Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:05 Praise God. Praise God. Well, it's good to be with you this morning, church. Thank you for being here. Uh, who wants some good news? Firstly, Jesus is alive. Amen. Amen. Secondly, uh, he's still in the business of saving people. This, this service. In the first service, we had one person respond to the gospel and give their lives to Jesus. Amen. Well, I'm glad heaven's excited. <laugh>, I wanna take you back, uh, really quickly to, um, an Old Testament prophet and, uh, off the back of that, I want to, um, share today about something that I believe the Lord laid on my heart, uh, a few months ago in an event that we hosted called Prepare Him Room. And can anyone remember prepare him room the worship event that we did? Um, during that event, uh, we had three days of worship in here. Uh, just felt, uh, the spirit of God lay, uh, this message, uh, and this, um, phrase specifically prepare the way of the Lord on my heart.
Speaker 1 00:00:58 And the Lord's been using it to really help me and shape me over the last few, uh, weeks and months. Um, but before we get into that, I want to take you back to uh, uh, an Old Testament prophet, uh, the very prophet who had loads to say back in the day 2000 years ago. Um, he's called the prophet Isaiah. Anyone heard of prophet Isaiah before? Um, he prophesied loads of things about the coming King, prophesied loads of things about Jesus and how Jesus would, um, arrive, what he would do. Uh, incredible really, uh, hundreds of years before Jesus arrived. Uh, Isaiah felt the voice of the Lord speaking to him about some of those details, but you also prophesied about a another man and I wanna speak to you about this other man. Um, and I'm wondering whether you could turn with me to Isaiah 40, verse three to five, and we're gonna hear Jesus, um, Isaiah speaking and prophesy in a word that he felt God say about someone that was to come in the future.
Speaker 1 00:01:52 And here's the words that he said. If you don't have your Bible, it's on the screen here. He said these words, a voice cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low. The uneven ground shall become level and the rough place is a plane and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all the flesh shall see it altogether. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Does anybody know who Isaiah's speaking about there? Say it loud as someone John the Baptist. John the Baptist, who is John the Baptist? This is a man that, um, came in the gospels. Uh, every gospel accounts for John the Baptist, speaks about him, speaks about his mi uh, his ministry, his legacy.
Speaker 1 00:02:46 And I wanna explore a little bit today about what he did, what he said, and how he acted. And off the back of that, I believe what the Lord wants to bring to us this morning is three ways you and I can prepare the way of the Lord, Lord in our lives who wants to prepare the way of the Lord in their lives, in every interaction, every conversation, every moment. There is a call in our lives just as the was a divine appointment on John the Baptist life to prepare the way of the Lord, to do that privately, to do that publicly, to do that passionately, to do that however we can with whatever we've been given. And I believe the Lord is in this season, in this moment, calling the church to get out the way so we can prepare the way. I believe the church right now has a calling in it to prepare the way of the Lord to a whole new level and a whole new degree.
Speaker 1 00:03:34 And I'm excited by what I believe God wants to say to us individually, but also two us as a church. I believe some of what I'm gonna share today will make sense in the weeks ahead. I feel there's a prophetic edge on some of the words that I've, I've got to share this morning. But first, let's ask the question, who was this John the Baptist or in modern terms back in that day known John the Baptizer, the one who wasn't in the inner circles, not very regular with the religious leaders or teaching from the temple, but a a one that was actually by nature out in the wilderness, A one that was known to be a voice in the desert place in the dry land. One who was known to be an outcast by many regards, unique in his own design and completely alternative to the voices of the modern day teachers and scribes and Pharisees.
Speaker 1 00:04:33 Well, we learn in scripture that John the Baptist dad was uh, a priest named Zaria and his wife John Baptist, his mother was a godly woman called Elizabeth and she was the sister of Mary, the one that gave birth to Jesus of Nazareth. This gives us insight to two things. One, John Baptizer was of course Jesus' cousin, but secondly also gives his insight that John the Baptist was raised in a godly home. He knew the traditions and customs of what it meant to be someone who followed Yahweh. He knew the Torah, he knew the word. He was raised in an environment that allowed him to propel into his faith. He was a miracle child. Born six months apart from Jesus. His parents were of old age not expecting in any way to conceive a child. Yet an angel appeared and said, you're gonna give birth to the one who was gonna prepare the way for the coming king, the coming Messiah.
