Sermon Tone Analysis

Before we get to this morning’s message, I want to encourage you to please read the Worldview Magazine about the challenges of taking the Gospel to the Asia Pacific region:

How great is the need?

On Page 14 we see it: 40 countries with close to a Billion people — 20 of which have no AG missionaries (maybe none at all?), there are 1,132 unreached people groups, perhaps many of those are NEVER-reached people groups (see page 6 to understand)

But then look at the bottom line on page 14 — 95% are spiritually lost

Listen to Missionary Jeff Hartensveld, the regional director for AG missions in the Asia Pacific Region

Video

Would you bring this magazine back this afternoon at 5 PM for prayer?

Use it as one of your prayer guides

But this afternoon we will also be praying for another need:

The plight of persecuted Christians.

Persecuted Christians need us more than ever to join together and pray prayers of agreement for them.

Revival Services

And finally, I want to mention the insert in the bulletin that announces our special services at the end of February 2022.

It is in the bulletin for a few reasons.

First, pray for these services — pray for all who attend, pray for the Juonis (travel, health, anointing, etc.).

Engage in spiritual warfare — the devil absolutely does not want an on-fire, Spirit-filled, Spirit-anointed church.

Second, pray specifically for the people you will invite.

Third, a couple of weeks before the first service, invite the people for whom you have been praying.

The primary emphasis for these services is the Holy Spirit.

For those who have not received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit — pray to receive.

For those who do not have a current, vital experience with the Holy Spirit, pray for a rekindling of the Spirit’s influence in your life.

For those who know they should be manifesting the Gifts of the Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-13 but are not — pray the Holy Spirit will help you through these services to release the gifts for the sake of this Body, for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

The Gifts are NOT some spiritual fluff so that we can have excitement at church.

They perform a vital role in our church and are desperately needed.

And just because these services will have a Holy Spirit emphasis, don’t doubt that God can save, God can heal, God can deliver — that God can do the miraculous.

Because God is sovereign.

God can and will do anything He wants to do in a service that glorifies and exalts the Name of Jesus.

In a service where people BELIEVE.

I believe this since I’ve even had the experience of a man being saved in a church business meeting in the first church I pastored in South Louisiana.

Some would have thought that impossible.

A church business meeting?

But just like today, God can anoint these special services in February so that miracles happen.

I say, “Just like today,” because God is here right now.

We have gathered in His Name.

We have praised His Name.

We have worshiped His Name.

By faith we have declared that we believe that He can do anything — even turn a valley of dry bones into an army.

We don’t have to wait until the end of February to see God move in our lives.

TODAY, if you are walking through the valley of sin, Jesus can lead you to a place of repentance and forgiveness of sin.

Today, if you are in the valley of despair, God will lift you up into a place of joy and thanksgiving.

The valley of bondage, God WILL break the chains and set you free.

The valley of unforgiveness, where you can’t seem to forgive someone who has done you wrong, God can give you a forgiving heart.

In the valley of need, you will discover Jehovah Jireh — the God who provides.

The valley sickness, you will discover Jehovah Rapha — the God who heals ALL your sicknesses.

The valley of relational disaster, you will encounter the God who gives wisdom for reconciliation.

No matter the valley, today, right now, God is here to give you deliverance.

You may just feel you are in a rut.

You know what a rut is right?

It’s a grave with the ends kicked out.

But maybe you’ve been in that rut for so long it has turned into a deep, dark valley.

As we saw in Psalm 23:4 we don’t have to live in fear or despair, because God has promised He will be with us in the valley.

His rod and His staff comfort us.

He can take us THROUGH the valley into a wide-open place of His grace and glory.

He is with us, He is ESPECIALLY with us in the valley of judgment.

As we read in Isaiah 22:1-11 we will see ...

He is with us to change our perspective.

To help us see our need to change direction.

To help us see that people around us are not dying because they are fighting a physical invading army — but because they have given themselves to the deadly enemy of bad decisions — decisions that took them from the road that leads to life onto the road that leads to death.

As we are in this, as Isaiah 22 labels it, valley of vision, we will see cowardly, ungodly government functionaries — NOT men and women who understand they are servants of the people (so the documents of our form of government spell out clearly) — but we will see greedy, selfish, narcissistic ego-maniacal, self-appointed dictators running like the cock roaches they are — to preserve themselves.

To no avail.

They will be captured.

They will get what is coming to them.

What they have earned.

We will see and hear the prophet weeping for the destruction of a nation founded on godly principles.

We will see panic, subjugation and confusion — every defence shattered, laying on the ground.

You will see people turning every which way, depending on every human-made strategy, even crying out to their idols for deliverance.

But sadly, you will not see vast crowds turning to God, depending on Him.

I pray that you WILL see a small group of people.

That indeed you will be a part of that small group of people, that repents of their sins, surrender control of their lives, and, until they draw their last breath, depend on the Lord Jesus Christ for everything.

Read with me ...

Thankful for the Valley of Vision

Isaiah 22:1-11

We may not care to see it, but like Isaiah ,God will give us a valley of vision.

It is a valley of a vision of judgement.

Of people trying to use their own power to deliver themselves.

And failing.

Thankfully, God wants us to wake up to reality — the reality that sin, rebellion against His teachings leads to inescapable judgement.

I know it’s hard to receive, but may God make us THANKFUL for the valley of vision.

Thankful to be able to see the snare of the devil and deliver ourselves by turning to God in repentance — a desire to go a different direction.

Realize that God wants us to look at our own lives in the light of the valley of vision.

I know I’ve told it many times, but it’s my testimony.

50 years ago I was headed down the wrong road — the road that leads to destruction and death.

But, because of the Holy Spirit, I heard the evangelist’s call to turn from my road.

To turn to Jesus.

So, hear this sinner who turned.

This sinner who through the grace of God became a preacher of the Gospel.

A pastor of the flock of God.

Hear me, when I say that God, in His mercy shows us where our sin will take us.

And, once shown, calls us to repentance and surrender.

Yes, it may be a horrifying place, but may God help us to give thanks for the valley of vision.

The warning of impending judgement.

We give thanks because that valley of vision gives us an opportunity to repent of our sins, to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

We give thanks because if we will turn to Jesus.

If we will surrender wholeheartedly to Him.

He can turn a valley of judgment and death into a valley of revival.

Thankful for the Valley of Ezekiel 37

Let’s read about the valley of Ezekiel 37.

It starts as a valley of dry bones, but it ends up being a valley of revival:

Ezekiel 37:1-10

Judgment leads to death and a valley of dry bones.