Welcome to from the pulpit and classic sermons
each week We bring you a different message
from some of history's greatest speakers in the
Christian faith and powerful sermons for modern preachers,
too This week we have Brian Long with
a plan vision for the church and cunning
persecution So grateful to be here with you
tonight Thank you, brother Frank My dear brother.
I have that testimony of Algeria's written down.
I'd actually written down His testimony at home
and have it in my Study, it's ministered
to me time and time again the glory
of Jesus in the dungeon And he found
infinite sweetness in the bowels of the lion.
I don't think I'll ever forget that expression
Very grateful to be here with you tonight.
I do have a burden on my heart
that I I'm convinced Absolutely persuaded is from
the Lord and I want you to turn
with me to the book of Habakkuk, please
Habakkuk and will begin in chapter 2 My
message is a plain vision for the church
and coming persecution a plain vision for the
church and coming persecution Habakkuk chapter 2 will
begin in verse 1 I will stand my
watch and set myself on the rampart and
watch to see what he will say to
me and What I will answer when I'm
corrected then the Lord answered me and said
Write the vision and make it plain on
tablets that he may run who reads it
For the vision is yet for an appointed
time But at the end it will speak
and it will not lie Though it tarries
wait for it because it will surely come
It will not tarry Now the vision that
the Prophet Habakkuk saw was a burden from
the Lord you notice if you would in
the first verse of chapter 1 the burden
which the Prophet Habakkuk saw his burden was
a vision from the Lord a Vision that
God said would surely come it wasn't that
it might come to pass It wasn't that
it could come to pass.
He said though it tarries wait for it
because it will surely come Now there are
two parts to this vision that I want
to share with you tonight and then having
shared the vision To see how we are
to run with it because that's what he
says write down the vision make it plain
on tablets That he may run who reads
it.
So first of all the vision What was
it that the Prophet Habakkuk saw?
What was it that God said was surely
come?
he first saw a Vision of coming judgment.
It was judgment that was sure to come
from the hand of God to Judah according
to the Word of the Lord in chapter
1 judgment was surely coming and the way
That God was going to send judgment wasn't
exactly what the Prophet Habakkuk had in mind
or had expected God to answer him this
way in his prayer.
He had been praying verse 2 You can
see that in chapter 1 his prayer He
says O Lord How long shall I cry
and you will not hear even cry out
to you violence and you will not save
Why do you show me iniquity and cause
me to see trouble for plundering and violence
are before me?
There is strife and contention arises Therefore the
law is powerless and justice never goes forth
for the wicked surround the righteous therefore perverse
judgment proceeds Habakkuk is praying is interceding for
God's people and he's saying how long how
long Lord?
how long will the the iniquity the perversion
the violence the lawlessness the injustice in this
land continue How long will you show me?
All of this trouble in our nation and
yet it seems like you're not doing anything
about it How long Lord will godly people
pray for revival and yet there is no
revival He was crying out to God from
an honest heart he was praying for God
to stop the sin and the decay and
to stop this dishonor and Disgrace that was
being brought to the name of God through
God's people and yet it seemed like God
was not answering How long will godly people
pray and there's no revival?
And he's begging God to turn God's people
back to him in repentance brothers and sisters
How long have we prayed the same way?
I?
Know I'm not the only one how long
have we prayed for revival?
I remember the first conference that was held
here The burden that I came to Atlanta
with and I with such expectation that there
was a revival conference And I knew some
about sermon index, so I knew this is
real revival.
We're talking about And fully expecting that after
this conference.
We're going to see a great spiritual awakening
How long have we prayed for revival?
And yet there is no revival Granted God
has moved in little pockets around the nation.
He is moving, but I'm talking about Spiritual
awakening the kind of revival that turns the
whole Tide of a nation, you know a
city or even a society.
We've not seen that in this nation We've
not seen anything that compares to the great
awakenings of the past nor of the great
revivals like the Welsh revival or the Hebrides
revival we prayed and Yet God Hasn't answered
like we might have expected him to but
I want to tell you tonight that God
does answer God has heard those prayers God
heard the prayer of Habakkuk and he answers
Maybe not like Habakkuk expected him to answer.
Maybe not like we Expected God to answer
but God speaks and here's his answer in
verse 5 God says look among the nations
and watch Be utterly astounded For I will
work a work in your days, which you
would not believe though it were told you
Now that's that sounds amazing to me when
God says be astounded.
I'm going to work a work in your
days that you would not even believe though
it were told you but the question is
what kind of work and The next verse
the Lord says for indeed.
I'm raising up the Chaldeans a Bitter and
hasty nation which marches through the breadth of
the earth to possess dwelling places that are
not theirs I'm going to work a work
in your day.
And here's the work.
I'm raising up the Chaldeans.
Who were they?
Babylonians These were not God-fearing people These
were enemies of God enemy armies that God
would sovereignly raise up and use as an
instrument of his judgment to chasten his own
people Now, can you believe it?
