Open up your Bibles to Isaiah 66.
If you've been tracking
this year, I've
not been speaking as much, and that was set forth, but we have
other wonderful pastors that
I will say are far more advanced than the things of God
than even I am. So trust me, you're not missing out
when I'm not speaking, amen? Would you not say that
our pastors are just amazing? I mean honestly, can we honor them
even though they're not here this morning? Can we honor them? Can we do that?
I love our pastors. I really do. And they are
far advanced in things of God that
I and Tanya even am. And I am honored
to be able to come under somebody like
Pastor Vern and Pastor Mary. I truly am. I truly am honored and privileged
to sit under them, to be, to call them our spiritual
parents. See, I'm not brown-nosing because they're not even here, guys.
Usually people will talk about somebody good when they're not here.
They're not even here and I can talk good about them.
That's right. Isaiah 66.
If you've been tracking this year, I've just been kind of parked on one series, and
that is Revival Is. And I want to give a quick Sunday
overview and with as much time as we have, that might be it.
But that's alright because sometimes it's good to have a refreshment.
But last time I spoke, which I think was like
man, I think it was like early June. I think it was like June 7th. I think it was the last time I spoke.
I talked about, I talked about
Isaiah 66 is primarily the foundational scriptures to this
series is that God says in Isaiah
He says on this one, I shall look.
In other words, this one has caught my attention.
This one I am captivated with.
Did you know that God can actually be captivated with us?
He can be. If you don't believe me, just read the book Song of Solomon.
Just read that book. Read the relationship between
the bridegroom and the Shulamite woman as the bride
in the book of Song of Solomon. It's talking about Christ.
It's a foreshadowing of Christ as the bridegroom and the Shulamite
woman as being the bride. They are captivated with one another.
They're lovesick for one another. They are
they are ravished. They are pursuing each other with all that they have.
So we as the people are not only captivated
by God and the beauty of who He is, He can
actually look according to Isaiah 66. He looks on
these. He can be moved and captivated with the people
if they follow or I should say fall into a certain criteria.
Now I do want to say this is that we all have that
opportunity. We all have an opportunity.
It's not like there's only a certain group of people that can only captivate God.
Like it's not just the pastors or the leaders
or the evangelists or the apostles or just the worshipers, literally
everybody who is born of the Spirit
who loves Jesus
who acknowledges Him as their personal Savior
has the ability to actually captivate God and to move God's heart.
I often times say this but I just want to say it again
we have the ability to move the heart
of a Genesis one God.
Somebody gets it.
Somebody gets it.
Just sit on that just for a little bit because I often times
I meditate on that. It's like whoa
I a puny little person
just a small little speck
I have the ability
by the Holy Spirit. Not by my might, not by
power but by your Spirit say it the Lord. By my Spirit
say it the Lord.
But I as a vessel filled with the Spirit of God
actually have the ability
to move His heart
I have the ability
to be somebody
that God is caught up with and He's looking at me
and He's just like wow
wow
You ever gone to the park with your kids? How many of you here have kids? A lot of you, right?
Yes. Okay. How many of you still have small kids?
I'm talking about like eight and under where they still like to go to the park and play.
Yeah. You ever been that parent maybe it's just me where you're sitting
and there's like 20, 30 kids but you're looking
at your kid and you're like wow
look what I made
look at him going those monkey bars
and he's growing up fast
you see and I believe God does that with us
and I believe that because the scripture teaches that He does
He says on this one I will look
we can live life in a way of where God is captivated with us
we can
we don't have to live in depression
And oppression and condemnation and living in this cloud of darkness, but we can actually live a life
That is full of joy and of the Holy Spirit and where God is pleased with us
Friends we can live a life like that
We don't have to be like the rest of the world and I'll even go further like the rest of
the church
We can be different
We can be set apart
Isaiah 66 reads this
God is speaking through the prophet. This is verse one. He says heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool
Where is the house that you will build me and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things my hand has made and all those things exist says the Lord
But on this one
But on this one will I look
So he is making a distinction. He is making a distinction and a separation. I
See all things look. I've made the heavens
I've made the earth
The creepy crawly things the flying things the nasty things and when I say nasty things I'm talking about snakes
Absolutely hate snakes
He says I've made all these things look look the stars the moon the day the night the seas the
Secret everything he says I've made and I see it all
But then he makes the separation and he makes this distinct. It's like there's a difference. He says,
but on this one, I will look. In other words, on this one, I will actually be captivated with.
