because without it people perish we have to have eyes to see because not everyone who has eyes sees or understands the longer you walk with god the more that you need to disciple your disappointment because all of us in our spiritual dialogue have things that we prayed for that didn't turn out the way that we wanted them to and unless you park your disappointment at the foot of the cross it will become the idol that you worship at no i can't believe god for healing now i can't come forward to the altar i know pastor mike made an invitation but last time i got prayed for i got worse i haven't dealt with my disappointment therefore my disappointment now deals with me jesus shows up on the road and says where are you walking he already knew why are you sad he already knew he's asking questions that he already knows the answer to to help these disciples understand the character and the nature of their heart the longer you walk with the lord the more that you've got to crucify your disappointment not because god is afraid of your emotions but because if you allow your emotion to be the primary driver of your life you're headed for chaos part of being a disciple is disciplining your emotional context well i don't feel like worshiping yeah me neither well i don't feel like getting up and going to church yep me neither i don't feel like waiting in line to get into a building yeah me neither but i live a discipled life meaning this my life is not my own can i tell you the two biggest idols in our generation is self-diagnosis and self-identity and you've got to recognize your life is not your own you have been bought with a price you have given up your right to label yourself as sick to label yourself as a leper to label yourself as depressed without hope you have given up your right to label yourself with a made-up sexual identity you have given up your right why because you belong to jesus you don't belong to culture let me share this with you dreamers are always predisposed to disappointment because not every dream we have comes to fruition the way that we think it would happen but if disappointment is the entry fee to a life of courageous dreaming then sign me up friend you can't see truth for what it is when your vision is clouded by undealt with disappointment for deferred hope causes you to disbelieve what is evidently true the bible says as they converse and reasoned jesus drew near as they were talking about jesus jesus invited himself into their conversation can i tell you friend the primary way to invoke his presence is to begin to tell his story that's what we do in worship we tell jesus about jesus not because he forgets but because we forget it's easy to believe in healing when you feel well it's easy to believe in provision when you already got that raise it's easy to be in deliver believe in deliverance when you feel like i've got no chains of bondage in my life it's a little harder to believe when your outside circumstance doesn't match your inside reality but the quickest way to invoke his presence in your life is to begin to tell his story the disciples are talking about jesus i sense this in worship all the time we'll be singing and god is here he's always here but then it feels like we'll hit a certain song or a certain rhythm and then all of heaven rushes in you can feel it shift in the room y'all know what i'm talking about it's like this in a prayer meeting you ever been to a prayer meeting and people are praying and they're praying around the world they're listening everything that they can remember and then all of a sudden somebody with a little oil in their land gets up to pray and it's like all of heaven rushes in i sense this in the car just this week i was with my seven-year-old and we were driving around town doing some errands and you know at seven he doesn't want to talk about the bible or theology he wants to talk about marvel spider-man cartoons the hulk superheroes and so i'm just talking to him about what he likes to talk about and out of the blue all of a sudden he goes dad what does it mean to speak in tongues and all of a sudden i start to answer him using theological words that he doesn't understand and i can tell it's going right over his head and so finally i just go matthew it's it's actually a special language that god gives people who want it to be able to communicate with him in prayer he goes huh you think i could have that and all of a sudden in the middle of talking about spider-man and comics and the incredible hulk heaven rushed in the quickest way to invoke his presence is to begin to tell his story i got to go quickly watch verse 18. then the one whose name was cleopas answered and said to him are you the only stranger in jerusalem and have you not known the things which happened here in these days and jesus responded to him what things so they said to him the things concerning jesus of nazareth who was a prophet mighty indeed and word before god and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him but we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem israel indeed besides all this today is the third day since these things happened yes and certain women of our company who arrived at the term tomb early astonished us when they did not find his body they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive and certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said but him they did not see watch in verse 17 the disciples are dealing with sorrow in verse 21 they're dealing with disappointment in verse 22 they are dealing with bewilderment but jesus walked with them through it all you need to see this this morning friend jesus isn't afraid of what you're walking through because he knows the value of what you're walking to you can't quit on your journey you can't quit in the midst of your valley you've got a savior who is walking with you and working it out for your good he is working all things together for the good of those who love him which means this if your story isn't good it's not over why because god is working it out and so often we give into the temptation to stay stuck in the valley of disappointment not knowing that the mountaintop of breakthrough is just on the other side you can't give up on your journey yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of not ye though i camp in not yet though i build my house in not ye though i spend seven years in yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death and why would a god as good as the one that we worship lead us often times through the valley of the shadow of death because there are some things that won't ever go developed in your life until you stay faithful in the midst of a shadow i love this they're complaining about