In James 5:16-18 (NLT2) “The earnest prayer of a righteous person... (Part 1)

... has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” Today we begin this new series “Revival Praying” and I hope this is exactly what Life Church will begin to do. Anyone with their eyes opened can see our world is in a mess. The kind of revival I am talking about takes a church takes the church in its grasp and refuses to let go until every last ounce of sin and self has been squeezed out. There is nothing pacifying about revival. Revival is not a season to be jolly. It’s not celebration or festivity. The church in revival is faced with the anguish of unforgiven sin.  Like Isaiah of old the church cries out “Undone”. The question is not “Where is the God of Elijah? Where are the Elijahs of God?”

1. Elijahs of God. James tells us that Elijah was human or of like passions as we are but we are not like him obviously when it comes to praying and seeking God. He and God stand together as a majority against a wicked nation, against a wicked king, and a wicked Jezebel. We think we can’t make a difference in the mess today but we can if we pray. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
¹⁴  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 2. Stand in the Gap. So many times we think we have it worse now than any time in history but Elijah was raised up at a time when darkness covered the land. So what did God do? Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

3. Stand in the Gap and Pray. The secret to praying is praying in secret. If we are not praying, we are playing with the future of our kids and grandkids. I love the song…The Blessing but we have to pray for that to happened. Future generations will only be blessed if we will stand in the gap and pray for revival.

In Acts 19:11-15 (NKJV) “Now God worked unusual miracles...

... by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" This evil spirit teaches us that there are people in the church whose names are known because of their Holy Spirit power. Do demons know your name? Today we look at:               

1. Unusual Miracles. Handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s body brought healing. That’s unusual. People brought out sick people so that Peter’s shadow might fall on them. The implication was they were healed. Unusual power manifested. We have a ways to go to get there.

2. Evil spirits know. Acts 19:15 (NKJV) “And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Pastor Rick, do demons know what I am thinking? No, but they don’t have to, they can just watch what you are doing and know how to tempt you. So powerful what the demon said, Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you? Let me ask you today, who are you? 

3. True repentance. People heard that the evil spirit acknowledged Jesus and Paul and great fear fell on the area. God, do it again! Jesus was magnified! People came confessing their sins. This is revival! Then, they brought the things in their homes that were offensive to God and the gospel. Get rid of the junk in your house that opens the door to sin. Some of you may need to get rid of Net-Flix, movies, access to God cursing movies, and even alcohol. There is a reason alcohol has been called spirits for years. So the Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. Repentance leads to revival! Psalm 85:6 (NKJV) “Will You not revive us again?”

Paul and Barnabas go to Lystra to preach...

    ... the gospel and to hopefully see revival. There is a message here especially for those of us who believe in the supernatural. Lystra was a pagan city where the people worshipped a host of false gods. When Paul and Barnabas show up, things get real in a hurry. A crippled man is healed and the people want to make them into gods…Zeus and Hermes. A revival of the wrong kind.

1. Going from Normal to Supernatural Will Require us to Glorify God. What kind of revival could Lystra been blessed with if they had not tried to make Paul and Barnabas into gods? People tend to want gods to follow with flesh on them. Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

2. Going from Normal to Supernatural Will Require Us to be Contrite. Listen to what Michael Amico says in this message Beware of Revival. Revival has a price. He says… “There is nothing soothing about revival. Revival is not a season to be jolly. It’s not celebration or festivity. The church in revival is faced with the anguish of unforgiven sin. Like Isaiah of old the church cries out “Undone”.  Revival often takes the church in its grasp and refuses to let go until every last ounce of sin and self has been squeezed out. There is nothing soothing about revival. Revival often scorches before it soothes! Revival burns before it blesses! Revival eliminates before it edifies! Revival hurts before it heals! Revival empties before it fills! Revival breaks before it builds! Revival breaks everything in its path. Revival breaks pride, programs, prejudices, and platforms. Revival makes demands, real demands. Revival demands painful repentance! Revival demands painful sacrifice! Revival demands painful commitment! Revival demands ambitious evangelism! Beware of revival!  Revival is not all preachers and teachers have made it out to be.  Let me suggest that the next time you pray for revival, you first of all count the cost.” Paul decided to be contrite. What did their humility get him? Suffering with and for Christ. He was stoned and left for dead.

3. Going from Normal to Supernatural Will Bring Resurrection Power. Acts 14:20 (NIV) “But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.” I am sure they gathered around Paul and prayed. What happened? He got up and went back into the city! Surprise! We see normal going to supernatural. God raised up Paul with resurrection power. You don’t get stoned and get back up (the same day) and go preach unless you have experienced the supernatural. Revival may cost us more than we think!

God is calling His church ...

...again to a deeper place of prayer. The church needs reviving and our land needs healing. Today we are talking about what constant prayer will do. Acts 12:5 (NKJV) “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” This story brings out or highlights in our lives what God can do when we participate in constant prayer. Quote - Anything God can do; prayer can do. Why? Because prayer is our link to God. The prayer of faith is the link to God’s power. Nothing is impossible with God…nothing is impossible when we pray. What happens when people pray?

1. When people pray something from heaven shows up. There was an angel…a light showed up in the prison. When we pray here, God responds from heaven. We have not because we ask not. We need something supernatural from God. 

