True Revival Starts with Repentance | Reset: The Power of Prayer & Fasting (Part 02)

Let's sing, let's sing. Good morning church. Those of us joining online in our house churches and at TIFT and we're so glad that you are here in this moment ready to lift up the name of Jesus. How many of you believe that there's nothing that our God can't do, amen? I hope you brought your faith today because we're gonna lift up the name of Jesus in this place and sing of all the things that he's done and believe that he's gonna do even more. Let's sing this out together. ♪ Sing just one word ♪ ♪ You calm the storm that surrounds me ♪ ♪ With just one word the darkness has to retreat ♪ Amen. ♪ With just one touch I feel the presence of heaven ♪ Yes I do. ♪ With just one touch my eyes were opened to see ♪ My heart, come on sing it out this morning. ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ There's not a mountain that he can't move ♪ ♪ Oh praise the name that makes a way ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ With just one word you heal what's broken inside me ♪ ♪ I believe it with just one word ♪ ♪ And you revive every dream ♪ ♪ Oh I feel the power of heaven with just one touch ♪ ♪ I feel the power of heaven, oh ♪ ♪ With just one touch my eyes were opened to see ♪

♪ My heart, come on sing it out this morning ♪ ♪ Oh there's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ There's not a mountain that he can't move ♪ ♪ Oh praise the name that makes a way ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ There's not a prison wall he can't break through ♪ ♪ Oh praise the name that makes a way ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ Oh there's nothing he can't do, nothing you can't do ♪ ♪ I believe it, I believe it ♪ ♪ So I will believe for greater things ♪ ♪ Cause there's no power like the power of Jesus ♪ Come on. ♪ Let faith arise, let all agree ♪ ♪ There's no power like the power of Jesus ♪ ♪ I will believe for greater things ♪ ♪ There's no power, nothing like the power of Jesus ♪ ♪ So let faith arise, let all agree ♪ ♪ There's no power like the power of Jesus ♪ ♪ I will believe for greater things ♪ ♪ There's no power like the power of Jesus ♪ ♪ Let faith arise, let all agree ♪ ♪ There's no power like his power ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ There's not a mountain that he can't move ♪ ♪ So praise the name that makes a way ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do, no ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do ♪ ♪ There's not a prison wall that nothing can break through ♪

♪ So praise the name that makes a way ♪ ♪ There's nothing that our God can't do, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ There's nothing, there's nothing he can't do, we believe it ♪ ♪ There's nothing my God can't do, oh we thank you Jesus ♪ You believe that this morning, that there's nothing that your God can't do? You really believe that? Man, I believe that with all my heart. But here's what I know about me, and I'm sure it's probably similar to you, that we have doubts sometimes, don't we? I mean, anybody ever doubted that God would show up? You know, I think about. And I think about people that I've I've seen over the years is there's so many people in our church houses across this nation That the church house was a last-ditch effort To see if God really did or was who he said he was I think of these these men and tipped in prison who are here. It's a last-ditch effort to step into this place And I found myself in this place Like God, will you really show up? And what I found in his word over and over again is he shows up He does a miraculous thing. He heals He does these things and I've seen him in my own life and I've wondered yet even still God Will you show up? And I wrote this down a couple years ago. You're the God who still can And I believe that with all my heart and so we've we've written a song around this idea that there is a God who loves you and who still can do miraculous things Even when there's doubt he shows up. So I want to teach you the chorus to this song and Once you catch it Sing it Lift up Jesus in this place

This is how it goes Like water in the wilderness You're the source of every breath Turn my faith to sight till I'm believing You don't know impossible You power undeniable I'm convinced that you will stop at nothing Come on sing this chorus with us All things are possible You still do miracles so I will lift my hands To the God who can Kings and their kingdoms fall But you are unshakable So I will lift my hands To the God who can Yes Jesus When I'm stuck in unbelief You're but the cure for my disease I will stand believing for my healing No force of hell can separate You hold the keys to every grave You conquered death and sent the devil running All things are possible You still do miracles so I will lift my hands To the God who can Kings and their kingdoms fall But you are unshakable So I will lift my hands To the God who can You're the God who can

