10:2 - People Get Ready.
“Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, and He will heal us; He has wounded us, and He will bind up our wounds. He will revive us after two days, and on the third day He will raise us up so we can live in His presence. Let us strive to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land.”
Hosea 6:1-3, CSB
On September 28th I had the privilege of hearing my best friend, Rusty Gunn. deliver his final sermon as the lead pastor of Church That Matters in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He worked through Hebrews 10:23-25 and finished their series: “Leverage Your Life” by sharing four marks of a great church. Here were the marks Rusty shared:
#1: They hope in Jesus our Lord.
#2: The motivate each other to act.
#3: There is a commitment to gathering.
#4: They encourage each other toward the finish line.
As he concluded his sermon he said, “When the heavens open up, I want the people of Church That Matters and Sand Springs to say, ‘Oh yeah, baby! I’M READY! LET’S GO!’”
I was struck by that passion and desire. I found myself writing it personalized - I want to see Red Hill and the people who live in the Metro East have a LONGING to see Jesus return. For that to be true, I believe we need to prepare ourselves. We need to get ready. We need clean hands and pure hearts.
The Lord is not far off. He is not playing hard to get. And He is not searching for people to punish. 2 Chronicles 16:9a says, “For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him.”
God wants to show Himself strong, and He wants your heart completely devoted to Him.
So, let me recommend the following four steps for you before we begin the 10:2 Project tomorrow night with our prayer and worship gathering.
#1: Return to the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19-20 says that the pathway to refreshing is to repent of our sins and come back to the Lord’s presence. Do an inventory of your heart. Walk joyfully into God’s presence, and invite the Holy Spirit to investigate your life. Remember that recognizing your sins isn’t the same thing as confessing your sins. Recognizing is when we say, “Yeah…I know I’m not what I’m supposed to be…but I’m trying hard, and I’m not as bad as most people.” Confessing is when we say what God says about our sin, “I am wicked, rebellious, and I can only be helped by you, Lord. Forgive me. Heal me. And restore to me the joy of Your salvation.”
#2: Move from debated to decided. Too many of us are still debating obedience. We wake up and debate whether or not we’re going to go to a worship gathering. We look at our bank account and debate whether or not we’re going to honor God with our money. We look at our schedule and debate whether or not we’re going to serve on a ministry team. We wake up in the morning and debate whether or not we’re going to open God’s Word and spend time in His presence. The time for debate is over. It’s time for God’s people to be decided. So make the decision! Orient your life around the love and mission of God. Participate in the love and mission by attending worship gatherings, giving generously, serving joyfully, and abiding daily. Before we look for the big things, let’s obey the basic commands.
#3: Pray specifically and consistently. Don’t be afraid to ask God for big things. Your prayers don’t need to be long. They don’t need to be beautiful. And they don’t need to be a performance. They need to be sincere, faith-filled, and consistent. Ask, and keep on asking. Seek, and keep on seeking. Pray, and keep on praying. Let’s devote ourselves to the work of prayer. Let’s believe that God will do great things. And let’s show up, do our part, and watch God do His.
#4: Start early. The 10:2 Project kicks off tomorrow, but there is absolutely NO REASON for us to wait to pray, invite, and share. Hebrews 10:23-25 makes it clear that we are supposed to provoke one another to love and do good works. That means we need to be getting after each other. We need one another, because it’s way too easy to just fall in line with the rhythms of a regular Tuesday. Don’t wait to obey. Start now.
We have seen God work through the 10:2 Project in the past, and we want to see Him work again. Let’s get rolling, family! The harvest is abundant!
Getting ready with you,
Pastor Rayden