Expanding God's Kingdom - J.John (03.29.2015)

I often get asked j-john what do you do it's always very very difficult to know what to say to people because if I say to people that I'm a reverend which I am that conjures up images in people's minds as to what I might be so I and if I say to them that I'm an evangelist it's kind of like they start thinking that I'm gonna headbutt them into the kingdom of God you know remain and so I often like to be a little bit creative in telling people what I do i sat next this lady on an aeroplane at Heathrow Airport in London and I said hello and she's alone and I said where are you going she says I'm going to Singapore then she said to me where are you going and I said I'm going to Australia I said what do you do so she told me then she said what do you do and I said well I work for a global enterprise she said do you I said yes I do I said we've got outlets in nearly every country of the world she says have you I said yes I said we've got hospitals and hospices and homeless shelters and orphanages we do feeding programs we do justice work we do reconciliation work we do marriage work I said basically we look after people from birth to death and we deal in the area of behavioural alteration and she went wah like I mean like really loud people all turned around and looked at us she says what's it called I said it's called the church have you heard of it do you know it's really good for us to realize that if we are a Christian we are part of a global enterprise now I actually I were I prepared to speak on a particular subject this morning and I've just scrapped it I'm going to do something else now and you know visit it right I'm gonna speak to you that speaks all Christians if you are here today and you're not a Christian or you don't know whether you are or you used to be I'm gonna give you five minutes just before I finish at the end but you'll find what I'm gonna say for the first bit interesting anyway right now so listen just imagine okay my wife and I we've got three sons and let's just say I said to my three sons hey guys we've not seen you for a while can we hang out together for a day hey let's go to a forest and we'll take a picnic and just have a day and catch up we do and then at the end of the day my wife and I we pack everything up and we realized we've only got our youngest son Benjamin with us but we've lost the other two Michael and Simeon so we say well let's go into the forest and search for them so we search around the forest and we can only find Simeon we can't find Michael so we say I will never mind let's just go home well win some lose some do you know what I mean we lost two we got one back sometimes you just gotta count your losses no no what would we do we would search for Michael until we found him alive or dead that is the kind of analogy that is used in Scripture to inspire us to encourage us to seek and to save people who are lost now you know according to the Bible if we are not a Christian then then we're in kind of lost territory and we understand that to remember that that series lost it was totally confusing everyone was lost everyone was lost than everyone was confused and lost you know it's like yeah there is a lost nurse now you see in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 it says this when the Holy Spirit came on the first followers of Jesus the Holy Spirit empowered them to be witnesses to be witnesses now you know as Christians whether we like it or not we are a witness so we're either a good witness or we're a bad witness yeah and the problem with so many Christians is that they seem to have taken literally what Jesus said to three disciples see that you tell no one but the spirit empowered us to be witnesses and one of the dangers of being a Christian is that we just had this amazing worship I love worship I'm like I just soak in it I look yeah yeah yeah I just wanna we're at war you know yet you're tuning into the melody of heaven you want more and many of us Christians a constant game yeah more more more more more MORE where's it going where's it going and the problem with many Christians is we're a little bit constipated it's like we want more yeah more yeah and more worship yeah more oh I'll have more what else is there oh but because it's not going anywhere we're totally constipated it's got to go out it's got to go out if it doesn't go out anywhere I think then we're gonna have this frustration you see a missionary is not someone who crosses the sea a missionary is someone who sees the cross that was really good okay repeat after me a missionary is not someone who crosses the sea missionary is someone who sees the cross see when you've seen the cross when you've understood the cross that the cross of Jesus what Jesus was doing on the cross he was dying on the cross to cleanse us he was dying on the cross to heal us and his Spirit empowers us to be witnesses of this to be witnesses of Jesus to be witnesses of forgiveness to be witnesses of healing to be carriers of his presence that's essentially what's about so in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 it says the Spirit came on the first followers of Jesus to empower them to be witnesses and then it gave a strategy first in Jerusalem then into Judea then into Samara then to the ends of the earth what did Jerusalem represent to the first disciples of Jesus well that was where they deny Jesus Peter denied Jesus publicly where were they at the crucifixion only John was there so Jesus says I want you to start in the place