Can you got believe that God would do
that?
Maybe that's why God said be utterly astounded
for I will work a work in your
day Which you would not believe though it
were told you Keith Green said several years
ago when God wants to speak to his
people.
He will do it in three ways First
he will touch their economy.
He'll touch them where it hurts in Their
economy and if that doesn't work if that
doesn't turn God's people to repentance then he
said God will touch their ecology and then
you have floods and pestilences and if you
know Hurricanes a drought this year that's covered
a huge part of this nation tornadoes hurricanes
tsunamis Lastly though he said God will raise
up a nation to come in and invade
them That is exactly the judgment that God
is pronouncing here And that is the judgment
that is soon to come upon this nation
and upon North America God sovereignly raising up
enemy armies to invade a nation and America
This nation believes she's too strong for that
That she could never her military force is
too strong for that that that can never
happen I want to tell you tonight that
this nation Sits on the brink of utter
destruction that she is right for the judgment
of God She is right for the judgment
of God Judgment is at the door America
will not have a godly president to save
the day nor the nation National leaders and
politicians will become even more corrupt Muslims and
other Antichrist groups will be God's instrument of
judgment and what is most surprising of all
probably is that This holy remnants and she
is found all over the earth gathered in
all different kinds of congregations but this holy
remnant that Has seen the King has come
to know Jesus and is following him wholeheartedly
She will be persecuted by a people who
profess to be Christians Churches if you will
persecuting them because they're not pledging allegiance to
patriotism or anything else, but the Lamb of
God and She will be Arrested we will
be imprisoned Hated beaten and even executed in
this nation and I want to tell you
brothers and sisters when it happens Do not
think that God's hands are tied Don't think
that this has taken God by surprise God
has actually Executed the judgment however, and whenever
he chooses I we need to see the
sovereign hand of God behind it all I
Love what the brother said earlier the Lions
had to look up God here raised up
the Chaldeans and God is the God who
will allow even his people to Suffer at
the hands of enemies His hands are not
tied Judgment is surely coming that is a
hard message for some to embrace Habakkuk himself
is wrestling with this He says in verse
12 Are you not from everlasting?
Oh Lord my God my Holy One We
shall not die We shall not die.
Oh Lord you have appointed them for judgment.
Oh rock.
You have marked them for correction You are
of pure eyes and to behold evil and
cannot look on it wickedness Why do you
look on those who deal treacherously and hold
your tongue when the righteous when the wicked
devours a person?
more righteous than he Judgment was coming to
Judah Judgment is surely coming to North America,
but I want to remind you again tonight
that judgment must begin at the house of
God first Peter chapter 4 verse 17 says
for the time has come for judgment to
begin at the house of God and if
it begins With us first, what will be
the end of those who do not obey
the gospel of God?
Habakkuk's question in verse 13 was Why would
God look on those who deal treacherously with
his people Why would he hold his tongue?
When the wicked devours a person more righteous
than he it's true that the Chaldeans were
more wicked than God's own people in Israel
But it's also true that Israel was sinning
against much greater light Brothers and sisters the
Muslims aren't holding a Bible in their hand,
but the prosperity preacher is the Muslims aren't
holding the world's not holding the Bible a
Bible in their hand, but I am and
When God's people sin against God, they're sinning
against a much greater light than the world
or any other religion has The angry atheist
doesn't claim to preach Jesus Christ Nor do
they rob from the people of God, but
the wolf in the house of God does
the communist doesn't claim to know Christ, but
hypocrites in the house of God do and
God will not always strive with such mixture
in his house There is coming a shaking
there is coming a sure and definite judgment
to the house of God a Shaking where
everything that can be shaken will be shaken
and it will bring about a holy separation
From those who fear God and those who
do not those who know Christ Those who
do not those who have pledged their allegiance
to Christ and those who haven't it is
coming It is coming to the house of
God God is merciful and he is so
patient.
He has shown me more mercy than anybody
I know I will never give up on
the mercy of God But I tell you
this he will not always strive with man
and there is a judgment coming to the
house of God Jesus Christ is the head
of the church And he must have the
preeminence in in all it's his church.
It's his body It's his bride and I
tell you that any assembly where Jesus Christ
is not truly the head is Sliding rapidly
to the judgment of God, but here's where
we've got to make the vision plain We've
got to make it personal Do I honor
him as the head of the house?
It's not enough for us to memorize scripture
that says Jesus Christ is the head of
the church It's not enough for us to
know the Bible in our minds that says
Jesus must have the preeminence The issue is
do I honor him as the head?
Not enough to call him King.
Do you glorify him as King?
Do you obey him as Lord?
Do I obey him as Lord?
There is hypocrisy in the house of God
that comes under the judgment of God We
can preach and I Before I could ever
stand up here.
God took me through weeks Because I never
want to preach something.
