Giving Birth to a Miracle #4
For the last few weeks we’ve been talking about bringing in the Glory of God, and that is something that we need to see in the Churches. We need to have the presence of God in the church, we need to have the Spirit of Revival, and we need to see more of the MOVE of the Spirit of God.
I) For our main text we’ve been using (2 Chronicles 7:14) Which says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” KJV
A) For the Spirit of Revival and the Glory of God to come, it’s going to take the church, 1st of all, TO HUMBLE THEMSELVES, and PRAY.
1) 2nd we’re going to have to SEEK GOD’S FACE.
(a) You do that by Praise and Worship and anything else that will get you into the presence of God. (Like fellowshipping with the Lord or, reading His Word.)
2) The next thing that He says in (2CHRON 7:14) is that we have to TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS.
(a) That means, “Get the sin out.”
3) Turn to Joshua 6
(a) In this chapter, Joshua is instructing the people about some things that they must do in order for the Jericho’s walls to fall. (Maybe we’ll get into that later.)
(b) But Joshua continues to instruct the people about what to do after the walls come down.
(i) Now, 1 of the people did not listen to what the Lord said through Joshua.
(ii) The result of that sin stopped the move of God.
(iii) Sin will stop the move of God in the church, but it will also stop God from moving in our personal life.
B) Look at JOSHUA 6:16-17a
1) Let’s stop right here for a moment. The word “ACCURSED” here can mean, “DEVOTED.”
(a) Even in the margin of my Bible it says, “DEVOTED.”
(b) It means that everything was to be given over to the Lord.
(c) This is a type of the tithe. This was their 1st city that they defeated and their 1st fruits were to be given to the Lord.
(i) The Lord instructed Israel later and He also teaches us that we are to give 10%.
2) Go down to JOSHUA 6:19
(a) The Hebrew word that is translated here “CONSECRATED” is used well over 450 times in the OT, but only once is it translated CONSECRATED.
(b) Almost always it’s translated “HOLY.”
(c) Our tithe is holy to the Lord, because it is HIS.
(i) In (MAL 3) God says that if we don’t give our tithes to Him, we are robbing Him. It has to be His for us to rob Him of it.
3) But let’s look at what happened and we’ll see how sin affects the whole group and how the move of God was stopped.
(a) JOSH 7:1-4, 10
(i) The children of Israel lost the battle with that small city called Ai.
(ii) That 1 sin affected all of Israel, but it also affected that 1 man.
(iii) Achan and his whole family died because of his 1 sin.
(b) Thank God that we have (1 John 1:9) Which says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” KJV
(i) Sin and even holding back your tithe from the Lord is going to hinder the move of God in the Church (It’s not going to stop it, but it will hinder).
(ii) But even more than that, it is going to stop God from moving the way you need him to move in your own life.
C) Well, the Lord says that if we would “Humble ourselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,” then He will heal our land. That’s where the Glory of god will be poured out, and we’re going to see revival in the land.
1) Let me ask you this question, What is our land?
(a) Some will say the Untied States; some will even say California, or Burbank.
(b) But this Church is also our land, and where our home is that is also our land.
(i) And many of us need healing in our homes.
II) Part of TURNING FROM OUR WICKED WAYS is getting out SEEDS OF DISCORD and STRIFE.
A) In (PSA 133) we see that UNITY will help BRING in the ANOINTING of God, and when the anointing of God is there, God begins to move.
III) Last week I started teaching on the words that we speak can have a big affect on our lives.
A) The words that we speak can either usher in the Miracles of God in our lives, or our words can usher in Defeat and Destruction.
1) (Proverbs 18:21) Says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” KJV
B) The Virgin Mary had a Word from God that was delivered by the angel Gabriel.
1) That word was “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” (Luke 1:31) KJV
(a) Mary responded, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) KJV
(b) With those words that she spoke, she believed and received the Word of God, and she gave birth to a miracle.
C) Back in the book of Joshua, the Israelites were about to take the biggest city they ever faced, Jericho.
1) But Joshua told them as they walk around the city, not to let even 1 Word come out of their mouth.
(a) Why did Joshua tell them that?
2) Let’s look at it. JOSHUA 6:10
(a) Here we have Joshua giving the order not to say a word when you’re walking around the city, until I tell you to shout the Victory.
(b) But what did God tell Joshua?
3) Go back to JOSHUA 6:1-5
(a) The Lord never commanded the Israelites to be silent as the marched.
4) Why did Joshua tell them to be silent?
(a) Joshua knew that if they were allowed to talk, they would have said, “This is ridiculous, we’re never going to be able to take this city, there’s no way in.”
(b) Joshua put a stop to what they were going to say because of what he learned some 40 years before when he was still under Moses.
D) Let’s go back to NUMBERS 14.
1) Moses sent out 12 spies to check out the Canaan land, but 10 of them came back with an evil report.
(a) It was an “EVIL REPORT” because it was not in line with what God said.
(i) God said in (NUM 13:1) that He gave them the land.
(ii) But in (Numbers 13:31-32) It says, “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. (32) And they brought up an evil report of the land.” KJV
2) Look at what the Israelites said in NUM 14:1-4
(a) Again, what they were saying was all wrong.
3) Look at NUMBERS 14:26-30
(a) Joshua learned that the words that come out of your mouth can either bring blessing or curses.
4) Now that Joshua, and all of Israel was come into the Canaan land and faced their 1st city, he didn’t want anyone to mess it up, so he told them not to even say a word.
E) The Lord is telling us the same thing.
1) If we want the miracles of God in our lives, don’t speak out the negative things, It’s time to shout the victory.
(a) Speak out what God says in His Word. By doing so you’re giving birth to a miracle.
(i) It may take some time, but you will see that miracle birthed into this natural realm that we live in.
SUN AM 2/23/97WOLCC