of your greatest failure where is that for most of us family friends neighbors colleagues so if we are going to reach the world we've got to reach our world our world by cultivating the web of relationships that we have already got King kinship family friends by cultivating those with whom we have a common community with neighbors colleagues by cultivating that the relationships that we have with those that we have a common interest with we might belong to the same club or gym or that's how wolf-bats our world you see some people have been called to bypass Jerusalem bypass Judea bypass Samira go to the ends of the earth probably 2% 98% of us have been called to reach the world by reaching our world now I've been thinking about this I've been lecturing on it I've been writing about it and here's my conclusion how are we gonna do it three this is how we do it three things we are going to reach our world by praying how are we going to do it number one by praying praying by an intentionality of praying for our family our friends our neighbors and our colleagues praying in the kingdom praying in the kingdom my wife and I every day we we do two miles or three miles walking every day we do that we do it for health reasons we do it it's because it's good for us and it's healthy but I use the entire time two miles or three miles to miles takes me 30 minutes three miles takes me 45 minutes and I spend the entire time praying so I'm doing something good for me but I'm also using that time to pray and I'm constantly praying the kingdom of God the kingdom of God your will be done touch this person touch that person speak to this person in dreams Lord speak into this world in that world and I use it I do it every day that's not the only time I pray I you know I never go longer than five minutes without praying I'm kind of praying all the time but I use that as my time for praying for my world my Jerusalem my networks and I'm praying in the kingdom it really is incredible when we're really praying in the kingdom in people's lives what happens things get transformed my wife and I it was our silver wedding anniversary and we decided well I let's do a few little unusual special things and I thought I know what I'll do I'll do a little surprise kind of you know go to an amazing spa you know one of those spars that's like in the top 20 of the world and let's just go and have this amazing spa experience so I did all this research but the spa we go to the spa when we get there I think oh no because I it was a bit different to what the website shows so we kind of arrived and there's all these buddhas everywhere and I thought oh no I don't want to spar with all these Buddha's and and then these women arrived and it's like welcome and it's like really spooky I didn't like it anyway they take us into this couples spa suite and they say that the bath has been run and it's got minerals in it yeah after soaking it for 30 minutes shower and then lie on the tables and we'll come for the first treatment so they leave when they leave I said to killi killi can you feel it can you feel it you can feel it I said it is really oppressive Jesus I know I said well let's clean it she's like I'll have a bath you clean it so so I start praying in the silica in the spa and I'm praying in English I'm praying in Greek I'm praying in tongues and I'm praying that all the darkness will get leave the place there was no window because I liked with symbolism so I couldn't open a window to get rid of all this darkness so it was only half an inch under the door so I was like kicking out all the demons get out get out and then Holy Spirit come I want your holiness fill it with your holiness anyway I took quick mineral baths quick shower lie on the table then the two women arrived they come in and when they walk in one of the women says this is what she said who are you you know the town would fallen out of the hole and my head got stuck I try to get my head out you know get massive mark on my face and I said I'm sorry I'm sorry she says who are you I said what do you mean and this is what she said what have you done with this room you see she was a New Ager so she could feel it she had an antennae for spiritual things so I said ah you mean the aroma she's at all aroma aromatherapist can you see the connection aroma yes the aromas of the next three hours and we're telling them both about the aroma of Christ it is incredible when you pray in the kingdom you pray in the kingdom first thing my wife and I do when we go into a hotel room we pray in the room we clean the room I lay my hands on the bed I say Lord if there's been any adultery on this bed any immorality cleanse it cleanse it cleanse it I lay my hands on the pillow and I pray over the pillows when we lay our heads there'll be a sacredness now if you know anyone who doesn't know the Lord it wasn't a Christian yet lives in your home you sneak into their room when they're not there when they're not there lay your hands on the pillow and just soak it in sacred prayer and pray that when they put their heads on the pillow something of the sacredness of God will will permeate into their minds into their hearts I was speaking at this meeting this lady comes up to me and she's like oh Jenny she goes my husband who's not a Christian and and she went on and she's like shouting of me and what a terrible man he is and he's all for and I thought flip I'm glad I'm not married to you and she's like you know what am I gonna do what am I gonna do so I said to her how many times do you make love to