Refresh | Sunday Message with Special Guest Dr. Jack Graham

Hey there, thanks for listening to the great glory podcast, a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries. To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org. I want to invite you to turn your Bibles to Zechariah chapter 6 and I know it may take you a while to find Zechariah department chapter 4 verse six, so I will give you a head start is on page 1163 in my Bible go to the minor prophets and look for. Is there and let me give you a little background to this great passage that I want to talk to you about today on the theme reignite the temple in Israel was laying in rulings and a man by the name of cerebral.

That's the name Zara removable was charged with the responsibility of rebuilding the temple and after 20 years or so of working and trying, doing everything that he could to gather the people to unite the people. This wasn't like the day of Nehemiah when there rebuilding the walls and they did it in 90 days. The removable was in car charge of this construction project and he spending a year after year after year after year and nothing is happening. As a matter of fact, after all these tie all this time two decades. He's got nothing to show for his efforts but a big hole in the ground refill like that you're working your trying you're doing everything you can and is just not happening. Maybe it's your career maybe is your calling the Christian life in and of itself, and in your not seeing the results of success that you believe that God is given you, and so this man was terribly discouraged and that's when the word of the Lord came to the removable in my prayer this message that I'm writing you today is that the word of the Lord will come to you today because this is what we need the word of the Lord, the strong vital internal inerrant and infallible word of God, and God has a word for you in this. It is word and God has a word for you today, in this moment, so verse six says so he answered me. This is the word of the Lord to the removable not by strength or by my but by my spirit says the Lord of Army's that's literally the Lord of Angel armies. What are you a great mountain before cerebral you will become a plain, and he will bring out of the capstone out the capstone a company. It would shouts of grace, grace to it. Then the word of the Lord came to me cerebral's hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will completed, then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you for who despises the day of small things. The seven eyes of the Lord would scan throughout the whole earth will rejoice when they see the ceremonial stone of the rubles hand. Let's pray together. We thank you, oh God, for your word, your truth which is life to us. We pray, oh God, that the time that we have together that you would encourage us to keep going to be encouraged in the faith that you have given us that we would not only start but finish the job you've assigned each one of us that it that we would fulfill our calling, we would fulfill our marriage vows that we would fulfill our commitments to our friends and relationships and to our church, for we pray in Jesus name, amen several principles that fall right out of this text that I want to mention to you today.

You may want to write some of these down number one when we are weak. God is strong when we are weak.

God is strong.

Here's the thing about the Christian life not by might not by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord. The greatest discovery I've made in my Christian life is this after salvation itself is Christ in me and I in Christ. Christ lives in me and I live in Christ. I am in Christ and Christ is in me and the Christian life therefore is not on our own. God doesn't give us a set of plans and say go get it. But God has said, here's the plan. Here's the purpose and God made you on purpose for a purpose in your life and God wants you to fulfill that purpose. And he has given you the helper, the comforter, the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord of armies, the Lord of life who is in us. The Christian life is not you. Jesus said without me you can do what you can do absolutely nothing, nothing, zero, with all the hedges trimmed off. You can do nothing, but in Christ there is power to do what ever God calls us to do every single day of our lives. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So when I say the Christian life is a possible if you're struggling in many people are doing a series right now in our church on the book of Romans and we just came from Romans seven when Paul himself is struggling to live the Christian life.

The goat, the greatest of all time.

In my view, the greatest Christian Everly of the apostle Paul is struggling to live the Christian life and he saying things like, like the things that I want to do. I don't do in the very things I don't want to do other things I find myself doing anything's up with this declaration of saying is the question of the declaration. He says own wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. Paul is talking about his self life. In fact, when you read Romans seven you see the words I and me and my again and again and again Paul is trying his training, stressing and struggling he's wondering why I can't wire things not getting better. Why am I not living the Christian life about the plot.

The apostle Paul was strongly.

I know that I'm going to struggle as well and so will you. And then of course he was right under Romans eight and from Romans seven where is you and me and my I heard about a bird done of the tropics is called the Mimi bird and is called the Mimi bird because that's the sound it makes Mimi me me me me and I never see the Mimi bird except in churches. I've seen a lot of Mimi birds in churches, but it's all about. I me and mine, when you're trying to do this on your own, but we get to Romans eight when you read a passage of verse like this and it says not by might not by power but by my spirit, we realize that as in Romans eight is the spirit, the spirit, the spirit, the spirit and in the spirit there is life in the spirit there is liberty. So Paul makes this declaration coming out of this this confession, I can't do it.

I can't do it. I can't do this thing and he says he will deliver me.

