We talked about toolkits last time. This one is called the Nuts and Bolts of Hebrides 2.0.
I won't go into trying to explain what Hebrides 2.0 is. You can listen to the past and come
to a conclusion. Basically, we are saying that just as God turned up 75 years ago off
the coast of Scotland, He is doing so again and He is doing it through us. We want to
see how we steward what God is doing. When you look at the glory of God in the Old Testament
and the New Testament, there is a distinct difference. I would suggest that we should
go with New Testament precedent without ruling out what happened in the Old Testament. That's
a good stance to take. On one hand, we don't rule out what happened in the Old Testament,
but we take our cue from what did the display of God's glory look like in the New Testament?
When you start looking at it, when you look at the New Testament, you find that the first
display of glory was when in Luke 2 verse 9 the angels came to declare that Jesus Christ
was born in Bethlehem. It was glorious. It was a display of heaven. Then you see the
next one in John 2.11 where Jesus turned water into wine and they said it revealed His glory.
Then you see His glory revealed in Matthew 17 where on the Mount of Transfiguration,
His clothes began to radiate from inside out and His face was brighter than the midday sun.
Peter later talks about this in 2 Peter 1.17 where he says, hey, we saw it. We're not inventing
tales. We actually were there when it happened. Then in Luke 24, you see Him entering a room
that's locked and He just turns up. Then in Luke 24, you see Him ascending and you can imagine
how a cloud comes and takes Him out of sight as a man that has allowed them to put their fingers
in the nail-scarred hands, literally rises up. Then you see the next display of glory in Acts
chapter 2 at Pentecost where there was a sound of a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire began
to get distributed over 120 different people. Then you go to Acts chapter 9 and you see a man
called Saul riding a horse on his way to Damascus and he gets struck by such a bright light that
he falls off his horse. Then we go to Revelation 1 and you see John on the island of Patmos beginning
to see the Son of God in His brilliant splendor. These are the displays of glory that we see in
the New Testament. Anything else that you can think of? We're talking about, so what does glory
look like for us? What are we seeking after? These weeks we've been talking about how God is
once again on earth releasing a purifying fire and has entered the earth as a divine warrior
and He's once again doing what He did 75 years ago in Hebrides and we're calling it Hebrides 2.0
and that the glory of the Lord is what we are after. But if I don't know what I'm after,
then when we do touch it we won't know that we found it. It's what happened to Christopher Columbus.
He got to America and thought he was in India. So we got to be able to define it.
Any other display of glory that you can think of in the New Testament?
So the question is what does fullness of glory
look like for you?
And here's the thing, if you haven't thought and imagined it, if you haven't thought
and imagined it,
if you haven't read up on it and if you don't think about it, don't imagine it, don't read upon
it, then how can God do more than you ask or imagine? I have not seen
a person who has not thought of God, who has not imagined God, who has not seen the Lord,
ask or imagine. I have not seen, ear has not heard what God will do for us, but it is beyond what we
can ask or imagine. Have you asked or imagined? What does it look like? And if you ask or imagine,
shouldn't it tie up with biblical precedent?
What does it look like? What do you want to see? And does it match up with what the Bible wants?
The thing is guys, sorry go ahead.
Very good. There was one missing link which I was going to bring up later. Steven is being stoned
and it was an evil stoning practice. A guy would be pushed off a ledge and he would be pushed off
a ledge that was twice the size of the man and the hope was that if he falls and that fall kills him
great. If not, the first witness would take a stone that was so heavy and drop it over his heart
so that it would kill him and if that didn't kill him then they would begin to stone him.
While this is happening, while they're stoning him, he says, I see heavens open and I see
the glory of Christ revealed and then what does this glory do to him? This glory doesn't make him
go charismatic or go fluffy. Here's what the glory makes him do. Oh God forgive them for they
know not what they're doing. He takes the words of the cross and spreads it across other people that
are speaking against him. That's another incident where it happens. But one of the things we have
to do is imagine what this looks like. A dying art in churches today is imagination.
That's one thing that will be taken away from us because of AI and Google which is like prehistoric
now because we don't imagine anymore but we are called to imagine. Once we can imagine then God
will say, hey I can do more than you can ask or imagine. So what's what in your mind is the fullness
of glory? What does it look like to you? Just on the side thought I'd ask you to begin to think.
So when it comes to revival, when it comes to revival
or to displays of glory,
what are you looking for? What are we looking for? I'll tell you what we are looking for.
You can add to this. Here's what we are looking for. One, services like this full of
the tangible presence of God.
The tangible presence of God.
The Holy Spirit falling on us. Don't ask me how, don't ask me what happens but the Holy Spirit is
falling upon a congregation on you, on us. Wave after wave of worship.