We believe in Jesus, oh yeah. I can mend a broken heart, but I know who can. Oh, you can. We believe you can do it, Jesus. Oh. Come on, sing it with us. I can make a mountain. I can make a mountain move, but I know who can. Oh, you can. I can make an old thing new, but I know who can. You can. I can make an ocean apart, but I know who can. You can. I can mend a broken heart, but I know who can. You can. And I can wash away my sin, but I know who did. Oh, you did. I can make a dead thing new, but I know who did. Oh, you did. But I know who can. You can. All things are possible. You still do miracles. So I will lift my hands to the God who can. And kings and their kingdoms fall, but you are unshakeable. So I will lift my hands to the God who can. And I will lift my hands to the God who can. Yes, Jesus. Father, thank you that you are the God who still shows up,

who can still change things and make all things new. And you shake that doubt away, and you allow us to stand on the foundation of your word, which gives us a hope and a future. And we love you, and we praise you. And it's in the holy, precious name of Jesus that I pray. Can we give Jesus a big shout of praise and thanks and glory for him? Man, we're grateful that you're here. Why don't you take 30 seconds and just shake somebody's hand and welcome them to the church. Would you do that? I view prayer as listening to God, and I'm praying to him. He's listening to me, but I need to hear what he's saying. I want to have a conversation with him like I have a conversation with anyone. I believe Jesus has a purpose, and I want people to know that Jesus feels the purpose in all our prayers. I need to hear what he's saying. I want to have a conversation with him like I have a conversation with anyone. I believe you can talk to God anytime and anyplace. I have seen God answer prayers many times. There are opportunities. People want a job. Pray for them. They receive a job. There are prayers of marriages being saved, people being healed. His timing is always right. It's very hard to, I want this right now,

because it's what you want. You don't know what God wants, but he knows you because he created you. He knows everything that's going on about you, so that's when we have to take the opportunity to trust him because he already knows, so he puts it right back on you. Trust me. I got you. It has to be a routine for prayer. When there is good weather, I will go down on the deck at 4.30 in the morning. Now, nobody has to get up at 4.30, but 4.30 in the morning, that's my time with God, my quiet time. I sit there, and I just look at the sky, and I see the stars, and I see his creation, and I see what he's done, and I have the opportunity to talk to him at that time, and then I will sit back, and I will just listen to what God is saying to me. What are you saying? But I have to be quiet and hear him, and it's just the air blowing against the trees, and then the birds will come out and start singing, and if he can take care of the birds, he can take care of me. If you ask Mama Joy to pray, she's going to pray right then because I know I'm going to forget, so I'll go ahead and pray. I said, baby, let me pray for you right now. And you'll go ahead and pray for them.

Because what happens is that you give God the glory. Because you can do the prayer, then it's up to Him to answer the prayer. If someone is praying and they want to be encouraged to continue praying, they will say, listen, I've been praying for so and so, and nothing's happened yet. Don't stop. I said, here again, we go back to it's God's timing. You continue to actively pray for that person. You have no idea what those prayers are doing at that moment. They may be going through, and you're lifting up in prayer. You are helping them and walking them through that part of life. Matthew 6, 6, it says, but when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father will see you in secret, will reward you openly. And that's word. Pray. Amen, amen. Praise be to God. Mama Joyce on the Crossroads campus. Of course, Daryl Robinson and Joyce are leading our Crossroads campus, bringing the gospel to the heart of the city. Can we give it up right now for Crossroads? We love you guys. And I'm so thankful for Daryl and Joyce,

who are true intercessors. I'm talking real prayer warriors, and I'm so grateful for so many of you like that. This is a month of prayer and fasting. We're calling it Reset, a time to simply reset, call a time out before we continue our journey in what we've called this A-Life Discipleship Journey, a two-year journey, pursuing John 10 and verse 10. Remember what Jesus said, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I've come to give you life. You can have it more abundantly. We're about 18 months into this two-year journey pursuing the A-Life in our lives. And it's a similar journey in some way to the ancient people of God of another day. We saw last week in the book of Ezra how Ezra was leading a group of captives out of Babylonian captivity back to the promised land that God promised would be life abundantly. And in some way, it's a picture of our journey. The people of God had fallen into idolatry. God then judged them and gave them to the hands of their enemy, and it was there that they spent years in captivity. And in some way, that's a picture of our life personally. You understand, every single day, Jesus comes to take those in captivity and give them freedom and liberty. And every single day, Satan comes to take those in freedom and liberty

