“It’s Time to Breakout” (2)

19 February 2012

Introduction

Acts 1:8 “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me …”

Jerusalem – the centre of Israel and place where religious leaders put

Jesus to death.

- a place of great conflict – a place of great need.

The power of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to breakout of limitations and restrictions.
When the Holy Spirit came the church broke out of its fear and began to impact the city.
The Holy Spirit is given to empower us to bring people to Christ and advance His Kingdom.

Some Practical Keys

1. Pray for Opportunities

· Col.4:3 “Pray for us that God would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ …”

· Winning people to Christ is spiritual warfare – advancing the Kingdom of God.

· Prayer is essential to open up hearts to the gospel.

· God is able to do much more than we ask or think (Eph.3:20)

· Use your imagination – see the possibilities of God working through you.

· Use your mouth – speak over your day and circumstances.

- speak over the people you will meet today.

· Fill your mind with expectations of God working through you to impact others.

· Have no doubt that God is willing to work through you.

· Mk.11:24 Speak to the mountain … believe in heart (Speak = 3x Believe = 1x)

· Command your day to come into divine order.

2. Look for People in Need

· Jn.4:35 “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.”

· Look = NT2300 = to look closely at, to be attentive, see the possibilities.

· (v27) the disciples came and marvelled that He talked with a woman.

· Jesus constantly noticed the people around Him – He was “aware”.

· He ministered to people publicly and privately (Mk.1:29) because He looked.

· The disciples missed the person in need – missed the opportunity.

(i) Preoccupied with own needs – food. (ii) “Mindsets” about people.

(iii) Narrow mind. It did not occur to them at all to connect with this woman.

· (v39) The person they “passed by” became an evangelist to the region.

3. Engage People with Purpose

· Jn 4:6-10 Jesus said to her “Give me to drink”.

· Jesus initiated personal connection – spoke with her and engaged her – purposeful.

· He drew her into conversation about real issues of life.

· To engage with people * Show personal warmth and acceptance

* Find a common point of interest

* Ask questions to draw out the person

* Listen from the heart

e.g. Lk 10:33-34 “… he had compassion, so he went to him”

Others looked and passed by – He looked and had compassion.
He initiated connection.
He found what his needs were – He discovered the wounds and pain.
People speak and reveal what is in their heart – ask a question and listen.
To help people you have to connect and engage – find their need.

4. Minister to People God sends you

· Jesus did not minister to everyone – just the ones He was led by the Holy Spirit to. E.g. He only healed one man by the pool of Siloam (Jn 5). He did not heal the cripple by the temple (Acts 3).

· Jesus had personal boundaries in the fulfilment of His mission.

· You are a minister of God – think and act like one.

· Lk 10:34 He went to him, and bandaged his wounds, trauma) pouring on oil and wine and he set him on an animal, brought him to an inn and took care of him – “He crossed the room to connect”.

(i) Prayer

· “Oil and wine” = anointing and work of the Holy Spirit.

· Offer to pray for people when you have established their need.

· Expect the Holy Spirit to flow through you – overcome ‘self’ consciousness.

· Self consciousness and fear quench the flow – focus on loving the person.

(ii) Practical

· “Bandaged; took to inn; took care of him” these are practical actions.

· Acts of kindness impact people – represent what Jesus is like.

· Simple practical help can hugely impact the lives of people.

· Take what you love and use it to love people.

· What stops you breaking out – engaging people?

· What will you do about it?

· When?

“It’s Time to Breakout”

12 February 2012

1. Introduction

New Year = New opportunities, new challenges, need to breakout current limitations.
Micah 2:13 - The breaker is come up before them they have broken up.
Jesus is The breaker – He broke through every limitation on our behalf.
Mt:28: Great Commission – Go – make disciples = breakout – engage.

2. New Testament Church Broke Out

Acts 1:8 Empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to Christ.
Initial ‘breakout’ at Pentecost was followed by resistance, opposition.
Acts 4:29 Prayer precedes breakout – prayer precipitates breakout. Bold, faith praying to impact their city.
Ordinary people were equipped and empowered and broke out.
Acts 8:4 Those that were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word. Philip (deacon) went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ.
There was a rapid advancement of the Kingdom that followed breakout.
Some brok out – “empowered”.
Others brok out – “persecution (pressure)”.

3. David was a Master of Break Out

2 Sam. 5:17-25

(i) The anointing is always for a purpose

(v17) The Philistines heard that David was anointed King.
Anointing is empowerment to fulfil an assignment.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives entrance to the spirit realm – power of God.
God empower you for a purpose – His purpose.

(ii) Kings have dominion over a territory

· (v17) David was anointed King as representative of King of Kings.

· Kings have dominion – rule over a territory.

· We are kings and priests to God (Rev. 5:10 “and we shall reign on earth”).

· You were born for dominion (not over people).

· Kings dream – dream of enlarging territory.

· We have a commission – clear mandate from our King – ‘Go” – Make disciples.

(iii) There is NO advancement of the Kingdom without resistance and

opposition

(v17) The Philistines went to search for David … to kill him.
Demonic spirits will react to behaviour arising to take territory.
Advance Kingdom = Personal breakthrough of limitation.

= Reaching people for Christ – building into church.

Jesus experienced resistance – so will you – (Giants are defeated for you)

(iv) Resistance comes from Giants you have not overcome

(v18) Their philistines deployed in the valley of Rephaim.
Rephaim – descendants of Nephilim (giants) – killed by Joshua.
Valley of Rephaim = place of battle.
Conflicts often occur in old areas of personal struggle/iniquity.

(v) David faced the situation with a Warrior Spirit

(v17) David heard and went down to the stronghold = prepared for battle.
David’s heart and nature was love and honour the Lord – advance His Kingdom.

(a) Responsibility (v17)

– He faced the issue and took responsibility to deal with it.

(b) Revelation (v19)

- He sought direction from the Holy Spirit (v19)

- Should I fight? Will I win?

- Flow of prophetic direction.

- He took action and directly confronted the Philistines

- Engage = choose to become involved, commit to something

- Engage = your personal giants

= people who are unchurched

(d) Roots (v21)

- He dealt with the root issues – Heart and spiritual.

(e) Resistance (v23)

- He persisted when Philistines came again

- Must overcome resistance (personal and demonic)

(f) Revelation (v23)

- He sought ongoing revelation and insight

- He depended on the Holy Spirit not gift/past experience

- Obtained different strategy for breakthrough

- Obeyed what the Holy Spirit told him = supernatural!

4. Action: What will you do this year?

(i) Dream of a different future - Personal

Influence on people

(ii) What is current limitation? Thinking? Attitude? Past Experiences?

Skills?

(iii) What will you do to break out and engage unsaved?