I'm not willing for God to to do
in and through me I've asked myself these
questions that I'm posing to you tonight How
many of us listen to so many good
messages we even preach good biblical messages But
the issue is not can we preach them?
Not can we listen to too many of
them?
The issue is do we live them?
Are we the incarnation of these messages that
we're receiving?
It's more preaching today good preaching especially on
sermon index All these saints of the past.
It's not an issue of how many sermons
you listen to Do you live them?
Listen why do you call me Lord Lord
Jesus said and not do the things that
I say Why do you emphatically call me
Lord and not obey me to live?
This way is to build your house on
shifting sand and to have it all fall
down and blown away in the coming storm
There is lukewarmness in the house of God
This attempt to serve two masters and it
will come under the judgment of God.
It's coming a day Where people now are
trying to combine allegiances there will be a
shaking Christ alone or Christ not at all
The pride of leaders and pastors who love
to have the preeminence will have the rug
pulled out from under them very soon Except
they repent Secret sin in the house of
God.
There's no fear of God and secret sin
in the house of God is coming under
the judgment of God Judgment is surely coming
upon the American dream message of your best
life now the word of faith movement the
prosperity gospel, which is another gospel preaching another
Jesus a false gospel that promotes the love
of money Self-centeredness and pride and not
only will God demand an account of the
deception and dishonor that it is brought to
his name in this Nation, but he's especially
going to demand an account of those who
have piped it into nations all across the
world and robbed the poor To line their
own greedy pockets that is coming under the
judgment of God Every house of worship where
The Holy Spirit has been rejected Resisted ignored
because we want to have church without him
It's coming under the judgment of God when
the shaking comes that house will shake and
it will not stand We cannot have church
apart from the spirit of the living God
yet.
He's been grieved.
He's been resisted.
He's been rejected Listen to this scripture from
Ezekiel 16 49 God says now this was
the sin of your sister Sodom We think
of homosexuality and perversion God that that was
an abomination to God God sent fire and
brimstone on Sodom, but that was not the
sin.
He even mentioned here These were the sins
of your sister Sodom She and her daughters
were arrogant Overfed and unconcerned they did not
help the poor and needy Arrogance pride Overfed
we've been given so much and yet unconcerned
while the poor and needy die outside the
doors of the house of God Have we
abandoned our mission Church of Jesus Christ Have
we have forgotten the Great Commission?
to go and preach the gospel to every
creature and It's twofold also to make disciples
of all nations Teaching them to obey all
that Christ has commanded us Have we forgotten
that have we forgotten what true religion is
in the house of God?
Caring for the orphans the widows in their
trouble feeding the hungry clothing the naked Ministering
to the poor visiting those in prison and
keeping yourself unspotted from the world I tell
you because we have neglected this we have
not taken it seriously Judgment is coming to
the house of God It's sure to come
But even that judgment will be an expression
of God's mercy and love The worst thing
that could happen today is for God to
allow Christendom to continue as she is without
him and there is a clear distinction in
first Peter chapter 4 that the Lord makes
but between The punishing judgment of God upon
the unbeliever and the purifying judgment of God
upon the believer The punishment that will be
that the judgment that will be punishment for
one will be purifying for another For one
it's punishment and utter destruction, but for the
remnant That's shaking that persecution Will be to
test and try and refine his holy Remnant
his beloved bride his cherished church Now I
want you to watch this Because someone Inevitably
says a message of gloom and doom It's
not gloom and doom to me gloom to
me is for the church to continue as
she is Hypocrisy in the house of God
hypocrisy in my heart.
That's gloom This is not a message of
gloom and doom and this vision of judgment
is not all that the Prophet saw He
did see judgment coming.
He saw the suffering of God's people coming
But that's not all he saw God says
to the Prophet Habakkuk write down the vision
and make it plain Habakkuk What do you
see?
I See judgment that is sure to come
Persecution.
Yes Incredible suffering of God's people.
Yes a Storm unlike we have ever experienced
before.
Yes, but that's not all I see Chapter
2 verse 14 Surrounded by verse after verse
after verse of coming judgment.
There's this little Nugget like a nugget of
gold hidden inside the side of a mountain
Habakkuk 2 14 For the earth will be
filled with the knowledge of the glory of
the Lord as the waters cover the sea
What do you see Habakkuk coming judgment?
But wait, I See a coming glory a
Glory, that is so great that the knowledge
of the glory of the Lord will cover
the earth even as the waters cover the
sea hallelujah as The waters cover the sea
now, where do the waters not cover the
sea?
Seas make up the waters in other words
There's no place on earth where the glory
of the Lord will not be known have
you seen that Saints through the eyes of
faith a Coming glory that is the latter
glory that was greater than the former that
is great the the greatest display of God's
glory that has ever been known in the
history of the world a coming glory Where
the knowledge of that glory will cover the
earth even as the waters cover the sea
why?