and lead them back into captivity. And I want you to understand that last week we saw Ezra leading those captives for freedom. And we saw how he called a timeout before we continue on this journey. They had three days of prayer and fasting. And in some way, that is always what happens in our journey spiritually. Before God moves mightily, before there's a move of God's Spirit, there's always a move of God's people in prayer. Now, we're in Nehemiah today, continuing this story of revival. And I want you to notice Nehemiah, 13 years after Ezra, is in the king's inner court, this same Persian king. I want you to notice the Bible is not a bunch of made-up stories. I know a lot of people have told you that. No, it's real events and real people and real places and real things that really happened. King Artaxerxes was the Persian king. Extra-biblical evidence of this time in history. Artaxerxes, a very famous Persian king that allowed the Hebrews to go back to Jerusalem and start rebuilding their city. Nehemiah is a Jewish man in the king's inner cabinet. In fact, he's not only in the inner cabinet, he's in the inner circle. He's the cupbearer to the king,

a very trusted position of these ancient monarchs. Somebody had to test the wine to make sure somebody wasn't trying to poison him, and Nehemiah got to be the guinea pig. That's how much the king trusted him. And what happened in Nehemiah chapter 1, which is 13 years after Ezra has led those captives back to Jerusalem, and he inquires about how they're doing. Nehemiah chapter 1, we begin like this. It says in verse 1, It came to pass in the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came with men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, speaking of those that went with Ezra 13 years earlier, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire. So it was, when I heard this, These words that I sat down and wept and I mourned for many days. And I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Understand, Nehemiah is living a palace life. He's living the plush life.

He's living what I call the bougie life. Is bougie still a word people use? Yeah, by the time I start using it, it's usually moved on, they're saying something else. All right, it's the bougie life. I mean, this guy's got power, prosperity, position. He's in the king's inner circle. He's never been to Jerusalem. But he inquires about those in Jerusalem, his people. And he hears what's going on. And it says that the walls had fallen. They were in ruin. The foundation was in erosion. The people are in reproach. He begins to mourn because of what he's heard. It's moved him. And I want you to notice in the ancient days, a city without walls was considered a reproach. It was a defenseless city. And he hears what's going on. And he's so moved by what he hears that he begins to mourn over the condition of his nation, the condition of his civilization. Church, listen carefully. We live at a time where we're watching the walls of our civilization fall. The foundation is in erosion. I just need to be honest with you. As I fasted and prayed this week over this message, I just need to be honest about where I am right now, Mike.

My heart is heavy. I don't know what you think of when you picture revival. A lot of us think, well, when God moves in revival, it's all happy, it's all clappy, and it's me and Jesus, and life is good. No, I want you to notice something. Nehemiah is getting personal revival. God is moving in his life personally, mightily. God is preparing Nehemiah to do something that will take a miracle. And before God is moving, Nehemiah is mourning. The truth is, times of revival are sometimes full of tears. We're gonna see him praying a prayer of repentance over the sins of Israel, the national sins. And he's mourning now over the condition of his nation. I'm just telling you, my heart is heavy. Like, you know, I don't like being a doomsday prophet. I really don't. I mean, as Christians, we ought to be the most optimistic people on the planet because we know how the story ends. We know how the story ends. In the end, righteousness wins. Jesus wins. If you're with Jesus, you're on the winning side. I mean, if it's not okay, it's because it's not the end. In the end, everything is okay. And we ought to be optimistic people. But I'm telling you, my heart is heavy right now. I'm just being honest.

We are watching the collapse of our civilization. The diagnostics are alarming. When I say the walls have fallen, the foundation is in erosion. It was just a few weeks ago in July, a 15-year-old went into a crowded festive park in the middle of Seattle and became a mass murderer. And the same month, a 15-year-old walks into a festive celebration in Seattle and becomes a mass murderer. That very same month, at that very same time, another teenager in Georgia is being sentenced to life in prison because he, at 14 years of age, walks into his high school and begins murdering his own classmates. I don't know if you realize this or not, but this is a recent phenomenon in American culture. This is not normal. What is going on with our civilization is that teenagers are becoming mass murderers. Listen, now, it's easy for the boomers to say, well, you know, kids these days. Now, let's just be honest about this. If there's something wrong with the youngest generation, who made them that way? Who's responsible? We are. It's the previous generation that messed up the youngest generation. And this, I'm convinced, is why Nehemiah is mourning

for his civilization. The walls have fallen. The foundation's in erosion. And he's mourning over the situation. Now, here's the reality. We all have to cope with what's going on. So how do we cope? Our hearts just get calloused. I mean, it gets kind of cold, and we're just kind of numb. I mean, one thing after another happens. We quit paying attention. I'm telling you, when you pray and you fast, you start to feel what God feels. You start to see what God sees. And that's why we pray, and we fast, to see what God sees, and we start to feel what God feels. Everybody wants to talk about gun laws. You know, guns are the problem. We don't know anyone that's against common sense gun laws, but I will promise you, our gun laws are not the problem. The gun laws are not the issue. It's that we have broken God's laws. We reject God's laws. We've broken his moral law. We've told one generation after another, after another, there is no God but you. You can do whatever you wanna do. And when you tell a generation after generation after generation, God isn't there, or God doesn't care, or God is irrelevant.

