Acts 2016 — Carter Conlon

My message this morning is simply entitled acts 2016. Acts as in the book of Acts 2016 if you'll turn to the book of Acts chapter 20, please. Now father, I thank you God Almighty for the touch of heaven.

I thank you Lord for the anointing of your Holy Spirit. I Thank you for the drawing of your love. I Plans for us not of evil, but of good and To bring us Lord to a desired end. I Thank you Lord God That you are willing to show us something in the spirit if we are willing to see it And hear it and so God I asked for a touch from heaven to be able to share this word today.

And I asked for the anointing of God to be able to hear it Lord deliver us from being a people who just accumulate knowledge, but never put any of it to practice. Deliver us God from that spirit. That will be So rampant even among your people in the last days.

Never learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. And so God helped me today and help us as a church. Help us Lord God To make a difference in this day. I ask it in Jesus name. Acts 20 16 is the title and I want to go to both the book of Acts chapter 20 and verse 16.

Sailing Past Ephesus Toward Pentecost

It says for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus So that he would not have to spend time in Asia. For he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem if possible on the day of Pentecost. Let me read that verse again for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus So that he would not have to spend time in Asia.

For he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem if possible on the day of Pentecost. Now everyone here should recall at least at the beginning of this year. The Lord gave us a word that 2016 is A year where God gave us a promise and that promise is that this would be a year marked by significant answers to prayer.

I Believe that with all my heart. I have a witness in my heart. It's causing me to pray like I've never prayed before it's causing me to believe God that he wants to do Things in our lives in your life and in mine That are so far outside of our own ability to accomplish that all we can do like Greg saying this morning is stand back and shout unto God and clap our hands and say God, thank you for Taking me where I could never have hoped to go and making me what I could never be in my own strength and giving me What I needed to accomplish the journey that you have set before me.

We are rediscovering as the people of God after years of strategists occupying pulpits in the churches of this nation and Leading us into a place of powerlessness. We are rediscovering that the greatest weaponry against evil that the Lord has given us is prayer.

I Thank God for that with all my heart. I thank God that we are Coming back in 2016 to where the church began in Acts chapter 2. I Thank God that we are in no better place than they were. They were marginalized.

They were in a society that was hostile to the testimony of Jesus Christ. It had chosen to embrace its own view of life in its own powerless religion that accompanied it. But in the midst of that 120 people who had enough sense to go into an upper room According to the Word of God and to wait until they were given the power that God promised is the inheritance of Those of us who have come to Christ Salvation through Jesus Christ.

They waited and God met them and History now records what happened after that prayer meeting. Even all of Rome with all of its power its might it Supposed as it saw itself superior culture and intellect even all of Rome eventually had to bend its knee to the power of God That had come upon this little group that met in an upper room and decided to pray in the book of Acts chapter 2.

I see something in Acts chapter 20 verse 16 about the Apostle Paul. The scripture tells us he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. Now we know that Paul knew that the Old Testament feasts They might have a significance but he wasn't there to celebrate it the way that Many people going to Jerusalem were going to celebrate it.

Paul had the knowledge of Christ and Of course when you realize Pentecost in Jerusalem was that season of 50 days roughly after the Passover When the angel of death passed over the people of God in Egypt and God made known to the people That you are a special People called out of darkness to me to bring honor to my name.

Then they took that initial journey where they met with God himself and a mountain called Sinai now Paul heading back to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. I Feel in my heart Yet an urgency to share with people who were going there but still didn't fully understand what this feast was about.

They didn't comprehend that everything was pointed to Christ. Everything was pointed to his victory. Not only the victory that he won but the victory that is our inheritance because of him. I have no doubt he was going to encourage The believers in Christ not to draw back because you'll see it in all of his right.

Don't draw back into the old ways of doing things remember that all of these feasts were just a Foreshadowing of a victory that God was about to give us through his Son on the cross. Paul would have been there to debate.