Speaker 1 00:05:28 Jesus. A miracle baby appears onto the scene. It says He was filled with the Holy Spirit inside of the womb, given us an understanding that John the Baptist himself was predestined for a divine appointment for a divine purpose. John arrived with a call, a mandate on his life given by heaven itself to prepare the way of the Lord. What does this mean for our lives today? How can we look at John the Baptist life and ministry and mission and what can we apply to our lives from his story and his legacy? And what are the things that the spirit might be saying to you about how you specifically can prepare the way of the Lord? What are the missions, dreams, goals and purposes that he wants to implant in you so that you can prepare the way of the Lord? Let's look at when John the Baptist came onto the scene.
Speaker 1 00:06:28 Mark chapter one, turn there if you would. We're gonna read from verses two to eight and this is the moment John uh, the Baptist that this moment John the Baptizer was 30 years old. Uh, he was around the same age of Jesus. Jesus ministry was literally just about to be given birth to at this point. Nobody knew who Jesus of Nazareth was. Nobody realized that the Messiah was on the world. He had come to set free the captive to break the chains of bondage and to redeem his people. This was John the Baptist story though as it came from the first chapter of the book of Mark. It says these words from verse two as it is written in Isaiah the prophet. It's just what we've read. Behold I said my messenger before your face who will prepare your way? The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Speaker 1 00:07:17 John appeared and as he appeared, he was baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all of the surrounding countries of Judea and all of Jerusalem were going out to him and they were being baptized by him in the river. Jordan confessing their sins. Now John, John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and he ate locus and wild honey and he preached saying after me comes he who is far mightier than I, the straps of whose sandals I'm not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 00:08:07 Let's pray. Lord bless your word to us today. Let us have attentive ears, open hearts to receive anything that you want to say to us. I pray Lord, as we explore John the Baptist and this patches of scr scripture together, pray Lord that you'll come and speak into our hearts and our lives encourages, convict us movers and let us not just be hearers of your word, but let us be doers. We pray this in your powerful name. Amen. I've got a question to ask about John the Baptist who've just read about his entrance onto the scene and his ministry had just started. It clearly tells us that his notorious nature was going across the the countries in surrounding areas. He was known as a fiery preacher that had an authenticity to his voice. He was different to the scribes and the Pharisees and the teachers that were found in the temple.
Speaker 1 00:09:05 So much so that it said thousands of people would travel into the wilderness just to come and hear this man. Now question I've got for you At this point, there'd been 400 years of silence, 400 years since the last prophet spoke about anything to do with what they felt God was directly saying to them. 400 years of silence, 400 years of perhaps abandonment of a feeling that where is God? Why isn't he speaking in this context at this time as well, there was a political chaos was being very oppressive in its nature, telling people what they could and couldn't do. There was a moral decline taking place. People's actions were being aligned with the ways of the world, more than it was the ways of the word. There was political chaos and the leaders of the time were seen to be as unwise and easily bribed in everything they do.
Speaker 1 00:09:55 And then John the Baptist comes along 400 years clearly knowing what God has asked him to do, a divine authority on his life, a clear message his parents would've told him. There's an angel that appeared to us when we realized you were in the womb and the angel told us that you're gonna prepare the way of the Lord that have raised him under this prophetic banner over his life. He would've known clearly and precisely what he was here to do and what he was here to say. Interesting though that even with that great detail on his life, even though he knows he's here to be the mouthpiece of God, he knows the words that he's been given to declare he knows Jesus well and intimately because they were raised together. Even with all that detail, John the Baptist chooses a particular residence that is indifferent to the ways of this world.