If you haven't been following Pastor Verne's series on identity, or if you have not heard
the first message of identity in Christ, I highly encourage you to go there. And then listen to the
second one and listen to the third one. But the first one specifically, I was telling Pastor, I said,
Pastor, I said, when you were speaking and I was sitting there listening to you, for those of you
that still remember dial-up internet, how many of you remember the dial-up internet, right?
I was sitting there and I was listening and it's like a spirit of revelation just rested on me.
And it's like my brain, inside my brain, it was doing that dial-up, like
and I was like, it was just downloading, but it took forever and it still is.
It's like dial-up internet when the spirit of revelation comes upon you.
But here's something I want to point out. In all of God's creation,
the Scripture tells us that we as His children, we as the ones that are made in the image of Christ,
we are made just a little bit lower than Elohim. In other words, when God looks at everything
He's created, everything, just think about it. Everything that God has created
in heaven and on earth, not just earth, okay? In heaven and on earth, the angels,
let me get more specific, the cherubim, the seraphim, the archangels, Michael, Gabriel,
all these creations, all the other things that God has made. He looks at us and He says,
right there. He says, right there. He says, on this one, He says, on this one, I will look.
On this one, this one actually has my attention. I am captivated by this individual. Why? Because
on this one, I will look. It says, on Him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word.
I would probably even go to the measure to say that only we as humanity have the ability
for all three of these things. That's why He says, on this one, I will look.
In other words, if I can be poor, now in context to Isaiah 66, when the Scripture is talking about
being poor, it's referring to being poor in spirit and being poor in heart. It's not a financial poverty
because I feel like we get that mixed up sometimes. I heard one pastor say it this
way and I laughed. He said, how poor do you gotta be financially or physically that God actually
pays attention to you? I mean, that you're holy enough is what he said. He says, how rusty does
my car have to be that then I'm holy enough? I gotta say something. This is gonna be good.
I always laugh at this. Why do we always...
Let me put it this way. If somebody in the congregation, I'm not speaking this to anybody,
I'm just speaking this wide spectrum and I'll tell you why I'm sharing this because my brother said
something to me years ago that I'm like, bro, huh? But let me just back up here real quick. I
just gotta say this. I gotta. Why do we, when somebody from the congregation buys a brand new
car, we congratulate him for it and we say, good job. But if we see a pastor come in a new vehicle,
what do we do? We judge them. Oh, he's making too much money.
And here's why I'm saying that. Okay, let me give you my reason why I'm saying that.
When we came on staff, my wife and I, we owned a very nice vehicle and not that we
don't own a nice vehicle now, but the vehicle we owned was a car that I've dreamt of for
years. I worked hard for it and God supernaturally blessed me with it. And when we came on staff,
my older brother told me, he goes, well, bro, looks like you gotta sell that car now.
I said, why? He said, you're a pastor now. I was like, what? He goes, yeah, he goes,
you're a pastor now. You can't own a vehicle like that anymore. I was like, where do you
find that in the scriptures? Jesus wrote a brand new donkey. Why can't I write a brand new
vehicle? Nobody wrote in the donkey that Jesus wrote on. Why do I gotta go get myself a rust bucket
just because I'm a pastor now? Yeah. Listen, the donkey that the Lord wrote on was a young
colt that nobody wrote on. In other words, okay, I'm not gonna go there because you're gonna
judge me for it. I was gonna say it was a brand new Rolls Royce, but we're not gonna go that far.