Here's the thing guys, if we believe in the priesthood of believers then it is incumbent upon you
to imagine and think about things the same way that I do because it's not the pastor's job.
There is no clergy lady divide. We hunger after the same things. I put it in words and I present it
to you but the imagination and the thought must be the same for Vivek, for John and for Nelly.
It should be the same.
The duty of presenting it is mine.
But we're not passive consumers of a message. We're after someone, right?
And so these are things that I'm sure you imagine but it's good to now begin to take it more
seriously because of the times we are in. Wave after wave of worship.
Tongues, prophecies, repentance, people undone and changed, anxiety and fear disappearing.
So this is one set of things. Let's go and look at another set. Wouldn't we love to see
the same things that we see in the church?
Anxiety and fear disappearing. So this is one set of things. Let's go and look at another set.
Wouldn't we love during this time to see healings, deliverances
and not flaky stuff but verified testimonies where when Don and Kezia come next week
because Kezia and the baby Eliakim are doing well but Don looks like a man who hasn't slept
forever, yeah? So that's why they're not in church. I'm kidding, I'm kidding but Don is quite the
sight. He's asking for stuff like, can you get me sanitizer? That will kill all the germs.
There's the same guy who used to give me, Derek, Jeevan and everybody else water out of the same
bottle. Times have changed but healings and deliverances that are verified. When Don and
Kezia come next week, you'll hear verified healing testimonies, medically established
testimonies, not someone falling over and people saying, oh he's healed. He perhaps has another
injury on his head but these are verified testimonies, eh? How about the church developing
a reputation
for signs and wonders so others can come?
What about young men and women
coming to church or coming to a gathering and being set alight because of presence?
Being set alight because of presence?
How about manifestations of the spirit?
Manifestations of the spirit that are from the Bible, like what? Like rushing wind.
New Testament, like the place shaking as it did in Acts chapter 4. Like cloud and fire.
This is from the Old Testament. Like sounds of heaven. New Testament.
And look at this list. Wouldn't you like it or would you not like it?
Wouldn't you like it or would you not like it? This would be good. And these are all
legit desires and biblical phenomena. These are legit desires and biblical phenomena.
When one begins to shy away from this, one decides what God can or cannot do. We restrict
him. We restrict him with less than two pounds of gray matter. We restrict the creator of the
universe with less than two pounds of gray matter that he gave. And with stupid traditions. Stupid
cultural and religious denominational traditions. We restrict him.
But is this something that can be seen as a display of glory in our midst? Any questions on that? Any
pushback? Any sense that now this is not for us? Because these are all legit biblical phenomena
and these are good desires. As we look at this, here are the different reactions we can have.
Now I want to keep away from it. Two, now I just want to meditate on Christ. Nothing wrong with that.
We're going to talk about meditation on Christ. But try and identify if there's a resistance
that is godly or ungodly, disguised as religious to these things.
A lack of faith is different, but resistance is different.
I may not have the faith for it, but am I resisting this?
Any questions? Any disagreements?
The line just lies with the guy who forces it. If we force it, we may get it once or twice and then
we'll have to use smoke and mirrors to recreate it. Then it becomes such a veery endeavor because
every time we gather, we'll have to do that song with that beat and have Nick jump twice as high
so that all of us can jump. It just gets Nick. I'm just picking on you because I can.
You can force this and as soon as you force it, here's what happens.
Flesh and whatever is off the flesh decays or deceives. When it's off the spirit, then it has life.
John 6.63, the words that I speak to you are spirit and life. Flesh profits nothing. Flesh decays.
Flesh profits nothing. Flesh decays. The spirit gives life.
But here's the other extreme then. Because we are scared of going into the flesh,
we will not touch anything that is off the spirit. That's not how you learn how to do anything.
I can't hear you.
Yeah, so it's easy to...
Churches use emotions to manipulate. You can have the whole place go quiet and then have a
loud touch and people will feel touched. Or I can start crying here and then open my eyes to see
how many more are crying and make sure I cry some more so that you all get to cry.
All we'll use up in the process is tissue boxes. More trees will die.
But what if we didn't use methods like that? What if we didn't use songs to stir up? What if it was...
If the spirit of God does it, so be it. If it doesn't happen, then what's not happening?
Anything that has to happen must be of the spirit. So I've got to make sure that I don't use emotions
or the desire of the flesh to feel something to manipulate the church.
And charismatically, there's an even better edit.
It's an art. That's why televangelism flourishes.
So there's that side of it. And then there's a thing where we get so traditional that...
So scared of that, that now we won't touch anything of the spirit. And that's the other extreme.
Neither is good. Each is evil. Evil.
These are all legit. This is what we are looking for. Now let's look at what he's looking for.
What is he, as in Christ, looking for?
