Life After Death - Week 6

You know, as I begin to pray this week, as I pray over the church, pray over you all, ask God for vision, ask God for provision and wisdom and strength in his direction. Even stepping into this new season as a church, I got on my knees last Sunday after service and I said, God, what is it that you want to do? Where is it that you want to take us? What is it that you want us to hear? And as I begin to pray, God led me to this scripture, a scripture he had put on my heart for about two months now. It's in 1st Peter chapter 2 and as I began to pray and he put this, he brought this back to my remembrance and I gave the team a bunch of points this morning a bunch of points this morning and things like that. But I really believe, especially we had a amazing time in prayer yesterday morning. And as we took some time and just sat in God's presence and prayed, God began to show me, he said, CJ, it's not about necessarily what I want you to do, it's about what I'm going to do, about what I'm already doing. He's Jesus. He said, I'm already at work. I'm already moving. Will we be sensitive? Will we have obedient spirits and hearts to follow him? And so as I begin to pray, he put this scripture on my mind. He said to remind my people of this 1st Peter chapter 2. I'm just going to read these two verses, verses 4 and 5. It says, as you come to him, the living stone rejected by humans, but chosen by God and precious to him, you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. You also, you also, you sitting in your seat, you who have received this new life from Christ, new life from Christ, you also like living stones, not dead stones, not stones that just sit and don't give him the praise that he deserves. He says, you all like living stones are being built into a spiritual house. He says, man build man builds with regular stones. Jesus says the stones that I build with our people that I've given life into. So the house that I'm building is going to be a house built with people who have received life from the one living stone. You all like living stones are being built stone by stone, brick by brick, rock by rock, layer by layer. I'm building you. Hello. I'm building you into a spiritual house for what? To be a royal priesthood that does what? Offer spiritual sacrifices, sacrifice, sacrifice, not convenient,

not easy, not when you feel like it, it's costly. It costs you something. We want a religion. We want a Christianity that costs us nothing. He said a religion, a Christianity that costs you nothing was never the plan. The plan was always to give you life so that you would get up and offer him something that costs you something. Not just one person, all of you. CJ, this is too much. I didn't sign up for this. This is not what I had in mind. I just wanted to receive. I just wanted to receive. That's all I wanted to do. I just want to sometimes actions speak louder than words. You know what bothers me? It bothers me that at this day and age, somehow we've gotten to a point of a consumerist Christianity. All we are in it for is what we can get. What is it that I can get? What is it that I can receive? What is it that I? Sometimes the issue with the house that he's trying to build is that we have too many people coming in only to receive. I only want to receive. I only want to get. What's in it for me? You know many times what determines what you receive is what you come in to give. Sometimes worship really only works when you decide I'm going to give God my praise. I'm going to give God my worship. I don't feel like it, but I'm not just coming to this place. I'm not just coming to this place to look for what I can receive. I'm looking to give him everything that he deserves. Does he deserve it? The only way we become a house, the spiritual house that God wants us to be, is for us to become the people that God wants us to become. And the only way we become the people, the only way you become the person he wants you to become is this. We must become people that's familiar with his presence. Without his presence there is no life. Without his presence we are just dead stones. The only way we receive life, that life starts from the cornerstone himself, the living stone himself. He's the one that kick-started this whole thing off and he's the one that's going to continue to see it through. It's the living stone. He says CJ point my people back to the source of life and that's me. Everything that you need is wrapped up in his presence. Anything that you need. This is why as I begin to pray for the church. This is why as I begin to pray for the future. This is why as I begin to pray for provision. The thing God led me to first, he says CJ first and foremost, the church. We must all become people of his presence. Because when his presence shows up, power shows up. And when power shows up, anything is possible. We have too many people looking for

