The Holy Spirit in Revival: Being Equipped with His Power

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org that's harvest.org God has a job for us, to believers as an important young pastor Greg Laurie points out, we were given the resources to do as well.

Jesus said that the father would give the Holy Spirit to those that ask you how many of you feel that you need more power from the Holy Spirit. God wants to give you about how he wants to fill you and he wants to refill you that he wants to refill you again so what you receive it you just pray for this in a power failure.

Everywhere you go enjoy your home, you instinctively reach for the light doesn't work yet. See you can't do much watch TV. Oh today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie points out, power is just as necessary in accomplishing the work God wants us to do will find out today that work is never been more necessary turn in acts chapter 2 and the title of my messages Jesus revolution. The Holy Spirit in revival. You know the late 60s and the early 70s America seem to be unraveling. There was a very real threat of nuclear war in the mid-60s Nikita Khrushchev made some very serious threats against our nation, including placing nuclear missiles in Cuba and Pres. Kennedy face-off with him and what is called historically, the Cuban missile crisis, but for kids in school. I was one of those kids in school we thought we might all die tomorrow so one year after the Cuban missile crisis are youthful president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, all of America. More meanwhile, the Vietnam War, which was never officially declared raged on with young men coming home in body bags and then the drug revolution is breaking out of the same time, of thousands of kids are turning the drugs for some kind of self-realization some kind of answer.

Hopefully that just made things worse. Add to the drug revolution the sexual revolution with the discovery of the birth control pill in the early 60s freelove rain then everybody just wanted to express themselves and push away those parameters on those barriers that existed for so long that all sorta culminated in the big music festival called Woodstock, which was billed as three days of peace and music, and Jimi Hendrix play the Star-Spangled Banner on his electric guitar. Everything was really groovy, man.

But then in 1968. All the psychedelic colors turned the black and white as reality began to kick in and we reap the consequences of all of these horrible decisions was in 1968 that civil rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated and then on the heels of that shortly after, as a matter of fact, Robert F.

Kennedy, the brother of Pres. Kennedy was running for the presidency was also assassinated in Los Angeles right here in California and then all of these rock icon died in a relatively short period of time. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison of the doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, so this is the reality because things were so dark with riots in the streets, in the vision.

Time magazine put out an ominous cover story black cover red letters reversed out is God dead that's all a lot of people felt that maybe God was dead. But God was not dead God was very much at work and we don't know exactly when it started, or where the actual beginning of what was, but in the middle of the drug revolution in the middle of the sexual revolution God said that Jesus revolution.

I had the privilege of being there at a front row seat. I didn't know it was a revival I didn't know I walked into the middle of a spiritual awakening, and there was a man that opened his heart and opened his church to it being Chuck Smith and decides all the young kids are getting say, and they want to go to church. A lot of churches took one look at them and said you're not coming there looking like that but for the churches that open their doors to the Jesus people as they were called of the Jesus freaks as they were also called those churches experienced revival for the churches and get their doors shut to these folks.

They did not experience revival. Some things that kind of stand out to me about that time.

Number one, there was a sense of expectancy in the services. So when you came to church.

It came with a sense that God is going to do something. No one was ever late for church. Back in those days. By the way, because if you were, you wouldn't get a seat so that sense of expectancy number two, the word of God was pretty much taught in every service you know Pastor Chuck Smith taught us to love the Bible we would go through books of the Bible in our lives were changed by the Bible and then also there was worship. It was a whole new kind of worship that was born before our very eyes. We would give invitations and pretty much every service and I think what happens is when nonbelievers come to a church that's alive, a church that's experiencing revival. They want to know God, so we brought friends and people would accept the Lord.

Here's another big earmark of that time we believed in the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

We believe that Christ can come in our lifetime. So somebody was able what is up 45 years ago that your timing was a little off Greg yeah will you know what I don't regret living in belief that Christ could come back and you know what were 45 years, closer to his return that we were there.