What is Christ looking for at a time when there's a refreshing? Whenever there's a refreshing or a
revival or when the glory of God seems to be like a tsunami across the earth, you know that the
presence of God is beginning to do different things amongst people. One of my favorite things
to do over the last three weeks is to sit with each person whenever I am with you in a restaurant
or something and ask you, hey, so tell me something. What is different? What is happening to you?
And what is happening to someone else? And I love the answers I'm getting. And they're different.
All I say is you can't use the words awesome, amazing, fire, revival. Wow. You have to describe
what's happening without using these five words. You take those five words away, you might have to
speak English. And then let's see what it sounds like. Because there's something afoot.
So what is he after? What is Christ looking for? Here's what he's looking for.
Recommitment to God and his word. Two, turning from habitual sin that wraps itself around our feet,
like it says in Hebrews 12, and causes us to keep stumbling, turning from habitual sin and apathy.
Three, passion for the kingdom
and truth. Passion for the kingdom and truth. Or passion for the kingdom and truth.
Or passion for the kingdom and how it operates. The principles, the truth,
how it operates. Passion for the kingdom and how it operates.
D, or four, fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, like it used to happen in Acts 2, Acts 4, Acts 9,
Acts 10, Acts 19. Fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Here's another one. Transformed lives
that transform lives that are expressed in purity, boldness, proclamation.
This is what he is after. Which is not to say that our desires or what we are after is wrong.
It is just that the priority has to shift. This is what he, Christ, is after when he sends a fresh
wave of the Spirit into a people. When he begins a Hebrides 1.0 or a Hebrides 2.0 or when he begins
the Welsh Revival or when he, whenever he does this and we look at all the revivals in the New
Testament, we look at them. We'll see what's common. What can we expect? But this is what Christ wants.
Christ wants Acts 29, this church, everybody sitting here to recommit to God and the word.
So when this becomes a measure, the questions change. The question is, over the last three and
a half weeks, Jacob, have you found a greater delight and interest and consumption of the word?
The next one, turning from habitual sin and apathy. Habitual sin. Are there habitual sins in your life,
Jacob, that you have a greater desire to break out of? Habitual sin. Go past porn and lust and pride
and focus on the self. Some of us are little idols to ourselves that everybody must serve.
So the question is turning from habitual sin and apathy. You know sometimes how easy it is to measure
apathy? It's just a question of when do you turn up and why do you turn up and what do you do after
you turn up? Three simple questions that can answer apathy. When do you turn up? Why do you turn up?
What do you do after you turn up? At a workplace, that's how they evaluate you. It's the same with
the kingdom. Passion for the kingdom and how it operates. This is what Christ expects when
this happens. You take any revival that was genuine in its early stages and you'll find this.
Passion for the rule of the king in our lives and then in radiating circles of influence. A passion
for the king and his ways, his rule and how it operates first in our lives and then in the lives
around us. But it must first show in mind so that it can be something that increases in its radius of
influence. Fourth one, fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Hey we may be affiliated with the Baptist but we are actually looking for the baptism of someone
greater than the Baptist which is the Holy Spirit. There'd be no mistake in mistaking that.
So fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. Is it biblical? Look at Acts chapter 2. When they're filled
with the Holy Spirit? Yes. What happens in Acts chapter 4? The Holy Spirit is filled with the
Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 4. They get filled again. What happens in Acts chapter 9 where they are
with the Samaritans and the Samaritans now have an experience of the Holy Spirit. What happens in
Acts chapter 10? In Acts chapter 10 the Gentiles get baptized in the Holy Spirit and it wasn't a
one-off phenomena. In Acts chapter 19 Paul is with people in Ephesus again and he asks them what kind
of baptism did you receive? And they are baptized in the Holy Spirit. It started in actually John 20.
Jesus turned to his disciples and said receive the Holy Spirit and he breathed on them. You think
they didn't deserve to receive it? Of course they did. But in Acts chapter 2 tongues of fire. In Acts
chapter 4 the place begins to shake and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day
do you, these are the questions that I must ask, Pawan must ask, Lenny must ask, Crystal must ask.
Do I, every time I gather, am I in a place of yieldedness to you Holy Spirit so that a fresh
baptism, anointing, immersing of my person happens in the life of the Spirit so that when I come up
I am different. Now how am I different? I become more like Christ. That is the measure of the
baptism of the Spirit. When the measure of the baptism of the Spirit is falling backwards
and getting up after a little while and speaking in tongues, it is good, have it,
but if it ends there it's not good enough.
This is what we are after or this is what he is after. And the last one, transform lives.
Lives changed. Lives changed. How does it express itself? In purity, in boldness, in proclamation.
You think when you meet Don he'll talk any more about Barcelona or Real Madrid, sorry,
you think he'll talk about Real Madrid, you think he'll talk about Ronaldo? He's got only one soccer
player now, Eliya Krip. He's already started playing with him. And check apathy in your life,
check apathy in your life. And the moment you see apathy in your life you have a choice.
