Oh God, Would You Rend the Heavens? — Shane Idleman

The Cry for God to Rend the Heavens

Because God I believe and this is what we need the dire need of our day is that you would rend the heavens. Oh God, would you rend the heavens and come down? Oh that you would rend the heavens that you would come down that the mountains might shake at your presence as Fire burns brushwood as fire causes water to boil to make your name known to your adversaries.

That the nations may tremble at your presence for since the beginning of the world men have not Heard nor perceived by the ear nor has the eye seen any God besides you. Look at this who acts for the one who waits for him now if you believe God's Word you also believe his promises and I believe that God can still rend the heavens and One principle we get from this and I've just been I told my wife people are gonna think I've my eyes are bloodshot.

Intercession for a Spiritually Complacent Church

I've just been all morning. Just just God was just pouring into my heart about the condition of our nation the condition of our children and that heart of intercession the heart of intercession on folks.

Christianity that got us through the last 10 -20 years isn't gonna cut it anymore. Quick sermons quick church services a quick little prayer my on my way to work is not gonna cut it anymore. We need to fight with spiritual weapons and that takes perseverance and Fortitude and strength and commitment all these words.

We don't like to hear. But there's intercession he's pleading. Isaiah is saying Oh God, would you would you rip open heaven? That's what it means. Would you rip open heaven? There's a there's a desire.

There's a Desperation and I can see it in the faces of even many of you this this sermon might hurt a little bit today. But that's okay. There's not a desire or a desperation. There's a boredom over the things of God and If for God to rend the heavens and wake us up there's got to be a desire in a desperation.

Oh God, I must hear from you and I've seen so many people especially posting things That they can't wait till summer right to get out of this house and go do things. I wish we were saying I must get to God.

I must get to God. I Must get to church services. I must get to prayer meetings. I must if we had the same passion For finding God as we do for finding fun. We could see some major breakthroughs. I'm not against having fun.

We need to have fun and get out there and enjoy God's creation. But this word is interesting rend. It's it's it's burst blow out. Explode. Lord, would you rip open the heavens and come down? Now here's the key that maybe you're a question.

God's Manifest Presence and the Upper Room

Maybe you have that I had. But isn't God already here, you know, if you're really really conservative you don't like to talk about the Holy Spirit much and Rend the heavens and come down. Gosh, the Holy Spirit's are always here.

Yeah, they call that the omni presence, but let me tell you There's a big difference when God's manifest presence is revealed. Wasn't the Holy Spirit already there in the upper room? But when he came down upon his people.

They experienced God like never before. Let me give you example. Electricity is already in your home, but try touching it, right? Well electricity is already already in my home. Okay, we'll go and do the electrical outlet and put your finger in it see now you're experiencing it.

What's the difference. That's this this type of experience you can have with God. God can rend the heavens you feel his power you hit fill his presence and you are forever changed. There's a there's a there's a ripping open of our hearts.

It's barren laid before God. When God moves you will know it. When God is moving in your heart, you will know it. The disciples knew it. Early church fathers knew it. Early recordings of Christian history.

They knew it. God was here. God revealed himself. Boring prayer meetings were set on fire and they couldn't stay. They couldn't stay on their faces long enough to fill the power and the weight. Of God's glory.

Dio Moody was hit by the Spirit of God. Adrian Rogers was hit by the Spirit of God. I'm John Bunyan. John Wesley. George Whitfield. Where do you want to start everyone you read? Oswald Chambers was hit by the power and presence of Almighty God when he ripped open heaven and came down.

Now now I've experienced God. So there is a difference. Yes, he's everywhere. But like Moses, oh God show me your glory. To feel like why shouldn't we feel God? Fill his power fill his presence. When God moves you will know it.

That's what we just read that the mountains might shake at your presence as The fire burns and his water is heated up to make your name known to your adversaries that the nation's may tremble at your presence.

Isn't this interesting he says at your presence the presence of God. See, he's everywhere omnipotent or I'm the omnipotent omnipotent all-powerful all-knowing. And in everywhere and he's got all these attributes, but there is a clear distinction when they would ask for his presence.

Moses if your presence or Joshua if your presence doesn't go with me. The disciples felt his presence and his power and he says here May tremble at your presence. And let me just tell you something that's been on my heart preparing this sermon and I know it's gonna be somewhat offensive.