jesus to jesus not even knowing that it's jesus that they're talking to if you don't think jesus has a sense of humor reread luke 24 he's literally playing dumb haven't you heard about what's happening in jerusalem what things jesus a prophet has been given over and crucified you know fred church is a place where you can be honest about where you're at but your honesty should never be used as an excuse not to engage in transformation watch what the disciples say we were hoping that he would redeem israel but we didn't see it friend it's not that christ wasn't going to redeem israel it's that the disciples were thinking too small for christ had come to redeem all of humanity which means this christ is not your second chance he's your second adam which means your genealogy points to him which means the only generational curses that have power in your life are the ones that you believe which means just because it was in your parents generation doesn't mean it has to be in yours just because it was three generations back in your family doesn't mean you have to repeat the same cycle because you've been bought with a price and the blood changed your family line your genealogy points to him no my life story doesn't begin with original sin it begins with original blessing it's not that i don't believe in sin i do i just believe in grace even more my life begins with a story of abundant grace that covers iniquity that redeems us from the myri clay and sets us on the rock high above that is my story that is your story because our father is the father of abraham isaac and jacob the one who is faithful to every generation and he redeems your genealogical line what always ran in my family but yeah but now it ran into you so you got a choice to make who do i belong to and what will my story tell no christ is not a second chance at a better life he's a second adam that literally redeems and restores everything he knows to be true about who you are the disciples say this we saw it but we didn't believe it no the women invited us to the empty tomb and we saw it but we didn't believe it can i tell you the mantra of culture is this i'll believe it when i see it but can i tell you the ethic of the kingdom of god is flipped for when you believe it you will see it when you believe god for miracles you'll see miracles in your life when you believe god for provision you'll see provision in your life when you believe god for redemption restoration and revival you'll begin to see those things in your life first we believe and then we see that's why jesus says in john 7 all of those who believe will receive and out of their innermost being will flow rivers of living water first we believe and then we see please friend don't don't attach a cultural value to a kingdom ethic no the scripture wasn't written in the american context no scripture wasn't written to kind of you know confirm all of your preconceived ideas and notions and biases no that's not why scripture was written it challenges everything that we know to be true it says if you want to save your life you must lose your life for his sake in order to find it it says if you want to be first you got to be last if you want to be rich you got to be poor if you want to lead you got to follow it flips what we believe to be true in order to show us what is actually true no the way that i see things is i believe god for them but unguarded and undealt with disappointment man it destroys the mustard seed of faith to believe god for what's next we were hoping god would redeem israel he didn't and we saw the empty tomb but you know probably because somebody else stole his body the disciples are literally developing conspiracy theories on their own to guard them watch to guard them from the danger of believing god at his word see that's what happens when people get miracles well you know their body was it was probably just a wrong diagnosis from the doctor no no they were probably fine all along well that person they got baptized but i don't really think they ever were really following jesus and i know that person said they got healed but it's probably all hype or all emotional and what we're doing is we're guarding our heart from believing by developing conspiracy theories about how god works conspiracy theories are the primary language of people who deal with chronic disappointments i've got to guard my heart man i can't believe god for that because the last time i did i just look like an idiot but can i tell you your dignity is overrated we have abandoned ourselves to the pursuit of this god now i don't understand why my prayers don't always get answered in the way that i want them to but i'm not god he is so i'm just going to trust him at his word and i'm going to rejoice when we see miracles and i'm gonna trust when i don't see miracles and i'm gonna believe him at his word let it be done unto me and to you according to our faith watch watch it gets better you know nothing builds your faith like telling jesus about jesus watch the conversation in luke 24 they are telling jesus a story that he's actually lived i think sometimes we think we're telling god things he doesn't know about our own lives when we pray well god you know it's been really difficult i wasn't sure if you saw that interaction yesterday but god you know it's been really tough lately it's not just that god has observed every moment of your life it's that god has walked with you through every moment of your life and just because you didn't recognize him doesn't mean that he wasn't there my god listen some of you some of you in the midst of all sorts of trials and tribulations have felt like man god abandoned me and where was god and what you failed to realize is that there was someone somewhere who operated as god's hand and feet extended who became jesus to you in the midst of your dark night there was somebody who loved you somebody who prayed for you somebody who was standing in the shadows somebody who was hovering over you somebody who loved you enough to call out your potential and destiny friend there has never been one moment in your life that jesus hasn't walked with you but there's been a lot of moments where you didn't recognize him for who he is you thought he was the gardener but he was actually the messiah but they can't see him for who he is watch watch then he said to them verse 25 oh foolish ones and slow of heart that word foolish means stupid he says y'all are dumb that's what you are you're dumb on purpose you're dumb never underestimate the power of dumb people in large groups that's a word for somebody dumb ones slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken uh not the christ have suffered these things to enter into his glory and beginning