Gary Johnson, Sermon at Awaken Ministry Conference

In 1906, William J. Seymour gave three prophecies regarding the latter days:

1. There would be an over-emphasis on power, rather than on righteousness.
2. There would be an over-emphasis on praise to a God they no longer pray to.
3. There would be an over-emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit rather than on the Lordship of the Messiah!

Likewise, Gary Johnson brought three words for us today:

1. Lack of prayer is a problem.
2. Worshiping on Sunday to get fixed, but breaking on Monday when we should be fixing others.
3. Should be breaking barriers and seeing/living the Kingdom here.

Regarding the ox cart:

• A cart is big wheels and boards
• God's presence does not move by big wheels and boards.

Eph 6 - The Belt of truth

• every weapon is attached to the belt

He 13:5 - "What God has said" - The Book

Eccl 7:18 "Blessed is the man who hangs onto this without letting go of that" - The Balance

We need the belt for our tools, the book for the truth, the balance to meet the needs.


The heat separates the fake from the genuine.


If you have been hurt, wounded, cut, stung, or bitten, as soon as you can, start getting over it.

The enemy is smart. If he can wound you, he will take five others out (4 to carry the soldier, 1 to operate the radio).

Joshua Harris, sermon re: Lust

If you have no problem with lust, then you're:

• Stronger than Samson
• Godlier than David
• Wiser than Solomon

Lust customizes a plan to destroy each one of us

• Not one-size-fits-all
• tailored to our experiences, tendencies, habits...

Lust ensnares with false promises of satisfaction.

• Says, "just once, never again"

Lust pays attention to the little battles.

Timelines in Abraham's Life

	Abe's Age	Sarah's Age
Abraham leaves Haran	75
Hagar births Ishmael	86
God changes names	99
Isaac born	100
Sarah dies		127
Isaac marries	140
Abraham dies	175

Roger Dowd, When It's Time to Change Garments

Joseph wore four distinct garments in his life:

1. The Coat of Many Colors
2. Slave Garments under Potiphar
3. Prison Garments
4. Royal Garments as 2nd-in-Command

Per Charles Swindoll:

1. Surprises are always part of God’s leading.
2. Surprises always intensify our faith.
3. Stepping out in faith always brings clarification to God’s plan.
4. Obedience always stimulates growth.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Vernell Ingle, Revisiting the Commission

Matt 28:19

• God can give us whole neighborhoods, communities, cities
• example: the work God's doing in Uganda
  
  • was one of the worst, most sinful
  • Results of expectancy and intercession (prayer and fasting)
• If God is a great God, we can have great expectations
  

I Tim 4:16

• Message should be the same as the life.
• Give attention to, guard
  
  • yourself - conform to God
  • doctrine - the message
• If you will guard your character, God will guard your reputation.
  

Matthew 28

"Go" is not a verb/command. In the Greek, it's a participle meaning "In Your going."

• If we don't live the message out there, they won't want to hear it inside.

"Teach" is the command, but is a different word than the common Greek for "Teach." This Greek is "disciple."

Too often we think, "Get them to the altar."

• But the altar doesn't have to be in the church
• But the command isn't just save them and leave them
  
  • When they get saved, the process just begins.

Rev 3:20 - not the door of a sinner's heart, but the door of a church.

• The church was doing fine regarding finances and programs, but Jesus wasn't involved.

Discipleship

• We need to discover the joy of discovering who God has given us.

Two Kinds of Discipleship

• Group
• One-on-one

Evangelism doesn't end with conversion, but follows through with teaching and pouring your life into them.

A true disciple is one who absorbs the Christ life.

Eph 4:11-16

• Not a one-man show, but a living organism

12-13

• Work of the ministry is to turn converts into ministers
• Program: The Navigators - a 7 yr program

v. 11 -- 4 Offices: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors-Teachers

Paul used the Greek for Pastor only once, but the word for teacher was used twice as much as "pastor", "preacher", and "preaching".

Teachers: The more you get to know the students, the more receptive they'll be

Pastors: Disciple your staff and leaders

Phil 2:5 - Let this mind be in you

• Christ washing feet
  
  • Servanthood is our goal
    

Vernell Ingle, Importance of the Family

Ministry is not just credentials, but also service.

The qualifications for elders list family first.

• If personal life is messed up, have no business getting a larger sphere of influence.
  

Bishop Tom Branham, Communion Sermon, 2007 District Convention

Matthew 26:26 - Communion

• Didn't fully observe passover
  
  • Didn't stay under blood overnight
  • But went to the mountain
    
• Christ's time with his disciples was more important than religious form, function and process.
  

The Setting

• Judas was among them
  
  • Note: Jesus completed his ministry with a backslider on his board.
• Jesus was among them
  
  • The King and Savior
  • Discerner, good discerner, of thoughts/intents of the heart

Bread and Wine

• Bread = Strength - poised for a change
• Wine = Joy
  

Perry Noble

Engage

• Grab the attention of the attendees

Enlarge

• Grow the church
• Target the sinners that no other church wants

Endure

• Small Groups
• Volunteers
  
• "A church is not effect when the pastor ministers to people. A church is effective when people minister to people."

Enable

Tommy Barnett ?

A good idea becomes great when the people are ready. The individual who is impatient with people will be defective in leadership. The evidence of strength lies not in streaking ahead, but in adapting your stride to the slower pace of others while not forfeiting your lead. If we run too far ahead, we lose our power to influence.

Chuck Pierce, on Praise the Lord

Trouble never comes to test what you're doing. Trouble comes to test who you are.

...

The enemy is trying to get someone to second-guess their call.

Walt Disney

Do what you do so well that people can't resist telling others about you.

MIchael Abrashoff, Next: Right Now, Fast Company June 2003

...you want their best effort, their most creative response. You want them totally committed to your cause and to one another. But here's the kicker: Your job is to train them to give that to you.

...

They need to believe in you as the living exemplar of a clear purpose that you communicate to them every day, in ways large and small. They need to know why you are asking them to risk their lives, how you define victory, and how they will be rewarded by following you to the end.

...

Waging and winning war is all about your people. You can't win unless your people believe in their purpose far more strongly than the enemy's people do.

Donny Deutsch, Fast Talk: My Toughest Assignment, Fast Company June 2003

You have to surprise, charm, and engage people. The riskiest proposition of all is sticking to the status quo, especially in conservative times.

Lee Strobel, Outreach Magazine, July/August 2004

I ask pastors if their church has someone in charge of outreach only to hear, "Well, we can't really afford that." I inquire about their strategy for spreading the Gospel and get, "We'll just let our light shine and hope people notice." I ask if they're training their congregation to share their faith, and they respond, "I think I preached on that a couple of years ago."

Tony Campolo, Point of View, Outreach Magazine July/August 2004

The churches that are growing are the ones that have turned evangelism into something all of their members do.

...

How many of you were led to Christ because some ordinary person loved you and wouldn't let go of you until you made a decision about Him?

...

My question to pastors - and it's a question they should be asking themselves - is not, "Who is coming to your church?" but rather "Who isn't coming?"