Stay in it, enjoy it, seek the sympathy of others or snap out of it.
Any questions?
Once we give him what he wants, and I'm praying that this is what we give him, and it'll happen
not because of us but because of him. So what's the point of teaching this if he's going to do it
anyways? We are aware of what he's doing. Intentionality always helps. You know what you're
supposed to focus on and what you're supposed to set as your second priority. When this happens,
set as your second priority. When this happens, this begins to happen just so naturally.
How does this not happen to people that are here?
It is as natural that this will happen.
We shall see it, guys.
We shall see it soon.
Wouldn't it be so crazy if he had a reputation for signs and wonders?
You know how many people could be helped?
Okay. What were revivals like in the New Testament? Revivals in the New Testament.
Let's look at them. Acts chapter 2, Pentecost. You know that one.
There were people from 12 different nations and here's the thing, they were all in one accord
and they were together and then the Spirit of God comes and he falls upon their heads,
cloven tongues of fire. They begin to speak about God. They begin to proclaim
people. So that's revival through the Holy Spirit.
Let's take the next one. Acts chapter 5,
1 to 16. Fear and reverence
in the church. This was an internal matter and I pray God that it happens to us too,
that there'd be a cleansing of the house. Acts 5, 1 to 16. This is the story. You know it. Ananias
and Sapphira. They try and come to corrupt a fledgling church. Come to destroy, to undo the
fabric of a fledgling church. A God steps in and in his stepping in. Ananias and Sapphira die,
but it goes on to say in the verses after that after that there was fear and reverence in the
church. People were hesitant to join things unless they were really serious about God.
I was reading it and I was thinking, father, could we have that? Could we have it at Acts 29
where you are able to hold a plumb line against the church and say, hey guys, to whom much is
given, much is expected, can you measure up? Won't that be good? What is the beginning of wisdom?
The fear of God. It's the dread of offending the one we love. The dread of offending the one who
laid his life down. The dread of offending the one we love. It's a holy, godly child to father fear,
spouse to spouse fear, where a husband refuses to look at anybody in any situation in any country
because he can't bear the thought of grieving the one he loves even though she's not there. That is
fear. So this was a revival that broke out because of fear. Splendid, eh? You should read it. Let's
just go to Acts chapter 5. Acts 5. Reading from verse 10. At that moment she fell down
at his feet and died. Then the young men came and finding her dead, carried her out and buried her
beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The
apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people and all the believers
used to meet together in Solomon's Colony. Listen to the next line. No one dared join them even
though they were highly regarded by people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed
in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets
and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he
passed by. Crowds gathered also from towns around Jerusalem bringing the sick and those
tormented by evil spirits and all of them were healed. This is the nature of what we are trying
to go after but part of it requires a fear and the reverence of God. Yeah? Look forward to it,
church. It's not a frightening thing. It's a consuming fire that comes from the Father.
You know, you guys are getting better. There are nods now, yeah? It's very encouraging.
We will get a voice one day. Next one. There was the Samaritan revival. That's in
Samaritan revival is in Acts 8, 4 onwards, 4 to 25. Go to Acts chapter 8, 4 to 25 and you'll see
there. This was a revival where it transformed a community. Acts chapter 8, verse 4 to 25.
How did it begin? It began with Philip.
People, look at this, hey? Verse 6, when the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs
he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. There's something to it, hey?
When people saw and heard, they paid close attention.
Do it again, oh God. Do it again. Do it again.
And then it goes on to describe the rest of it right from Simon the Sorcerer and so on.
This was when an entire community was transformed because a man called Philip began to
trust God for signs and wonders. Let's take another one.
Let's take another one. Conversion of Saul. Conversion of Saul. Acts chapter 7
to Acts chapter 9, till he falls off his horse and meets the Lord. But we need to remember that why
are we taking Saul as an example of a revival? Sometimes guys in a revival all you need is one
man to burn. One man to burn. You just need one man to burn. One dillna, one hip, one toony,
just one man to burn or one woman to burn. One Shireen, one Maya, one Ruth.
Age is not a factor guys. One man to suddenly catch fire. Like I've said, I've quoted D.L. Moody
every so often saying the world is yet to see what God can do with a man who is consecrated to God.