Speaker 1 00:10:47 He chooses the wilderness, the dry place, the place where nobody goes, the place that is empty and vast, whether is little resource and little engagement. He goes to the place where nobody is to proclaim his. His message John the Baptist chooses to go to to the wilderness. Why? Why the wilderness? Surely with everything he knows, the place he should be going is to Jerusalem or to the cities or to the temples where the people are. I mean he's got the voice of God that's spoken into his life. He knows the message he's here to declare he's got this divine spirit of Elijah in power in his ministry. Surely the place he's gonna go is where all the people are so he can get the message out there as loud and as quickly as possible so everyone can hear The coming king is on his way, but he chooses the wilderness.
Speaker 1 00:11:43 A place where there is no growth, there's no greenery in sight, a dry place, a barren place. Why would John the Baptist choose of all places the wilderness to birth his ministry, the wilderness to proclaim his His message, the wilderness to declare what God had said over his life and given it why? Why John the Baptist would choose the the wilderness? Well, well here we go. I believe God this morning has got some things he wants to do in our lives that is to do with the wilderness season. I believe for some of us in this room, as Mark was given some of those messages in the first and second service based off the same chapter from Isaiah 40, which was not planned. I believe God wants to give his strength to those people who find themselves in a dry season.
Speaker 1 00:12:37 I believe he wants to raise up some people in this moment that perhaps the wilderness season will not be that which you anticipated and although it feels dry and barren, God's got a good plan for a wilderness season in your life. Perhaps we serve a God who turns around all things for evil, for for his good. Perhaps the wilderness season of our lives aren't always a sign that we've got some dissonance with our relationship with God, perhaps the wilderness seasons of our life and never a sign that you're in the wrong place. Perhaps God can use the wilderness season to birth. Some of the greatest ministries ever walk in this PLA planet. Perhaps the Lord wants to do something in the wilderness seasons of our lives when we find ourselves there. And if you haven't, you will at some point and perhaps in that moment God wants to birth some dreams, perhaps he wants to align our hearts prophetically with what the kingdom of God is saying. Perhaps he wants to bring us closer to the heartbeat of the kingdom of God. Perhaps he wants to water dry and weed soul and give strength to those who are feeling feeling dry. Perhaps the world in a season isn't, isn't as bad as you might be considering. Listen, don't let anyone tell you, don't let anyone tell you that God can't do some incredible things in a dry season of life.
Speaker 1 00:14:00 Don't let anyone tell you that when you're feeling distant from God, God still isn't close to you. Don't let anyone tell you that when you're in a a dry season or a wilderness season, God's abandoned you because he hasn't so much so that John the Baptist went to baptize Jesus himself and the water announcing the arrival of the Messiah. The heavens split open and a dove came and a voice from the clouds said, this is my son in whom I'm well pleased. And Jesus was announced to the world as a messiah, as John the Baptist baptized him on. What happened? Jesus came up and he came onto the solid ground and what did it say? The Spirit led him to the wilderness. You see sometimes the wilderness seasons of life is exactly where God needs you to be. Sometimes the wilderness is the only place where God can allow you to fully depend on him rather than depending on the ways of this world sometimes where there's no place to turn and no one to speak to and no one to give you that pick me up message.
Speaker 1 00:15:02 The only person you've got is the God who is the king of kings and the Lord of lords who says, I will be with you wherever you go. I go before you. I am beside you and I am behind you. And it is in that moment in the wilderness season, God starts to speak, a voice cried out in the wilderness. Here's the first point. I wanna bring to you an area that I believe the Lord is leading us to prepare the way of the Lord. It is simply this privately and consistently, privately and consistently. You see, John the Baptist chose the place of privacy before he chose the place of publicity. He chose the place of intimacy before he chose the place of him name being known or his message being known. He chose the place of being alone with God before being in the sight of man.