No doubt with those who were holding to just a view a traditional view That had no life no power. It had it really didn't center at the cross and Paul would have been there to debate and tell them that Christ Was our Passover is our Passover and the cross is our victory.

God did pass over his people. We don't die because of Jesus Christ. We are not given to perish in our sin. We are not given to live on the side of death and bondage. We have a victory because of the cross of Christ.

Paul would have shared with the people that we were indeed a people called and empowered to be separated unto him as as the People of Israel were called out of Egypt. We have been called out of darkness.

The scripture says into his marvelous light. We've been called to live in a way that brings glory to him brings honor to his name. Paul would have told him that we were recipients of a divine harvest of life.

There was one at the cross and we've been called to bring the fruits of this harvest in the power of the Spirit. To the spiritually starving all around us. In other words, we're to be an undeniable testimony of the reality of the victory of God in Jesus Christ.

We're not called to be an argument. We're called to be a testimony. There's a huge difference between the two. Paul would have told him that all things Pentecost symbolized were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Paul would remember that it was on the day of Pentecost. Historically at this time the prayer had been answered and the hopes of darkness were pushed back. By the light of God that had come to his people.

He would have known the power of the cross the simplicity of belief in Christ the wonderment of having God In the person of the Holy Spirit actually indwell our physical bodies. The wonderment of every promise of God in the Bible.

Becoming a reality in us through his life being lived out inside of us and through us. Paul knew this. Paul was an advocate for this incredible life. He told the Church of Ephesus. He said if you all you could only see what I see.

If you could only see him seated at the right hand of Almighty God high above all power all Principality every name that is named and he's the head of the church and everything is some subject to him.

And he's the one Paul said who fills all and in all. No doubt but that once there at Jerusalem He would encourage as many people as he could find both believers and sincere seekers to go all the way with God.

And don't let anything stop you. Don't let fire don't let flood don't let threats don't let mountains don't let valleys don't let walls. Don't let powers and principalities and don't let anything. Stop you now from going all the way with God.

Paul knew that the hour was dark and it demanded that many make this journey. He knew that having begun in the spirit. We could not be perfected by the flesh. We had to fight with spiritual weaponry. We can't fight with arguments.

We can't fight with clever gimmicks. To get people to come to the house of God. We have to be a spiritual people again. We have to remain a spiritual people and Paul knew that that's what made him hurry to get to Jerusalem.

To be there for the day of Pentecost. Isaiah chapter 59 verses 19 and 20 says when the enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the Lord Will lift up a standard against him and the Redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob do you have any doubt anymore that the enemy has come into our generation like a flood?

Have you heard of the things that are happening. The spiritual wickedness that's beginning to abound. That immorality is starting to become moral. Evil is starting to become good. We are in a Landslide spiritually and morally that is just absolutely almost unthinkable how quick it's coming.

The enemy has come like a flood into the shores of our culture. But I thank God that my Bible says the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against it. That means Christ in you Christ in me. Will lift me up will lift you up.

Will take us out of the natural and into the supernatural. Take us out of ourselves and into the will of God take us out of powerlessness and into that Which only God could give us he will make us a thousand times more than we are.

It will give us wisdom that could only come from the hand of God. Everything we see that God gave to the early church is still ours. It hasn't suddenly gone. It's still ours. Now for Paul to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost according to this verse Says he had to leave where he was first of all, just like Abraham did.

And if you and I are going to make a difference in this generation, we have to leave where we are. Even if where you are is a good place I feel like i'm in a fairly decent place in my life. I feel like i've known victories in the past.

I i've Gone places that only God could have taken me. I have a song. I have a testimony. I have things to say about the goodness of God for the rest of my life, but yet I feel God calling me to leave where I am that i'm talking about the place in the spirit and go deeper in God.

Go into something that he's calling me to do. To a place that he wants me to be in him and you and I all have. Paul was. Paul was obviously the greatest apostle in my opinion that that ever was but yet he was still Had to leave where he was to go.