But the point being is that it's like we look at being poor as you gotta be a certain level.
If you exceed this, oh man, we gotta have our minds renewed. We gotta have our minds renewed
because when I read the scriptures and I see that the leader is blessed,
the rest of the people are blessed. Look at Solomon. Just take Solomon for an example.
When a businessman prospers, now let me add a little line in. When a righteous businessman
prospers, so do his employees. Let me say that again. When a righteous businessman prospers,
so do the employees. Following me? Okay. We still got a little bit of time.
So he says, on this one I will look. He who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
poor in spirit or poor in heart and then of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word.
On this one, God says, I will look. There's this distinction. There's this difference
that God is saying. He says, look what I've made. Heaven is my throne. Earth is my footstool.
But this one actually has my attention. If we can live a life, cultivate a life
that has three of these components in it, which by the way, all three of these components
are talking about first love. Because if you were tracking with this series revival is,
I said this thing that majority of Christians, majority of churchgoing people,
have a misunderstanding of what revival is. We do. We genuinely we do. And I can't say that I have
it all figured out that I know the fullness of it. But what I know is I'm persuaded of it.
Scripturally I read it. Revival and the purpose of it is for first love.
Why does God revive us? Because he wants to revive that first love that we had on to him
when we first met him. I'll even go to the extent and say that if we have lost our first love,
we've lost everything. I will say that with boldness. I will say that with complete confidence.
If we have lost our first love on to Jesus, we've lost everything, friend.
I don't care that you prophesy. I don't care how big your ministry is. I don't care about this,
that, and the other. If you have lost your first love on to the Lord, you've lost everything.
You don't believe me? Read Revelation 2. Read Revelation 2. Read 1 Corinthians 13. Just read it.
The purpose of revival or what revival even is, it is to have first love on to him. Then
we are actually revived. Because out of first love comes everything else.
Literally, out of first love comes everything else. Out of the first and greatest commandment.
This is Matthew 22. When the Pharisees came to Jesus, they said, Lord, what is the first
and greatest commandment? What did the Lord reply? He said, Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, and mind. All your strength. All of who you are. Love him.
He says, and then the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Everything comes out of loving God. I said this last time I spoke in June 7th. I think it was
June 7th that I spoke. Is that it takes God to love God. Do you guys remember that?
Yeah. It literally takes God to... We can't love God on our own. I've tried.
Man, it is hard. It is hard. It is hard to love God on... It's exhausting.
It's exhausting to try and love God on my own.
That's why you hear me say it so often. How much we need the Holy Spirit?
How much we need the Holy Spirit to love him? Because he is so great and mighty,
full of majesty and glory. And here we think puny humans. I got this on my own. Think again, man.
Repent. Lay down your pride and admit I need the Holy Spirit to love him.
I need him to counsel me, to help me, to lead me, to convince me.
We oftentimes, just a little side note here, we oftentimes try to convince people to believe in
Jesus. Sometimes I'm just like, man, just let the Holy Spirit do it.
The Scripture says, one sows in other waters, but God makes it grow.
One sows in other waters, but God makes it grow. Maybe there's somebody in your life that you're just
really trying to convince that Jesus is real. Do me a favor, just give it on to Jesus. Give it
on to the Holy Spirit to be more specific. Give it on to the Holy Spirit. And say, Holy Spirit,
I'm doing what the Scripture says. Paul writes that one sows. I've sowed God and I continue
to sow. Would you send somebody to water that seed? And more than just water that seed, God,
would you send your Holy Spirit like you did this morning and convince this individual?
Still with me? Praise God. You're not bored yet? Praise God. You guys love me, don't you?
Hallelujah. Thank you so much. Isaiah 66 has a, what I would say, a two-fold meaning to it.