Speaker 1 00:15:54 You see God, John the Baptist absolutely knew that the platform for what we are to bring to this world will always be fueled by the private place of intimacy with our relationship with God. And he starts to operate from this place, the wilderness, a place of separation, a place of minimal distraction, a place of full dependency on God and sometimes the greatest promises of God are revealed in the undivided spaces of our life. Can I challenge you this morning church to be consistent with your private life with God? Can I challenge you to fight for the spaces in your life where you and you alone are are are with God and and God no one else. Even in marriages, even in families, there is a battle on for the private place of our relationships with God. And right now, if any time is needed for us to have a concrete, solid relationship with God in the private, it's right now.
Speaker 1 00:16:45 Yeah, it's right now to know that we can be the people who are happy to be with God in the private so we can be fueled in the public to know that it is our private place that informs and empowers our public place to know that God wants to do something in your heart and in your life when you're alone with him. Not just when you're with other people. To know that you can be shaped by God and God alone and you don't need another preacher or a pastor or someone who's a mentor. It is God who calls you and God who wants to speak over your life to know that God wants to be with you closely in the private place before you are anyone in the public place, but the fight is on. Fight for your secret place with God. Mark it out in your diary.
Speaker 1 00:17:28 Don't let it be interrupted. Turn off your phone and the no cations be alone with God. Wait, taste and see that the Lord is good alone before you see it anywhere else. John Baptist knew that visions can be given in the quiet place. A prophetic voice can be found in a quiet place. Alignment can be found in a dry place and a quiet place. There is a a renewal that can be found in the in the quiet place. And perhaps the wilderness isn't always a sign of dissonance, but it's a sign of preparation for what is to come church. The spirit is preparing us for what is ahead. He's preparing us for what is to come. He's preparing us to, for our hearts to be ready consistently devoted to him for what is around the corner will be needed. A fully dependent man and woman on the power and presence of God rather than our own strengths and our own powers and our own giftings to lay down and cast down our crowns and our statuses and our prides and say, I don't need any of it because all I'm here is to get out of the way and to prepare the way for the one who is the true king of kings and the Lord of Lords.
Speaker 1 00:18:41 To prepare a place and prepare a way privately and consistently. There's something that happens within these texts of scripture that's really fascinating. You might have noticed it in the book of Isaiah and the prophesied word about John the Baptist. And then in in the gospels where it speaks about John the Baptist ministry, they often refer back to the prophecy that was given in Isaiah. And there's these words and language that is given to uh, and prophesy about John the Baptist. That's really interesting. It's all about making way a path that is straight, making a pathway that is ahead, that is a straight in Isaiah. It says, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley should be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low. The uneven ground shall become level and the rough places become a plane. Now for us, we understand this is well maybe God's just into the miracles and he wants to do some really cool stuff.
Speaker 1 00:19:34 But actually in the days of Isaiah and also in the days of John the Baptist, there was something specific that happened when royalty was coming into town. You see, when royalty was coming into town, often the king or the queen would sit in a a caravan of some sort and be pulled into the town it was visiting. And as it was being pulled into the town of the visiting, every royal uh, highness would come and they would have a forerunner go before them. And the forerunner was known as the Herald and they had two specific important jobs of their lives. And here's the two jobs. They would go before the caravan way in ahead and they would simply do one thing that John the Baptist did so well. They would prepare the way for the king or queen that is coming. They would allow people to know that royalty is on its way.
Speaker 1 00:20:18 You need to prepare your hearts, prepare this space, prepare the ground, make sure that your house is clean, royalty is coming. That was the first job of the, of the Herald and the forerunner. But they also had a second job. And the second job was simply this, to make sure that the pathway ahead of the cart and the caravan was completely clear. The Harold would announce the coming king whilst making sure all debris sticks and stones and obstacles that could trip up the cart would make sure that it was cleared out consistently. This was an average modern day herald and forerunner. But listen, friends John the Baptist wasn't an average forerunner or herald. He wasn't serving merely a human king. He was serving the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. John the Baptist knew that the coming king that was here was not just the king of earthly, notorious nature, but we were seeing, we were seeing the coming king.