Then he says thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He makes a declaration that I want to challenge you today to stop playing the victim constantly and to start declaring who you are in Jesus Christ. This is who you are. You are more than a conqueror and in Christ. There's no nothing that you're facing in your life. No challenge, no mountain in your life. No hole in the ground that you can overcome in the power of Christ. Ephesians 518 to be drunk with wine that success, but be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be filled with the Holy Spirit means to live under the control of the nomination of the Holy Spirit no longer dominated by sin and controlled by sin enslaved by sin. But now infused with spiritual power � how to read ignite is to be full of the Holy Spirit of God. This is how you rebuild the church. Many of us are asking in these days as were bringing church churches back together in regathering and no well we just want to get back to normal.

No, not really. Maybe here courses the great dynamic spirit filled church, led by one of the greatest pastors of all time. Truly, in your gathering back in your doing well and I know is been tough in many many ways. And we wonder across this country and around the world how we can bring the church back together. I know in our church we been doing fairly well but were still missing out on a six, 700 people that we haven't seen yet.

So how we going to do this how we get this done not by might not by power but by my Spirit, people will return to a church that is revived when people start coming back let them see the fire of God. The reignition of the power of Jesus among his people and you know I can't describe what this is like to be filled with the Holy Spirit, other than to say that the presence of Christ, the risen Christ the risen power. Jesus is alive in us the same power that brought Jesus out of the grave available to us. Some doubt it.

Some doubt the very existence of God himself in the mother's womb.

There were two babies and one as the other. Do you believe in life after delivery. The other replied.

Why, of course, there has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves sell for what we will have later nonsense said the first.

There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be the second set.

I don't know but there will be more like that in here, maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouth. Maybe we will have other senses that we can even understand now verse replied that's absurd. Walking is possible and eating with our mouths ridiculous.

The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need, but the umbilical cord is so short life after delivery is to be logically excluded. The second insisted well I think there's something in maybe it's different than in here. Maybe we don't need this physical cord anymore. The first replied nonsense, and moreover, there is life, then why is that no one ever come back here from there. Delivery is the end of life and in the after delivery. There is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.

Well I don't know said the second we have twins. By the way, in our family so exacting and Zach and Jake are talking here. The first replied you don't know Cindy, but certainly we will meet mother and she will take care of us. The first replied mother you actually believe in mother that's laughable. If mother exist and where is she now.

The second said she's all around us. We are surrounded by her.

We are all of her. It is in her that we live without her, this world would not and could not exist. Said the first well I don't see so it's only logical that she doesn't exist which the second replied sometimes when you're in the silence and you focus and you really listen, you can sense her presence. And you can hear her loving voice calling down from above a man what those little babies learn we learn when we are born again, that there is a God is revealed himself in Jesus who is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except by him in him we have life we live and move and have our being.

We been born again unto a living hope we know he is real.

We since his presence.

His spirit is alive and sin. He is all around us and we can know him. Jesus is not someone I know about. He's someone I really know. I know Jesus. That's why Paul said to know him and the power of his resurrection. So when you face insurmountable odds and circumstances in crisis and maybe anxiety and depression, or when you're trying to build something or do something or grow something and it's just not happening.

Remember, this is the work of the Holy Spirit in you and he will enable you and he will empower you to be the dad, the mom, the parent, the husband, the wife that the that the friend all the things that we want to be the servant of Christ using our spiritual gifts.

The gifts of the spirit that he's given us.

We have all of this and so much because of what Christ is done in us.

Never forget Jesus is alive in you, not by might not by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord does principle number one when we are weak and we are he is strong. Second thing is never assess the difficulty in light of your own resources say that again never assess a difficulty in your life. In view of your own or in light of your own resources. Verse seven look at it again. What are you, O great mountain before is a removable use shall become a plain what are you, O great mountain now. Apparently there was this huge mountain there. Not only was he trying to dig through this mound got a hole in the ground but this mountain is standing between the removable and his calling his commission to rebuild the temple, and God is encouraging him and says what are you oh great mouth. The now mountain. Of course this is a physical mouth. But Jesus talked about other kinds of mountains. He talked about faith to move mountains and we talked about those mountains.

He he was talking about anything you know mountains can obstruct our vision, their beautiful but they can block your vision, and now this cannot only obstruct your vision but obscure your mission and that's what was happening here. He was not able to achieve it. Because of that great mountain, and every day that mountain was standing there and at an end, bidding him to go forward so God says to him, what are you oh great mountain before Zerubbabel you shall become as a plain, and in the language of the Old Testament which is Hebrew. All those words there before Zerubbabel these words, it shall become as a plane is one word, one Hebrew work in here is ready for this before Zerubbabel is a loose translation, but it literally means God's going to just evaporated, incinerated, in God's time in God's own way. That mountain, standing before you, God is said don't assess your life your circumstances in terms of your own resources, but assess it in the power of God because he goes on to say because that mountain is going to be removed and guess he takes credit for. We give all glory to God with shouts of grace, grace, grace to it because not only we are living under the umbrella of God's provision and God's protection for our lives. Did you know that. And there is nothing you face no mountain that cannot be moved. No river that cannot be crossed. No difficulty that God cannot overcome. There's no person that God cannot say there's no sin that God cannot forgive because with God all things are possible with shouts of grace grace to a man so when you look at your mountain today.