To where God wanted him to be. He had to forsake other places that he might have wanted to go. There's things that paul Maybe wanted to accomplish in ephesus in asia, but in order to get where he needed to be he had to sail past them.

And you and I are called in our generation to sail past some things that we might want to do things that we feel Would benefit our lives places we think would give us pleasure. In order to be where God wants us to be we have to be willing to sail past those places.

And say as jesus said in the garden of gethsemane. Not my will but thine. Not my plan for my life. Not what I think is good. But what I know is God God helped me To sail past All these ports of call on my journey that just beckoned to me.

It's like it's like nassau just beckons says you and I were made for each other. Why don't you develop a burden for me and come here? You see we have to sail past those places that we think would bring Advantage we think would bring happiness into our lives.

To move to where God knows and paul knew in his heart that God was Calling him. And the scripture says He was hurrying to be at jerusalem if possible on the day of pentecost. And if you and I want to make a difference in our society today, I want to suggest that you better hurry.

I want to suggest that we don't have five to ten years to get this right. We got to get up. We got to get going and we got to do it now if we're going to make a difference. There is a power In on this journey that God wants to give to us.

Entering the Promised Land by Faith

Now once before in history There was another generation of the people of God who were given an opportunity to escape the wilderness into that which they're from that which Their forefathers had led them into.

It's found in the book of joshua chapter 5. A whole generation of God's people had come out of egypt. They had been given an incredible promise like you have and I have today. But they made a choice. They chose to stay where they were.

They chose not to go in to the life that God had promised to give them. They chose to Stand by what they could see and not walk by what God had promised. Many generations make that mistake and the end result is they lived in a dry dry place.

And that's why folks many of our churches are dry. In this hour in which really that's why there's so many gimmicks. Pastors and leaders are trying to incorporate to try to prove that the presence of God is actually with them.

But you don't need gimmickry when God's in your midst. You know it in your heart. When you are in the presence of the Lord, there's a sudden drawing out of your heart. There's a there's a longing. There's that inner groan.

Oh God. I know that you're able to take me Into much deeper places than I am now. And I know instinctively that prison doors can't hold me anymore. Experiences of the past can't continue to drag me down and drag me through their mud.

And pain and sorrow. I know that there's no drug invented in the world that can hold me captive. I know God that you have something deeper when you're in the presence of God. There's no gimmickry is necessary.

Presence of God begins to stir your heart and you know with all your heart That God has something deeper for your life. There's a divine purpose that he's appointed for you. Everyone who's sitting here today.

I want you to know something. You're not called just to be an orange pylon in somebody else's game. You are not called just to occupy a seat in church somewhere and sing some wonderful songs as nice as that is.

You are divinely appointed to make a difference in your society. Everyone who's here today you have an appointment. You have a pathway you have somewhere. Something that God has called you to do that will bring glory to his name in order to find it though.

You need the power of God to accomplish it. You can't do it in your own strength and don't even try. But when you turn to God with all your heart and say lord i'm asking you to fill me. I'm asking you to become my hope and my glory.

I'm asking you to empower me. I'm asking you god by the power of your holy spirit by the promises of your word. To take me out of the confines of this physical body and bring me into that divine life of jesus christ.

I'm asking you god to give me words that could only come from your throne. I'm asking you to stretch out your hand through mine and begin to heal those that are sick in sin and lost in darkness. I'm asking you lord to be the light in my heart.

I'm asking you god to be the bounce in my step. I'm asking you to be the song in my voice that people will see and fear and begin to trust in the living god. I'm asking you god to take me so far beyond where I am.

That all I can do Is rush to get back to that place of prayer time and again and say god touch me again. God fill me again. God stir me again. God challenge me again. See paul knew That it's in that place of prayer.

It's in that place where god Met his people. It's in that place where the church of jesus christ got her power. That we needed to go we needed to stay we needed to understand lest we draw back into other forms and traditions and substitute religion with all of its entrapment.