Speaker 1 00:21:11 The coming Messiah was coming and he was coming into your life, coming into your heart. John the Baptist was operating from a spiritual level, not on earthly level. I say this verse all the time cuz it means so much to me. Colossians three, two, see in ways that are higher rather than ways that are lower, see in a heavenly and eternal perspective rather than an earthly and temporal perspective. And John the Baptist knew exactly what it mean to do that and here's what he did. He went forth. He prepared a voice in the wilderness, prepared the way of the Lord. He has come in, make your paths straight, but listen, John the Baptist wasn't interested in clearing the obstacles of a path he was interested in clearing the obstacles of our hearts privately and consistently. Lord, if there's anything in this heart that is not of you, I ask Lord, take it away.
Speaker 1 00:22:05 Rid me of all evil desires and sin that is here. Allow me to get out the way so I can prepare the way of the coming king Jesus Christ of Nazareth privately and consistently. The second way is really simple but really powerful when we live it out. It's prophetically and uniquely, prophetically and uniquely to know that one of the ways that we can prepare the way of the Lord in our lives is to know that we are unique in the kingdom of God. Every single person in here is uniquely fashioned and designed by the creator God and has a purpose to bring to the family of God and the body of God. And there is this prophetic nature that John the Baptist knew in himself. He was not meant to be like anyone else. He was his own unique carrier of the light of God into a broken and dark world.
Speaker 1 00:23:07 Friends, let me tell you, every single one of you has the same call on your life. You are uniquely fashioned to prophetically in your own way, declare to the world in a variety of different areas, prepare the way of the Lord. Only you can bring what you can bring, but only you can have the responsibility of handling that which God has placed inside of you. You have the responsibility to carry that which God is doing in you and wanting to do through you. And there's a unique prophetic fashion on our lives to prepare the way of the Lord with how we have been designed to prepare the way of the Lord. Here's what that means. It means that we aren't meant to compete with one another. We're meant to compliment one another. It means that unity looks a little bit different because we all don't look the same in this place.
Speaker 1 00:23:51 Have a quick look around, you'll see a few differences in the way we are and that is a good blessing from God. Your uniqueness adds into the kingdom of God and is vital and needed to what you can bring. It is a unique nature of how God designs his family of God. That there's a ragamuffin group of people from all walks of life with all bumps and scars on our knees. Yet we are stuck together by the blood of Jesus Christ, by the power of the cross that says, I am prophetically and uniquely fashioned to prepare the weight of the Lord, to prepare the way of the Lord, the way you are meant to prepare the way of the Lord. How did John the Baptist do this? John the Baptist stood out a mile because of his clothing. Have you noticed what he was wearing?
Speaker 1 00:24:38 Camel hair? I mean, I don't think it'd go down in fashion styles right now. Right? If I walked up here this morning, you'd probably thinking Sean's lost the plot. Not only that he's got a different diet. He's eating honey and locus. John the Baptist himself, you knew very clearly his unique identity and what God had placed on his life. It's also interesting that John the Baptist was wearing clothes that everybody else in the modern day would've known what he was getting at because he was wearing clothes that was very similar to an Old Testament prophet. And many of you will know, especially if you're on our Bible plans right now, because he was wearing the clothing of a prophet called Elijah. And Elijah was a man who was willing to stand in the face of darkness and hold onto the truth of God's convicted purposes despite the consequences of his life.
Speaker 1 00:25:24 Friends John the Baptist didn't care what people thought of him. He was more convinced of what God said over his life and wanted to do through him. Can I say more than ever right now, the church needs to be less bothered about what the world thinks of it and more focused on what the kingdom of God is saying for this time and this and this season. Amen. More than ever right now, do we need people who are empowered by the spirit of Elijah following in the footsteps of John the Baptist that says, this book is more important to my life than any human wisdom that can come my way. Any cultural trend that can come my way. It is this book that shapes the way I see the world. It's not the world that shapes the way I read this book. Yes, there's a power in a unique and prophetic sense when the church understands it's meant to be who God calls it to be. The revivals that we're seeing spring up. I use the word lightly, forgive me if you don't think it was, but the Asbury situation that's taken place. It was unique and specific. Nameless and faceless. There was no one man running the show. There was just a hungry people convinced by the word of God and hungry for the presence of God and a spirit poured out and suddenly a unique and prophetic army start to arise in their midst.