2. When people pray God wakes people up. When the angel came to Peter, what did he do? He smote him in the side and woke him up. When God’s people pray…God wakes up those who are sleeping. Ephesians 5:14 (NIV) "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 

3. When people pray chains fall off. Chains are restrictive. If you have chains on your legs, you can’t run. When we pray personally we find a freedom we did not have before. A new ability or freedom to witness…no longer restricted. When we pray God sets people free. Listen, your prodigal can’t be worse off than Peter, he was going to die. I know with the opioid crisis we wonder if they can be free. They can! Pray! I was there before it was popular. The church prayed and God set me free. 

4. When people pray doors are opened. Pastor, the door is not opening…pray! There’s a battle! Pray! 1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV) “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” When God’s people pray…doors are opened just like for Peter. God opened the door and set him free. We don’t need a battering ram…we do not need to force it…God will open the door. Pray!

Pray until the normal becomes supernatural. Pray until our land is healed. Pray constantly until your prodigals come home. Pray until revival comes! 

Peter is before church leadership giving an account...

... for preaching to and eating with Gentiles. He tells them how remembering God’s Word about Holy Spirit baptism helped him. Last week we talked about how salvation came to Cornelius (to Gentiles) and how, as Peter preached God’s Word to them, Holy Spirit fell upon them. Oh, how I would like to see that here. How did Peter help Cornelius and his household? He remembered!                                                                                                                           Acts 11:16 (NKJV) “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

1. To go from normal to supernatural we must remember the Word of the Lord. Peter’s struggle with preaching to Gentiles and seeing them saved and baptized with Holy Spirit power was done away with when he remembered the Word of the Lord. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” Peter remembered Jesus said He would baptize us with Holy Spirit and fire. Studying, memorizing, and remembering His Word will help take you from normal to supernatural.

2. Peter remembered the Promise of the Father, Holy Spirit. Some of you think I over-emphasize Holy Spirit and I don’t think the church gives Him the honor due to Him. He is God, the Holy Spirit. Peter knew the door had been opened to the Gentiles because, “God gave them the same gift (Holy Spirit) as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" 

3. The District glorified God because Peter remembered. Think about this…you and I are here today because Peter remembered the Word of God and because there was the witness of Holy Spirit to the Jew and to the Gentile. God has had the answer to racism for a long time. The problem is not with Him but with His church. If the churches of America would go after a Holy Spirit revival, things would change. We need the full gospel. We need the gospel that doesn’t leave out Holy Spirit and His power. The gospel can change the Jew, the Gentile, the black, the white, the brown…all people of all nations.

Today we will see how God...

...can take a hungry man and his entire family from normal to supernatural. As I continue reading through the Book of Acts I see this theme over and over where God is taking someone or a group of people from the normal to the supernatural. This was true of Cornelius. He was evidently an incredible person. He was a leader (a centurion), he was a family man, he was devout and God fearing, he was generous, and he was a man of prayer. Let’s see he and his family’s transformation. 

1. For Cornelius to go from normal to supernatural he must be born again. Let me ask all of us here today, was Cornelius born again according to God’s Standard, the Word of God? Look again at our text: Acts 10:2 (NIV) “He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” Many people pray (I did before I got saved) but are not right with God. Many people acknowledge there is a God (so do demons and they tremble), and many people are generous but they are not saved. Cornelius had so much going for him and he even had a desire to know this God in a more intimate way. This is why God thru an angel had him to send for Peter. No other Name but Jesus for salvation. Cornelius needed Jesus just like we needed Jesus to be saved. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life!

2. For Cornelius to go from normal to supernatural he needed a Gentile Pentecost. God is always looking for people who are hungry and thirsty for Him and who are desiring more of Him and His presence! Cornelius wanted all God had for him. He received more than he could even imagine. He found out Jesus was to be Lord and Savior. He also, was baptized in Holy Spirit power! Can you imagine the witness he became?

3. Cornelius wanted even more. After salvation and Holy Spirit baptism Cornelius followed the Lord in water baptism. He wanted to identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. And they wanted even more…They asked Peter to stay a few days! So hungry for more! They wanted to go from normal to supernatural! More, Lord!

 

Today we continue the series “Normal or Supernatural”...

... and we will see this transformation taking Saul to Paul. Acts 9:3-6 (NKJV) “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Saul, later to become Paul, was on a mission to destroy any who were of the Way (Christians). It seemed to be personal with him. I wonder where his deep hurt came from. How did Saul change to Paul?

1. Stephen helped Saul go from normal to supernatural. Stephen is arrested and brought before the Council. The glory of God was on him. His face was like an angel. He testified to all of them about Jesus. They were furious with him when he challenged their heart’s condition. So how does Stephen have influence on Saul? Saul was there watching. Watching Stephen preach. Hearing Stephen say I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing. Saul heard him forgive the people. Please do not try to tell me that Stephen’s soul print was not imbedded into Saul spirit. Stephen was filled with power so he was a witness to a young man named Saul. 

2. Jesus and Holy Spirit have to do the work. What we often see in the church is not people being used of Holy Spirit but we see people trying to be Holy Spirit. He comes to convict people of sin and we feel He needs our help. Nope! Notice Saul is going from his normal to God’s supernatural by Holy Spirit and Jesus. Lord, what do you want me to do? This is evidence of the transformation from normal to supernatural. This should be our first step. Lordship means, not my will but Yours be done. 

3. Be filled with Holy Spirit. Acts 9:17 (NKJV) “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Poor Ananias was given a job none of us would have ever wanted…go talk to Saul for Me! If we will go from normal to supernatural, it will never happen because we learn more, study harder, or any other spiritual exercise, it will only happen as we are filled with Holy Spirit.