When God's Presence Challenges the Church

But sadly many in the church are offended by the presence of God. Imagine imagine if God Hit this place like the upper room and The altars full your people crying out to God how many of you would never come back?

Let's be honest. Because you cannot handle a mighty move of God's presence. Hey, I'm mr. Conservative. I'm well balanced. I don't want don't get too carried away but you can't stop God's presence and it's not weirdness he's breaking hearts and Rebuilding and mending and securing and delivering.

How do you contain that? How do you contain that if someone has been for 20 years? Living with the spirit of regret blew their life and and and God begins to reveal himself to them and shows them Oh with the end the years that the enemy has taken away.

I will restore those years. I will build you back up that person might get a little excited. They might come to the altar and when the prodigal son who says oh my god I'm eating with the swine and I come home father.

He might get a little excited. The problem is many of you have never experienced the power and presence of God. You don't want God to rend open heavens. It might ruin your schedule. You're not gonna hit the buffet line.

Charles Spurgeon, you don't get much more conservative than this said. Real believers are filled with divine enthusiasm. Which was once rejected as Fanatical think about that a real genuine believer filled with the Spirit of God.

Excited to worship filling the power presence of God. There's a natural enthusiasm. You're not a corpse. There should be that there. So if that's lacking take it to God and say Lord rend the heavens. But it does beg the question.

Do you really want God to rend the heavens? Because when he rends the heavens he reveals. What this type of sermon does it reveals the lack of spiritual fire in many of your hearts? Let's just be honest I'm not saying this with anger.

I've cried over this sermon many times. I'm not trying to put anyone down. I'm not trying to be judgmental. I'm not looking at you. Down on you and I'm better than you. I need the presence of God. Don't you understand if I don't have the presence of God I will fall on my face.

It's God who sustains me. God who holds me together that presence that power that anointing that unction. It's the dire need in the church today. So when God rends the heavens it exposes our lack of spiritual fire.

There's no fervency. About a year and a half ago two years ago. I allowed the opinions of men. To quench. I believe what I believe God was doing here. What I would do is I would I would talk a lot about the 6 a .m. Service you need to be here.

Why aren't you here? Why isn't that packed? I'd rather see that packed in this pact. You want that you want the truth and I would let these modern-day arrogant Pharisees Tell me I shouldn't be telling people that and I had to deal with that for a year and a half knowing That I let these people the fear of man.

I Don't want to offend people like maybe I'm being too overbearing and the Phil you'll never remember he came to me. He said we need it. We need it. I'm sorry guys. I don't add just this. Power of God is so real.

And my heart's desires for people to experience it and it's funny I begin to think, you know, my mom was never at 6 a .m. worship. Never, but she never got mad at me for saying that. See people who know they would be here if it wasn't for situations in life.

Don't get upset. It's those who are convicted that do I remember another time in Lancaster that the worship was Not unlike this today and I couldn't even I couldn't even preach the Second Service. I don't know if you've ever felt that but just the weight I just had to get on my face on the altar and worship was just continuing and I said I said We're not.

I'm not gonna preach. We just got to keep worshiping and I'll never forget the angry Pharisee who got up left and told the usher. I came to hear a message. The very thing he needs is the very thing he's running from.

When are we gonna wake up and realize that God when God rents the heavens? It's messy. It's messy. You think I want to be on the altar? Embarrass a pastor. What's a pastor doing up there? Well, I wouldn't follow any man who's not broken humble before God and So what what my whole point was when God rends or with desire rending the heavens?

It reveals a lack of spiritual fire and the reason I wanted to shake you up and sift you and Run you through the filter of God's Word is because this can change you once you cry out to God and say God.

That's what I need. I need your manifest presence in my life. I need to humble myself before you. I need to get to that altar. I need to put on worship and you begin to experience God. You will never go back.

You will never go back. There was an old man, I'm I don't even know where I'm out in the notes. But there was there was this old man and and I love I was reading a lot about revivals in Welsh in Scotland in 1700s and 1800s and and For these books and get my own heart, right and this old man.