Speaker 1 00:26:40 Oh, how we need people like Elijah, like John the Baptist, whatever the cost, whatever the consequence throw me in prison like. Like the people in this book. I stand for the kingdom of God and for his word before any man. I believe God's doing it in our time. I believe God's preparing the way and he's doing it in your life. He's doing it in your family's life. He's doing it in the church, down the road's life because his plan and his purpose will prevail For I will bill my church and the gates of hell will not stand against the force of the mission of God, unique and empowered. You see, John wasn't formed by culture. He wasn't p, he wasn't pressed by peer pressure. He was a man who who would've fully and fully and wholly embraced freedom. He knew that the freedom of God changes life and it commissions us to be the unique person that God calls us to be. Freedom of God when it comes and the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom or freedom comes to a human soul. Everything changes. Insecurities can fly off in a moment. There's no desire to be like another human. Just the desire to be like the king of kings and the Lord of Lords Father, make me more like Jesus. Make me more like Jesus than anyone else there is. That's walking this earth. Make me more like Jesus than any great preacher or prophet. I want to be like him.
Speaker 1 00:28:28 Prepare the way of the Lord to the freedom of God allows us to be who we're meant to be and not who we're meant we're not meant to be rich. Villa Das, um, taffy, if you're here, come, come join me. My friend, rich Villa Das is a great preacher and author, someone who I've followed for many years and and enjoy his his teaching. He says these words about John the Baptist, which I absolutely love. He says, John the Baptist is one of my favorite people in scripture. The reasons why, because he knew who he wasn't. I am not the Messiah, but he knew who he was. I am a voice in the wilderness every day. We need to clear our souls and realize and remember who we are and who we are not otherwise. I find myself living a life that God never intended me to live uniquely you knitted together in your mother's womb fashioned for such a time as this placed by the spirit, empowered by the Spirit. You could have been born at any moment of history across the thousands, thousands of years prior. Yet here you are today in the Book of Acts. It is written by Luke that every season and allotted time and space has been ordained for you to walk in. It means that God has placed you right now in this moment, in this season. And it means there is a responsibility, friends, as a follower of Jesus to prepare the way of the Lord. Only the way you can
Speaker 1 00:30:12 Uniquely and prophetically your call, your life your word, your actions can prepare the way of the Lord. And your uniqueness brings beauty to the mission of God. Finally, I come to a conclusion with the third and final place that I believe most of us will wrestle perhaps more with when it comes to understanding this one because it's hard. But I believe one of the simple ways that we prepare the way of the Lord and a concluding way in many, many regards is simply this publicly and passionately, so often in my life, I've been waiting for someone else to use their voice. It's the evangelist jobs to go out there and share the gospel. I mean, my life, my my life can just prepare the way of the Lord. I don't, I don't need to use this just, just my life. My life, right is the the famous quote that we've heard in years. You don't need to use words to proclaim your gospel, your life will do it. Friends, your words. They really help.
Speaker 0 00:31:21 They
Speaker 1 00:31:21 Really help.
Speaker 1 00:31:24 And John the Baptist didn't just put it down to his lifestyle as much as that did prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist chose to use his words to prepare the way of the Lord. He used his words to speak into people's lives. He used his words to confront the injustices of this world. He used his words to share about the person of Jesus. He used his words, imagine John the Baptist, Baptist in your workplace. Imagine him walking in one morning and what would he do? What would he say? How would he act? There's a standard there for our lives that is calling us to use our mouth, to use our voice, to prepare the way of the Lord. And I know it's not easy for so long, many of us have counted ourselves out going, well, I'm an introvert, Sean. I'm an introvert.