Because in the fires of persecution the church
gets purified Yes, all who live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution But suffering for
Christ and the sake of Christ always precedes
glory Suffering for Jesus equals glory to Jesus
Paul the Apostle says in Romans 8 verse
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God and
if children then heirs heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer
with him That we ought may be also
glorified together suffering glory for I consider that
the Sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us Suffering with Jesus
precedes the glory of Jesus and his glory
will be revealed where?
According to Romans 8 in the heavens somewhere
among the stars in Some Cathedral temple somewhere
we have to go find that that man
-made know where in us the glory of
the Lord Revealed in us how through suffering
through persecution Habakkuk see something else in verse
20 of chapter 2 But the Lord is
in his holy temple He says the Lord
is in his holy temple Let all the
earth keep silence before him and the Lord
beloved in his holy temple through his holy
temple Will display his glory and the knowledge
of that glory will cover the earth even
as the waters cover the sea You remember
under the Old Covenant When God chose to
reveal his glory in the days of Moses
He commanded Moses to build a tabernacle Moses
built the tabernacle just as God had told
him to do and in that Tabernacle in
the Holy of Holies the Shekinah glory of
God would come down God's glory would rest
among his people God would visit his people
in the tabernacle the glory of the Lord
Displayed in the Holy of Holies and everybody
who was there knew that the God of
Abraham Isaac and Jacob he is God the
glory of the Lord but that tabernacle one
day was no more and King David had
a deep desire in his heart to build
a house for the Lord a temple for
the Most High God and God honored that
request in David, but he said David you're
not going to build me the house your
son Solomon will build my temple and King
Solomon did build he built a incredible magnificent
beautiful Temple for the Lord and you remember
what happened?
When Solomon finished dedicating the temple to God
in prayer the glory of the Lord came
down So much so that the priest could
not even enter the temple but down on
their faces They went on the pavement and
they worshiped God and what did they say
for he is good and his mercy Endures
forever and that display of God's glory was
greater than the former in the tabernacle God
manifested his presence God displayed his glory.
His glory came down and was revealed through
the temple but that beautiful magnificent temple of
Solomon's was also destroyed and God's people were
taken captive for 70 years to Babylon but
God then raises up a remnant God always
has a remnant and The remnant marched to
Zion back to Jerusalem to once again build
a temple for the Lord at the command
of the Lord They were few in number,
but they were one in purpose one in
vision They'd come to build the house of
the Lord so that the Lord could visit
his people another place for the glory of
the Lord to rest to Come down among
his people that all may know that he
is God and God said this though that
Outward temple wasn't as spectacular as the previous
temple Solomon's temple yet God said I will
fill this temple with my glory and the
latter glory will be greater than the former
glory and What happened was it greater?
It was greater because one day the Son
of God himself stepped down and he walked
into that temple and he opened up the
scriptures and he read and Jesus Christ stood
in the temple and the word became flesh
and dwelt among us and John said we
beheld his glory The glory as of the
only begotten of the Father full of grace
and truth God once again filled his house
with glory and that glory was much greater
than any of the former glory because this
is the Son of God himself Jesus Christ
Displaying seeing the glory of God in the
face of Jesus We beheld his glory, but
our Lord went to the cross Died on
the cross for our sins was raised again
on the third day ascended into heaven He's
now seated at the right hand of the
Father that temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in
70 AD not one stone found left upon
another and I still hear the Spirit of
the Lord say Heaven is my throne and
The earth is my footstool Where is the
house that you will build for me?
Where is the place of my rest?
God longing to visit his people Where is
the place once again where God will display
his glory?
Habakkuk said I see the Lord in his
holy temple Let all the earth be silent
and through that holy temple the knowledge of
his glory covers the earth even as the
waters cover the sea But where is that
temple?
Stephen said in Acts chapter 7 the Most
High no longer dwells in temples made with
human hands where is that temple and The
answer resounds to the Apostle Paul first Corinthians
chapter 3 verse 16 Do you not know
that you are the temple of God and
that?
The Spirit of God dwells in you if
anyone defiles the temple of God God will
destroy him for the temple of God is
holy which temple you are The Prophet says
I see the Lord in his holy temple
and the Apostle Paul says yes The temple
of God is holy and which temple you
are You see it brothers and sisters That's
the vision The vision of God's coming glory
is the coming of the greatest display of
the glory of God ever in the history
of the world I want to tell you
that this is the church's finest hour.
I believe it with all of my heart
We are living in incredible days God Almighty
wanting to display his glory once again to
such a degree that glory will be greater
than the former glory It has to be
if the knowledge of his glory covers the
earth even as the waters cover the sea
and he wants to do it Where through
his church through his body through his temple,
which is us Coming judgment.
Yes Coming persecution.
Yes Suffering.
Yes, but a glory of God and to
God that makes it all worth it.
I Agree with the Apostle Paul the sufferings
of this present time are not even worthy
To be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us There's the vision, but
how do we run with it?