What I mean by that is that being that it's an Old Testament Scripture,
it actually has a New Testament language in it. So in the Old Testament we find that
when they would build a dwelling place for God or an altar for God, it was a place that
was very geographical. It was like when Moses pitched a tent and he built a tabernacle, it's like
God was only there. His manifest presence was only there. That's why I believe it's David. They would
take the tent and they would move it and then they would replant it because it was like it was
only a geographical location to where God could be. But it has, Isaiah 66 has a New Testament
language to it because being now New Testament believers, we are actually a temple of the Holy Spirit.
So there's a two-fold in Isaiah 66. There is, I still believe, I still believe
that there is geographical locations that God will specifically rest. Jim, it's coming on you,
isn't it? Hallelujah. I see it all over you, brother. I still believe that there is houses of
worship. In other words, there is local churches that God will specifically come and rest. Why?
Why? No, it's more than just the Holy Spirit, but yes,
because they are poor in spirit,
contrite in spirit, and they tremble at the Word of God.
Yet at the same time, God can actually dwell in us as His temples.
Are you ready to hear some revelation? You could be so filled with the Holy Spirit and His presence,
because you are the temple that He's resting on, because you're poor, because you're contrite,
and you tremble at His Word. You can come to a place that's dead, and like a good friend
of mine says, it's a two-sweater church because it's so cold. But because you are so filled,
you can actually ooze out of the presence of God, and you can affect a place.
Ah, you guys didn't catch that.
You could live a life as a temple of the Holy Spirit, as a temple of where God comes and rests,
that you can enter a place where there's dry and dead bones, but because God rests on you,
life begins to come. This can be in your home. This could be in your workplace.
This could be in your school. This could be amongst your friends, amongst your relatives.
See, this is something that's available to all of us. It is available to us. It is.
And some of you are saying, well, why don't we see it because you don't want it enough.
We don't want it enough because if we wanted it enough, we would constantly
be cultivating a life that's poor, contrite, and trembling at His Word.
You've heard me say it before. We're not desperate enough here in America. We're not
desperate enough for the Lord yet. You're saying, what do you mean, pastor? That's exactly what I mean.
I believe the shaking is coming for the sake of bringing us into an oil press.
It's not to harm us. It's not to hurt us. It's bringing us into an oil press
that it puts us in a position that it's crunch time.
You have to make a decision.
You're saying, well, God doesn't do that. He doesn't put us in a place that we're uncomfortable.
What God are you talking about?
What God are you talking about?
That is the God that will put you in the most uncomfortable position.
Why? Because when I'm uncomfortable, I lean on Him like never before.
Jeremiah says, God, I'm youth. I'm young. I don't know how to speak.
He says, yeah, but I'll put my words in your mouth and you will speak what I command you to speak.
And don't be afraid of them. That's what He says. Why? Because I'm with you.
To be uncomfortable is where God wants us to be.
Yet at the same time, it's like, God, how do you do it?
I'm uncomfortable. Yet all at the same time, I'm comfortable.
It's like the flesh doesn't like it, but the spirit's like, oh, give me more.
Still with me?
So Isaiah 66 has two meanings, or it's a twofold. It has the New Testament language.
Again, like I said, I still believe that God
is resting. He finds houses of worship. In other words, he finds churches.
And he will rest there because, because there's the people there that are found to be poor,
contrite, and tremble at their word. And they've caught his attention.
And do you know what's even more amazing? I've said this before. I long to see this day.
I do long to see this day. And I believe my eyes, my physical eyes shall see it before I go to be with
the Lord or even maybe before the Lord comes. I don't know. But my eyes long to see this day
that every individual from a local body would seek the Lord.
When I say seek Him, I'm talking about like you lost that mortgage payment that's due
the first of the month, and you're seeking it. God, I know I put that check somewhere. Where is it?
And you're flipping furniture, and you're going through your car, your husband's car,
you're going through your kids' cars, you're going to your office, you're searching for it.