Speaker 1 00:32:09 I mean extroverts. They can do all the talking stuff. I'm just an introvert. Friends. It's not about whether we're introverted or extrovert. It's about whether we're obedient to what God is calling us to be. It's about using the voice that God has given us to be able to share publicly and passionately that the king is coming. Friends, can I tell you, he is coming back. Jesus is on his way. The lion will roar once again. Everyone, no matter whether you've been in their lives, no matter the background or the situation of their life will come face with Jesus and will have to give an account for their life. Every tribe, tongue will confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord. It doesn't matter what else has come from their mouth. There will be a day where he returns coming on a cloud in all victorious fashion and power. And we'll be risen up to be able to have a face-to-face conversation with him. And here's what it says. Here's the harsh reality. Friends hear me when I say this is this. This convicts me as much as it does anyone else. Jesus in one of the parables, clearly speaks to his disciples and he says these words,
Speaker 1 00:33:12 If you do not speak about me before man, if you do not acknowledge me before this world, I will not acknowledge you
Speaker 0 00:33:25 Before heaven.
Speaker 1 00:33:35 It's time to use our voice again. It's time to speak again. It's time to preach again. It's time to proclaim again. It's time to, it's time to have meals and have conversations again. It's time to get around the word again. It's time. It's time to prepare the way of the Lord publicly and passionately.
Speaker 0 00:33:58 Friends,
Speaker 1 00:33:58 Our voice matters. He didn't say a superstar was found in the wilderness. He didn't say a church was found in the wilderness. He didn't say a mega preacher was found in the wilderness. It said a voice. Your voice matters. I believe there's some people in the room and I'm, I'm just going off here now with the spirit. I feel the spirit nudging me. Some of you feel like your voices have been robbed. Some of you know that your voice has been stolen privately and publicly. You know you've lost your voice. You don't speak to God, you don't speak to others about God. You've lost your voice and it's been robbed. And I'm not saying that this means that you are a bad person. There's all kind of reasons why someone's voice can be stolen. We go through great difficulties in life. There are trials that consistently come our way. There are distractions left, right and center. But I believe right now the spirit of the Lord is saying, some of you, your voice is returning again. Your voice is coming back the way you used to speak about God. It's, it's returning. It's coming back. The spirit of the Lord is gonna empower you. The same spirit of Elijah. And there's gonna be something about your voice in the coming weeks and months of voice to cry out publicly. Jesus is my Lord. He's my savior. He's my king. A voice to stand in front of the masses no matter what they will say, no matter what the consequences. And say, my allegiance is the Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.
Speaker 1 00:35:27 That your voice of worship will return.
Speaker 0 00:35:30 There's
Speaker 1 00:35:31 Something there. Praise will return to your soul and your life once again. In the name of Jesus unfiltered, worship will return once again in the name of Jesus, a voice crying now in the wilderness. Prepare.
Speaker 0 00:35:54 Prepare
Speaker 1 00:35:55 The
Speaker 0 00:35:55 Way of the Lord
Speaker 1 00:36:02 Privately and consistently, prophetically and uniquely publicly and passionately. Church, the king is coming. Prepare the way of the Lord. We're gonna pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you're speaking to our hearts and our lives. Thank you that you call us into the secret place and into the private place to be a dweller in your midst. <laugh>, thank you that you invite us into your presence to be close and to be intimate and to know your voice. Thank you that you've fashioned us, uniquely designed in the image of God, created by the triune God. Father. Son and Holy Spirit, thank you that you've given us a prophetic mantle as a church to declare that which God is saying in this time. And Father, thank you that you now call us publicly and passionately to be willing to use our voice for the sake of preparing the way of the Lord. Thank you Lord, that there are people out there that are waiting for a voice to speak of the coming king and who will turn from their ways and acknowledge you as Lord when it takes place. The Father, I pray a blessing on every single person in this room and watch it online.
Speaker 1 00:37:22 Pray Lord that you continue to lead them, shape them, mold them. Father, thank you. This week you're looking for us to prepare the way in all of our conversations, our Cummins and our goings in our family, with our friends, with our colleagues. And I ask, Lord that you give us the spirit of boldness to be able to gently and humbly get out the way so we can prepare the way. Pray this in your powerful name. Amen.