He says write the vision make it plain
on tablets that he may run who reads
it and in other words Do something with
this vision it demands a response a practical
response run with the vision and Someone who
is running is either running away from something
or they are running in pursuit of something
and I want to say to you Tonight
to run with this vision is to run
in pursuit Not of something but someone Hebrews
chapter 12 if you turn there with me
Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 1 run with
the vision, but how Run pursuing someone Therefore
we also since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses Let us lay
aside every weight and the sin which so
easily ensnares us and let us run With
endurance the race that is set before us
looking unto Jesus The author and finisher of
our faith who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross Despising the
shame and has sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God This is
a pursuit namely of Jesus Christ himself You
want to run with the vision pursue Christ
with all your heart Fix your eyes on
Christ the author and finisher of our faith
Let Jesus fill your vision go after him
Let him be your chief delight your highest
ambition your most passionate pursuit Your greatest desire
should be the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Otherwise, you're not running the race And you're
not running with the vision so Make it
plain make it personal.
How is it with you?
What is your greatest passion?
What's your most passionate pursuit?
What do you talk about the most?
Who do you talk about the most?
Jesus Christ or your Bible translation Jesus Christ
or your particular doctrine theology eschatology Jesus Christ
Or your ministry Jesus Christ or your gifts
Jesus Christ or your head covering Jesus Christ
or your children your family Jesus Christ or
your denomination it can be a number of
things brothers and sisters and they're not all
bad But nothing everything should pale in comparison
of love for him Love for Christ the
pursuit of Christ I'll tell you this remnant
that God is raising up that is scattered
all over the earth She has one thing
in common to you who believe he is
precious Christ is precious.
Hallelujah first Corinthians chapter 9 and verse
24 again, the Apostle Paul says Do you
not know that those who run in a
race all run but one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may
obtain it In other words run to win
run on purpose the Apostle Paul Ran with
purpose.
He says in verse 25 Everyone who competes
for the prize is temperate in all things
now They do it to obtain a perishable
crown, but we for an imperishable crown Therefore
I run thus not with uncertainty thus I
fight not as one who beats the air
But I discipline my body and bring it
into subjection Lest when I have preached to
others I myself should become disqualified He ran
on purpose and Paul was so concerned About
coming to the end of his race and
finding out that he had run it in
vain He was so adamant that he would
not run this race in vain.
He would not be distracted from his purpose
He's running with the vision.
His eyes are on Christ.
He disciplined his body He didn't let food
and sleep and leisure and entertainment Master him
nor distract him from this vision of Christ
He wouldn't be distracted from what Christ had
clearly called him to do.
He wouldn't waste time He wouldn't become spiritually
lazy.
I get in embarrassed of myself when I'm
talking about persecution I'm reading Foxe book of
Martyrs and all of this And I see
his spiritual laziness that I'm prone to Areas
of my life where I'm not dying now
There's a lot of spiritual laziness and undisciplined
in the house of God Are we running
on purpose?
Are we running to win with our eyes
fixed on Christ?
He wouldn't stray from his purpose.
And what was his purpose?
verse 23 Now this I do for the
gospel sake That's my purpose And he wouldn't
stray from it.
Paul was passionate and determined not to run
in vain His purpose was the gospel He
wouldn't waste time.
He took every open door every opportunity that
he had everywhere the Spirit led him He
was sitting on ready To preach the gospel.
He said I'm not ashamed of the gospel
My son Luke the other day reminded me
of a quote that he had read by
DL Moody Moody said I don't find anywhere
where God says that the world is going
to grow better and better.
I Look upon this world as a wrecked
vessel and God has given me a lifeboat
and said to me Moody Save all you
can and you know Moody didn't stray from
that purpose Brothers and sisters you and I
have a purpose and it has to do
with the gospel of Jesus Christ Are you
running with it?
The messenger who runs with the vision is
a messenger who is running with good news
Christ died for our sins.
He rose from the dead.
He lives and he's coming again Repent and
believe the gospel That's the man.
That's the woman.
That's the child of God is running on
purpose They have not lost sight of the
true gospel of Jesus Christ.
So I want to ask you again What
are you doing with the news that has
been placed in your hands?
Are you running with the vision?
Have you gotten away from the true gospel
of Jesus Christ?
He came to save souls To seek and
to save that which was lost the sins
of Sodom again I tell you the poor
needy were dying outside her doors and she
was unconcerned And any Christianity that doesn't carry
the compassion of Christ for the lost Is
a dead religion, it's not true Christianity Get
back to your calling brothers and sisters Who
are you praying for that's lost?
Who are you reaching out to with the
gospel of Jesus Christ, who are you discipling?
There is at least one person who is
younger in the faith than you are that
you can disciple if you know If you
do not know one you need to pray
for someone lead them to Christ and disciple
them Get back to your purpose Get back
to your calling.
What is God called you to do?
