Awakening to God's Active Presence in Crisis

 

Summary

In this gathering, we reflect on the profound phrase from Acts 2:11, "the wonderful works of God," as a reminder of the urgent need to recognize God's active presence in our lives and the world. We live in a time of crisis, marked by complacency, rebellion, and a decline in church influence. Many have turned to new movements or even drugs in search of something real and dynamic, highlighting a deep spiritual hunger. The church, historically, has experienced cycles of decline and revival, and we find ourselves in a trough, needing to rediscover the living God.

The root of our current spiritual malaise is a tendency to forget God, reducing faith to mere morality or intellectual assent. This forgetfulness manifests in various ways, such as religion without God, where practices become routine and devoid of divine encounter. There's also a danger in turning Christianity into a mere philosophy or worldview, focusing on attitudes rather than the living God. This has led to a form of deism, where God is seen as distant and uninvolved.

The Bible, however, is a testament to God's active involvement in history, from creation to the resurrection. The early church was a phenomenon because of God's mighty acts, and this is what we must recapture. Revivals throughout history have been God's way of revitalizing the church, and we must pray for such a movement today. We need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, a dynamic encounter with God that will transform us and our communities.

Key Takeaways:

- Complacency and Crisis: We live in a time of spiritual complacency and crisis, where many are unaware of the extraordinary times we are in. This complacency is dangerous, as it blinds us to the urgent need for a dynamic encounter with God. We must awaken to the reality of our situation and seek God's intervention. [01:50]

- Forgetting God: A significant issue in modern Christianity is the tendency to forget the living God, reducing faith to morality or intellectual assent. This forgetfulness leads to a powerless church, unable to meet the deep spiritual needs of people. We must return to a vibrant faith that acknowledges God's active presence. [07:17]

- Revival and God's Activity: Throughout history, revivals have been God's way of revitalizing the church. These movements are marked by a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, leading to dynamic and transformative encounters with God. We must pray for such a revival today, recognizing that only God's activity can address our current crisis. [32:28]

- The Bible's Testimony: The Bible is a record of God's mighty acts, from creation to the resurrection. It emphasizes God's active involvement in history, challenging us to expect and seek His intervention in our lives. We must not reduce our faith to mere intellectual assent but seek a living encounter with God. [23:21]

- Prayer for Revival: We must pray earnestly for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, recognizing that our efforts alone are insufficient. Only a dynamic encounter with God can transform us and our communities, meeting the deep spiritual hunger of our time. Let us seek God with urgency and expectation. [46:00]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Acts 2:11
- [01:02] - The Need for Practical Reflection
- [01:50] - Complacency and Crisis
- [03:24] - The Church's Decline
- [05:20] - The Search for Something Real
- [06:39] - Forgetting the Living God
- [08:27] - Religion Without God
- [10:38] - The New Deism
- [12:31] - The Danger of Intellectualism
- [15:00] - Christianity as Philosophy
- [19:59] - The Bible's Testimony
- [23:21] - God's Active Involvement
- [32:28] - Revival and God's Activity
- [46:00] - Prayer for Revival

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Acts 2:11 - "We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."
2. Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
3. Isaiah 64:1 - "Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence."

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the phrase "the wonderful works of God" in Acts 2:11 refer to, and how does it relate to the early church's experience on the day of Pentecost? [00:42]

2. How does the sermon describe the current state of the church and society, and what are the key factors contributing to this condition? [03:24]

3. According to the sermon, what are some ways in which modern Christianity tends to forget the living God? [07:17]

4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of revival and God's activity throughout history? [32:28]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that complacency and crisis are interconnected, and how does this affect the church's ability to address spiritual needs? [01:50]

2. How does the sermon interpret the role of the Bible as a testament to God's active involvement in history, and what implications does this have for modern believers? [23:21]

3. What does the sermon imply about the dangers of reducing Christianity to a philosophy or worldview, and how might this impact one's personal faith journey? [15:00]

4. How does the sermon describe the importance of praying for revival, and what does it suggest about the relationship between human effort and divine intervention? [46:00]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own spiritual life. Are there areas where you have become complacent or unaware of the urgent need for a dynamic encounter with God? How can you address this? [01:50]

2. Consider the ways in which you might have reduced your faith to mere morality or intellectual assent. How can you cultivate a more vibrant and active relationship with God? [07:17]

3. The sermon emphasizes the need for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. What specific steps can you take to pray for and seek revival in your personal life and community? [46:00]

4. How can you actively remind yourself of God's mighty acts and His involvement in your life, especially during times of spiritual dryness or doubt? [23:21]

5. Identify one area in your life where you have been relying on your own efforts rather than seeking God's intervention. How can you shift your focus to depend more on God's power? [19:12]

6. The sermon warns against turning Christianity into a mere philosophy. How can you ensure that your faith remains a living and dynamic relationship with God rather than just a set of beliefs? [15:00]

7. Think about a time when you experienced a dynamic encounter with God. How did it impact your faith, and how can you seek similar experiences in the future? [39:12]

Devotional

Day 1: Awakening from Spiritual Complacency
In times of spiritual complacency, we often become blind to the extraordinary times we are living in. This complacency is dangerous as it prevents us from recognizing the urgent need for a dynamic encounter with God. Many people are unaware of the spiritual crisis we face, marked by a decline in church influence and a deep spiritual hunger. We must awaken to the reality of our situation and seek God's intervention with urgency and expectation. [01:50]

"For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: 'Seek me and live; but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.'" (Amos 5:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: What areas of your life have become spiritually complacent? How can you actively seek God's presence today to awaken from this state?