You're your own little God. You can do whatever you wanna do. When you reject God's law, it becomes the law of the jungle. And this is what is now happening in our society. Now listen, everybody wants to talk about the White House, everything that's wrong in the White House. I'll tell you, all eyes are on the White House, but God's eyes are on the church house. God's eyes are on our house. Because you understand politics are simply downstream from the pulpits. Politics do not shape the moral, spiritual climate of the nation. It's the church that God's called to shape the moral, spiritual climate of a nation. See, politics are just downstream from the pulpits. Politics are downstream from the pews. As the church goes, so goes the nation. And this is why Jesus said in Matthew chapter five that you're the salt of the earth, speaking to the people of God, you and me. You're the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, it's good for nothing but to be thrown on the ground and trodden underfoot by men. What was Jesus teaching? Listen, in Jesus' day, salt was a preservative from decay. We are watching the moral and spiritual decay in our day, and it's because you and I as the church are not salty. We're not being a preservative of society,

so we live in a time of moral anarchy. And everybody points to everyone else out there. They're the problem, they're the problem. No, listen, what God says is judgment must begin at the house of God. It's gotta begin in our house, the church house. Revival doesn't begin out there. Revival begins here with the people of God. And you have Nehemiah that's now taking personal responsibility. Here's a man that's never been to Jerusalem in his life. He was not even a part of the generation that fell into sin and idolatry that led the people of God into captivity. He was born 150 years after the Babylonian invasion, yet he started to move personally. You see, he says, it's not my fault, but it is my responsibility. Jesus said, well, it's not my problem, not my fault. But Nehemiah says, listen, I may not have done it, but I am responsible for it. He begins to pray, he begins to fast for his people, for his generation. What we know in chapter two is he prays and fasts for four months. He's gonna go into this Persian king and make this crazy request to be allowed to go back and rebuild the walls of a foreign city that's currently in subjugation. Can you imagine, the king could have looked at him, what?

You wanna lead an insurrection? I mean, he's taking a risk here. He's making a real chance here. And before he makes his move, he simply stops, he resets. He prays and fasts for four months. I want you to notice the first principle of prayer. There is value in the volume of prayer and fasting. That's what we're doing, 8,000 of us every day, praying in the same way. Listen, as a child of God, filled with the spirit of God, there is power in your prayer when you pray all by yourself. Man, there is power in Mama Joyce's prayer. Mama Joyce, would you pray? Because I need you to pray. Huh. But imagine the people of God, the collective prayers, the collective strength of the people of God all praying in the same way. The value in the volume of prayer. You have Nehemiah here. He prays and fasts for four months straight. He says night and day. Now, here's the problem. In our day, we pray for 10 minutes. If God hadn't moved, we think God didn't hear. Well, I prayed, nothing happened. We pray for 10 minutes. If God didn't do it right then, that didn't work. I want you to notice, God always moves. And Joyce said it.

She said it so well. God moves in his own time. You know why? Because he don't live in this three-dimensional place and place. He lives in eternity where there's no time. He's on his time, not your time. He's always moving. Don't stop praying just because you don't see God moving. He's always moving. And Nehemiah's praying, and he has this relentless prayer, this tenacious prayer because he knows there's value in the volume of prayer. Now, people ask sometimes, I've answered this question in some way for years, Pastor Phil, if God is sovereign and he's in control of all things, then why should I pray? Because it's not gonna change anything. I mean, God's He's already decided whatever he's going to do anyway, and I'm telling you, that's just not true. That's just a misunderstanding of God's sovereignty. It's a misunderstanding of something the Bible calls predestination. Some of you think God has predestined everything, like everything's fixed ahead of time. Listen very carefully. The Bible talks about God's foreknowledge, and it talks about his predestination. They're not the same thing. Listen carefully. Predestination is not the same as foreknowledge. God foreknows everything ahead of time. He has infinite knowledge of the future.

