Faith is not ignoring reality, but it is seeing reality through God’s eyes.
Your Identity Outside of Jesus Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) 2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Romans 6:6 (NLT) 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
Colossians 1:21 (NLT) 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
Your Identity In Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Ephesians 5:1 (ESV) 5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Philippians 3:12 (ESV) 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Your Purpose in Following Jesus
Ephesians 5:8-9 (ESV) 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
Ephesians 5:2 (ESV) 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV) 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Conditions to the Promises Philippians 4:5-7 (ESV) 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 4:7-8 (NLT) 7 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”
Romans 5:18 (NLT) 18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
God didn’t design you to sustain life, but to bring life. Genesis 1:28 (NIV) God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number… John 7:38 (NIV) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
“Our purpose is not survival; it’s revival.”
1 Kings 17:17-24 (NIV) 17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”
Releasing Revival 1. It’s already in you. Romans 8:11 (NLT) The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Luke 17:20-21 (NIV) 20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
2. Take responsibility Verse 19 “Give me your Son”
Revival is our responsibility!
3. It starts in an upper room. Verse: 19...He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying.
4. Costs us our comfort 1 Kings 17:21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy… Stretch yourself.
5. Consistency Counts Verser 21 Then, he stretched himself out on the boy three times.
DON’T GIVE UP ON TWO!
“A lifestyle of consistency is more effective than a moment of Intensity.”
Matthew 7:7 (NLT) “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on
“The spoken word is a catalyst for bringing death to life!”
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) The tongue has the power of life and death.
Matthew 8:5–13 (NLT) 5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
The weight of words “Our words are a catalyst for bringing death to life!”
1. Words carry authority 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT) So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us…
We have to be under his authority to speak his authority. Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God….
2. Words work with faith. Mark 11:23 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
3. Words are a weighty responsibility. Psalm 141:3 (NIV) Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Matthew 12:36-37 (NLT) 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Life-giving Words Proverbs 10:11(NIV) The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...
1. Prophetic Declarations “If it doesn’t possess the spirit of Jesus, it’s not a prophetic word; it's a pathetic word.”
2. Point to Jesus
Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV) 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
3. Proclaiming blessing Proverbs 11:11(NIV) Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.
What comes out of your mouth identifies you.
Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NIV) 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.
“NO DEAD THINGS ALLOWED!
Can these bones live? Ministry
Romans 10:9–10 (NIV) 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Proverbs 10:11(NIV) The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...
Proverbs 10:20(NIV) The tongue of the righteous is choice silver….
Proverbs 10: 21(NIV) The lips of the righteous nourish many….
Proverbs 15:4(NIV) The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God….
Luke 7:11–13 (NLT) 11Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.
Psalm 34:18 (NLT) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Luke 7:14–15 (NLT)14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Mealtimes & Fellowship
Resurrected Jesus shows up a mealtimes.
Luke 24:36–43 (NIV) 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
John 21:12 (NIV) Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
More than a nice guy, Jesus is God who is good.
The ancients believed that if you saw God you died, Jesus showed us that you have to see God to Live.
John 5:25 (NLT)“I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.
1 John 1:1–4 (NLT) 1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowshipwith us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
κοινωνία (koinōnia). n. fem. fellowship, communion, sharing, participation. A term that conveys a sense of commonality, solidarity, and shared responsibility among households or individuals.
χαρά (chara). n. joy. The experience of gladness.
Resurrected into fellowship
1. Know you are loved & wanted Revelation 3:20 (NLT) “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
2. Take a seat at the table. Don’t blame God for the distance.
3. Fellowship shows up in the follow-ship. 1 John 1:5–7 (NLT) 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
John 13:8–9 (NIV) 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
John 13:9 (TPT)“...Then you will not be able to share life with me.”
Philippians 3:10–11 (NIV) 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
"When we are aquatinted with his death, we experience His resurrection."
