The sermon calls for a renewed commitment to prayer and fellowship in order to invite God's transformative presence into our lives and communities.
This sermon emphasizes the urgency for believers to come together in unity and fellowship, reminiscent of the class meetings led by John Wesley. It challenges individuals to prioritize dedicating time to seek God fervently, even if it means sacrificing sleep or comfort, in order to experience a revival that can transform communities. The focus is on the power of prayer, genuine conversion, and the need for a deep hunger to glorify God above all else, believing that God can bring about a spiritual awakening that impacts society.
Full Transcript
I submit to you that we can't longer go on waiting for the recalcitrant and the indifferent and the stubborn. The time has come when those who are of one mind and one heart must begin to meet on the grounds of the Lord's meeting. I believe that the answer is going to come when we reestablish again that grounds of fellowship as was done under John Wesley in the class meeting.
The answer, are you prepared to give a night of your life above all the other responsibilities you have? If you can't give a night, are you prepared to meet at five in the morning for two hours or more? Are you prepared to expend effort and energy and sacrifice of your time because of the hunger of your heart to glorify God? Will you submit to discipline? Will you submit to teaching? Are you prepared to follow in the way of the Word and of the Lord? Will you stand on the grounds of brokenness? But I'll tell you what, I want to see something that can empty taverns and empty brothels and empty nightclubs. And you know what, God's going to do it. The other man with us was blind, totally blind.
He'd been dead just a week or two and his wife wrote to us and she said, well, dear Lemon Martha, you know, you know, I miss it so much when I pass his room. He used to pray seven or eight hours a day. I could hear his groanings and tears and sobs and pleading with God to move over the nation.
You can have your PhDs and DDs and all you've got. If a man can't pray as far as I'm going, he's an unentity in the kingdom of God. Now, Jesus said the gates of hell shall not prevail against my church.
He also said that no weapon formed against it should prosper. But you look around now and you see that the gates of hell are prospering. They're prospering against many churches, the man churches, I call them.
They are prevailing. The weapons of the enemy are prevailing. And the word prevail, that means overpower, to defeat.
But when the invitation has been given and people come and stand there and say, I want to go on with God, I'm desperately concerned for the fullness of Christ. I'm going to meet him at any cost. I'm willing to adjust my schedule, adjust my plans.
I'm willing to take a night of my life and as many hours as God requires. But I am going to find out how to live wholly for Christ. We need people to go forth with a new birth message, forget all about tongues, forget all about miracles and signs and wonders, in case they're not happening anyhow.
Let's get back to real genuine conversion work. If God is in the midst, a lot of our stuff would never take place. Just let God come.
He's very present.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The urgency of gathering for fellowship
- The historical example of John Wesley's class meetings
- The importance of unity in purpose
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II
- The commitment required for spiritual growth
- The necessity of discipline and teaching
- Sacrificing time for God's glory
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III
- The power of prayer and its impact
- The reality of spiritual warfare
- The call for genuine conversion
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IV
- The need to confront prevailing darkness
- The promise of God's presence
- The call to let God move freely
Key Quotes
“The time has come when those who are of one mind and one heart must begin to meet on the grounds of the Lord's meeting.” — Compilations
“If a man can't pray as far as I'm going, he's an unentity in the kingdom of God.” — Compilations
“Just let God come.” — Compilations
Application Points
- Dedicate specific times in your week for prayer and fellowship with other believers.
- Evaluate your current commitments and adjust them to prioritize your relationship with God.
- Seek genuine conversion in your life and encourage others to do the same.