He foreknows all the possible outcomes. He foreknows everything ahead of time based on your decision and the chain reaction that sets in motion that decision that leads to another series of decisions that leads to a specific destination. He knows all that ahead of time, but he hasn't predestined everything ahead of time. Now, he's predestined some things. Ephesians 2 says, he has predestined certain works for you to do on earth that he has written about you in heaven. He's predestined certain things, like I am convinced I was predestined to become a pastor and a preacher. Can I tell you why? Because this was not Bill's plan for his future. I had a plan for my future. Most of you know I was a Kansas City officer back in the 90s, and my plan was to have a law enforcement career for about 25 or 30 years and then retire with a full pension and live happily ever after. That was my plan. Then God got in the way. I had a career. I didn't know I had a calling. You can choose your career. You don't get to choose your calling. Your calling chooses you. That's what happened to me. That's why I'm here. It was predestined that I would pastor and preach. I can't explain the life I live today any other way. But listen, he hadn't predestined everything. He's waiting on you to pray for some things. James 4, 2 says, you have not because you ask not.

There are certain things. You're going to get to heaven someday, and you're going to stand in front of Jesus, and only then will you see what could have been, what should have been, what might have been had you prayed, but because you never prayed, it never was. And you can see this in Scripture in various places. 2 Kings chapter 20 tells the story of King Hezekiah. God foreknows everything. He hadn't predestined everything. There are multiple outcomes possible in the sovereignty of God. King Hezekiah, he gets a word from the Lord. God tells him, you're going to die. Put your affairs in order. Get your house in order because your life is over. Hezekiah prays, God, would you extend my days? God hears that prayer and extends Hezekiah's days by another 15 years. Now did God lie? No, God doesn't lie. Hezekiah was not a man that he should lie. Was God confused? No, God wasn't confused. Had Hezekiah not prayed, his life was over. He was going to die. That was one possible outcome in God's sovereignty. But because Hezekiah prayed, there was another possible outcome in God's sovereignty. God heard that prayer and extended his days. See, prayer changes things. Now listen, we don't simply pray to change God's mind. No, listen, we primarily pray so God can change our mind. Let's be clear about this. We don't pray hoping God does what we want Him to do.

We pray so that God will show us what He wants us to do. That's primarily why we pray, to align our heart behind God, to align our life with God, not simply hope He lines up behind us. Yes? But I'm trying to tell you, prayer does change things. And if we will pray as a church together, as a family, I'm telling you, God is going to move mightily. He's going to move powerfully in our day because He wants to. Wherever Jesus is, He is saving. He is healing. He is setting people free. Wherever Jesus is, He is redeeming. He is rescuing. Wherever Jesus is, He is reviving the things that has died. He's resurrected that which is dead. It's what God does. Will you begin to pray? That's what we're praying for. And I want you to notice, as we talk about prayer, as I'm teaching about prayer, many of us are new to prayer. I want you to notice two things about Nehemiah's prayer. You can learn so much from his prayer right here. Two things that made this prayer in Nehemiah chapter one so powerful. Did you know there are two things that God can't do? Number one is this. God cannot violate His character. Nehemiah prayed according to God's character. Everybody thinks, well, God is God. He can do whatever He wants. No, He can't.

God can't stop being God, meaning He can't violate His own character. And so I want you to notice, first, Nehemiah prays according to the character of God. Look at what he says here as he opens up his prayer. Verse five. I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant. and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments. He begins praying the character of God. We sing every Sunday, the character of God, who he is, because God can't stop being who he is. He says, God, you are great, you're awesome, you keep your promises, and God, you're God of mercy. And he's about to pray a prayer of repentance. So he's appealing to God's mercy. Church, we need God's mercy. Amen. God, save us, because we can't save ourselves. And I want you to notice why he's praying this way, because God cannot violate his character, he cannot violate who he is. What God cannot do, he cannot send. And so he begins praying in this way, reminding himself of God's mercy, claiming the character of God in his mercy. And I want you to notice something else. Nehemiah prays according to God's promises. Listen, something else God can't do. He cannot violate his character, he cannot contradict his word. When God says it, he has to do it.

And that is why you pray back the word of God. You pray back the promises of God. And specifically, what Nehemiah's gonna do is he's gonna quote in his prayer from Deuteronomy chapter 28 and Deuteronomy chapter 30. He's praying back the promises God made to his people generations earlier. Look what he says here. Remember, I pray, the word that you commanded, your servant Moses saying, if you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the furthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for my name. He's praying back the promise of God. God, because you are holy, you told us you would have to bring down a penalty for our idolatry, but because you're a God of mercy, you scattered us and you're gonna bring us back again. He's claiming now that promise that God made them. And this is how you pray. Listen carefully. God cannot break his own promises. Like if you're going through a time of tribulation and trial, sadness and suffering, and a lot of us are in that season right now, and you think, I don't know how long I can go on.