I still believe it. I believe Jesus could come in my lifetime, but we need to pray that God will do this again, some 85 sixes, will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you. The prophet Habakkuk understood this when he prayed this prayer in Habakkuk 3 to I've heard all about you, Lord, and I'm filled with by the amazing things you've done in this time of deep need revive your work as you did in years gone by. Show us the power to save us. And so it's similar to how you might feel now some of you might be thing without it must've been so great back then. I wish I could've been around then God wants to do it again because Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever K so it starts with the revival is a community saturated with God the one person, another said revival is an invasion from heaven Richard Owen Roberts wrote these words. Quote revival is an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results.

You know, the book of acts we read about the Holy Spirit being poured out on the church we see a very important principle. It is the spirit of God working through the word of God in the hearts of the people of God, will you need all three. The spirit of God working through the word of God in the hearts of the people of God and the people that Jesus used the changes world were very well ordinary people, uneducated, calloused hands, use social graces, many of them were outcasts.

But in a relatively short time they change the world they didn't have social media. Thomas did not tweet. Peter did not update his Facebook page that they didn't use any of these tools we had been a road system and a common language that they could use to bring the gospel to the rest of the world under the control of Rome. At that time, but really it comes down to this. It was a work of the Holy Spirit.

So Jesus told them all at three died on the cross and rose from the dead go to Jerusalem and wait and he said in acts 18 you shall receive power of the Holy Spirit is come upon you to be witnesses and for me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the planet. The uttermost parts of the earth, and so they went to Jerusalem today. Pentecost they don't know what they're even waiting for, and suddenly the Bible says that was a mighty rushing wind, and then there were these divided flames of fire over their heads. I don't even know what that was all about was never repeated again in Scripture and then they spoke in the language as they spoke in tongues, glorifying God and people are watching trying to figure this out. There's a lot of nonbelievers there because people would come from all over to be in Jerusalem at that particular time. Simon Peter gets up to preach that in itself is no small thing. Only days earlier this Simon Peter denied Jesus three times what happened. He had been empowered by the Holy Spirit. And here's a Peter said in acts two verse 15. From the new living translation. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming it's 9 o'clock in the morning.

It's too early for that email the bars and even open yet. He says what you see, was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel where he says in the last days, God says I'll pour my spirit out on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy in your young men will see visions in your old man will dream dreams, credible that was the day of Pentecost.

You might say what we need another Pentecost know we don't. The last home is good. We don't need another Pentecost any more than we need another Calvary because the same power that was poured out by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost is available for believers today, you need to simply receive it again. Acts 18 says you receive power to be a witness power to share your faith power to speak up and be counted. Power to turn your world upside down. And here's the promise that was given here and asked to about that power that was poured out on Pentecost. This promise is on the you it's to your children and all that are afar off it, even as many as the Lord our God shall call to God is still giving this power today what you have to do to receive it. You just pray for this power. You don't Ephesians 5 it says be filled with the Holy Spirit speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord and in the original language that can be translated "to you was filled with the Holy Spirit, by the way of the original Greek is also a command God command you to be filled with the spirit each and every day, but I think we make. You know too much out of this and and we feel it has to be some emotional thing you know, working to pray for people to be filled with the spirit so dim the lights and sings slow songs well luck you can do that if you want, but the Holy Spirit can be poured out when the lights are on or off. Okay. And it doesn't have to be emotional. Talk about being filled and when you go put gas in your car do you have an emotional experience, probably not until you see how much suggest because that's an emotional are given electric car when you plug it in the wall, you have an emotional experience.

Any view that maybe if you're standing in water when you do it you might, but generally it's not an emotional thing is just something you do you put gas in your car.

You do it again and again. Sometimes once a week. Others, once every six months if you of a previous ride. I guess those are tires of the size of donuts. I don't know but the thing is is you fill your car and your life needs to be filled in the same way with the Holy Spirit. So what you do, you simply ask God. Jesus said that the father would give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him and I think we ought to do that right now how many of you feel that you need more power from the Holy Spirit in your life. Raise your hand up all right. Well, God wants to give you that power. He wants to fill you and he wants to refill you that he wants to refill you again so we get a praying.

Here's what were going to do it is I'm going to lead you in a prayer and I would ask you to pray this prayer after me out loud even very similar to what we would lead someone coming to Christ in, but this is a different kind of prayer that this is what you want in your life.

Pray if you don't want this don't pray that no one forced me to do anything, but if you feel that you need more power to be a witness.