The world is yet to see what God can do with one man who is consecrated to God, as in set
apart to God. Sometimes in these revivals you find people like this. Nobody's. You've never
met before and suddenly God does something and it changes. The question though here is when we look
at Acts chapter 7 to 9, who should we pick as that one man? Should we pick Stephen or should we pick
Saul? That's a question. Yes, Saul did what he did but who triggered him? Who held the cloaks of
the witnesses because every time the witness would go and drop a stone on the guy or throw a stone,
they would take off the outer cloak, give it to a man who stood there and the man who stood there
was Paul and he can hear what Stephen is saying. He's seeing this clan that he's persecuting. A
man is dying and the man is saying I see the heavens open and I see the son of God in all his
glory. Paul knows the scriptures. Then he goes on to say, oh God into your hands I commit my spirit.
Paul knows Psalm 22 where it's a prophetic word that is spoken by David that Christ would later
on speak and then he hears a third phrase from Stephen as he's dying. Father forgive them for
they know not what they're doing. Paul knows who said that before because that's the people he's
after, the ones that believe in it. So who is that one man who's been touched by the revival, touched
by the glory of God? Was it Saul or was it Stephen? I would say both because one does not exist without
the other and then there's another man in the equation called Barnabas who starts a revival
in Antioch and that's when he goes and finds Paul and he brings him when nobody else wants to touch
Paul. You have no idea how many hands and feet and legs and lives were risked for one Paul, Ananias
who was told listen don't know go near him and he goes to Simon the Tanner's house so that he can
open his eyes. Sometimes these revivals produce one man but you don't know and I don't know how
effective we have been in bringing that man up so that he can burn.
God, can you imagine what Paul's hearing that day?
Next revival that we see in the New Testament, Cornelius's household.
Cornelius's household. Now we go into Gentile
revival. This is the first time, all this time it was Jews, the Samaritans, the Samaritans were
frowned upon sect of the Jews but now we're going into pagan territory. Now we're talking about you
and I. Where God suddenly begins to affect the people of the world.
Where God suddenly begins to affect Cornelius and the household and how does he do it? Through
a godly man which doesn't mean he believed in Judaism or Christ but a godly man who gathers
his friends and relatives, friends and family and the spirit of God falls upon them.
What is your expectation church? You know what my expectation is nowadays? Every time I turn up for
a meeting I do not know what might happen but I look forward to everything that might happen.
I do not know what might happen but I look forward to everything that might happen.
I want to be like a wind sock at the airport that blows whichever way the wind blows and if the wind
changes, stop, change. Jesus said this about the spirit. You don't know where he's coming from,
you don't know where he's going but you'll hear the rustling of the spirit in the trees.
Every time we gather a people who are in the middle of something like this must have the same
expectation and if you haven't slept enough go sleep but don't make sure that this ain't the
place where you fall asleep. I'm not looking at anyone though I could but that's not the point.
The point is this that you know the point. Next one. Did you know that there were so many revivals
in the New Testament? Next one is Antioch. Antioch in Acts 11, 19 to 26. This was an ethnic revival.
Hey, know this that there'll be times when you are called to someone's house and they'll say all we
have here is a few of my friends and family and there might be one godly man there and the rest
of them may be anti-god but you are called there and this one Cornelius has called you there to sit
and talk about the Holy Spirit. Remember the season you are in and tailor what you say according to
the season you are in so that you can open for God what he wants to do from heaven here on earth.
You must understand your point of origin. Your point of origin from now on is that you belong
to a different realm called heaven and heaven's trying to pour something on earth. It just so
happens that heaven thinks you in with all your flaws and your lack of theological finesse are
the portal through which heaven can begin to work here on earth. So when you go into situations
instead of pulling out your best message, your best song, be that portal so God can begin to
do here on earth what he did 75 years ago. Antioch, this was an ethnic revival. The first one was
family and friends and those family and friends went out and for all you know Italy had believers
because of Cornelius but in this case it was Greeks. It is predominantly Greek.
There are times when you might think I don't want to get clannish but there are times when you'll
have to go to your people because God wants to start something with your ethnicity.
Sheldon's already jumping with joy saying I'm going to Hong Kong with Jacob.
Yeah.
I'll be there on the eighth so you want to come with that yeah you'll have it'll be hard to now
withdraw that yeah. Yeah. So the point is this God does this different ways. We're just looking at
the things he did. Let's take two more. Sometimes it starts with one person
but she becomes responsible for a movement. Acts chapter 16 verse 14 onwards. There was a woman
called Lydia. Paul and his companions go to the river because they had heard that some
people gather there. They go there. There's a woman called Lydia who sells textiles in
Tatria. They go begin to chat her up. She is so amazed by what they say about God that she
welcomes them into her home and then there begins a church of Philippi and the churches of Tessalonica.
Revivals often end up not just reviving people but going to the point where churches
birth. This woman then ends up introducing them to the city where they get arrested and so you have
the jailer who is going to commit suicide and then a woman with divination who gets delivered. These
are the first three members. Wouldn't you count yourself an amazingly lucky pastor if you found
for yourself a jailer who was going to commit suicide, a woman with a demonic spirit and a
merchant who was selling textiles. They become your first three members. Hallelujah.
