Sermon-w10

Scripture Reading (NIV):

Isaiah 52: 1 - 2
1 ¶ Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem,
the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the
unclean.
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the
bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

Isaiah 61:1 - 4
1 ¶ Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the
mountains might flow down at thy presence,
2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name
known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! {the melting…:
Heb. the fire of meltings}
3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains
flowed down at thy presence.
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither
hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
{seen…: or, seen a God beside thee, which doeth so for him, etc}

Message

I felt God speaking to me loud and clear. This is a word for you, Geoff and, again I trust
maybe a word for you the congregation or those that receive this message by internet.

Awake or Wake up!

Revivals are often referred to as “an awakening”. It is, as if we become complacent, or
familiar with God, with His word, His church and our function becomes mundane, boring,
matter of fact, or even dreary at worst.

God never intended this for His bride. He has planned a “DIVINE ROMANCE”! A wonderful
unfolding of events and situations of who we are, what we are and what time it is. Timing is
often so very crucial in revivals. Especially in the unfolding of revivals, events start taking on a
prophetic nature e.g. a rainbow, a sudden down pour of rain even earthquakes etc. This end
times revival will be full of supernatural events taking place e.g. Tsunami.

God is calling us into a “DIVINE ROMANCE” with Jesus our Saviour and this can only begin to
take place when (you and I) we realise who we are. A royal priesthood.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful
light.

Imagine this scenario.

You are at a special dance and you go over to your bride and say; “I love you, you are
beautiful, come dance with me.”
She replies; “No I’m not, I hate myself. I’m not good enough, in fact, I’m terrible.”

How would you feel? Hurt? Upset? Rejected?

God is trying to date a frozen partner. God’s Frozen Chosen!

We often say these words to God; “I’m not good enough, find someone else.”

Seven essential aspects before real revival will come.

1.        Wake up! realise who you are!
2.        Cloth yourself with strength.
3.        O Jerusalem!
4.        Shut the door on lies.
5.        Shake off the dust
6.        Rise up and sit enthroned.
7.        Free yourself from your chain “O Captive daughter of Zion”

1.        Wake up! realise who you are!
Jesus says “ See who you are in me and start living”

2.        Cloth yourself with strength.
The state of sleep or depression is a place of low or no activity. Depression has to do with
low or no energy.It seems so much in our materialistic world is geared at giving us energy.
Everything is marketed to lifting us out of depression. God is saying to all of us who are
struggling, cloth yourself with energy. How many people realise that they need to turn to God.
God is the “source” of all “energy”. God is energy and is calling us into this exciting energy.

Put on the “garment of praise” for the “Spirit of heaviness” - lift up your voice and “sing”. Pray
with the Spirit and with understanding, magnify the Lord. (Isaiah 61:3)

One of the Hebrew words for praise can be translated “strength”. The opposite to praise is
“complaining or moaning”, you could say were people “praise” there is Energy, but were
people complain or moan there is a absence of energy.

“Put on the garment of splendour!”

God is calling us to go higher than just energy. He wants us clothed in Splendour, Radiant,
Rejoicing in Him. Totally fulfilled in Him. Totally energised by his presence.
Ps 22:3
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

3.        O Jerusalem!

You and I are Jerusalem, we are Toronto, we are the light on the hill, we are the radiance of
the divine romance, we are the Angelic hosts, we are the saints, we are Jerusalem. realise
this! Awake! Wake up! If you fail to believe thats who you are, you will loose your vision and
the power.

4.        Shut the door on lies.

The unclean and defiled are essentially the lies we accept about ourselves that we are bad
and deserve nothing. (Satan’s lie.)

We may have some theological misgivings with some aspects of the prosperity message but
in this they’ve got it right.

Most of us have bought into the lie that we are bad and deserve nothing.

The defiled and unclean can only enter a city whose gates are open to them. We need to shut
the door to those lies and believe the truth.

5.        Shake off the dust

Our first two weeks in our house was a constant living with dust and many other difficulties.

Although living with dust is unpleasant, with some effort it can be removed.

God is calling us to action. Every effort to remove the enemy is useful and will lead to your
total freedom from sin.

The enemy is weaker than we think. We have more authority than we realise. God is calling
us to use our authority.

6.        Rise up and sit enthroned.

Look at the progression
        Shake off!
        Rise up!
        Sit enthroned.

This is all symbolic of spiritual authority.

        Shake off! - Get rid of, letting go of, deliver me from evil.
        Rise up! - Taking charge.
        Sit enthroned. - Ruling, Kingdom living, Living as kings. (i.e.) Living as those who rule
with Christ’s authority on earth.

7.        Free yourself “O Captive daughter of Zion”

Free yourself from chains on your neck. This is a picture of total bondage! Like a dog on a
leash. by the scruff of your neck.

Free yourself - You must do it! You must take the initiative, but I also believe in the Biblical
sense “you” refers to the community, the church.

“Church”, free the “church”!

Could this be the purpose of all unity that the churches becomes the instrument of freeing
each other?

Zion - Church - God’s dwelling place - Living Temples - Us

The church has been held in captivity long enough. Now, today is the day for her freedom.

Lazarus came out of the tomb. Jesus did not untie him He asked the family to do it.

Lazarus is a picture of the church. We are alive but bound. Let us set each other free.

Often church activity has been about us discussing each other’s grave clothes. Start today
setting each other free.

Church on the Way.

God is Calling, wake up! 06/03/05 Sermon - week 10

St. Georges Presbyterian Church Bluff, Durban, South Africa.