That's what I'm talking about. If a people could search for God, like they lost something
that's valuable. From Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday to Thursday to Friday to Saturday
and then Sunday when we show up together and a corporate anointing would come
because it's not just two or three that have caught His attention, but it's 250
that have caught the attention of God and He would come and He would rest and He would
dwell in such a way that we would be flat on our faces. You're saying, well pastor,
I thought that the pastor's only supposed to do that, and I just come and receive.
Interesting because when I read the scriptures, Paul writes,
and when you gather, let each of you have something, a psalm, a hymn, a spiritual song.
He's not just talking about your money. Actually, it doesn't even say in those few verses.
I think it's Ephesians 519 and Colossians 316 is when he says that. Ephesians 519 for sure.
He says, when you gather, he says, let each of you not let the pastor or let the worship team
or let so-and-so, he says, let each of you have something to bring.
What did we bring for the Lord this morning? What did you bring for the Lord?
Don't answer that, but I want to just ask you that question.
What did you bring to the Lord this morning that was actually pleasing to him?
How was your heart postured this morning when you were coming to church?
To gather with your fellow brethren, brothers and sisters in Christ?
What was in your heart, in the depths of your heart? What was there?
To bring before the Lord, to lay at His feet? Was there grumbling?
Was there conflict in your heart? Was there self-motivation? Was there self-found in there?
It's good to come to church and know that you're going to receive something.
That is good. And it is necessary that we come on a Sunday and we can expect to receive
something from God. But here's where we've hit the ditch in that, in the church realm,
or in the church world, is that we've hit the ditch with that, is that we've become so self.
When I come to church, I'm not only expecting to receive something from Him,
but I'm expecting an exchange. Here's what I have, God. It's not much.
It's not much, God. But this is what I have. And this morning, I lay it before you.
Here's my alabaster flask, God. I'm breaking it. I'm anointing your feet. I'm washing your feet.
Here, God, it's not much. It's been a tough week, Lord. But here, here, would you,
would you take this, at least? And would you in exchange touch me this morning?
You say, no, pastor, you're preaching works. No, I'm not preaching works.
I'm not preaching works. I'm not saying do something. I'm saying bring something.
And we've hit a ditch where it's like I come to only receive. That's good. I'm glad
that you come here and that you receive. It is necessary. I actually would be worried as
your pastor if you weren't receiving something when you came on a Sunday. I would be worried.
And do you know why I'd be worried? What am I doing wrong as a pastor that you're
not receiving something? That's where I would start. That's where I would start.
Not saying that's where I would finish, but that's where I would start.
Because sometimes we don't receive. I'm not gonna go there. But I long to see that day
that a congregation of 250, of 450, of 650, of 850, whatever,
they've sought the Lord. They've genuinely sought the face of God.
They've laid their lives down as a living sacrifice. And then they show up on a Sunday
in a corporate anointing. And God comes and dwells and blows the roof off.
See, we always talk about past revival, specifically the Azusa Street revival.
I've heard so many people talk about it. They're like, man, it's so amazing.
The fire department came out because they thought the roof was on fire, man. Whoa!
Hey, that's cool. But did you know that that's available to us today?
I find it interesting that we bask in other people's
accomplishments and we bask in other people's experiences where God's like,
but you can. You can have that. You can actually have that and more.
You're saying, well, where are you pulling that from? Read your scriptures.
It says, I give my spirit without measure. It's not like there's a faucet that God's like,
ah, I'm all tapped out. Hey, holy spirit, we're all out, man, sorry.
There's no limit to the holy spirit. The limit is you.
Isaiah 66 is a place that I've told you before in the series is what I truly believe. I am
convinced by the holy spirit, that's what he's doing in this hour,
that he is going to and fro specifically, Isaiah 66. He's going to and fro
and he is looking for a place that he can rest both individually yet at the same time
corporately, geographically. I am convinced of it.