I don't know how long I can do this. Here's how you pray. You claim the promise, Philippians 4.13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And Jesus, I claim that promise. I can do all things through Christ because you promised to strengthen me. I can finish the race you've called me to, no matter how hard, no matter how heavy. You've lost your job. You don't know how you're gonna pay your bills. You claim the promise of Philippians 4.19. My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. God, you have promised to supply all my needs. I don't know how you're gonna do it, but I believe that you will. See, you appropriate all the promises of God by faith in the word of God. You exercise faith in the word of God. You claim that promise. Now, this isn't the name it and claim it theology. No, no, no, listen carefully. You can't claim it if God hadn't named it. Now, there's a real theology out there that says that God will do whatever you say he has to if you just speak it. Now, listen carefully. Only once God has named it can you claim it. See, faith is acting like something is so

when it isn't so so it'll be so because God said it so. Not because you said it so. It's the word of God, not the word of men. But once God says it, he has to do it. If God has promised it, he's got to perform it. I want you to notice, to me, the heart of the prayer right here. Verse six. Please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open that you may hear the prayer of your servant which I pray before you now day and night for the children of Israel, your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Both my father's house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which you commanded your servant Moses. Here's what I find astounding about this prayer. Nehemiah is not confessing other people's sins. He's confessing his own sin. He says we have sinned. Both I and my father's house have sinned. And here's what you need to know. He was born a full 150 years after these sins were committed by his people. No, it was not his fault, but he's taking responsibility. This prayer of repentance, he is confessing the national sins of Israel. And that's the real reason the walls had fallen,

Foundation was in erosion. He's not confessing. Not just his personal sins, but national sins. He could have said it's not my problem I wasn't even there. I had nothing to do with it, but he's personally taking responsibility now before the God of heaven and This is how I'm asking you to pray this week What Nehemiah is doing he is using the principle and the promise of second Chronicles 7 14 It says of my people who are called by my name will humble themselves And pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways Then I will hear their prayer from heaven. I will forgive their sin. I will heal their land and This is how I'm asking you to pray this week that you begin to pray in that same way Instead of looking at everybody else's house that you look at your own house The judgment would begin in our house We Need to confess our national sins Of which there are many Some have said America's original sin is racism and given our history it would be hard to argue any other way I Want you to think about this with me Why did the depravity of American slavery? Persist for so long in American society I'll tell you why Because one set of humans convinced themselves another set of humans was not fully human Now connect that to a modern sin another national sin. I'm talking about abortion The Only reason abortion persists in this civilization is because one set of humans have convinced themselves another set of humans is not fully human and In the same way slavery persisted so long in this supposedly Christian nation is because the church stood idly by and did nothing Generation after generation Christians stood idly by and did nothing. Well, it's not my problem. I don't own any slaves They look the other way. I'm trying to tell you. This is our day this generation and abortion persists for the very same reason because professing Christians have looked the other way and drank the Kool-Aid on some political ideology and your Allegiance is more to a political party than God Almighty

And we need to repent Repent while there's still time That's what Nehemiah is doing He's repenting for the sins of his nation since he's never personally done Let me tell you what God judged ancient Israel for and why they went into captivity their idolatry their false worship What's happened with this generation? Why are we living a time of chaos confusion moral anarchy decay? I'll tell you what's happened. We've told generation after generation. There is no God, but you you can do whatever you want to do self Idolatry the worship of self and when you walk in idolatry, it will always bring captivity That's what's happening now to American society as a part of their idolatry. They were practicing child sacrifice they were practicing infanticide and Don't think for a moment our sophisticated educated civilization is doing anything different every time a A human being is Murdered Inside their mother's womb now, I'm telling you this Because Missouri voters this November will make a decision again On whether or not we will protect the sanctity of human life in the womb in the state of Missouri Or we will go the way of the world You For whatever reason God is allowing Missouri a second chance we voted on this two years ago For reasons I don't have time to explain it's coming back to Missouri voters now a lot of you are listening from all over the Nation, you're not a part of Missouri. Would you pray for us? Kansas already passed their vote no going back in Kansas, Kansas. Would you pray for Missouri? They just may be somewhere The body of Christ will stake a claim and see what God sees and feel what God feels It's a not on our watch Church I'm gonna sit down because I don't want to be misunderstood This is not my favorite sermon to preach, but I don't get to decide. It's not my platform, it's God's. It's a day for repentance. The days of straddling align. One foot in Jesus and one foot with the world, it's over.