As a substitute for the power of god paul hurried. Just like you and I should be hurrying to pray in the morning. We should be hurrying into the word of god. We should be hurrying To ask god to help our poor hearts to begin to believe what it is that we're reading.

We should be hurrying to say oh god By your grace show me the path you have laid out for my feet show me how I can bring glory to your name. Whether it's in sorrow whether it's in joy, whatever it is god, would you show me?

Would you let me bring glory to your name in this last hour of time in which we're living? In joshua chapter 5 it says so it was in verse 1 when the kings Of the amrites were on the west side of jordan.

And all the kings of the canaanites who were by the sea heard that the lord had dried up the waters of the jordan. From before the children of israel until we had crossed over. That their heart melted there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of israel.

This is a picture of hell When there's a people somewhere That begin to rise up in prayer. And hell begins to tremble one more time because the devil himself knows That when people begin to pray and the power of god begins to come into their lives again that his kingdom is set on notice His power no matter how many years it's taken to build.

This fortifications is about to come down. At that time the lord said to joshua make flint knives for yourself and circumcise the sons of israel again the second time. So joshua made flint knives for himself and circumcised the sons of israel at the hill of the four skins.

And this is the reason why joshua was circumcised them. All the people who came out of egypt who were males all the men of war Had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of egypt. For all the people who came out had been circumcised.

But all the people born in the wilderness on the way as they came out of egypt had not been circumcised. For the children of israel walked 40 years in the wilderness till all the people who were men of war Were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the lord.

To whom the lord swore that he would not show them the land which the lord had sworn to their fathers. That he would give us a land flowing with milk and honey. Then joshua circumcised their sons whom he raised up in their place.

For they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And so it was when they had finished circumcising all the people that they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.

Then the lord said to joshua this day I have rolled away the reproach of egypt from you. Therefore the name of the place is called gilgal unto this day. Now they were the children of people a whole generation had chosen not to go in by faith.

They chose to live by what bible called an evil report. They didn't believe That their lives could be made or multiplied the way that god said they would. They didn't believe they had power to overcome The opposition that was before them so They abandoned Faith, it doesn't mean they abandoned religion.

I'm sure they had a lot of religion in the wilderness, but really they've just abandoned faith. And they didn't go in and they're. They raised children in this dry place. Just like many of you have come.

I don't know where you're coming from, but you know exactly what i'm talking about. You were raised in a dry place. Where it was just all about just getting through sunday so we can go home and watch some sport thing on television.

And you know how dry it has been. And we are now the children of another generation. Rising up and being given an opportunity to go in. And possess everything that god has promised us through his son jesus christ.

Now if they were going to go in To the promised land if they were going to win the victories that god had set before them beginning with jericho. It meant they had to have a willingness to be set apart for god.

Don't deceive yourself if you're not willing to be set apart for god. You will never know the power of god go to some church somewhere sing dance. Talk about gold dust in the air all you want. You will never know the power of god.

You have to have a willingness to be set apart for god. This generation had to have a willingness to have removed for them From them that which identified them with the fallen nations all around them those things that have become part of you.

They're not part of god. They're not part of god's kingdom. They don't bring any glory to god. They they cause you not to be Set apart or differentiated from the society around you i'm talking about people are doing the same things that the unsaved are doing.

Living in the same manner watching the same things going to the same clubs or things like that speaking the same things in the work environment and You're not really differentiated. You're there and wanting the promises of god, but you're you're there's so much of the fallen World around you that has attached itself to you that it's leaving you in a place of powerlessness.

They had to have a willingness to endure the pain that was necessary. And the secret cutting away of that which needed to be taken away. If you're going to walk with god. Some things have to go. Some relationships have to go.