I believe that there is an emphasis that God is putting on the local church in our day and age
like never before. You're saying, why do I believe that? For many reasons. Let me simply tell you one
reason, to prepare us for what's ahead. To house, to house, to harbor, to be able to,
I don't want to use the word contain because you can't contain God,
but for a lack of better words, I'll use the word to contain the things of God,
to be able to carry them, to be able to have a place of where his glory can manifest and make a way
for so much more greater things that Christ would be actually exalted.
And I'm just, I'm convinced of it by the holy spirit. This is a message I believe he's going
to open doors and have me speak at many other local bodies. I've already spoken it at a
different local body, but being a pastor here, I have the privilege and the ability to expand on this.
I get to go deep with you guys, where it's like when I go to these other local churches,
it's like Pastor Mary says this machine gun, pa pa pa pa pa pa, see you later and I run.
But here it's like, I can't run because you're going to see me next Sunday.
And if I don't even run, you know where I live, so just don't show up there if I'm not
there. Please don't. Okay? I appreciate that. But God is looking by the holy spirit. He's looking.
He's going to and fro. He's searching. He's searching the land. Heaven is my throne.
Earth is my footstool. What kind of house shall you build for me? A house for what? To dwell in.
That I would come and rest. It is, it is inevitable. Listen to me. Just
hear me here. Revival is inevitable, meaning, if I'm using this word correctly, because my
English is not the greatest, okay? So let me use a different word. Revival is, there's no
questions asked that it'll be where God dwells. Let me say that over here. There is no question
that revival shall be. And what I mean by revival, first love.
And I'll throw this in there. The signs, miracles, the wonders, the supernatural activity of the
holy spirit. We don't even have to stress about those things if we can create a dwelling
place for God. Because when God comes, things begin to happen. All of a sudden, there's a burning
bush in front of you that isn't burning up. And you're scratching your head and saying,
but science says otherwise. Doctors say otherwise. You shouldn't have been healed. Who cares?
God came. But they had legions of demons. Who cares? God came.
We stress about things. And I'm not saying it's bad to ask for that. It's not bad to ask for it,
but I feel like sometimes it can almost derail you a little bit. And we're too concentrated on
this if we can focus on creating a place here, here, as a dwelling place for God to come and rest.
It's inevitable that the signs and the miracles and the wonders will happen.
And I've said this before, and I'm going to say it again. They'll bring the cripple. They'll bring
the lame. They'll bring the deaf. They'll bring the blind. They will bring the demon possessed.
I believe that they will even bring the dead. And they will come to life. Why? Why? Because God
dwells here. Pastor, why our church? Because God dwells here. And as long as I'm a pastor here
that God allows me to be, my first motive will be that God dwells here.
This place forever will be a dwelling place for the Almighty.
And if that means it's going to cost me more than just moving up north, God help me.
I love what Pastor Mary said last Sunday in prayer. She was talking to the older generation
and she said, if we as the older generation, if we don't sacrifice what God is asking us,
then the younger generation is in more trouble. Because sacrifice actually advances us in the
kingdom. If you're asking me, pastor, how do I advance in the things of God? Lay your life down.
Lay it down. Give yourself unto the altar if you actually want to advance in the things of God.
To me it's interesting and it's almost like, come on, Christians,
that the people on the other side, the demonic, they know that principle more than we know it.
I heard a story of a witch back in Africa. She was advancing in things that were demonic in the
witchcraft. Do you know what it cost her? It literally cost her her body. The story I heard
is that she was so sick because she would give herself. She gave herself over and over to the
demonic and the devil kept on advancing her. He would bring her into deeper things because he saw
that she was actually laying herself down for the kingdom of darkness. And it brought her to
a point. She couldn't walk. I think she couldn't speak. And all she heard about is that there
is this evangelist that is speaking at a crusade and that this guy he's speaking about, his
name is Jesus, and he has the ability to heal. She was so sick. I don't know how many miles I don't
remember, but she crawled on her elbows because waist down she couldn't even move. And I don't
know how many miles she crawled on her elbows to this crusade so that this man Jesus would
touch her and heal her. The devil has taken what God has set as a principle, a spiritual law.