If you feel that you want those gifts of the spirit of the God wants to give to you and you pray this prayer with me right now. Let's start heads father were asking that you will bless this moment as we ask you for something you told us you want to give us, and we want everything you have for us. So were asking you to hear our prayer.

If you want God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

I want you to pray this out loud after me. Pray these words. Lord Jesus, I am weak, but you are strong and you promised power to me power to be a witness power to change the world. I need this power in my life, Lord. So I am asking you now in the name that is above all day. The name of Jesus Christ. I'm asking you to will be with the Holy Spirit give me all the gifts you want me to have.

Give me all the power that I need to serve you to glorify you to be used by you. I received this power in my life now in Jesus name I pray for Greg Laurie from of the second half of message in just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here personally inviting you to join us for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a Bible study. It's a worship service. It church in your home, you're not able to get out your church right now. If so, join us per Harvest at Home people are listening there from around the world listen to this. We have seen thousands of people commitment to follow Christ. Join us this weekend Harvest at Home.oh well. Today Pastor Greg is helping us receive God's power to do God's work in helping bring about a spiritual awakening in our culture. He continues to study now in acts chapter 2. So all those folks are gathered together in the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit is poured out, nonbelievers are standing there watching this all happening and they don't know what's going on. Peter gets up and preaches to the people tells them the gospel tells them Jesus died on the cross for their sin and they didn't know what to do and we read in acts 237 Peter's words pierced their hearts and they said to him, and the other apostles, brothers, what should we do Peter applied each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, you, I think when you come into a setting like this is a nonbeliever or as a visitor you wonder what is this mean what is this all about. It's about Jesus. It's about a relationship with Jesus and you know it's a funny thing when you're around people that have something there enjoying you wanted to give her going out with folks to eat after church may be, and maybe you don't want to eat. You're trying to lose weight and you think I'm just gonna drink water and so your friends order burgers and fries and onion rings and all that good stuff, and you're watching no and then you say to Frank, and I am one of your fries. Just one they say go yet and you eat one fried from someone else and it's like the greatest French fries you've ever had in your life then you order your own right. I think when a Christian is living as they ought to live. It's contagious. Other people want it. They desire to maybe you've come here today you're watching on a screen right now. One of our campuses. Wherever you are and you don't have this relationship with Jesus Christ and your question is the same as the people in the day of Pentecost. What is this mean what should we do Peter says repent of your sins and turn to God. That's it. What is it mean the repent of your sins and means to turn from your sin, to stop living that way to change your direction in life and then turn the God put your faith in Jesus will come and take residence in your heart. Folks listen, this is about a relationship with God.

That's why we didn't call it the church revolution or the Bible revolution. It was the Jesus revolution it was people having their lives turned around by Jesus, and Jesus is still in the revolution business today.

He still changing lives and he can change your life.

I don't know what state you're in. I don't know what path you're on. But as I talked about hopeless people turning to drugs or alcohol trying to find answers.

Maybe that describes you, maybe there's somebody else here that's been so despondent you've contemplated suicide.

Maybe there's somebody else here that is just wondering what you know you have checked all the boxes you got all the things you thought you would want in life to make yourself happy and there's just as big hole in your heart. Some of you are older in your thinking a lot about the afterlife and you're wondering what's going to happen to you and you hope that God will let you and the other listen we can get all of that resolved right now to fill that void in your life or you will no longer need drugs or alcohol or any other kind of substance to fill it.

He can also forgive you of your sin so you can know was certain that you will go to heaven when you die you don't have to guess on that or worry about that and also by having Jesus in your life you can know with confidence that if you were to come in our lifetime or if you were to come today you would be ready to meet him you would be ready that go to heaven if you're not sure that you need to respond to an invitation I'm going to extend in a moment.

Listen, Jesus died on the cross for your sin he rose again from the dead, and he will come into your life. This is personal yeah true corporately. We all believe this but it's personal. The way God works in a person's life. It's as though you're the only person on earth he's doing it for but in reality he's doing it for many many others will do it for you today because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead stands at the door of your life in the Knox and says if you hear his voice and open the door will commit so I'm a new extend an invitation for you to come. The crisis is for everybody here and for everybody watching me on the screen right now. Whatever harvest A charrette this is for you and if you don't know Jesus right now respond to this invitation.