Some practices have to go. Some books have to go. Some internet sites have to go. Some practices in the workplace have to go. If you are going to be used of god otherwise you and I make the same mistake that those before us have made and we Substitute just going to a dry place and pretending that we're walking in victory when our society is going to hell all around us unchallenged unchanged by the church of jesus christ in our generation.

Paul said in romans chapter 2 verse 29. He is a jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is of the heart. Not of the flesh or not of the letter. That was a type of what needs to happen for you and I I guess the point is quite simply how deep do we want to go?

Holiness and Separation from the World

In this if the spirit of the lord is raising a standard. You see if you're not comfortable with people telling Our little boys that they might be girls in school little girls. They might be boys. You're not comfortable with an altar to bail going up in times square next month if you're not comfortable comfortable with all of that.

It's going to require something of you. It's going to require something. It's going to require a willingness to be set apart and have our hearts Weaned from that which has brought us into weakness. No doubt that paul would have told them in jerusalem.

Let go of what hinders you. Let go of reputation. Let go of personal desire. Let let go of bitterness. Let go whatever it is that this world is of let it go. That you might be a living testimony of god.

Pentecost, Prayer, and Fresh Consecration

Paul knew the history of unity with god. Of singleness of purpose and the power of prayer because it was at pentecost it happened. They were all with one accord and in one place and they were in prayer and suddenly There came a sound of a rushing mighty wind.

And filled them. And they weren't super people. They were failures like you and me. There were people with struggles. Some of them were cowards. They had run when they were needed by christ himself. Peter himself had cursed with an oath.

Cursed himself actually with an oath saying I don't know this man. There's no super people in that room. They all knew. They all knew that they were cowards and failures without god. But they obeyed and they went in with prayer and they were there with one accord and in one place and that one accord simply was God.

If you will touch my life, I will serve you. If you will take me out of my present spirits of poverty, I will step out into the marketplace. I will open my mouth and I will give you glory. But oh god, I know one thing.

It's going to have to be you because i'm a coward. I can't even open my mouth even when given the opportunity. And half the time I don't even care lord. You've got to change my heart. You've got to take me from where I am and bring me to where you desire me to be.

Refusing to Rest on Past Victories

Paul knew the church could never Rest on past victories. I thank god for this church. We're going on 30 years in the not too distant future and we've had. We've seen thousands saved here thousands have been water baptized.

Many many many have gone on to serve god in various places throughout the world. And it's awesome. The presence of god is still here with us after all these years. But you and I can't Rest on that. We've got to be willing to sail past ephesus as wonderful as past experience has been.

And to not spend time In something that god's not calling us to do and have a willingness to go forward and go deeper into that which god Is calling us to be. We can't rest here in this church on past victories.

And if we try to do it, we will become a museum in times square. That's all we'll be. It'll be all stories about the past all stories about what happened in 1987 1992 1999 2001. We'll be relegated to stories of the past.

The name on the marquee be changed to times square museum of what used to be a church. If we choose to rest in the past, that's what will happen. But you and I have got to get up like paul did and if possible We've got to get back to that place of prayer.

We've got to get back to that place of god's power. We've got to move again in the power of god. I'm, not settled to have anything less than a mighty endowment of power that causes hell to tremble. And causes everything of darkness to bend its knee because I know we live on the side of power.

I don't care who puts what in times square or what agenda is being foisted on this society. I know this one thing if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray I will hear from heaven.

I'll forgive their sin. And i'll heal their land. I know that power is still in the prayer meeting. I know that god still looking for a people that will make a difference in society. I know that with all of my heart when this Enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the lord will raise up a standard.

It doesn't say the political agenda will raise up a standard. Or some good idea people will raise up a standard. Or we'll come up with a new plan a new scheme have a parade in the street. No, the spirit of the lord will raise up a standard.

God will raise up his people. Paul knew that the power of god was still available to anyone who wanted it for the right reason. And so here we are today acts 2016. The year 2016. We make a choice. We go forward.

Or we go backwards. But there is no standing still in god. I say we go forward. It's time. It's time now to pray. It's time to believe god. It's time to sail past some things and to let go of some things that need to be let go of.