You've got to decide. No more divided allegiances, no more divided loyalties. Our allegiance must be to King Jesus. And for far too long, America's pulpits have been silent on sin. Never trust a pastor that will not talk about your sin, he does not care about your soul. All he cares about is your money. God is holy, means he's sinless, he's righteous. He must judge sin, he cannot look the other way, because he's not a God of corruption. He's not a corrupt judge. He must bring a penalty for sin. Yet we have so distorted the grace of God, we think the grace of God gives us a license to walk in sin, and you need to know that if you're in sin, and choosing sin instead of Him, you're not under God's grace. You're bringing judgment on yourself. America has brought judgment on ourselves. We are in the face of God. And when you get in God's face, it's not going to end well. He is a God of grace, but He's also God of justice. And one day we will all stand before Jesus, do you know that, do you believe that, face to face with Jesus, and we will be accountable to God for our moral choices. Thanks for loving the truth. We're a nation under judgment. Any nation that uses the Bible to swear in its president, puts in God we trust on its money, yet simultaneously mocks his name, tramples his truth, aborts his children, and thinks that sin is a nation under the judgment of God. Galatians 6-7, be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. And he that sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit will reap life everlasting. When you sow the seeds of sin again and again and again, you will reap a whirlwind of destruction.

It's true as a people, it's true as an individual. God is calling us to repent. Repent of our idolatry, it's false worship, the worship of self. One out of three people under the sound of my voice, statistically, has been a part of an abortion. Men and women. I have a word from the Lord for you. God knows what you've done, it's not a secret to Him, and He loves you anyway. He loves you deeply, He loves you infinitely. He wants to forgive you. There is no sin, no matter how dark, no matter how depraved, that the blood of Jesus cannot wash away. I have a word from the Lord, from Jesus Himself. Jesus said, God so loved the world, He so loved you, that He gave His only begotten begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved." God is a God of compassion. He doesn't want to bring condemnation on you, but you need to understand when you reject Him and choose your sin, you bring condemnation on yourself. You're already condemned. And this is the nature of revival, and guys, I'm praying for revival. I don't have time to play silly church games. You don't either. The time is urgent. The winds of the last days are blowing. It's another message for another day. Don't have time for that one. The winds of the last days are blowing. I'm living in my last days, whether you are my age or not, you are too.

It won't be long before we see Jesus. It won't be long. There's a reckoning coming, but in every generation there is a remnant who have not bowed the knee to idols, whose allegiance will be King Jesus alone. Political ideology to the wind, political parties to the wind. Jesus wins. And this is what I know about revival, and I'm praying for it. I pray that you are too. We talk about what it looks like when it comes, this move of God, unique, indescribable but undeniable, God radically changing life, but here's what's true about every revival in history. Listen carefully. The evidence of true revival is always repentance of sin, Jesus setting people free from sin. And I want you to know that as we begin to pray this week, 2 Chronicles 7, 14, of my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. He says, then I will hear their prayer from heaven. I will forgive their sin. I will heal their land. Jesus is going to bring healing to our homes. He's going to bring healing to our marriages, healing to our families, healing to our hearts, healing to our community, healing to our city, healing to our country. If my people are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, would you do that with me this week? Would you repent of our sins nationally as Nehemiah did, of which I know there's many? Would you repent of your sins personally? We're praying hundreds of prayer requests up here at every campus and church house. I want you to take one of these today. I want you to think about a sin in your life personally that you've learned to live with, that you've entered into a peaceful coalition with.

Here's why Nehemiah is mourning over what's happened to his people. Thousands of people have chosen to stay in Babylon instead of returning to Jerusalem. They have lived in captivity so long, they've gotten used to it. They've entered into a peaceful coalition with captivity. And they could live in freedom and victory. For many of us here, you've lived in a sin for so long, you don't know how life is any different any other way. I want you to think about that sin in your life, that personal sin. We all have sin. Not one among us. First John 1.8, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is the chain breaker. Many of us here are in the captivity to pornography. You'd give anything to be free from that merry-go-round of sensuality, a life of promiscuity. You believe the lies of the enemy. Jesus wants to set you free and this month is the month he's going to set you free. Some of us were in captivity to addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction. He wants to set you free from that prison. You think you can't be free because you believe the lies of the enemy. No, listen carefully. As a child of God, you were made to be free. You can be free. I want you to think about the sin. I want you to write it down. Just your sin. You don't have to put your name because God knows your name. As we begin to worship and pray today in response to the Word of God.