But this was the revival in a place called Tessalonica and Philippi just happened to be the
first place where it started. Beautiful, eh?
Next one. This was a mass revival. This is the kind of revival that we sometimes hear of and see.
See.
Acts 19, Ephesus.
Acts 19, Ephesus where when you read from Acts 19 1 to 20 you see people came by the droves
repenting. And how do we know they repented? Guys, Ephesus was a city known for its magic. Even today
when you go to the Natural History Museum in Britain you'll find papyri where incantations
and chants written in Ephesus are still kept there. It is a city of magic and into that city
comes Paul and after the seven sons of Sceva are beaten up and they go running because they took the
name of Christ in vain, you had a mass revival where people came and they started throwing their
magic chants, their amulets, their incantations and I believe the cost of it ran into close to a million
in today's currency. People repented and turned to Christ. What a sight. This still happens.
Some of the older members here know how I tried the same thing in the middle of a forest in
Indonesia surrounded by 10 villages and set up a drum and put a fire in the drum and people started
coming tearing off stuff and throwing it. Witches would try walking up the steps and they would try
coming up the steps and you didn't even have to speak. They would come to the third step and then
they would fall backwards because the power of God wouldn't allow it to happen. But I don't want to
see it in Indonesia once. I want to see it in Vancouver at Acts 29 on a regular basis where
people are set free. You think this city is any different? Victoria and Vancouver are known as
the vortex of some of these practices. And God is giving us an opportunity saying,
hey, can you rise up? I want to do this through you.
And somehow he looks at you as he says this and he doesn't feel discouraged about your lack of
response like I do because he knows your hearts. And when he looks into your hearts, he says,
they're a quiet lot but my God, if you could see the fire inside.
And I then have to use tremendous faith to believe what he's saying.
Last one. I love this one. Acts 28, 4 to 10. Imagine going to Hawaii.
This island was smaller. There was a man called Publius, whose father was sick
and Paul heals him. But before Paul heals him, he's already got a reputation because a snake bit him
and the snake died or was thrown into the fire. This brought to pass Mark 16, 18, which says that
you shall drink poison, you shall trample on serpents but they shall not harm you. Then he meets
Publius's father, prays for him, a man gets healed. And I love the next line. All the people
in Hawaii got healed. Come on, man.
Pardon? Yeah, I'm just thinking of Hawaii.
All the people who were sick got healed.
I'm so tired of how people have the amazing ability to take this God who is unchanging
and decide that this was only for the first 30 years of Christianity and then it's over.
That must require some kind of stupid thinking.
That God has changed. He's stopped. What is it about his nature that he has stopped?
Is he the I was or is he the I am? How do we then cut off a portion of God saying this is done?
Because we don't see it. We don't see it. We don't see it. We don't see it. We don't see it.
We don't see it. So what's common? What's common to all these things? What's common?
Common. A oneness forged by man in obedience to God. In most of these situations, you will find
that people decided, okay, we're going to be in oneness. Beat Acts chapter 2. Beat Acts chapter 4.
Beat the Samaritans. Beat Cornelius. For Peter, it was a big delay. He's a Jew who's struggling
with it and telling God, listen, didn't you say don't mix with the Gentiles?
There's a oneness that is forged. And for this oneness to be forged amongst us, I have to break
break the little round idol called Jacob. I'm putting round for myself because for my birthday,
Vibi gave me a round little beaver with an RCMP cap and said, this looks as cute, round, and
adorable as you. And then he didn't sign his name. So now I'm getting really scared thinking,
I hope it's not a female. But fortunately, he found out it was Vibi in time. The point being this.
Till I break this little round idol called Jacob, oneness is going to be difficult. Can you break
the idol that you are, where everybody has to serve you, where everybody has to jump to your
women fancy, where everybody has to pat your head, tell you how wonderful you are?
Can you not be that idol?
Because that then allows oneness.
Vibi, you came in a minute too late.
Oneness found by man. Oneness. Here are the common things. Second, there were healings and deliverances.
Third, this one I didn't realize was common to all of them. There was opposition and divine protection.
Four, there was a cleansing of the church from religion
and manmade traditions.
From religion
and manmade traditions.
One, two, three, four, five.
People saw signs
and paid attention.
Six, Christ became supremely valuable.
Christ became supremely valuable
of unsurpassing worth.
I'm going to read out something for you. I wasn't written by me to get an idea of the last point.
If I still have it.
Listen to this thing.
As Christians, we receive him simply as sin forgiver because he can make us guilt free.
As a rescuer from hell because we love being pain free. As a healer because we love being disease free.
As a protector because we love being safe. As prosperity giver because we love being wealthy.