him every week so she she was like I'm sorry I said how many times you make love to him every week so she she went totally red she was like she didn't think I'd say that you see so that was a bit of a kind of a curveball it kind of threw her and this is what she said she said well actually he doesn't have it anymore because he's all fault I told him he can't have it I said what you mean you told him he can't have it she goes he can't have it I said what do you want him in the kingdom she goes yeah I said we'll triple his usual quota I think that was God speaking and I said text him text him now and tell him darling get ready and on the way home I'm going to Victoria's Secret it's gonna be good you see here's a woman going are my husband's this my husband's that you know you know and I said to listen when you're in that most intimate of positions just pray that the Holy Spirit that's in you will permeate in him and transform him anyway I mean I travel meet lots of people everywhere so you know you don't you can't remember everyone you've met six weeks later I'm at some event she comes up she goes do you remember me I did I did cuz that was the only person I've ever said that to and she said it worked by praying number one by praying number two by caring what's number two caring caring you see our sociology has to reflect our theology and Christianity is not only verbal but it's visual you see and that's very important we've got to care so I I was walking with kilee around the little village where we live and we were praying we went on the like prayer walk your kingdom come your will be done yes Lord come on Lord come on look and then I saw this woman when I said to kilee it is that the lady that lives about five doors up from us whose son is really sick and kilesa I think it is that moment I had a quiver in my liver you know where you kind of get all astir and you think is that god what should i do yes no yes no oh I'll go Nazca and I said excuse me it's your name Barbara she suggests it is I said am i right that your son is very sick she says yes he's dying she says can you go now to the hospice because she knew who I was she goes can you go now to the hospice and pray for him I thought what does she see I do all day but you see I've just been praying for the kingdom of God I just been praying your will be done your kingdom come you see when when you're praying the Lord will prompt you to care so I said this woman was a new Asia I said yeah yeah I'll go now so Killy a night to go home we had to get the car we have to drive where to find the hospice we find it he's there he's in the baby's sleeping Kinney goes home he's sleeping let's go I said no I'm not coming back so I kick the bed he kind of woke up like that so I said I said his name was Johnny I said Johnny I said I just met your mother and I said I I'm her I'm a reverend and your mother has asked me to come and pray for you I said would you like that and he stared me out he literally stared me out he just looked at me didn't say anything so uncomfortable and then he said I'd rather have a hug so Killian I bent down he lifted himself up the three of us embraced each other he started crying kilise started crying I started crying and we held him a long time until he let go and then he let go we laid him down I said would you want the prayer anyway he says I'll go on then so then I just I said look I'm just gonna put my hand on you and I'm gonna say a little prayer and he goes all right and I just prayed a little prayer a little prayer I prayed a different prayer inside I don't let the prayer I pray inside come outside you know I don't do it she came on under when did she come on a Honda Oh Robert Enke Robert Enke what kind of thing is that no you pray that prayer inside but on the outside you just kind of say in the name of the father and name of the son in name of the Holy Spirit that was it that was on the outside I started visiting him he's an atheist and I helped him on his journey to see Jesus to see Jesus today it's called Palm Sunday it is the day that Jesus came into Jerusalem and during that whole story the Greeks I'm Greek my ancestors they came up to Philip and said we want to see Jesus you think we're the people that can introduce people to Jesus anyway get a knock on our door I visit him many many times get a knock on our door open the door to the mother she's crying and she says he died last night she said would you speak at the funeral I said of course I'll speak at the funeral I didn't realize he was a really famous DJ he's 27 years of age a really famous DJ in London at the funeral there were 800 people and I spoke at the funeral right I finished the funeral finishes I stepped down as I stepped down people went like Jay John Jay John I need to speak to Jay John Jake what did you mean you can get to heaven via Kings Cross and I explained it all to them but here how did it happen I'm walking around my community your kingdom come your will be done your kingdom come your will be done Lord reach out to people use me praying preying leads to caring and praying caring number three sharing what's number one praying what's number two caring what's number three sharing sharing sharing the good news sowing the seed sowing the seed into people's lives you see the job of a Christian the responsibility of a Christian is to go into God's orchard okay and what we do is we check the fruit we check the fruit we look at the fruit we check the fruit if the fruit is ripe for picking what do you do you pick it because if you don't pick