It's time for every man woman and child to make a determination in our heart. Why am I living for christ and what is my purpose on the earth? It's time for us to get that spirit of esther upon us again or the spirit of god that was on esther.

And say fast for me and pray for me. And after three days i'm going in and if I perish I perish if my plans die. They die. If my dreams die they die. If my image of myself dies, it dies as well. I don't care.

I'm not letting this generation die. When I have access to the throne of the king. Hallelujah to the lamb of god. It's going to require something of us. I have passed through by god's grace. After a long struggle i've passed through that veil, I you can't that veil that just says this is far enough.

I've never struggled with the veil of unbelief. I always believed that god could take me as far as he wanted me to go. It's that veil that says i've given enough. I've struggled enough i've driven enough.

Let me just pass the mantle on to somebody else or pass the baton. And the lord says no i'm calling you to go through. I'm calling you to lead. I'm calling you to be. Everything that i've called you to be.

And so in order to do that, there's a few things we have to sail past. There's a few things that we have to be careful. We don't let them grip us and take us away from the calling of god. And you know what those are.

Just like I did. But by god's grace. By god's grace by god's grace alone I pray for one thing now every day. Give me oh god a fresh baptism of your holy spirit. I can't do this without you. I don't want to try without you.

I it's been great. It's been a phenomenal 30 40 year journey. But I know that without you holy spirit. What you're asking me to do can't be done. But i'm willing. And the lord Started speaking to me like he spoke through paul hurry then hurry, then Get to where you need to be.

And begin to pray because my brother my sister. We don't have very long. You know, and I know that a baptism of evil Has come to this country. The only thing left that can make a difference is the church of jesus christ.

And so this morning I'd like to give an altar call you see. In every generation, there's there's a choice that people make. I know one thing for sure that if if you don't get up. And I don't get up nothing will happen.

We'll end up like Cattle herded into a field somewhere and dominated and controlled. But if we do get up If we do get up There's not a power On earth that can stand against the church of jesus christ.

The gates of hell cannot prevail against the church That jesus has built. Because our weaponry of our warfare is not carnal. But mighty through god to the tearing down of strongholds. And everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of god in christ jesus.

And if you're willing If you're willing If you're willing In 2016 To say god i'm going back into that place of prayer and i'm not leaving until you bless me. I'm not leaving until I have the power To do what you're calling me to do.

I am not walking out on this generation. I'm not giving up On holiness. I'm not turning our children over to darkness. God almighty. Let the powers of hell do what they will. We will do what we've always done.

We will go in one accord into the closet of prayer. And we will believe that you will empower us as your people one more time. One more time for one more incredible harvest before you come and take us all home.

That's the belief of my heart In jesus name. If that's the cry of your heart today. If you're among those of us who say god, whatever it requires of me. Whatever you want to take out of my life. Whatever you want to add in.

However, you want to use me. I want to dedicate my life to you. And i'm not here to play a game and i'm not here to pacify my conscience. I'm here to make a decision god, whatever It is that you require of me.

However, I can glorify you. Let that be the pathway of my life from this day forward. You said you would raise a standard that standard will always be your church. So god raise me raise me. Raise me out of fear raise me out of struggle and trial and Compromise raise me.

Oh god raise me to where I need to be. I happen to believe there are some great evangelists here. I just do. But you don't know what you are because you've never moved forward to what god's calling you to be.

There are voices that will make a huge difference in every strata of society in the business world in the political world in the world of education. At walmart. There are people who will make a tremendous difference.

What it requires is that we stand up? And we say god take me into all that you have Ordained from my life and take away from me all that egypt has attached to me that has making me powerless. And give me a singleness of heart and focus.

To not give up on this generation. But to stand and make a difference. And you watch what god will begin to do in your life. Watch the words that will begin to come out of your mouth. You you'll finish a conversation.