something for God without being people of his presence. He said lead them to my presence. Be people of his presence. This is why everything we're going to be doing is centered around his presence. What is the mountain men retreat about? It's about men getting up, getting away to learn how to be in his presence. What is core night about? It's about our core teams, our people to get up and say God we're going to spend time in your presence. Because if we do not have his presence, we have no power. And we were never called to do anything without his power. This is why in Acts, when the church first started, he told them, do not go out until my spirit comes. And you will receive power to be my witness. We have too many people trying to be witnesses without power. And we have no power because we are not people of presence. What would it take us to be people of his presence? How do you become a person of his presence? I'll tell you, it's not coming here and waiting to feel his presence. It starts in your own personal time. It starts with you waking up every day and saying God make me a living stone. Not an ordinary dead stone. We have too many dead stones in this world. Too many dead stones who professing to be Christians. Make me a vessel God. Make me an offering. I love that. I saw him make me whatever you want me to be people of his presence people who wake up every day tired voice gone upset broke whatever it is God if I could just get into your presence God if I could just get into your presence this is why the woman in the Bible with the issue of blood so in Jesus' presence if I could just touch him if I could just push through the crowd to touch the hem of his garment if I could just get in his presence I'll preach about his presence every day until we become people who are hungry for his presence why would you do that CJ because I know without his presence we're nothing I know without his presence I'm nothing what matters more than his presence you tell me what matters more than his presence your money matters more than his presence your plans matter more than his presence your preference matters more than his presence your brunch that you got scheduled after matters more than his presence your busy schedule does that matter more than his presence do your kids matter more than his presence do you plant your ambition matters more than his presence is there anything more important in his presence there's nothing more important

so why do we treat it like an accessory a people a house without his presence is like a house without a foundation and there's too many of us who are trying to build things trying to whether it's our families businesses corporations churches whatever God's like I'm just waiting for my people to invite my presence and as I begin to pray and pray and I just again I just start thinking of all we need all that I need all that his people needs in a random way he took me to the scripture Old Testament scripture as I was praying through stones and as he put this on my heart and I want you to follow me he took me to first Kings chapter 18 first Kings chapter 18 at the time there was the prophet Elijah and the land at that time so many people whose hearts had turned from God and they were worshiping other gods and they were convinced that their God was real and that the God of Elijah was alive and so they had almost this competition so to speak and the thought was this Elijah told them you pray to your God and if he sends down fire he's the real God but if my God sends down fire then he's the real God and so the other prophets of Baal they start they built their altar and they begin to pray and dance and do a bunch of ridiculous things and Elijah starts mocking him said perhaps your God is going to the bathroom perhaps he was tired perhaps he maybe he'll be back in another 10 minutes or so nothing came and then it was Elijah's turn and it says before he prayed for the fire I want to go to verse 30 then Elijah said to the people come here to me they came to him look at this and he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down what did he take Elijah took 12 stones one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob and the word of the Lord came to him saying your name will be Israel with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord I need to stop there because as I read it God spoke to me again he said in the Old Testament there was those stones but remember what I just showed you in first Peter the stones he's looking for today are people people who are going to gather that will be the altar the people who will gather and come together and lay their lives down this is why we've been on this series life after death it's all about laying your life down and becoming the altar become of the people become of the place where God's power can fall it only happens when some

living stones come together become the altar become the place where fire can fall become the place where power can fall become the place where provision can be released become the place we've relegated the house to a physical thing he said you are the house that I want to rebuild my people are the house that I want to restore CJ this is all about my people and their hearts turning back to me what has your heart what's stopping you from becoming a living stone from becoming a place where God is able to release whatever he needs to release people of his presence people of his presence a person who says like Moses said God unless your presence goes I don't want to go I don't want to go anywhere without your presence I don't want to do anything without your presence I don't want to preach I don't want to show up to church how can we be how can we be people that get so comfortable you know what it would look like if we all became people of his presence living stones and on Sunday when we come into the building it's like the meeting of the Avengers all the living stones coming together in one place to offer up sacrifices of our lips of our time of our generosity to the one God who deserves it all the one God who kick-started this whole thing the one God who's breathed life into each and every one of us he says that's my vision that's the plan for you all me to become people who just get on our knees open up our hearts you don't need a message that inspires you you need life breathe into you and you can be the living stone wherever he's called you to be at your job at in your family in your school this here this is the considerous Sunday the gathering of stones the gathering of living stones coming together and when we come together imagine what can happen when living stones all come together and all at one voice and one heart and one spirit begin to offer praises to God not stones that's just coming let's see if they sing the song I like today let's see if my favorite pastor shows up today let's see listen let's see if the music is quiet all out today let's see how the