the fruit that's right for picking one of two things happens one it over ripes force to the ground and dies or to the Jehovah's Witnesses picket you see if you are not then if you and I are not gonna pick it everyone else is gonna pick it they're all gonna pick it now for fruit if the fruit is not right for picking you don't pick it you don't pick it you don't kind of see a woman and go oh are you expecting oh yes I am actually Oh how many months Oh six months six months you can't push it out you know so that's sometimes we go to extremes where either like push it out push it out or it's it's ready but we don't pick it I love John chapter four John chapter 4 where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman what though I mean it's incredible Jesus Samaritan woman she's living in adultery he's the high priest so you got a moral barrier okay women did not speak to men they didn't know so you've got a social barrier she's a Samaritan he's Jewish so you've got a racial barrier she's a Samaritan he's Jewish she got a religious barrier four barriers social moral racial religious how did Jesus break down the barriers well Jesus was here he wanted to go to sick heart but if anyone else wanted to do that journey they'd walk around Samaria because Jews hated Samaritans so the first thing Jesus did was to break long-standing traditions he went straight through it stopped a well woman comes moral barriers social barrier racial barrier religious barrier he doesn't focus on what they don't have in common he focuses on the one thing they have in common she wants h2o he wants h2o faces are h2o h2o yeah you wanna sure I won h2o and he he talks about h2o then he transforms it into living water he speaks into alive she drops her pots and pans she goes into the village and she comes back and says and brings everybody Samaritan revival takes place noticed this in John chapter 4 the first time she speaks to him she says Jew but if you read it in its original context it's like this Jew the second time she speaks to him she says sir the third time she speaks to him she says prophet the fourth time she speaks to him she says Messiah so she moves from Jews - sir - prophet - Messiah what often happens with us they meet us they like us ten minutes later flip in egg preying caring sharing sowing the seeds sowing the seed so you can be intentional this week this sacred week be intentional in praying for your family your friends your neighbors your colleagues can you show some kind of care you can't help everyone but you can help someone praying caring sharing give them an invite make that call send it send an email go and visit somebody and say hey I really want you to come to church with me next week how about how about breakfast first well go for breakfast first then we'll go to church or do you want to go to church first and then we'll go for brunch or do you want to go meet for a coffee and then come listen I really want listen listen you know it's my birthday in June I want you to give me a birthday present and you say do you know what my birthday present is this year I want you to come to church with me Easter Sunday that would be the best birthday present you could give me whatever it is do it do it why and I conclude with this because why am i Christian why should we all be Christians one because it's true it's true Jesus rose from the dead and his resurrection authenticate everything he said everything he did why am i Christian because I need forgiveness everyone needs forgiveness and it was paid on the nail on a Friday that's called good why am i Christian because it works it actually works if you're here today you don't know whether you're a Christian maybe you used to be missin it's true you need forgiveness it works it really works there was a famous artist he went back to the village where he was born looking around he saw an antique shop in the antique shop he saw one of his masterpieces one that he painted years before he was famous the frame was broken the picture was dirty it was scratched but it was his but he couldn't go into the antique shop and say hey that's my painting give it back to me if he wanted it back he had to buy it back before he could clean it restore it reframe it that's what Jesus did he brought us back to clean up to restore us to refrain us if you need cleaning and restoring and reframing I'm gonna pray a very simple prayer very simple prayer it's a process of prayer that I prayed when I chose to receive this and begin my journey echoecho this prayer Jesus thank you for dying on the cross for me I need cleansing so I ask that you cleanse me now set me free from the past come into my life now with your holy presence fill me with your peace your presence your power and help me from this day on to fix my eyes on you in Jesus name Amen if you did pray that prayer I know that the church if you prayed it for the first time or you prayed it as a way of just re committing your life to Christ and if you don't have a Bible the church would love to give you a Bible and they'll explain that to you but I also would like to give you this little booklet called making the Easter connection and this little postcard of Jesus knocking on the door of our lives right today's date right that you were here at oasis right what you prayed put that in your Bible as a little memento to remember this sacred day thank you very much

Channel: Oasis Church

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Length: 31min 35sec (1895 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 31 2015