I'm going to now extend atop our heads.

Please everybody, praying father. Now we pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince every person here every person watching wherever they are, of their need for Jesus and help them become to you and help them believe in you right here right now in Jesus name I pray a Greg Laurie important prayer if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord today. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment, and two brothers and sisters in Christ. Please be in prayer right now, for those were making this kind of decision. If you missed any part of this study today here on a new beginning for the first part of the presentation we heard last time you can get a replay by going online to harvest.org. The title of today's message is the Holy Spirit in revival or for a permanent copy on CD. Call 1-800-821-3300. You can reach us any time 24 hours a day at that number 1-800-821-3300 Pastor Greg, our listeners really love it when Kathy joins us here in the program. Yeah, I think they enjoyed hearing about the two of you. You talk once or twice of how you met Kathy and began dating pay, but that's told in some detail in your book Jesus revolution against the backdrop of the Jesus movement. Yes, you and Kathy really had a front row seat for that movement. Yeah, that's true. And you know we did not realize at the time that we had a front row seat to a genuine spiritual awakening, but indeed we did and I wanted to share my story not to live in the past but hopefully to prepare for the future you know if you get in the car you probably notice that the rearview mirror is a lot smaller than your windshield. That's because you need to spend more time going forward, then going backward okay so it's good to reflect that because we can learn from the past and we can reflect back on the great work that God did you know in the Psalms we read the phrase all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and his wonderful works to the children of men will see the psalmist repeat the great things that God did for the nation Israel. It's good to remind yourself of what the Lord is done and then it's also a great thing to say Lord would you do it again. We've had revivals in the history of America in the past and I would say were overdue for one right now.

In fact, I don't know what else could change the course of our nation worse so divided politically were divided racially were divided in every way imaginable, and only Christ can bring us together.

We need a change of heart. We need the Lord to pour his spirit out on our churches and on our country, but it starts with us. So I've written a book called Jesus, revolution, and I tell the story of how I came to faith how I met my wife how we came together how we saw the Lord work how we started our church is a lot there is also some historical backdrop there to help you understand what we are facing that the times I think as you read this book, you'll say wow that sounds a lot like our nation right now so it seems to me that we can learn from the past.

In this case. As I said before, the fame of revival spreads the flame of revival. So let's talk about that theme. Let's look back a little bit and let's pray that God will do it again.

I'll send you a copy of this book Jesus revolution for your gift of any size whatever you send will be used to help us continue to teach God's word and call people to Jesus Christ and I hope this book will be a blessing for you order your copy now of Jesus revolution now. That's right, you can call 1-800-821-3300 and someone is here to take your call around-the-clock, seven days a week will be glad to send it to you to thank you for your investment so that we can continue to bring these studies your way each day and share the gospel with hundreds of thousands of people each year. So once again, call 1-800-821-3300 or right a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or order online@harvest.org and by the way, when we send you Jesus revolution will also include the brand-new study guide that goes with it to help you get even more from the helpful insights and principles in the book, so contact us today pastor Greg another seminar audience today who felt God speaking to them for your message and they want to make a change in their relationship with the Lord. Could you help them think. Yeah, you know, Dave.

The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved so I would lead you in a prayer we you will be doing just that. Calling on the name of the Lord solicit if you want your sins forgiven. If you want to know that when you die you will go to heaven if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life and take away your guilt and your shame. Then just stop what you're doing and pray this prayer with me right now pray this after me if you would, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner.

I have broken your commandments.

I have fallen short of your standards but 2000 years ago you died on the cross for me, then you rose again from the dead. So Jesus come in the my life and be my Savior and my Lord and my God, my friend.

I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and for giving me an Jesus name I pray, amen and amen and listen. If you have just prayed those words with pastor Greg and mentor them.

Sincerely, the Lord is heard you and forgiven you of your sin and we want to welcome you into the family of God and would like to send some follow-up materials your way to help you begin to live a life of faith letter sent you are new believers growth packet just ask for when you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or you can call us at our 24 seven phone number 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click on know God will next time as pastor.

Greg continues his series called Jesus revolution to show us the direct connection between revival and prayer.

Good insight coming next time you beginning possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org