What is it what you dealing with trusts, the promise of God, he is faithful forever. Faith in his own time in his own way, doesn't it tear down that obstacle. He's going to remove when you trust in him and look for him again, not by might not by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord. But then there's another principle here and that is what God starts. He finishes with verse nine Zerubbabel's hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will complete that I was important for Zerubbabel to know, because the biggest question in Jerusalem at that time. Is this is not all man going to live long and half to ever get this job done to rebuild the temple is removable, but no doubt was caught questioning himself house is ever going to happen. I know that I got enough time or times are in his hands. We trust in him and what God said is this what I start I will finish what I began in you. I will perfect you one of my favorite verses is Philippians 16 he began the good work in you will perform it perfect it completed in the day of Jesus Christ. Maybe wondering why am I not becoming more and more like Christ. That way I know that I should.

Why am I not making progress here, maybe maybe I'm not even saying no if you're safe what God is started and you he just getting started and he's never gonna stop. He's never going to quit working on as we used to say a long time ago.

Please be patient with me.

God is not finished with me yet were not a finished product, God still working on me and still working on you but he's doing it and by the work of his Spirit in us alive in us. It will be you are as we like to say is insured for heaven as if you were already there because what God starts. He always finishes and he's not through with you. I tell the story in the and in my book that there was a time in this whole thing when I was dealing with this heavy anxiety and depression that I was thinking you know it's over because I just couldn't get going again. I never experienced anything like this and again I was no longer fighting the cancer I was fighting the fear that came with an so I'm I'm I'm wondering if MI finished. Is it over scot-free with my ministry. I was just so exhausted. I was so tired and I kept coming back to this verse in verses like these.

The promises of God in the provision of God that says I'm not finished with you. You can trust me with this. Even this God is not finished with you. God is going to restore and reignite you in your life.

If you're going through some things, like right now and your ready to quit. Don't you dare quit I was talking to a friend of mine just this week has pneumonia. As a result of covert and he struggling he's fighting for his life. I spoke to him on the phone and said don't you dare quit that you dare stop fighting God's got a plan.

God's got a purpose in this year in his hand and what God starts he's got nothing. What I said to my friend, I would say to you right now, anyone here is watching this worshiping here in this room you're thinking about checking out your thinking about wanting to quit your thinking about. I can't do this.

I can't go on. Remember what God said to this man he saying to you what God starts he finishes, and he's given your work to do is put it in your hands, and he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. So trust in him who is faithful, keep running your race doing what God has called you to do and here's one of my favorite parts of this passage firsthand.

Here's another principle. So far we said when we are weak he is strong, not by might not by power but by my Spirit never assess the difficulty in terms of your own resources with shouts of grace. The mountain will be removed. What God starts he finishes, he will complete and then verse 10, four who despises the day of small things know what that is little as much when God is in it little as much when God is in it. We tend to ignore small things, but God doesn't in the small progress the to the small steps that we take on the small things that we do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are doing what God has called us to do the enlarger being small, God blesses us in the activity. Says don't despise.

Maybe there someone's some young people here today.

You're just getting started in life you want to serve the Lord in your ready to be on it and there's a young preacher here in your you're ready to preach the gospel in Angel Stadium and you're not quite being asked just yet. I will go preach on the beach, go preach on on the street go preach where God is put you got go where it may be a small thing, but the faithful Jesus and he that is faithful in that which is Lee shall be made faithful in that which is much God uses small things that the stone in a slingshot in David's hand, are part of the alabaster box. Just a small ointment jar of of of perfume and when she broke that way she did that small thing this this little lady who lived so long ago Mary of Bethany when she wish she broke the perfume in the flask and anointed Jesus in preparation for his burial, though she could've never understood it. Jesus later said Jesus said, commending her she's done what she could when she was criticized by Judas and some of the others said leave her alone what she's done is a testimony to me those little things that we do those small acts of devotion a cup of cold water. In Jesus name given with love and blessing to someone, and nobody knows it.

