Prophetic Roadmap for 2019
2019 is a year…
- That will rise and fall on our prayer lives.
- To step out into new things that God is doing in your life.
- For a new level of maturity.
- To grow in and develop our faith and to exercise our faith
- To stand with our church family members who are believing for spouses
- For us to focus our prayer/action on the upcoming National Elections
- For us to contend for revival
02: SETTING OUR HEARTS TO SEEK THE LORD
“Sunday Funday” is about having fun, and building community – but I also wanted to take some time to talk about the importance of why we do this. Why do we gather together on Sundays? What’s the big deal?
Last message we focused on ‘why we gather’,
- It’s commanded in scriptures
- We need each other
- When we are isolated it’s easier for the enemy to take us out
- It has a profound effect on our children
This week I want to focus on ‘how’ we need to approach our Sunday gatherings:
Several important paradigm shifts:
- I don’t get to choose where I ‘go to church’ (Psalm 92:12-14 NIV)
- We gather first and foremost for Him, not for ourselves (2 Chronicles 20:4 BSB)
- We are not called to be spectators but participants in what God is doing
When we gather together our heart attitudes really matter.
Isaiah 29:13 (ESV) – And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV) – 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
When we come together, we need to prepare our hearts
1] To Worship
- Matthew 15:8-9 (ESV) – 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
- 2 Chronicles 12:14 – 14 And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
- Psalm 57:7 (KJV) – 7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
- Someone complained to pastor and author Francis Chan once and said that they didn’t think that the worship service was very good. He said that that was okay because “we weren’t worshiping you.”
- Good Question:If we are constantly late for worship what does that say about our heart towards it?
2] To Give
- 2 Cor 9:7 (ESV) – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
- Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (ESV) – 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
3] To Hear the Word of God Preached
- Acts 2:42 (ESV) – 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…
- 1 Cor 1:21 (ESV) – 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. –
- God has chosen that one of his key instruments is the preaching of the Word of God.
- Mark 6:1-5 (ESV) – …5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. –
- The lack of honour for Jesus and the word He brought limited what He could do there. The same thing can happen to us.
4] To Receive Impartation
- Romans 1:10-11 (ESV) – 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
- Paul clearly understood that there were some things that could not be prayed from a distance but only imparted in his presence.
brendan witton.com 