PNWD CONF 2022: Revival Starts Here

Pinewood Conference is focused on movements. Before there is a movement, there is a revival. It’s hard for something that is dead to walk and talk. Revival happens when individual followers of Jesus have an encounter with God that transforms every area of their lives! The word “Revival” in the bible means to revive something that is dead and dormant.

What in your life needs to be revived? What have you allowed to dry up and wither away? Maybe it’s your passion for pursuing the presence of God. Maybe it’s your hunger for the Word of God. Maybe it’s your compassion for the hurting and lost in our city.

Revival is birthed in the souls of men and women individually and it is revealed in a unified body of believers corporately. When the Spirit moves and the people of God experience supernatural transformation, there is conviction of sins, there are signs and wonders, there is unhindered worship, there is a hunger for the Word, and there is a sensitivity to the Spirit.

So many people wait for revival, pray for revival, sing about revival, but never actually see themselves as a catalyst for revival.

Revival starts here.

Question: Have you ever been in a situation where you felt totally unequipped or untrained?

Maybe it was a job interview… where you beefed up your resume and worked real hard to look like the perfect candidate.

Maybe it was a race… where you felt in shape, but you didn’t exactly train or prepare well for what was to come.

Audition for Vision Worship Band at Liberty:

Praying for Community and walking past the coffee shop, then I sensed the Holy Spirit saying to grab coffee. :)

I then got invited to a convocation service in one of the classrooms. I heard about an opportunity to play acoustic guitar and lead worship with a traveling band at school.

I was uneducated, untrained, but I gave it my best shot. I could hear all the other musicians and got pretty intimidated. They were so much more talented, better looking, more experienced, you name it, plain and simple… they were better! But God had a plan! When the favor of God breathes in your direction, nothing is impossible!

If I’m being honest I feel uneducated, untrained, and unqualified in most things in my life.

Theme of Acts:

The book of Acts has a theme. Ordinary men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the supernatural and to seek the Kingdom of God. The miracles, rapid expansion of His church, and unity among the believers are all HIS doing, not our ability, not our gifts, not our knowledge. He alone gets the credit and glory for all good things!

Passage: Acts 4:13-22 NLT

13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.

15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. 16 “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” 21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

Pray:

Background:

Peter & John had just healed a man over 40 years old that had been lame since birth. After the miracle, a large gathering came around them in amazement. Peter didn’t take credit or glory for the miracle, but began to preach Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. Acts 4:4 recounts that about 5000 people said yes to Jesus. C’MON!

This made the priests, captain of the temple, and Sadducees angry. So they put them in custody that night. The next day they were brought before the high priests and Sadducees for questioning. They simply asked “By what power or by what name have you done this?”. They responded, filled with the Holy Spirit, declaring that it was in Jesus’ name that this man is healed, then they went on to boldly share the Good News of the Gospel.

Title: Revival Starts Here

Main Points: The Profile Of A Faithful Disciple

1. Unmistakable Identity

   1. 13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.

   2. They were amazed

      1. Ordinary with NO Special Training
      2. “Uneducated and untrained men” were performing miracles and speaking with such authority… these were ordinary fishermen, not professionally trained through the rabbinical school.
      3. Application: You mean I don’t have to go to bible school or be professionally trained as a Christian to be a bold witness… NO!!!
      4. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called! He’s not looking for your ability, but your availability.
      5. The world doesn’t need another Christian that has all the proper education, although we are fully equipped to give a defense through the Holy Spirit
      6. The world doesn’t need another Christian that has all the proper training, even though we are fully empowered by the Holy Spirit

      7. The world needs a Christian who demonstrates a changed life, filled with the Spirit, and boldly declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ.

         1. “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:” - Eph 5:18 8. Multiplication with the ordinary

   3. They recognized them as having been with Jesus

      1. Question: Can your friends and family tell that you’ve been with Jesus?

      2. When people see your actions and hear your message, who or what do they associate you with?

         1. Your favorite television show?
         2. Your favorite sports team?
         3. Your favorite hike?
         4. What would your life look like if people would express “That Mike guy, I don’t know much about him, but I do know that He walks with Jesus.” 3. Questions: At the end of your life, how do you want people to talk about you? How do you want to be remembered? What type of legacy do you want to leave?

2. Undeniable Miracles

   1. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. 16 “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
   2. The council guarded their position over seeking truth
      1. Illust: I want to speak to the person in the room that has a platform that would take a hit if you stood up for what you believe… or maybe would even take a hit if you acknowledged that you were on a spiritual journey at all
      2. They didn’t seek the truth, but sought to cover up the truth. They were willing to take drastic measures to avoid seeking the truth of their claims.
      3. Everyone in this room is faced with the same decision the council was faced with in this story. Question: Do I cling to what I’ve always known, or do I open myself up to the truth. What choice will you make?
      4. “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
   3. The method of Peter
      1. Peter used both the Word (Old Testament prophecies) and miracles (healing of the lame man) to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus.
      2. Miracles alone are not enough to convict the sinner and soften hearts, you need the Word of God.
      3. “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” - Romans 10:17
   4. The goal of the enemy is to silence the saints
      1. Unfortunately he has succeeded with far too many believers today
      2. If he can silence you with doubt, fear, or discouragement, then he can sabotage your impact in Jesus’ name
      3. There’s a reason the enemy is trying to silence you. You should be more concerned if he is leaving you alone. You could be going in the same direction.
      4. “You take what the enemy meant for evil and you turn it for good.”
      5. If he can’t silence you then the attacks can actually be a catalyst for further and more rapid expansion!
      6. Application: Don’t be silent with your Story. Don’t be silent about your Savior. Don’t cower to the enemy and his schemes. Your message can change the world, but you have to boldly share it!

3. Unstoppable Conviction

   1. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” 21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.
   2. “Is it right?”
      1. Not “Is it popular?”. Not “Is it safe?”. Not “Is it comfortable?”. BUT “IS IT RIGHT?!
      2. Based on Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Is it right?
      3. A clear conviction is to know the Word of God and obeying the Word of God at all costs! We won’t back down from a conviction by threats, peer pressure, or intimidation.
      4. “We cannot stop telling…” In other words, if you want me to shut up about it, you’re going to have to kill me.
   3. Biblical convictions
      1. Obedience to God’s Word
      2. Touches every area of your life
      3. Gives you the courage to stand alone
      4. Willingness to die for (Peter was crucified upside down for his faith)
   4. My convictions
      1. Jesus came, lived a perfect life, died for my sins, and rose on the third day.
      2. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life
      3. Jesus is coming back again
      4. All Scripture is God breathed
      5. These are convictions I will die for! You can’t silence me! You can’t intimidate me! I will stand on the Word of God till my final breath!
   5. Radical Obedience
      1. Most Christians are educated beyond their level of obedience.
      2. It’s not the things I don’t know about God that concerns me, it’s what I do know and don’t do that I want to work on.

Closing: Uneducated, Untrained, and Unstoppable

Revival starts here

Movement starts now

Response Call