When we kicked off a month of prayer and fasting, which we called Waiting on a Promise - I didn't fully understand what we were doing. I still don't.
 
But I have understood something more - that the Lord has made a promise -


to renew me, to renew you, to renew our church and to renew our land.
 
Last week we attended the National Leaders' Conference in Nottingham (next year it is on 26-29 January and I recommend that you book the holiday and get there if you can).
 
The Lord always speaks to us through these times, in many ways. And indeed it seemed to many of us that the messages being shared through the week were meant precisely for Leeds Vineyard. It was quite remarkable. I want to reflect on one particular passage brought to us by Simon Ponsonby.
 
Joshua 3:5
"Joshua told the people, "Consecrate (purify) yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you".
 
Josh had seen Moses issue a similar instruction in the days before the revelation of God on Mt Sinai when he received the 10 commandments. It was a familiar setting. God is on the move, He is about to do something, let's get ourselves sorted.
 
Let's think about the "amazing"  and then the "consecration"
 
When renewal comes, things change, amazing things happen. It starts with the Holy Spirit changing us but then He uses us to impact those around us and then our community and then our land.

This was evidenced from the earliest times of Christian community. David Bentley Hart, in his book, The Atheist Delusions, describes it like this, 

"In 251AD the church in Rome alone had more than 1500 dependants on its rolls, and even small local churches kept storerooms of provisions for the poor, such as oil, wine and clothing. In this way the church, long before Constantine, had created a system of social assistance that no civic or religious office of the pagan state provided: once Constantine became emporer and shifted state patronage to his new religion (Christianity), storerooms becamse storehouses, and the church became the first large, organised institution of public welfare in Western history. It was a great repositary and redistributor of goods, alms, state moneys and bequests; it encouraged the rich to give; it provided funds for hospitals, orphan asylums, and hostels. Even when the established church neglected or fell short of the charitable ideals it professed, it still did far more for those in need than the gods of old had ever done."

I have been reading about what happened in communities and society in early 20C Britain when the Holy Spirit came and brought renewal:
·         000s came to faith in Jesus
·         Publicans complained because people don't drink so much
·         Judges reported a reduced workload
·         Jails and police cells began to empty
·         Levels of debt fell and savings rose
·         People became healthier and more productive
·         The standard of living rose
·         Laws were passed which protect the vulnerable and bring about justice
 
When the Holy Spirit captures men and women's hearts, when people have an encounter with Jesus, transformation follows.
 
You can trace the origins of the abolition of slavery, the introduction of parliamentary democracy, laws which enforced slum clearances, public health, hospitals and housing, schools and education to a move of the Holy Spirit within a church or churches.
 
Sam Chadwick was a revivalist preacher in the 19C.  It was reported that,
"Revival had come and hundreds more big, rough fellows and many godless women were saved. The rough and unsanitary neighbourhood became clean and respectable; the Chief Constable wrote expressing his gratitude".
 
Then he spent many years ministering at Oxford Place in Leeds in the late 19C. During one revival period he saw 2000 people every Sunday night come to church - and the city changed as a result.
 


 
I believe that when, and only when, a person encounters Jesus it is a life-changing experience which will transform them and those around them and the world. Many live in a dark, Godless, world of pain, sorrow, loss, violence, fear, anxiety but the bible says that, 
 
John 1:4,5
In Him is life and that life is the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
 
Jesus is the salvation of the world. One person at a time.
 
I am committed to getting that message and that experience to as many people as I possibly can.
 
Last week at the National Leaders' Conference we were reminded about how John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard, told us in the early days that 1 million people were going to be saved through the Vineyard in the UK. There are around 14,000 people in the UK Vineyard at this time so something exciting is going to happen in order to see the fulfilment of that prophecy!
 
I believe it will and I believe that Leeds Vineyard is going to be a significant part of that.
 
Last year I was listening to another speaker about his experience planting a church in an environment that presented some barriers to growth. As he told his story, I felt the Lord speak to me about this church building. 50 years ago this church was full every Sunday morning, 500 people came here to worship - and more in the evening too. The Lord said to me, I filled it then, I can fill it now.
 
It's not that numbers are the goal but that if 500 people gather here every week to worship God, receive Jesus' forgiveness and be filled with His Holy Spirit, we will see the renewal of thousands of lives and of our city.
 
The official vision Leeds City Council is for it to become the Best City in the Country. I say yes and amen to that but it won't happen without the renewal of God's church.
 
So, I know that the Lord is going to do amazing things "tomorrow", as Joshua says.
 

Consecration
Amazing things, the renewal of the church, can only happen on the other side of consecration.
 
This is what January has been about - hearing that simple invitation, "consecrate yourselves".
We have been trying to do that in the bunker and through our prayers and fasting. We are restarting some of our regular activities but our priority and focus is to consecrate ourselves, personally and as a church. That is one of the reasons why we are continuing with the Bunker on Sunday evenings.
 
Consecration is an internal orientation toward God. It involves some external actions which reflect something going on inside. It means that you increasingly turn your heart and mind to toward God. It means setting yourself apart, purifying yourself, making a demarcation, surrendering to Him.
 
Over the coming weeks we are starting a new series in which I am inviting several people to share their story of getting closer to Jesus in their own journey. The series is called "A beautiful rhythm of life" and you will find it really helpful in grappling with this idea of consecrating yourselves.
 







For today I want to end by sharing the Four Points from the Welsh Revival of the early 20C. The key person in that revival was Evan Roberts and he taught four steps for preparing ourselves for what God is going to do:
 

All sin must be confessed to God and repented of.  Anything from our past or that is hidden. We must repent and confess - certainly to God and maybe to someone else. The church has to be cleansed-the Lord's bride should be without spot or blemish, so there is no room for compromise with sin. If there is anything in our lives about which there is even a doubt as to whether it is good or evil-then cast it off! Repent and confess all sin and surrender to His love.
 

There must be no cloud between the believer and God. Have you forgiven everybody? If not don't expect forgiveness for your own sins. The Scripture is clear; we cannot be forgiven until we have forgiven. Unforgiveness separates us from God. Is there anything doubtful in your life, if so remove it. How much of your time is taken up looking at computer screens - not necessarily watching pornography but endless materialism, trying to get the best deal or reading what is happening and gossiping about other people's lives. Or are you so pre-occupied with career and your pension that the whisper of the Holy Spirit is drowned out? In times of stress do you turn to the Lord or to a glass of wine or food or shopping. Give it up. Go to Him. Anything that is doubtful, dismiss it from your life, fast from it forever.
 

We must obey the Holy Spirit. Do what the Spirit prompts you to do. Prompt, implicit, unquestioning obedience to the Spirit is required if we are going to be used by Him. Are you going to surrender totally to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Spending time in His presence to cultivate an ear that hears His whisper. A pre-meditated principled decision to obey whatever He says.
 

There must be public confession of Christ as our Saviour. This is not a one-time incident after our salvation experience or baptism-for the Christian it is a way of life. Does everyone around you know that you follow Jesus? How can they tell the difference? We are called to follow Jesus in public and to publicly follow Jesus.
 
 

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I believe that the hope for the world is each person having an encounter with Jesus that saves and transforms them.
I believe that is God's mission for the world.
 
I believe the Lord is saying to me and to you, to Leeds Vineyard, "Consecrate yourselves, because I want to do amazing things."
 
I believe God wants to renew Leeds Vineyard.
I believe God will use a renewed Leeds Vineyard.
I believe that it starts with me - seeking holiness, getting consecrated.
 
I invite you to join me.