"Building a Church Through Outreach"
Seasons of Refreshing
ELCOG 7/1/07
Text: Acts 3:19
Today, I want to use a scripture that I have brought out in sermons many times. I want to use this as our theme for the day. I know that life has been hard on many of us over the past several weeks and months and we have become tired and weary. But remember:
Gal. 6:9
9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
But many of us after such a long battle feel like we are going to faint. After a long period of testing and a long sustained battle the mind begins to wonder if the spirit will faint. How can I take another day of this junk? How can I take another day of fighting or another day of grieving? I am tired. God please help me. I need a time of refreshing. I need the rain of your spirit. I need to know that you are still in control of my life. I need to feel your strength taking over my weakness.
2 Cor. 12:9
9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Cor. 12:10
10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
I become strong when His strength takes over my weakness. I become encouraged when God takes over my feelings. I need a season of refreshing. I become wise when God takes over thoughts. God, you know that I have been through too much. I need you to take over. I need you to refresh my spirit.
There are two things that I want to bring out today in this message to help us with this process of refreshing. In our text, we see the steps to refreshing:
1. Repent and be converted. The first thing that we must do is repent. We must be willing to confess our faults to God. Some of you have never accepted Jesus as your savior and your lifestyle is draining you of any kind of joy and peace that you could live in, so today you need to repent.
Mark 1:14
14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mark 1:15
15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Notice Jesus came preaching the Gospel. (The Good news) May I present to you that the gospel can still provide you with encouragement and with peace. The gospel still has the ability to bring joy into your life.
Jesus says, the time is fulfilled….everything has taken place for me to take over. Everything is in place for me to be the messiah. The time in your life is fulfilled. Everything today is in place for you to experience the fullness of God. The time is fulfilled, the plan is in order and the time is right for you to experience God. Notice what Jesus says…Repent and believe.
First we must repent, then…
2. We must believe! I know that you are weary. I know that you are broken and discouraged, but can you still believe? Can you still muster up enough courage to believe? If we want a time of refreshing in our altar services today then we must believe! God is able to give us a time of refreshing rain. We must be willing to allow God to have control.
Let me encourage you to remember that God is the one that orders your step. He is the one that placed you on this path and He knows that today you come weak and discouraged. Today God knows that you came to church feeling empty and dry, but he also knows that today is the beginning of a new season of refreshing!
But you have to remember that He is the potter and you are the clay.
Jer. 18:1
1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer. 18:2
2Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer. 18:3
3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer. 18:4
4And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jer. 18:5
5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer. 18:6
6O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
You are in the hands of the great creator. He is molding you into the person he wants you to be. Will you allow him to re-mold you into what he wants you to be? You are in his hands. You might remember what a potter does to clay as he reshapes and remolds. He wets it. He refreshes it. That’s what God needs to do today. We need to place our lives in the hands of the mater potter and allow him to remold us. If you have become hard and brittle, lay down in his hand and let him refresh you and remold you. He is not finish with you yet. He is just remolding you. You have gone through some tuff stuff. You heart has been heavy, your mind has been consumed and your spirit has been discouraged, but today the rain is coming. A season of refreshing is beginning today and God is going to refresh this old dry clay so that he can make us into what he has destined for our lives. Fall back into his hands!
Repent and Believe: times of refreshing is coming from the presence of the Lord.
2 Cor. 3:17
17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Times of refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord. When he comes in the bondage that you are living in has to be broken. When the spirit of God enters your spirit the old vines of discouragement has to be broken. Because He is liberty! He is freedom. Repent and believe and allow Jesus to come in and refresh your spirit. He wants you to break-through!
2 Sam. 5:19
19And David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
2 Sam. 5:20
20And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.
The word Baalperazim means the Lord that Breaks-through. Let me encourage you this morning to count on a God that is going to bring break-though. Some of you are at Baalperazim in your life. Don’t give up; keep pushing forward and watch God break-through. Don’t give up now you are at the place of break-through. You are going to see seasons of refreshing. The drought is over. There is a new season starting today!
Repent, believe, fall into His hands and watch for break-through. Today is a new day!