He's taken it, he's corrupted it, and now we see people in the demonic realm advancing,
yet we as Christians are still toddlers. I love how my wife says it. She goes,
we're a bunch of toddlers. She goes, we walk around, we stumble, we get up. Okay, I can walk again.
Can we get to a place where we're a little more mature and we understand that if we want to advance
in the kingdom like things it's actually going to cost you something. There is actually a price
that you pay. And thank God, thank God that when he created this principle he's not asking us to be
sick. Actually, the scripture says he's defeated all sickness. So I'm not saying that you're going
to be crippled on your elbows, but it's going to cost you something that you're going to end
up doing not everything that pleases self. That's the cost I'm talking about.
He might ask you to do something that's uncomfortable. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
If I get too comfortable with certain things of God, I begin to check my heart.
Why am I too comfortable in this? Hmm. It brings us to complacency.
It brings us to compromise. It brings us to a laodicean-like spirit.
I got to say this because I'm just... I'm so just baffled in my mind about it.
Did you know that they write books? There's churches and pastors that write books of how
to properly... I'll use my language to work a room. And what I mean by that is in these
books, they teach you how you have to seat or position your chairs so that the individuals
in the chairs can last 30 minutes. And they even talk about what climate you have to hold
in the room so that people are comfortable. Wow! And if you go past 12, pastor,
that new person, they're not going to come back, then they don't want God. I'm sorry,
I'm going to be blunt with you. Then they don't want God. You're saying, why are you pinning,
wanting God to come into church? Do you remember what I said earlier? And when you gather,
let each of you have something? Yes, I can go seek God by myself at home. And I do.
I can go be with him alone, and I do. But there is something significant when we gather
together and we wait upon the Lord together. That's why he writes in Hebrews,
do not forsake the gathering of who? The saints. It's still with me. It's past 12 and you're
with me. There's a pastor in New York, when I was doing a study on revivals and different
things. There's a pastor on New York, I mentioned this last time. I'm still in the overview, by the
way. There's a pastor in New York by the name of John Tyson, a student of revival. That tells
me if he was a student of revival, he gave himself into studying what is a true biblical
revival. Did you know that there is a biblical revival? And then there is a, I'll just call it as
it is, a fleshly revival. And did you know that you can actually start with the biblical revival,
yet get into the flesh quicker than you can say Mississippi? You're saying how is that so?
When Christ stops being the center of it and we're more focused on the signs,
miracles, and wonders, you've lost it. You're saying, but isn't he the one that's performing them?
Yes. Yes, it's the Holy Spirit that can perform and does perform the signs, miracles, and wonders.
But it's just like in the story of Peter. I've shared this before. When Peter walks on the water
and the storms start to rage, the Lord told me this years ago. He said we oftentimes think
that the storms that rage are the trials and tribulations and this and that. And God showed me
that in a different perspective. He said, son, anything that takes you away from looking at me,
he says you'll sink. Anything that takes you away. When our attention goes away from Christ
and on the signs, and the miracles, and the wonders, and the operating of the gift,
we're going to start sinking. Do you know why? It's because when all the dust settles,
and the signs, and the miracles, and the wonders, and all that stuff stops, and we go home,
if Christ was not the center of it, all you got was just an experience.
But a true biblical revival never takes its eyes away from Christ.
As soon as our love, our first love shifts to something that's of Him. Not Him, but of Him.
It's like if you were to be my friend, and the only reason why you're friends with me
is because I have a boat. You would go and you would tell people, yeah, I'm friends with Igor.