As the Lord of history because we love having purpose. But do we receive him as supremely
and personally valuable for who he is? We rarely receive him that way.
The way that Paul did when he spoke of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord.
We don't receive him as he really is. More glorious, more beautiful, more wonderful,
more satisfying than everything else in the universe. The day we start doing that,
we will prize him, treasure him, cherish him, and delight in him like we never have.
These were common to the revivals in the New Testament.
Oneness, healings and deliverance, opposition and divine protection,
cleansing of the church from religion and man-made traditions. People saw signs and paid
attention. Christ became supremely valuable and of unsurpassing worth. This was common to all the
revivals in the New Testament. Guys, we've seen the chariots of fiery
like Elijah did. Please, please listen. Don't switch off yet. I'm almost done. Don't switch
off yet. We have seen the chariots of fire like Elijah did. We have seen the mantle fall and it
is ours to pick up. Those that are diligent in pursuit, those who walk in oneness, those who
wrestle with faith, and those who walk in humility will enter and enjoy and distribute
and deliver this move that God is igniting in our midst to people around. All I need is 10 people
in this church. All I need is 10. I was talking to the Lord about it and I said, Dika, if you get 10
people, 10 who will diligently pursue, wrestle with faith, just 10. He says, you get me 10
and I'll make sure this happens. That's all he needs, 10. 10 people who are willing to dig.
You know, if you knew there was a treasure in your backyard, all you know is this. There's a
treasure in your backyard or you're in a dry place and your fields are slowly beginning to wither.
Why? Because the rains have failed. But in a dream, three nights in a row, the Lord turns up and He
says to you, there's a well in your backyard, 20 meters from the white wicket fence. Go towards it
and you go there. You know that there's a well there because God has spoken it three times.
Or you know there's a treasure there and you start digging. You dig two feet, it's not there. What do
you do? You dig six feet, it's not there. What do you do? You dig eight feet and you hit stone and
mud. What do you do? You hit 10 feet and you find a trickle of water that won't even quench the
thirst of a crow. What do you do? What do you do? You keep digging. Why? Because there is something
that has been given to you that is so solid that you know it's only a matter of time before you hit
the water bed. Once you hit it, that cannot be stopped.
God is saying give me 10 people like that who can stick with it. Give me 10 people who can do what
I ask them to do in numbers. In numbers it says that God brought them to a place where there was
a well that God had provided water from to Moses when Moses asked for it. We don't even know the
well, the name of the well. It's a famous well but somehow the Old Testament doesn't record that well
and he says when they came to beer and please read it as beer and not beer and think it's
permission. When they came to drink, so when they came to this place called beer, they found a well
that Moses had asked God for and water would come and so here's what they did. They began to take
their staffs and their sceptres and the leaders and the people came and they began to sing a song
of celebration before the water came and here's what they sang. Spring up oh well, spring up oh
well, spring up oh well, spring up oh well and they start digging with their staffs and with their
sceptres and as they dig water begins to flow and the people drink. 10 people is all what God needs.
10 who are willing to dig with faith, with faith, with faith that does not fail, that does not fade,
that does not need another confirmation because God is saying you're up to here with the words
I've given you. Now start digging, give me 10 and I'll make sure that what I ignite here will go
across the earth. All he needs is blooming 10. Strangely enough for God, 10 is usually enough.
Where do we first see it? Genesis. What if there are 10 people in the city, will you spare it?
Yeah. How many people does it take before you can build a synagogue? 10.
If 10 of us can catch this and move forward then the church will step into waist-deep water.
Those in diligent pursuit, those who walk in oneness, those who wrestle with faith and those
who walk in the truth, those who walk in the truth, those who walk in the truth, those who walk in the
diligent pursuit, those who walk in oneness, those who wrestle with faith and those who walk
in cross-bearing humility will have key bearing authority and new names in this new season.
Let me read that again. Those who diligently pursue, those who walk in oneness,
those who can dig with decrees and celebrate the well of healing that God promised in the
leaders approved, those who can wrestle with faith and those who can walk with cross-bearing
humility and key bearing authority will have new names in this new season. You know, at home,
someone made me a vest. It's not a vest. It looks like a vest. On one side is a cross and the other
side is a key and on the back it says, holy to the Lord. There's a connection between cross-bearing
humility and key bearing authority. There is no key bearing authority till there is cross-bearing
humility and if 10 are willing to stand up for this, then know immediately that the knife of
circumcision will be applied to you. What does that mean? That you must be circumcised then.
That's part of the equation because otherwise you can't walk in this. So let's pray and as we pray,
if you're one of the 10 and we might have two sets of 10, three sets of 10, all I need, not all I
need, all God needs is 10. So I'm just going to pray and this is between you and God, not even
between you and me. So Father, I want to be the first of the 10. Please count me in. Please take
the knife of circumcision and apply it to my life wherever it needs to be undone, wherever things
need to be cut off, wherever there is a demand to worship the idol called Jacob,
wherever there are luxuries afforded. Oh God, this is so worth it.