Get back to it Don't stray from your
purpose Run on purpose why because one day
very soon we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ and We will give
an account to what we have done in
this body Did I run on purpose?
pity the man God forbid You come to
the end of the race You see the
glory of Jesus you stand at the judgment
seat of Christ and it suddenly revealed to
you You ran in vain you wasted time
you went this way that way the other
You didn't run on purpose When you run
pursuing Christ you run on purpose That purpose
is the gospel.
Can I tell you another purpose that all
of us?
It's a God-given purpose given to all
of us who are believers prayer You run
with this vision by prayer in everything by
prayer Listen carefully to a verse that had
that the Spirit of God has arrested my
heart with Here recently continues to bring it
back to my remembrance seems like every day
now first Peter chapter 4 verse 7 But
the end of all things is at hand
The end of all things is at hand
if the Apostle Peter said that When the
Spirit of God moved him to write this
How much closer are we to the end
of all things?
The end of all things is at hand
therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers
Because the end of all things is at
hand get serious about prayer Get back to
our knees Get back to our purpose Church
My house shall be called a house of
prayer.
The prayerless Church will not be ready for
this soon coming storm.
I assure you The most effective ministry and
preparation we have is prayer Our Lord Jesus
commanded it.
Not only that he set the example for
us the most trying Hour ever that the
Lord faced on this earth was in that
dark night in Gethsemane When the cross was
set before him, but it wasn't just the
physical cross The cup was set before him
and That cup meant he would take upon
himself the sins of the whole world in
that cup was the wrath of God Talk
about a crisis hour Talk about a difficult
hour that none of us can even come
close to understanding or comprehending.
How would he prepare for it?
Let's follow in his steps How did he
prepare he went to prayer and he says
to his disciples you stay up and stay
awake with me watch and pray because they
were also about to face a very Difficult
trying testing time hour that was set before
them.
The only way for you to be prepared
is pray Stay awake and pray Jesus went
a little farther fell on his face and
prayed Comes back and he finds his disciples
sleeping Wakes them up again goes back and
prays again so fervently that he sweats as
it were great drops of blood He prayed
and he prayed and he prayed When the
hour came he was prepared his disciples Slept
when they should have been praying and what
is the result?
One denies him one betrays him and they
all forsook him and fled How will you
stand in the coming persecution when you're prayerless
The prayerless church will not stand in the
coming storm.
I Assure you the most single most vital
important meeting of the church is the prayer
meeting.
I Believe that that I'm 100% persuaded
of that and I'm not just preaching it
That's what we live in Barnsdall.
Why because we've seen with nothing without God
We started in a barn coming together saying
what are we going to do brother Brian?
I don't know Down to our knees and
we pray and we've never lost sight of
that Saturday night prayer Prayer meeting and nothing
can substitute that There's nothing more important.
I feel tonight as the richest man on
the face of the earth, you know, why?
Because I have a little flock in Barnsdall
who right now they're not listening to the
message They're watching it the volumes down.
They're praying corporately brother Brian.
We're going to pray for you until it
goes off-air We're not going to stop
praying but they didn't just start tonight Nor
did they start today?
Sunday morning.
I'm finished preaching One brother stands up and
says this is what we're going to do
You remember when brother Brian's son was sick
in fighting cancer.
God taught us how to fast and pray
Brother Brian's going to Atlanta Thursday.
We're starting to fast and pray who will
take the first hour Who will take the
second hour?
One hand goes up one after another and
from Thursday around the clock 24 hours all
the way up to tonight.
Somebody has been praying for this conference and
for me glory to God That means more
to me than anything They told me that
I went to thank them and broke down
weeping couldn't contain myself You know, that's the
greatest gift any preacher any pastor could ever
have But why it's because God has revealed
to us in everything by prayer Such a
small flock such we have two prayer meetings
on Saturday night small prayer meetings small people
nobody's But a great big God shows up
every time at prayer meeting sometimes you have
to pray through But he comes and the
result Sinners have come to Christ as a
result of calling upon God on Saturday night
They've come to Christ on Saturday morning as
a result of that prayer meeting marriages have
been restored Relationships have been reconciled people have
been healed miraculously by God Most of all
God manifests his presence on Sunday.
He meets with us He continues to surprise
us week after week after week Brothers who
are now standing in the pulpit and preaching
if you would have told them a year
ago They'd been preaching they wouldn't nobody would
have believed you That's what God does when
his people pray The only the greatest way
to prepare the greatest preparation We have for
persecution or anything for that matter is to
call upon the Lord in prayer pray Make
the vision plain make it personal so I
ask you very plainly very Straightforwardly, are you
part of a vibrant prayer meeting right now
at least once a week?
Are you part of a prayer meeting?
If not, why not?
You know what the Lord show me brothers
and sisters this coming persecution.
It's not enough that I stand What kind
of do you have any do we have
any kind of love for our brothers and
sisters?
It's not enough that I stand my brother.
He must stand.
I want him to stand.