He experienced I think it was in the Welsh revivals in 1904 1905. Revivals are. I would love to just tell you about the. I mean, yeah, it's. It saturates the very heart of the whole community. Bars are shut down.

People are just they feel conviction and they get down on their knees and meadows and pray and sing. What is that? It's God manifest presence rending heaven. But they asked the old man. They asked him.

Well Why why did it end and the book records? You could see the holy fire rising up in his eyes. And he said Oh young man when you lay hold of God when you lay hold of God never never. Never never let go.

When you lay hold of the presence and power of God never let go. It's it's Christ holding on to me. Thank God for that. But there is a joint effort where I say you are my sustainer. You are my provider.

You are everything. I fully surrender my life to you and I'm holding on for dear life. You are the anchor of my soul the captain of my ship. Christ without you. I am lost and There's a yearning. There's a heart's desire for the things of God.

Holiness Revealed by God's Presence

And when God rends the heavens it also reveals our lack of holiness. Sin is brought to the surface. Did you know the closer you get to God? The more depraved you look to yourself. I mean the closer I draw to God I get embarrassed.

I'm that's just prideful. That's arrogant. Okay in my 20s. I thought I was like the nicest guy. You know, man, I'm a pretty good guy. I don't do nothing wrong now. I see in because you see the resemblance of Christ's who were trying to model and follow after and you see.

Totally falling on her face with with pride and arrogance and bitterness and anger. Come on, you all struggle, you know and the closer you draw to that holy flame the more you feel the heat and Begin when you talk about these topics, it's going to it's going to expose our lack of holiness and sin is brought to the surface.

I would almost Guess that the reason most people do not come to morning worships or prayer meetings or worship nights. Hey, we have worship nights if you can't make mornings. Is because of sin. Besetting sin that they're holding on to.

Let me encourage you. I've been that prodigal. I ate with the pigs. And the more we give in to that the less we want of God and Then what happens is shame and guilt comes in. I Don't want to do anything for God.

I don't want to pray. And it's an endless cycle. Shame guilt defeat shame guilt defeat shame guilt defeat. And that's where the enemy wants to keep you. But at some point you have to say break out of that like the prodigal son say I came to myself.

Okay, I'm coming to myself. I realize that I'm lost without God. Did you know who Paul said what can separate me from the love of God? Which is in Christ Jesus height nor depth nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come.

Nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus unless yourself yourself and your mindset. Come back to God draw back to God draw near to me. He says and I might draw near to you.

No, no. Come on. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. Return to me and I will return to you. Seek me but gosh, I love that word, right? I'm not gonna tell you I love this story too much about the mall losing my kid in the mall or the fair.

I remember where was but you know, everything changes. I've got to find that child. I've Got to find God. I've got to seek him like it matters. That's why fasting is very significant in this area. Because you're giving up one appetite for a better appetite.

You're saying God. I'm so desperate. Fasting was always tied to look at Ezra. Look at Nehemiah. Look at Esther. Look at Moses. Look at we can just keep going. You want convicted conviction alert? David fasting.

Joel call it call a sacred assembly call a fast and you have the people come into my house and cry out to me because I'm exchanging this appetite. I am so desperate to hear from God that I'm gonna give up that appetite the good for the best.

And God begins on because that's a form of seeking. Seeking can you Matt now? I felt a hundred times in this area. Don't look at me as a fasting expert. I think I felt more times. I've succeeded. But the flesh gets the best of us, doesn't it?

God? I'm gonna seek you all day today. This is how I should tell you guys. I was doing good on one of my fasting days and my wife bought home a big bag of barks. Have you seen those things are chocolate covered?

Pretzels chocolate covered almond leaves it on the kitchen table and that thing called my name for three hours. And then they decide to have Krispy Kreme donuts at one of my kids parties and I looked at those things for six hours.

And they called my name. Oh, come on. The struggle is real. I Succeeded a lot, but I did not succeed perfectly. Because God's not looking for perfection. He's looking for direction. The direction of our heart now that I'm not giving you permission to blow it.

I'm just saying I. Actually, I think because I know it might be hard to believe but I'm kind of become a perfectionist, right? You know and what these things do in a certain way and and and so God will use the failings to keep me humble and That's one of the beautiful things about God is he knows how to keep us humble.