Day 2: Remembering the Living God
A significant issue in modern Christianity is the tendency to forget the living God, reducing faith to mere morality or intellectual assent. This forgetfulness leads to a powerless church, unable to meet the deep spiritual needs of people. We must return to a vibrant faith that acknowledges God's active presence in our lives. By doing so, we can experience a faith that is alive and transformative, rather than one that is routine and devoid of divine encounter. [07:17]

"Take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." (Deuteronomy 6:12, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you reduced your faith to mere morality or intellectual assent? How can you actively remember and acknowledge God's presence in your daily life?


Day 3: Praying for Revival
Throughout history, revivals have been God's way of revitalizing the church. These movements are marked by a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, leading to dynamic and transformative encounters with God. We must pray for such a revival today, recognizing that only God's activity can address our current crisis. Our efforts alone are insufficient; we need a dynamic encounter with God to transform us and our communities. [32:28]

"Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" (Psalm 85:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate prayer for revival into your daily routine? What specific areas of your life or community do you feel need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit?


Day 4: Embracing the Bible's Testimony
The Bible is a record of God's mighty acts, from creation to the resurrection. It emphasizes God's active involvement in history, challenging us to expect and seek His intervention in our lives. We must not reduce our faith to mere intellectual assent but seek a living encounter with God. By embracing the Bible's testimony, we can be inspired to expect God's mighty acts in our own lives. [23:21]

"Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'" (Isaiah 46:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively seek God's intervention in your life today? What steps can you take to embrace the Bible's testimony and expect God's mighty acts?


Day 5: Seeking a Dynamic Encounter with God
We must pray earnestly for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, recognizing that our efforts alone are insufficient. Only a dynamic encounter with God can transform us and our communities, meeting the deep spiritual hunger of our time. Let us seek God with urgency and expectation, trusting that He will meet us in our need and transform our lives. [46:00]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to seek a dynamic encounter with God? How can you prepare your heart to receive a fresh outpouring of the Spirit?

Quotes


One of the greatest dangers I think at the present moment is complacency and perhaps as Christian people we are unusually prone to this a failure to realize the extraordinary crisis through which we are passing there's no question at all we are living in one of the great climactic periods in the whole history of the human race. [00:01:50]

We are living in an age when the things to which many of us have always been accustomed and indeed Generations before us had been accustomed are thrown into the melting part of being questioned and queried it's an age of rebellion and we've got to realize this and in this age we find the church the Christian Church speaking generally in a very sad condition. [00:02:46]

I want to make a suggestion that this is very largely due to the fact as I see things that we have attemp tendency to forget God or at any R to forget the Living God the acting God and I believe that this is one of the most urgent problems confronting us if I were asked to name what has been the main defect even of Evangelical Christianity in the last 40 years or so. [00:06:39]

There are many who are guilty of this because they equate religion to use a general term with morality only and decency this doesn't apply so much to Evangelical people of course but it does applied to many there are many who go to churches regularly still perhaps out of habit or custom doesn't matter what but they do go but their real view is that religion means morality. [00:07:43]

But more serious is this other idea of what one may call religion without God this at first of course seems to be impossible but it's a very real thing I'll never forget the shock I received it must be some 35 years ago if not more when I read a book bearing that title religion without God by the famous American preacher Fulton Sheen. [00:08:27]

The Bible is everywhere a record of what God has been doing and what God is going to do and God's plan and God's purpose we've been so concerned about ourselves and arriving in a certain position and our activities and so on that I feel we've been forgetting what is after all the ultimate truth and the ultimate element in all these matters. [00:23:21]

The whole message of the Bible is that God intervenes God is concerned God acts God is involved in all this and erupts into it all he's not away in the distance somewhere and we are doing everything and occasionally turning to God it's the other way around it's the activity of God. [00:24:00]

What is it that has raised the church up from the periods of Le energy and of deadness and of hopelessness well there's only one answer to that it has been invariably the intervention of God again the eruption of God into the process God dealing directly with a man or a group of people in the church and turning them into instruments which he can use. [00:32:28]

Revivals are simply God acting in this phenomenal manner as he did right through the Old Testament history as he does in the gospels in Christ as he does in the power of the spirit in the book of The Acts of the Apostles and so on the same kind of activity every Revival as it's been often put is but a repetition as it were of the book of The Acts of the Apostles. [00:33:10]

I am suggesting this that all this is not enough and that in this modern situation with people crying out for something Dynamic something living something experimental they'll even turn to drugs in order to get it now we as Christians or to be able to say the way to obtain all you require is in God and this is possible to you. [00:38:41]

Nothing but a manifestation of the power of God in Revival in this way is going to meet this present situation you see the psalmist cries out for this for the Living God as panth after the water Brooks his soul cries out for God the Living God of course these people couldn't have lived they couldn't have existed they couldn't have triumphed but for this. [00:41:20]

There is only one hope and that is such an authentication of the truth by an outpouring of the spirit of God by an activity of God an unmistakable activity of God which can't be explained in other terms as smen says and as others have always said nothing but this can deal with the situation in which we find ourselves. [00:47:00]

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Transcript
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