I want my sister to stand They denied
Christ they fell asleep instead of praying We
have got to stay on our knees and
see our dependence upon God and pray together
Are you part of a prayer meeting?
If not, you need to start one If
somebody says I can't find anybody to pray
with me you start one I assure you
God has 7,000 that have not bowed
their knee to bail and you need to
find them ask him for one two Just
one or two to join with you If
they won't join right away You start the
prayer meeting and the Father Son and Holy
Spirit will show up and meet with you
in that prayer meeting and he Will draw
one or two Start the prayer meeting and
let nothing Take it Substitute it nothing at
all.
That's one meeting.
We will not miss.
Do you have to miss Sunday morning?
So be it Wednesday so be it do
not miss Saturday night, and they don't want
to miss Saturday night They saw God bring
my son through cancer again totally healed From
calling upon the Lord.
That's the Lord's doing miraculous Testimonies that God
has done in people's lives Are you part
of a prayer meeting get serious about prayer
because without it and this is why I'm
coming to Final part of running with the
vision without it.
There is no power Prayer precedes the power
of the Holy Spirit The power of God
and I want to tell you we must
have the power of the Holy Spirit Self
-confidence grit teeth sheer determination and even sincere
promises will all falter and fail in the
coming storm and persecution But those who have
waited upon the Lord in prayer Who put
no more confidence in the flesh?
Who have believed and received the promise of
the Father who have been baptized in the
Holy Spirit.
They will not waver They will be his
witnesses They shall prophesy they shall preach boldly.
They shall praise the Lord at all times
and through them That holy remnant the knowledge
of the glory of the Lord will fill
the earth even as the waters cover the
sea What sets them apart?
The same thing that set the Apostles in
that early church apart the baptism of the
Holy Spirit The spirit of the Living God
will be with them in them and upon
them and I I know Ephesians 519 Speaking
to one another in Psalms hymns and spiritual
songs Singing making melodies music in your heart
to the Lord giving thanks to the Lord
the God the Father Always for everything in
Christ Jesus what I'm saying to you is
someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit
Will praise the Lord at all times They
will sing to him.
They will praise him They will worship him
at all times and I want to tell
you brothers and sisters We're not called in
these days just to hold down the fort
No, you're not called to go stack up
food and hide somewhere right now We're called
to go in the power of the Holy
Spirit on purpose Reaching the lost world making
disciples joining the Lord Jesus in building his
church Because it's through that temple that the
glory of the Lord will cover the earth
even as the waters cover the sea.
I Come to a close Habakkuk back to
Habakkuk.
I Want you to see this as we
close that there is a progression in the
book of Habakkuk only three short chapters in
Chapter 1 he's wrestling with the vision in
chapter 2.
He receives the vision in chapter 3 He's
running with the vision chapter 1 he's and
and just as you and I Must move
from Romans 6 to Romans 7 to Romans
8 We must also move from Habakkuk 1
to Habakkuk 2 to Habakkuk 3.
There's a progression He's wrestling with the vision
The suffering the persecution judgment to come But
ultimately he's wrestling with the God who's calling
His people to suffer Habakkuk's very name means
wrestle or embrace number one, are you willing
to embrace a God who calls you to
martyrdom?
Are you willing to embrace a?
Christ who calls you to take up a
cross and die for his glory That's the
only true and living Christ there is if
any man be my disciple Let him take
up his cross daily let him deny himself
take up his cross daily and follow me
Some of you may be wrestling right now
Habakkuk says we shall not die Yes, and
you need to make the resolve if you're
wrestling Lord by faith and by your grace
I'm willing to embrace the cross get on
the cross die to this self-life Because
I want nothing more than you and you
glorified Chapter 2 he receives the vision That
vision is in the midst of all this
suffering again The knowledge of the glory of
the Lord covering the earth even as the
waters cover the sea the Lord in his
holy temple He receives that by faith God
wants to glorify himself through his church Receive
that vision but in chapter 3 he runs
with it.
And how does he run with it?
Chapter 3 is an entire chapter of prayer
It's a back ex prayer, but even in
this prayer, there's a progression the prayer begins
in verse 2 with Oh Lord I've heard
your speech and was afraid Oh Lord revive
your work in the midst of the years
in The midst of the years make it
known in wrath remember mercy We pray you
run with the vision by prayer, but don't
give up on the mercy of God Judgment
has to come to the house of God
in wrath.
Remember mercy still pray for the mercy above
all mercy upon Us and mercy upon never
his mercy endures forever Never let go of
the mercy of God in wrath.
Remember mercy never let go of praying God
revive your work Revive that yes, this is
revival.
But yes, it means Persecution in the fires
of persecution the church gets purified but this
prayer progresses its petition now But what happens
as he prays like always happens if you
really pray he now sees the Lord and
Once he sees the Lord, there's no more
perplexity.
There are no more questions.