Complacency, Preparation, and Spiritual Hunger

When God rends it reveals. When God rends the heavens it will ruin your schedule. It will expose complacency. Will it not expose complacency. What I've been talking about for 20 minutes has been a Exposing a lot of complacency.

We're too bored to pray we don't have time for God and it reveals that. So here's where the practical application comes in that's very important. We have to respond to God's call. Red rending the heavens.

What he's talking about often if you look at the Old Testament they would. We rely on things. We're not as dependent. I guess sometimes we should be but if it didn't rain they weren't gonna eat. Basically, they didn't have the aqueduct so There's no rain for a month.

What's gonna happen Lord? Rend the heavens come down and God would say you prepare the soil. You till the soil break up the fallow ground of your heart and then I will rain down the heavens. See, so you have to prepare the soil you prepare the sacrifice, but God brings the fire.

There's there's a there's a mutual Mutual working there how truly sad it is. It's like a man dying on a boat in a beautiful lake too scared to touch the water. He's dying of thirst and he just has to touch the water.

Christ is the living water. I hope this makes sense because I don't know where. Just things are coming to me a lot of rabbit trails. But I've asked a question before on this topic many years ago. I might have even done it here at this location, but I want you to.

I want to just just Listen to this for a minute. How many of you can say? How many of you can relate to? Jesus's words don't put up your hand just internally if you believe on me as the scriptures say.

Out of your belly will flow rivers of living water. Why is the living water not flowing out of many people? Can you relate to John's words when he said I can't even I'm not even worthy to to take off Jesus's sandals.

When he comes he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Listen, you can say well, that's too charismatic. I'm just quoting scripture. You need to get rid of these labels and start getting back to what the Bible says because.

Because we we try to avoid labels. We're not charismatic. We're not conservative. What does the Bible say? What what does the Bible say because you can be charismatic and be a circus environment and nothing happens because you're weird.

Well, don't laugh at this this side. You can be the cemetery. You're you're you're just as dead. You just sing a few hymns and go to the buffet line. Nothing happens. You haven't baptized anyone in eight months.

What's the difference? Circus or cemetery we can't have either. There's a man I don't remember his name. He said you can be straight as a straight as a gun barrel theologically, but just as empty. Isn't that true?

I've shared this before but a lot of healthy. I don't know but the We the probably the most amount of negative emails we get. I don't see him anymore. So if anybody's listening We have we have people filtering those and Letters without names and address in the trash don't even open it.

But anyway, I'm just being real because it and these people. You either I either upset carnal Christians. Right who don't don't want to be. Who is this guy? I don't wanna be challenged to live. Holy. I don't want you to name my movies and my Netflix and I love my sin.

This person just calls me a Pharisee and Legalistic and mean-spirited. But then the other negative emails decide from the Pharisee. You talk too much about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is already here.

We have the Father the Son and the Holy Word. That's all we need. We don't talk about the things of God. We don't talk about revival come to the altar. That's too weird. Just be calm cool collect Revival.

Shane that's weird. I don't Bible talks about reviving being revived. God reviving his people. Come down and rain upon us rend the heavens. This is all biblical language if it's used in its historical context and theological context.

It's fine. The problem is this group of people is convicted because they don't like to see people on fire for God and they're not. Hey, I've lived long enough to see. I Knew many people conservative churches.

They don't get emotional during worship. They don't have all-night prayer meetings. They don't fast they don't talk about the deeper things of God and Some 25 year old gets filled with the Spirit of God.

They want to get to that altar. They won't have all-night prayer meets on oh, no, no, no. Mm-hmm. Don't get carried away. Me and birth. I've been coming here 50 years and we don't do things like that.

Just read your Bible that that's all you need. The Holy Spirit doesn't do that anymore. I'm sure glad I don't believe that. It's so funny though. The irony is when I read would receive emails like that on to talking too much about the Holy Spirit, right?

We email back. Did you happen to just kind of put two and two together that I'm gonna. I'm in a six-week series on the Holy Spirit. Could could it be just could it be? No, of course not because it's convicting and when people are convicted they'll lash out at you if their heart isn't right.

Instead of saying like the disciples and Jesus said one of you will betray me. They all said Lord. Is it I? They didn't say it's he. We need a lot more people saying Lord, is it I are you rent do you want to rend my heart?