at moses and all the prophets he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself then they drew near to the village where they were going and he indicated that he would have gone on further but they constrained him one translation says they forcefully pleaded with him saying watch abide with us for it is towards evening and the day is far spent and he went in to stay with them notice the two activities of jesus in luke 24 first he draws near and then he abides some people are satisfied when the presence of god comes close but i'm not quitting until the king of glory moves in we need a god who abides with his people and watch the key to abiding it's invitation all the disciples had to say was three words abide with us and jesus said that's the type of invitation i'm looking for and if it worked for them it'll work for us our invitation of god doesn't somehow negate his sovereignty but what it bears to him and avails to him is a willing heart that says god i'm not just satisfied with you walking by i want you to move in and i feel like so many churches they get a taste of revival and they say that's good no more now i felt really good i got goosebumps on sunday thank god but no more no my schedule was inconvenienced for one weekend but thank god no more and can i tell you the primary reason why you taste and see that the lord is good is so that you will remain at the table friend we need a god who abides with us in this hour and he rides on the back of invitation from his people abide with us they forcefully pleaded the disciples go from are you the only person who hasn't heard about what is happening in jerusalem to please do not leave because there is something contagious about your presence verse 30 now it came to pass as he sat at the table with him that he took bread watch he blessed it he broke it and he gave it then their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished from their sight and they said to one another did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us our hearts burned because he walked with us our hearts burned because he talked to us our hearts burned because he opened the scriptures to us friend the lasting impact of being in the presence of jesus is a burning heart and burning hearts set the world ablaze god is coming not to inform your mind but instead to ablaze your heart in such a way that your life is never the same that's what we're going after but some of us have actually used church in the past as one of the primary ways that we hide from god because we check our spiritual box and feel good that we attended but our hearts are not moved and can i tell you when it moves your heart it moves his that's why david says delight yourself in the lord that word delight literally means this remain delicate before the lord friend when the presence of god no longer moves your heart it's not the problem with the worship team it's a problem with you it is a discipline of your life to stay delicate before the lord i heard pastor preach before now i heard this song before now i've gotten prayer before i've gotten anointed with oil before i seen somebody baptized before no it is a discipline of my heart to stay in a place where those things still make me move see we grow casual in the presence of god and then begin to treat his presence with contempt and then eat at the lord's table in an unworthy manner and then blame him for the lack of results in our life friend can i tell you if we would just stay delicate in his presence not only will you have an informed mind not only will you have a heart that's on fire but it won't just be a one-time occasion it will develop into a lifestyle we worship a god who walks with us and in doing so his presence leaves us with an inflamed heart i've been following jesus 30 years i've seen incredible things in this nation and the nations of the earth i've preached in big churches and little churches i've preached in living rooms and in stadiums i've seen god do some incredible things but can i tell you revival weekend it left me with a burning heart it's like the prophet jeremiah says in jeremiah 20 but his word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones i was weary of holding it back and i could not let me in here so they rose up that very hour and they returned to jerusalem and they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together and they told them about the things that happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread watch jesus is known to the disciples in the breaking of bread why because he's close to the contrite and to the broken revival's not a gift for the perfect we didn't somehow live righteous the last 30 days and so god all of a sudden said well those people are so holy i'm going to visit them with revival no god looked at us and said them people are dead they're sleeping and let me now visit them with fire i love that they didn't even know it was jesus until the breaking of his body the breaking of bread and then their eyes were opened now watch now as they said these things jesus himself himself stood in the midst of them and said to them peace to you which i love because jesus didn't offer an evacuation from the trouble but peace in the midst of it watch let me end here let me end here the disciples have walked seven miles to emmaus some of you are worn out if you drive seven miles the disciples in one day have walked seven miles to emmaus and their hearts are so ablazed by who jesus is that after the breaking of bread they get up from the table and walk another seven miles back to jerusalem and this interaction they're having in luke 24 with the other 11 is in the upper room the same upper room where they celebrated the last supper the same upper room where acts 2 pentecost the giving of the holy spirit will happen in the same upper room burning hearts are not just the result of pentecost they're actually the rerouting back to pentecost the holy spirit baptizing you in fire is not a one-time event for you to write in your diary but a daily invitation to explore the heart of god and in doing so be so consumed by what he offers that your life is never the same we have built compartments and events and called it christianity and god is inviting this church and our community into something that i submit to you is much more radical than an event that we check off our list a lifestyle baptized in fire fred my hope for you today is that you would leave this place with a burning heart fire on the altar of your heart that does not go out come on would you stand with me as we close

Channel: The Pursuit NW

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Length: 32min 4sec (1924 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 20 2021