lights are today let's see if they asked me to serve again let's see if they asked me to give again what if it's God whatever you ask of me today my answer is yes whatever it is whatever song is sung whatever message Just preach, obviously, as long as it lines up with your word. Heads bowed, eyes closed. Prayer today is simple. God, would you make us people who are hungry for your presence. In your presence, there's freedom. In your presence, there's healing. In your presence, there's provision. In your presence, there's life. Father God, help us be people that's not looking for answers outside of your presence. So many times, we get so comfortable looking for answers. An easy step, one, two, three, for our lives. He said, the answer for your life is me, my presence. Before we leave today, and we'll leave very soon, but can we just spend some time in his presence? The worship team is going to come up. And we just want to practice for the next five minutes, and we will dismiss. Just practice being people of his presence. Some people who will just sit and say, God, I'd just rather sit in your presence for a little bit longer. We need your presence, God. We need your spirit, God. We don't want to move without your presence. We can't live, we can't breathe without your presence, God.

We need you, God. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts now. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts now. Increase our appetite for you, God. Rain on us, God. Rain on us, God. Rain on us, God. Rain on us, God. Rain on us, God. Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to do, God, have your way, God. Whatever it is that you want to do, however you want to do it, God, we're open, God. We're open, God. Make us empty vessels, ready to receive. Pour into us, God. When you look down, God, may you find us open, empty, and ready to be filled, God. Rain over us, O God. Pour your spirit over us, O God. Fill us up. Fill us up, God. Yahweh, Yahweh reign. We need you, God. Can we all stand to our feet? Stand to our feet. Can you just lift up your hands and say, God, I need you? God, we need your presence, God. Yahweh reign over. Take over, take over.

Yahweh, Yahweh. Yahweh reign over. Take over, take over. One more time. Sing Yahweh. Yahweh, Yahweh. Reign over, take over. And all week, sing whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to do, I'm yours. Have your way, have your way, whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do. Oh, God, I'm yours. You can have your way. Have your way, whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to do. Have your way. Have your way. ♪ Have Your way ♪ ♪ Have your way ♪ ♪ Whatever you want to do ♪ ♪ Whatever you want to do ♪ ♪ Have Your way ♪ ♪ Have Your way ♪ ♪ Have Your way ♪ Just the voices.

♪ Yahweh ♪ Sing it. ♪ Yahweh, reign over ♪ ♪ Reign on us ♪ ♪ Take over, take over ♪ One more time. ♪ Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh, reign over, take over, take over ♪ Father, God, I pray that we become people of Your presence. People that say, God, You are welcome here. First in our hearts. First in our hearts, in our lives. And may everything flow from that. May everything flow from that. God, as we get back to our lives tomorrow, there are some of us, God, who try to look to experts, try to look to podcasts and people and pastors and all these other human things. Father, God, help us to be people who recognize nothing matters without Your presence. Nothing works without Your presence. Help us to be people who recognize we've tried everything else. Bring us to our knees, Father. For some of us, that's a scary prayer, but it's the best place to be because it's in our weakness that Your strength is made perfect. It's when we become weak. It's when we assume the position of weakness on our knees, open, and say, Father, God, we need You. We want You. We can't live without You. Church next Monday, June 15th, it starts at 7 p.m. The doors open at 6.30. We're gonna have a night. And again, this is for our core.

If you serve, if you're a part of this house, you call this house home. Maybe you give. Maybe you lead a group. Or maybe you feel this is where God is calling you to be. Monday the 15th, across the street at the prayer chapel, our worship team, house worship, is gonna be with us, and we're gonna gather, and we're gonna pray, and we're gonna ask God just to be with us, and we're gonna spend some time in His presence as a house, as a family, as a people who are surrendered to God and God alone. We ask You to simply RSVP just so we know how many people to expect. I pray that we see you all there, and next Saturday, because we have this night, on Monday, next Saturday, there will be no prayer, but it's Monday that it's happening. Hands lifted one more time as we dismiss, Father God, we thank You again. We love You again. We honor You again. Be with us, God. Protect us. Cover us. And Father God, give us the hunger all week to be in Your presence. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Be blessed. Be blessed.