Oh God rend the heavens rip apart sin tear down strongholds. And Isaiah again said when you did awesome things for which we did not look you came down the mountains shook at your presence. I'm guessing he was thinking about Exodus when the spirit when that when God's manifest presence.

Whatever you want to call that God put a cloud around this the mountaintop the fire came down and it actually Shook in the presence of the people and they they were just so fearful of God and his awesomeness.

God's Power in National Crisis and Personal Fear

But isn't that great because when you get the right perspective of God nothing can defeat you. When you get the right perspective of God nothing can defeat you. And I'll tell you what nothing the on either camp.

I'm not worried of falling into Extremes. I'm not worried about becoming too charismatic and weird or to conserve because you just line up with Scripture. What does the Bible teach? So when you have the right perspective of God you can say like Joshua and Caleb.

Oh, we are well able to take this land. We can say like David. Who is this uncircumcised size Philistine who defies the armies of the Living God? Think about who can stop God Almighty. That's what we need right now in our nation in the church who can stop God Almighty if God before you who's going to be against you.

We need to get back and remind ourselves of those those truths. And on this idea of shaking God often shakes the physical to get us to respond in the spiritual. Amen. We see all this shaking going on.

Look what I Don't know why I started with looking at the news again. Can it get any worse and. And this this this the shaking and so you see the calamity correct the decadence the perversion. Do you see everything going on or is it just me and a few others?

Do you see the outright mockery of God's Word? Do you know they're trying to pass laws to where if your little Johnny or little Sarah want to get a sex change? They didn't have to tell the parent. That's child abuse and we see so much so much perversion.

So so my question is my big question is then why are so many Christians stagnant? Why are they inactive? Why are they lifeless? There's no passion for prayer meetings or worship mornings or getting to church every Sunday and and there's a Desire and a desire for God.

There's that hunger for God. It's an all-consuming passion because when you meet the risen Savior and the Holy Spirit Baptized you in fire unction anointing. I don't care what you call it, but you better have it.

Do you have the presence and power of God? I want worship leaders. I don't care what school they went to. I want to know how they've been broken before God. How they've been filled with God's Spirit. Are they allowing God's Spirit to move through them?

I Don't want a master's degree. I want a degree from the master spending time with him broken before him humble before him and out of that reservoir of Anointing comes a mighty move of God's Spirit. Shane you're stepping on toes this morning.

Absolutely. Absolutely, and then I love the ending of Isaiah. God acts. Think about this. God acts for the one who waits for him. God acts. Technically it'd be like the power of attorney. You know what that is.

You have you give someone power of attorney they act on behalf of you. So the way to get God to act on your behalf is to wait. That doesn't mean kick up your feet and put Netflix on for six hours. That's probably going to be counterproductive.

Waiting on God means to expect it's it's what the word is kava in the Hebrew language kava and it has a lot of different meanings, but the heart of it is to expect to look for patiently. To Terry isn't funny they were in an upper room the disciples tearing.

Waiting expecting God to move. So this is not a passive type of watch TV. Go do this is a this is a expect. Expecting God to move and I hope you come to church. I sure do. I hope it's not a waste of the energy of I expect God is going to move.

I expect we're gonna pray for people in that prayer room and they're gonna be healed. They're gonna be set free. They're gonna be delivered. Why should we not believe that you tell me why? You tell me why.

Well God doesn't do that anymore. Really prove it. You have a harder case of proving that than I do proving scripture. We come expecting God to move and I actually say God if you don't move. I don't want to preach.

I don't want to show up. I don't want to give people my opinion. I need God to break my heart every morning and from that reservoir of brokenness and humility. It comes forth because God is building me up at the same time and his word builds you up as well.

It's it's saturating with the power and presence of God. When you wait on God. Anger doesn't influence you. Impatience doesn't drive you. Impulse doesn't derail you fear doesn't paralyze you and sin. Doesn't stop you because what I've noticed waiting on God.

It's it's active participation. We're waiting on God to answer. That's why the sabbatical was so challenging because I I'm not a waiter. Let's go. Let's do something right? Let's go. We got stuff to do.