There's no more wrestling He sees the Lord
he comes to the end of the chapter
and he says this verse 17 Though the
fig tree may not blossom nor fruit beyond
the vines Though the labor of the olive
may fail and the fields yield no food
Though the flock may be cut off from
the fold and there be no herd in
the stalls yet.
I Will rejoice in the Lord.
I will joy in the God of my
salvation The Lord God is my strength He
will make my feet like deer's feet and
he will make me walk on my high
heels the progression from petition To praise and
this is the remnant God is raising up
in spite of circumstances in the midst of
persecution In the midst of pain in the
midst of suffering Praise the name of the
Lord with all of your heart because he's
worthy of praise No more questions because he's
not looking at the Chaldeans now.
He sees God He doesn't see the the
the persecutors anymore, but but the Lord His
eyes are upon the Lord When will the
glory of the Lord cover the earth as
the waters cover the sea When his people
rise up in the power of the Holy
Spirit to praise him at all times brothers
and sisters Let's make that let's run with
the vision Let's run with the vision.
Let's pursue the person of Jesus Christ with
a passion unlike we've ever pursued him before
You're willing to suffer the loss of everything
to gain him to know him more Let's
run on purpose Let's run on purpose with
this message of the gospel of Jesus Christ
Join with someone building the body the true
body of Christ Making disciples preaching the gospel
run on purpose start the prayer meeting start
praying get to prayer run on purpose Seek
God to be filled with the Holy Spirit
and I simply want to ask you plainly
tonight If you're one like myself who has
seen your lack You see you need and
even tonight you say the Holy Spirit's been
speaking to you You say God I need
you to fill me afresh with your Holy
Spirit Baptize me with your spirit Baptize me
with your presence with your love Lord God
all of you I want more of you
the Holy Spirit always Glorifies Christ more of
you Jesus more of you Fill me Lord.
You don't have to wait for weeks.
I don't believe that if you meet the
conditions you're thirsty Jesus said out of your
innermost being will flow rivers of living water.
I simply want to ask you to join
me and asking God to do something within
our own hearts and Joining the Apostle Paul
in that prayer of his and Ephesians 3
that says God just strengthen us with power
By your spirit in our innermost being let
the rivers of living water flow For your
glory fill us with all the fullness of
God so that we can love our enemies
So that we can preach the gospel with
power and anointing so that we can Praise
you at all times in the midst of
every circumstance fill us with the Holy Spirit
That is my prayer.
And if that is your desire tonight, that
is your prayers.
We enter into a time of worship I
want to invite you to come to the
altar You can you cry out to God
you pray you cry out to God.
This is my need Here is my lack
Lord.
You gave a promise.
This is the promise of the Father You
said it's for me for my children for
as many as you shall call I'm simply
coming brothers and sisters as we heard already
if you being evil know how to give
good gifts unto your children How much more
will your heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost
to those who ask him?
He will he is more willing to give
than you are to receive If you're willing
to meet those simple requirements, I'm thirsty Jesus
I come to you first for cleansing I'm
willing to surrender all I'm willing to be
poured out I'm willing to go wherever you
tell me to go do whatever you tell
me to do say whatever you tell me
to say I'm gonna take you at your
word and your promise fill me with the
Holy Spirit and I believe we shall go
out of this place and the power of
the Holy Spirit and one of the evidences
of that will be We will be a
people who praise the Lord at all times
in Every circumstances even if the fig is
not a fruit is not on the vine
and the fig tree doesn't blossom and there's
no cattle in the stalls We will rejoice
in the Lord.
Amen Please stand to your feet as we
pray brother Dave You just lead us brother
out in praise and worship it and allow
us a time not to rush in the
presence of God But to praise him To
call upon him in prayer and brothers and
sisters when you know, God has answered your
prayer rise to praise him Praise him tonight
with all of your heart father.
I ask you in the name of Jesus
To do what only you can do no
man Can impart anything God apart from you?
We come to you?
We come directly to you our father and
our God the one we can call Abba
Cry out to you Abba father We come
to you tonight father and you know the
condition of each and every heart here tonight
You know the condition of each and every
heart that's who's listening online Perhaps there are
people right in their own houses right now
who have seen their lack Seen their need
their desperate need to be filled Baptized with
the Holy Spirit.
Would you meet us tonight father?
We don't have time to waste We don't
have games to play.
We don't have to figure it all out
or explain it all.
It's very simple.
We lack We can do nothing apart from
you you made a promise and we come
to you tonight father to fill us afresh
With your Holy Spirit Would you do that
father as we enter into a time of
worship and praise and I pray God that
tonight You'd pour out upon us a spirit
of praise that we would go forth praising
your glorious Magnificent name the name of Jesus
the name that is above every other name
We love you Lord, and we glorify you
tonight in Jesus name Amen, if you'd like
to come to the altar or pray where
you are You've been listening to the from
the pulpit and classic sermon series this week
You heard Brian long with a plain vision
for the church and coming persecution Tune in
next week to hear Paris read head talk
about hating sin on from the pulpit and
classic sermons