Praying for a move of the Spirit of God. I want you to come, write that sin down, just put it on this altar. God knows who you are. We're gonna start praying that God will set you free. Let us be the revival generation with clean hands and a pure heart. God in heaven, I pray that Lord, you would move among us in indescribable ways in the days ahead. Revival generation in this nation beginning today. God, grant us the gift of repentance. God, grant us the gift and the grace to repent of our sin. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen. ♪ We bow our hearts ♪ We bend our knees ♪ Oh spirit come make us humble ♪ We turn our eyes ♪ From evil things ♪ Oh Lord we cast down our idols ♪ Oh bow our hearts ♪ We bend our knees ♪ Oh spirit come make us humble ♪ We turn our eyes ♪ From evil things ♪ Oh Lord we cast down our idols ♪ And give us clean hands ♪ Give us pure hearts ♪ Let us not lift our souls to another ♪ Give us clean hands ♪ Give us pure hearts ♪ Let us not lift our souls to another Sweet bow our hearts, sing it. ♪ We bow our hearts ♪ We bend Come on lift that up. ♪ Oh spirit come make us humble ♪ Turn our eyes ♪ We turn our eyes Yes we do. ♪ Only on you Jesus ♪ Oh Lord we cast down our idols

♪ And give us clean hands ♪ Give us pure hearts ♪ Let us not lift our souls to another ♪ Oh give us clean hands ♪ Give us pure hearts ♪ Let us not lift our souls to another ♪ And God let us be ♪ A generation that seeks ♪ That seeks your face ♪ Oh God of Jacob ♪ Oh God let us be ♪ A generation that seeks ♪ That seeks your face ♪ Oh God of Jacob ♪ Cause you are here ♪ Moving in our midst ♪ And I worship you ♪ I worship you ♪ You are here ♪ You're working in this place ♪ And I worship you ♪ I worship you ♪ You are here ♪ Moving in our midst ♪ And I worship you ♪ I worship you ♪ You are here ♪ Working in this place And I worship You, I worship You You are the Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper

Light in the darkness, O my God, that is who You are You are the Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper Light in the darkness, O my God, that is who You are Sing You are the Waymaker, Waymaker, Miracle Worker Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness, O my God We declare all that You are, You are, You are Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper Light in the darkness, O my God, that is who You are Sing that is who You are, that is who You are That is who You are, that is who You are That is who You are, that is who You are That is who You are Oh, it's who You are It's who You've always been Oh, we lift our faith today We believe it, we believe it Oh, that You make a way when there is no way You do the impossible You're still moving, You're still working You're still changing Come on, if you believe that today, just lift your hands in this place Oh, You're still moving Oh, You're not done moving We believe it Oh, You never stop working You never stop working Oh, we declare that Even when I don't see it, just come on, lift it up Even when I don't feel it, You're working You never stop

You never stop working You never stop Come on, you sing it Even when I, oh, He's still working Even when I don't feel it, You're working You never stop Oh, He's not done working He's not done working Even when I don't see it, You're working Even when I don't feel it, You're working You never stop Oh, You're not done working Either way Either way Either way Oh You never stop We sing You are way maker Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who You are You are Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who You are We sing that is You That is who You are That is who You are We declare He's the God who still can He's the God who still can

That is who You are That is who You are That is who You are That is who You are You are way maker Miracle worker, promise keeper Light in the darkness My God, that is who You are We sing You are way maker Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who You are Just declare that is who That is who You are Come on, fill this room with your faith That is who You are It's who He's always been That is who You are That is who You are The God who can do the impossible That is who You are That is who You are That is who You are That is who You are That's who he is, church. Amen. He's the God who still can. The God who can do impossible things. Man, when I walked in here this morning, I started to read a few of these, just prayer cards. I'm not going to lie to you. I got through about four or five and I just felt so burdened by the impossible because in my humanity, I looked at these and there's nothing I can do. No matter how hard I strive, how much strength I try to give it, even all of us in this room, we don't have the strength to make these things possible. There's nothing

that we can do, not by strength, not by might, not by power, but by his spirit says the Lord. And how many of you are grateful that his spirit is what makes these things possible? And so many of these prayers and desires are prayers that he's been wanting to answer. He wants to move in this place. And that same spirit that is here in this house goes with you throughout this week. So don't stop pressing in. Don't stop praying. Don't stop seeking his face in the quiet of your own home, with your families and in your life, on your drives to work, because he moves in those moments, like he moves in these moments. Amen. Amen. Well, we love you. I just pray that you would go out and that you would be Jesus to a watching world that is in desperate need of a God who can move in their life. We love you. God go with you.