But in my mind, what I'm saying is the only reason you're friends with me is because I call you to
go on the lake tubing. But if I call you and say, hey, can you come help me with some yard work?
Oh, I'm busy. Can you come help me build my house? Oh, I'm busy.
As soon as our eyes go away from Christ as the center, and all we want is the things
that are of Him, we're missing it. Because when the dust settles, when it settles,
when it's done, you've walked away with an experience. That's it.
Which in some measure, it's like, well, that's not bad. That's good to have those experiences.
But I want to walk away with an experience and a revelation knowledge when I leave.
I want to leave feeling so imprinted by God that whatever happened here, I want to see that happen
at home. That's us always looking at Christ. Thank you. Thank you for the signs, miracles,
and wonders, Lord. Thank you that you heal that woman. Thank you that you raise that man
from the dead. Thank you for the activity of the Holy Spirit. But Jesus, it's you that we
want. Nothing else. You, God. All these things are great, and it's awesome that they're happening.
But if you are not the center of why we're doing all this, we don't want to do it.
I'm going to be honest with you. I don't want to see things move if our eyes have left the
gaze of Jesus. Because that turns fleshly so quick. That's why you see so much church hurt in
the world. That's why you see so much mockery of the church in the world. That's why the Baptists,
look at us, Pentecostals, and they're like, look at those tongue-speaking people. What are they doing?
You still with me? Revival, a biblical revival, is when we are captivated with the Lord and
we're looking at Him. We're walking in first love onto Him. The love that is in our hearts,
that is in our spirits, is revived. It is awakened. It is stirred, and it is captivated with Him.
And then He comes and He dwells. And it's inevitable. Hear me. It is inevitable for things to happen.
If we as a church, I'm coming to an end here. If we as a church, Brian, can I get you on the keys?
If we as a church can focus more on creating a dwelling place, and I'm talking about all of us.
I'm not just talking about the pastors, the leaders, and just a few... All of us.
Remember today earlier? We are the body. We need one another. Each of us have...
You have something to bring, Sarah. Did you hear me?
You have something to bring to have the Lord catch the attention of this house more.
If we can focus on more as a church to create a dwelling and a resting place for God,
I promise you. And do you know why I promise you? It's because the Scripture says on this
one, I will look. And when he looks, he dwells, he rests, he comes upon, and he does a thing.
So if we as the people of God could focus more on God, we want to create a place that you are
pleased with. We individually, let me talk to you as an individual, me as an individual,
that I would be a temple that God is pleased with.
Not because I did everything right, not because I said everything right,
not because I lived this perfect life, but because I am poor, because I am contrite,
and because I tremble at his word, he will then come and he will dwell. And when you enter
into a room, the atmosphere begins to change. The atmosphere begins to change. The climate of the
room begins to shift. When there are the people that have caught the attention of God,
I've been around men and women that have caught the attention of God. I've sat in rooms with
these type of people and it's like, my God, what do you do that's different? Because whatever's
oozing off of you, friend, you have that ability. You have that right
to be a dwelling place onto God. And together, listen, and together we can create this house
to be a house of where God dwells and rests when we gather. You hear me?
Remind us. Remind us of our first love. Remind us of the time that we first met you.
Remind us, Holy Spirit, of when we beheld the first time that we beheld the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world. Remind us. Bring us back. Bring us back that we would see.
Bring us back to that place where you met with us and you forever changed. And you forever
changed. And you forever changed our lives. That supernatural encounter that you touched us.
You marked us that we would never be the same.
That we would confess that day that we will follow you to the ends of the earth.
Remind us of the day that you delivered us. Remind us of the day that you have set us free.
Remind us of the day that you've baptized us in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Bring us back.
Bring us back that we would see.
Holy Spirit.
Show us the mile markers in our lives, Lord. Show us our Ebenezer stones where we have
said before, thus far the Lord has brought me. Thus far my God, the Almighty has brought me.