Momentum Church Podcast

Ps. Alan takes us through the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead as recorded in John chapter 11.

Following the story we see that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Then we see Jesus' emotional response where he wept, and finally his command to take away the stone before calling Lazarus forth from the tomb.

In the tomb was the dead body of Lazarus, separated from the Author of Life by the stone across its entrance.

As followers of Christ, there can at times be some part of our lives that are "dead" and "stones" that separate us from the life-giving words of Jesus. It is up to us to "take away the stone" by dealing with the issues that are stopping us from experiencing the abundant life he promises us.

Bishop Joel shares with us a story of faith from the book of Acts and how at times we may feel like the lame man but even in our distress we are to be committed to hope of change because at any moment God can send a Peter, perhaps that Peter is you.

In Matthew chapter 5 we read about one of the most famous passages on the teachings of Jesus with the Beatitudes. Jesus then in verse 13 begins to talk to the multitude about being the salt of the earth and being the light of the world even a city that cannot be hidden. Jesus was referencing the Torah and passages that the multitude would have known. Jesus was showing us a culture that was not like the world we live in but rather a culture based on and in the Kingdom of God.

In Luke's Gospel Jesus is sharing with a multitude about the cost of following him. He uses a language that appears harsh but there is no second place with God, He desires all of our heart. In life we often face the revolving door of issues and heartache and as much as we try we cannot get out. Jesus enables us through the Holy Spirit to change our revolving door of circumstance to one of victory in Him even when our circumstance doesn't change.

In James 2 we read about justification by works and yet the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 3 that we are justified by faith not works. Is there a contradiction in the bible with these two authors or are they actually fighting against the same enemy of the Gospel. No matter what we do in our Christian life we are always challenged if faith is active in our lives and if not can we position ourselves in faith.

Ps Pat shares with us from Luke chapter 15 and the story of the father, the son that stayed home and the prodigal son. So many times we focus on the prodigal and the perspective of the father and yet there was another son who was faithful and worked while his brother was squandering his inheritance. We all can find ourselves in each of their shoes and miss a culture of honour that God desires for us all to walk in.

In John chapter 12 Jesus and his disciples are at a wedding feast and little did they know that God was about to reveal something amazing about His nature and who He is with a miracle. The miracle of the wine opened the disciples thinking to shift from a mindset of serving the Lord to a mindset of partnering with the Lord, to do what he tells us to do even when it doesn't make sense, to abandon human reason because the spiritual authority that lies in his word far out ways our human reason.

Ps Pat shares with us from John chapter 6 and the story of the boy who had some fish and loaves that fed over five thousand people. In one day a lot of things can change and it did for not only that boy but everyone who was there with Jesus. Jesus challenged the mindset of his disciples to unlock the breakthough and shift their thinking and a mindset of giving and release.

In Mark chapter 5 we read the story of the woman with a severe health issue, she had this issue for 12 years and had spent all her livelihood to try and find a natural cure but it didn't work. This woman decided to do something very countercultural and touch the hem if a garment belonging to a Rabbi that was different to all the others, she believed this teacher could heal her.

There is a challenge before us for another great move of the Holy Spirit - Revival.

God has already done what he needs to do by tearing open the heavens and sending the Holy Spirit.

Using the analogy of lightning to illustrate the principle of fire from heaven and the example of the Welsh revival, we see that our role then is to prepare earth for the revival fire. This we do by:

1. Biblical, Christ centred preaching

2. A deep desire and desperation for transformation

3. Earnest and passionate prayer.