I'm type a plus personality. There's things to do. Okay, I'll just be honest. I probably shouldn't have written two books, but. But it was just and actually it wasn't hard people said you shouldn't do that that I'm just journaling.

I'm just writing down and pouring. It's it to me. It's very Edifying it's very I don't know what the right word is, you know so just pouring all this stuff out that just God's got the heart of God is so so Relevant in these dire times because here's my hope the darker it gets the more the light of the gospel is going to shine.

I'm not just saying that. I'm not just saying that. That is the truth that God often Rends the heavens when we need it the most you don't see people crying out to God like this when everything's great.

The stock market's great. Your man is in office. You know, it's great. Everything's going great. But when God begins to shake things up and begins to you pray Oh God ran the heavens and and he calls us back to him.

God's Call to the Prodigal, the Exhausted, and the Broken

His call is to the prodigal. I wrote this down this morning. His call is to the prodigal if you're if you're that person this morning He says return to me and I will return to you. His call is to the exhausted Amen.

Come to me all your weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest take up my my yoke upon me or take my Yoke upon you for it is easy and I am lowly in spirit. I will I will strengthen you. I will encourage you.

And his call goes out to the fearful. Anybody dealing with fear? The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind. His call is to the barren. He who believes in me as a scripture say out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.

Guess what? If you're barren today, I am on a mission. I am a sniper from God to shoot right at the heart and to take out that pride and that Callousness and that angry and say wake up wake up. When sons and daughters when when Zion travails sons and daughters are born there's a traveling there's a Persevering that must take place in our hearts.

Did you know his call is to the broken? The sick the lost. I Love the verse in Ezekiel. He said I will God will I will bring back what was driven away. I Will bind up the broken. I will strengthen the sick.

But the fat the proud the arrogant I will feed in judgment. Thus saith the Lord. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro to find those hearts of those who are loyal to him. Listen, I know many of you are feeling defeated.

You can never measure up. Welcome to the club if it was based on performance I should not be preaching. Nobody should correct who is going to measure up to God? So I am worthy to deliver his word this morning.

Lightning-bolt, I know with those listening or even here. I also want to give you the opportunity to choose the cross. Jesus chose the cross you choose surrender. Jesus chose the cross you have to choose surrender.

He who believes on me as a scripture say as a scripture say out of his belly will flow those rivers of living water. If you confess that Christ is Lord and Believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead.

You will be saved. There's a lot of casual Christianity out there. And if you listen right now to the top four or five pastors on the internet three four five six seven hundred thousand views. You will rarely ever hear The call to repentance the mention of sin.

It's not popular, but it's powerful. Jesus said go and preach repentance. So I don't know where you're at this morning. But as always I want to focus on The first group if you're not where you'd like to be.

Anybody out there just Balcony you're good. I mean ideally 99 of us should have our hands up. But if you if you're if even if you're not where you'd like to be God's love and mercy is continually calling you back to him.

Even if you're not where you'd be like even if you're you're you're somewhere where you're. I'm sorry. Let me read that even if you're not where you'd like to be God's love and mercy is continually calling you back to him.

Pressing Into Prayer and Communion

So what I want to do is we're gonna have the worship team come up and Start again with worship and we're gonna open the prayer room. I don't know if you've how many of you have been here before. Some of you may be new but right through these doors.

We have a prayer room and we don't believe that the service is over now if King's stomach is growling here growling. Remember tell him who's still on the throne. It's Jesus Christ. And this is not a time to where we begin to check out.

Okay, the service is over. Actually. This is where we press in. We do you realize the power of prayer? I think sometimes we forget about the power of prayer is Just as powerful as preaching. If not more.

So Jesus said my house will be called a house of Preaching. Worship prayer. It's when God's people come together. And if you need prayer for anything prodigal sons daughters health issues meet us in the prayer room.

We would love to pray with you. And we're also gonna have communion up here so you can kind of come at your leisure. I'm not going to come back up. What we do for communion is it's those who are believers.

When we take communion we take the elements the bread that Represents the broken body that Jesus Christ gave on the cross. The juice is a reminder of the shed blood that was shed for the remission of our sin.

The Bible says without the shedding of blood. There is no removal. There's no remit remission of sin and We take those and we remember that wonderful sacrifice of the cross.