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Hello everyone! Welcome to Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt. Greetings to all our online watchers and listeners. If you are ever near Plano Tx we would love for you to come and see us.
I am excited to preach to you today. I really want you to use your bibles today. Whether it is digital on your smartphone or a good old fashioned book with paper, I think it is valuable to turn to scripture yourself and not just depend on the screens to do it for you.
Please turn with me to Joel chapter 2.
While you are turning and opening up your bible app, I want to thank you for all the great questions we received on our anonymous text line during our Search Engine series. I think we answered all the questions presented. There were some great questions that really stretched us and I am thankful for them. Please stay in the practice of asking tough questions. That anonymous text number still works – 214 856 0550.
Joel 2:28 (NIV2011) “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Joel 2:29 (NIV2011) Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
The prophet of God spoke a radical prophecy
This is Radical
This is radical… the Spirit of God would be poured out.
Up to this point, the Spirit remained behind a veil… not to be experienced but feared.
This is radical… The spirit of a God was only to be experienced by one man, the high priest, one day a year… now it will be poured out to everyone always…
This is radical… Not just men.. but women also.. not just Jew.. but all flesh.. not just the select religious, but the servant and handmaid…
This is radical…
In Joel 2 God gave us a radical promise through the voice of the prophet Joel.
Radical promise requires radical fulfillment
God always fulfills His promise. Here is the radical fulfillment.
Acts 2:1-2 (NIV2011) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3-4 (NIV2011) They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Is this radical? Yes!
Acts 2:5-6 (NIV2011) Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
Acts 2:12-13 (NIV2011) Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Acts 2:14 (NIV2011) Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
Acts 2:15 (NIV2011) These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
Acts 2:16 (NIV2011) No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
Acts 2:17-18 (NIV2011) “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
THIS IS THAT
Peter stood in the middle of this RADICAL Spirit outpouring and declared “This is that…”
He told the crowd that had gathered, THIS radical thing you are experiencing today is the fulfillment of THAT radical promise from the prophet Joel.
This indwelling of the Spirit… this is that.
This fire of the spirit… this is that.
This passion and boldness… this is that.
These People being drawn… this is that.
This gospel, the good news of Jesus being preached… this is that.
This great commission being fulfilled… this is that.
This radical happening in Acts 2, was the fulfillment of that radical prophecy in Joel 2…
People heard the message of Jesus Christ and were convicted in their hearts of their sin… The people repented, were, baptized & filled… That day 3000 souls were radically added to the church… This is That!
THIS church in Acts is THAT spoken by the prophet.
There were miracles, amazing testimonies, impossible conversions, powerful revelation, and a growing passionate church that stretched across the world.
When you look at this radical church throughout the book of Acts you see that radical promise fulfilled.
The people in this radical church sacrificed.
THIS IS WORTH IT
People continued gathering daily… They built their entire life around THIS.
People were willing to do anything for each other…
People actually sold their property to give to others in need… They fed the hungry widows and to anyone in need…
People met in each other’s home and shared food and fellowship…
People bravely shared their testimony with their friends and family…
People were willing to carry the message to new communities…
People carried the gospel to people of different nationalities and skin colors… They carried it past their comfort… they carried the gospel past their prejudice.
People felt the call of God and left their homes to spread the gospel.
They would say to us today… THIS is worth it!
The church kept giving, going, and growing.
People got angry at this church…
People like Peter & John were beaten for speaking about Jesus…
People like Paul h Silas were imprisoned because of the Gospel…
People like Stephen and James gave their life… they were painfully murdered for the cause of Jesus.
This did not come cheap. It was freely given by the Lord but it cost them everything. Yet they would stand here today and tell us THIS IS WORTH IT.
THIS IS THAT
Peter stood in this radical Spirit outpouring and declared This is that…
But I have come today to deliver the message the Lord gave me so clearly. Here it is…
The apostle Peter would stand in the church today… he would stand in churches all over this metroplex and the world… he would even stand in this church and would say…
THIS IS NOT THAT
He would stand in a church that declares God no longer moves by His Spirit… He would stand in that cessationist church and declare… THIS IS NOT THAT.
He would stand in a church that no longer calls sin a sin. …a church that longer preaches repentance. He would stand and say THIS IS NOT THAT.
He would go to a church that has replaced a true Christian conversion with an unbiblical repeat after me prayer and he would say THIS IS NOT THAT.
He would go to the church that actually says from their pulpit that the commands of God and the great commission are no longer necessary. They say from their pulpit that you don’t need to be baptized, pray in this altar, take a step toward God… Peter the Apostle would say… THIS IS NOT THAT.
He would show up at our churches that are more concerned with the comfort of visitors than with preaching the gospel to them… He would go to churches that no longer sing about the saving blood of Jesus… no longer challenges people to go further… that their services are so formulaic that they would never allow the Spirit to move. THIS IS NOT THAT
Peter would go to a white church, a black church, a Spanish church, and Asian church and say that the Spirit is poured out on all flesh. Stop segregating the body of Christ by skin color. THIS IS NOT THAT. He would look oat our well-hidden prejudices and say THIS IS NOT THAT
He would go to the 49% of Christians who claim faith yet rarely attend a church service. Some stats suggest 49% of Christians in America attend less than 3 services a year. THIS IS NOT THAT
Only 23% of Christians actually regularly attend a ministry gathering… THIS IS NOT THAT
He would come to our worship services that never enter into deeper worship. The church can have a talented worship team but the worship team wouldn’t recognize a true move of God if it showed up… And the congregation just stands there… and the church is ok with that… Peter would not be ok with it. THIS IS NOT THAT
Redemption Church what would he say to us today? Would he say this about our worship? Would he say this about the message we preach? Would he see how we give and minister and say THIS IS THAT or THIS IS NOT THAT? Would he stand in this altar and wonder why we are just standing around instead of actually going after God?
We don’t get off easy because we “believe” this. It is not enough to simply believe the gospel… It is not enough to amen it… you must have the OUTPOURING!
I need to remind you that…
Radical promise requires radical fulfillment
Do you feel like you personally are experiencing the radical outpouring of the Spirit? Do you feel like you are radical enough?
The promise of God is radical… Do you want the radical fulfillment?
The lack of prayer in your life – THIS IS NOT THAT
The hidden sin that you justify rather than repent of – THIS IS NOT THAT
The Bible that gathers dust in your home – THIS IS NOT THAT
The unwillingness to give and serve – THIS IS NOT THAT
The unwillingness to share your testimony with your friends – THIS IS NOT THAT
Not taking your family to church or other ministry gatherings – THIS IS NOT THAT
Are you experiencing the radical fulfillment of the radical promise? What would Peter say?
I am about to open up this altar. I pray that you are stirred.
I have a final question.
Do you want this?
Do you really want the outpouring of the Spirit? Do you want it for yourself? Your family? Your friends? Your church? Your city?
Do you really want to be free from your sin?
When you hear the stories of the heroes of Acts… do you want that? Do you long for that?
Do you want the power of God? Do you want the calling of God? Do you want this?
Jesus died on the cross for you to have more than what you are experiencing.