Nobody is applauding you for doing it nobody's cheering you and telling your great but God sees it. And God knows it. The beginning of your marriage at the beginning of a friendship at the beginning of anything we often want to rush to the but God has a way of preparing us in producing something very special in our lives when we take the small things and do them in a great way to the glory of God. Little is much when God is in it, just like the five loaves and the fishes, the little boy in his lunch given to the hands of Jesus and bless by the words of Jesus there multiplied in a multitude is for harvest.

You have an increase in credible witness and this community in California across this country in the world is a church. The Crusades that you're doing and we're already praying for you in October is a big harvest night is coming, and sometimes I know you may wonder why my damn hat. What does what I do, whether it be working in the in a parking lot are are passing out an invitation or inviting someone or sharing the gospel with someone. What little thing can I do, what does it really matters, it can matter it can separate life and death in heaven and hell with hundreds of people that you don't even know about this past week we had the head of the international mission board in the Southern Baptist convention come to our church to speak and in it out, this man is responsible for the world's largest mission organization and he's a wonderful guy from North Carolina's name is Paul Chitwood and he was telling the story said about 40 years ago there were a couple guys that showed up at the church parking lot in a little church in Kentucky and they were doing on this Tuesday night what they always day, which was go visiting. It might be a seven thing I don't know but house to house, knock on doors.

Visitation and so they had some cards in their hands what they heard about a young dad recently divorced at the top of the hill literally at the end of the road.

They said let's go see this man in a walked up the hill to the end of the road to little shack of a house were invited in by the young divorced dad with two little boys sitting there one about 71 about four and those to faithful men doing a little thing began to talk to this man. He was brokenhearted because his wife had left the begin to talk to him about Jesus. And that day in that room that old house that young dad gave his heart and his life to receive Christ as his Savior and Paul now preaching in our church now hitting the largest mission organization in the world, said I was that for you. Your own little boy sitting at the feet of my daddy.

My daddy heard the gospel from these two faithful men, and he said it wasn't long till I was asking Jesus in my heart to now God has given me this privilege of being responsible to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Those two men who walked up that dirt road so long ago could've never known that little four-year-old boy would grow up to change the world. Just be faithful with what God has called you to do is not about you is not about me it's all about Jesus and his gospel so so this five day value has with me in prayer every head bowed and every does do you know Jesus. Maybe somebody invited you here today after watching on the webcast at this time.

Are you right here in this room and you don't know Christ.

Someone invited you, someone has shared their faith with you, they risk even maybe your displeasure to talk to you about Jesus because that's who we are.

That's what we do because we love Jesus we want you to knowing as well is so right here right now. If you never come to that place in your life where you have personally invited Jesus into your life. Your many people have a relationship with the church don't have a relationship with Jesus. We talk a lot about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that that's what we've been talking about the day.

Clearly what we're talking about is not religion. It it it it truly is this friendship with that we have with crisis relationship that we have and you can have it to because Jesus went to the cross. He laid down his life on the cross and he took your place and died for your sins. Every one of them.

The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son cleanses us from every sin your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, and you can be forgiven of all your sins because of what Christ has done for you on the cross, when he gave his life for you. He loves you and he has a plan and a purpose for your life and then on the third day he rose again he is alive. The Bible says if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead he will be saved. What the heart we believe and with the mouth.

We confess to salvation for whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, say from what say from your sin saved by the life of Christ. Now to live in you save not only for sin is safer heaven, but safer now say for this life. You would make a difference in this world for Jesus Christ. So you can be saved the day Jesus welcomes you and invites you into his family. So pray a prayer like this or Jesus, thank you for loving me dying on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again on the third day, I do trust in you.

I confess, she is my Lord and my Savior is telling me in your own words, you don't even have to say all these words to say Jesus come into my life and be my Savior, my Lord, my God, my friend, if you will receive an promising now that I will follow you openly and publicly and live for you by the power of your spirit until you come for me. Pray that prayer invite Christ into your life and for that person right now who may be struggling in their many who are struggling in the state is looking at a situation in your life like this man. We just read about in the Bible and you don't know what to do and it just seems so hopeless and so endless.

What you're trying to do, not by might not by power, my spirit surrender your life to the Lordship of ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with his presence and his power start doing what God is called you to do, even if it's a little thing but is it because here's what the Scripture says the eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in behalf of all whose hearts are steadfast in him. God's eyes are scanning the room and wherever you are and is looking for men and women whose hearts are given to him blameless and steadfast towards him. Thank you Lord for your word for the power your spirit for the blessing of this church in the congregation of your people. Now, Lord, we pray that these who are responding and receiving. You will now follow you openly and publicly and live for you and the power of your spirit, all the days of their lives. And Lord that's all of we pray as we face our mountains, Lord, in your own timing your own way to move the mountain because we believe and trust in you in Jesus name, amen and amen.

God bless you, thank you everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow this show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God