I come Father as one of the 10. There are others here that will rise up Father.
Let us rise up please, oh God, let them not rise up if this is not a sure thing because I pray that
we understand that the time for fun and games is over, that if God actually sees us standing,
He will mean business. And I'm reminded of Ecclesiastes 10 I think where it says,
do not make a vow to God Jacob if you don't plan to keep it because if you do, He will hold you
responsible. So make this as hard for me as possible, oh God, so that if I stand up,
I'm standing up to be measured, to have my head shaved, to stand in line with others
and to march from dawn to dusk without complaint. If this is what I'm signing up for Father,
then please count me in, oh God. Come on Lord, you'll have your 10 easily in this church
and then another 10 and another 10.
So we thank you for the first 10 Abba.
We thank you for the first 10.
You're seeing them.
So I say to you what that boy said to you in Hebrides 1.0, you are a covenant-keeping God
and you are someone who engages your covenant amongst men. You ask for 10, there are 10.
Now keep your covenant, oh God, otherwise how will I tell others that you, oh God, are faithful,
even though I know you're faithful. We pray that in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you guys.
I'm going to ask
someone to come and do communion. I'll ask,
Tarun and Jane to come up and do communion.
And if you need prayer after that, there'll be people here to pray with you.
And tell your, the school starts on Saturday. If you want to sign up, please do.
Amen.
Father God, we are here in your presence, oh Lord Jesus. We pray that you are with us, oh Lord
Father, and during this time that we've heard this message from you today and from Jacob. We
pray that you fill our hearts with your presence, oh Lord. We fill, oh Lord, we come to you and we
surrender completely into you, oh Lord Father, and may this week be a blessing for us from your
heavenly Father. We pray that you strengthen us in any hurdle that is there with us, oh Lord Father.
We pray that you yoke with us, oh Lord Father, and for your burden is light, oh Lord Jesus. We walk
with you, oh Lord Father, for we know that you will open up those doors for us, oh Lord Jesus.
In your mighty name we pray, amen.
We'll just give a few minutes for the elements to be passed around.
Amen.
Abba, I pray that as we wait for the bread and cup to come, I pray that,
I pray that we see this cup as a cup of surrender.
Jesus, you surrendered everything. You surrendered your life so that we can have life.
I pray that
as we take this cup today, it be a cup of surrender today.
Amen.
So that we can carry everything you are here to ask us to carry.
Amen.
Father, I hear you saying, eat of my flesh, drink of my blood.
These are usually terms we avoid, oh God.
It sounds terrible in today's context, and yet you're saying, will you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood?
Eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, and then you went on to say, if you don't, you have no part in me.
In pagan religions, the God Paul said that when people would partake,
thanks, when people would partake at the table of their gods, they would become one with their gods.
It was an ancient practice.
That's part of the reason you tell us now not to eat food offered to idols.
But today you're saying to us, taking that motive from what Paul said, you're saying to us, eat of my flesh and drink of my blood.
Partake with me, become one with me.
So that you can say of your bride today here at Act 29, flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone.
So we thank you Father, as we say to ourselves now, quietly, that I eat of your flesh, Jesus, and I drink of your blood.
Strange thing to say, but we say it a couple of times to ourselves, that Jesus, we eat of your flesh, and we drink of your blood.
It gives us life, it makes us one with you.
We partake at your table.
You said, if I don't, I have no part in you.
I thank you that you gave your flesh to be eaten and your blood to be poured out for my sin.
I don't know why you want us to do it this way.
We'll understand it better next time, Abba.
And so on the night he was betrayed, he took bread, he broke it, and he said, this is my body, which is broken for you.
Eat it.
And so we eat it.
Let the will of heaven be the will here on earth of the people under this roof right now.
In the same manner after supper, he took the cup, he gave thanks, and he said, this is my blood, with which I sign a new agreement with you.
As often as you eat and drink of it, remember.
And so we remember the passage from John chapter 6 today.
Eat of my flesh, drink of my blood, and if you don't, you have no part in me.
So we partake at your table right now as we become one with you.
One with you.
We say that of God.
I am one with you.
Your spirit and my spirit have become one.
Say it again.
I am one with you, Lord Jesus.
Your spirit and my spirit have become one.
One more time.
I am one with you, Lord Jesus.
Your spirit and my spirit have become one.
Here's another one.
I am in you, and you are in me.
Crazy, eh?
I am in you.
And you are in me.
So we thank you, Jesus, for what you did.
We raise our glasses to you and bless you.
We thank you as we drink now.
Magnificent sun, in Jesus' name.