THERE WILL BE AN AWAKENING

(aka Spiritual Awakenings)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Psalm 133

Most of us here have a taste once or twice in our lives of what they call a spiritual awakening. By that I mean, when suddenly in a certain place people's hearts begin turning for God.

There's a strong sense of the presence of God.

Of God's judgment on sins.

Of his mercy on those who repent.

The feeling that the end of the age is just pressing down upon us.

Suddenly Jesus becomes very, very real.

And his Word comes alive to us.

And people draw near to him and to each other.

And their lives change.

This flock was touched by such a spiritual awakening as it swept across Detroit and many other places in 1970. And while it is certainly true to say that in one sense that spiritual awakening that really shook this place has never left us, is still at work among us, and the evidence is all around us.

It's also true to say that this spiritual awakening that visited here in many other places around that time, was but a miniature taste of a much greater awakening that we believe is waiting to come.

Certainly, an awakening that we need, and that this country needs, and that the whole earth needs.

And so we think of Pentecost that first, last age spiritual awakening that visited when the Spirit fell and the tongues of flames were visible on the heads of the 120.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

Acts 2:3-6

They couldn’t figure out was happening as they heard these people speaking in their mother tongues the wonderful works of God. And some said these guys are drunk.

And so Peter, standing up with the eleven began to explain how this was

For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Acts 2:15-21

The spirit that visited with such power on the day of Pentecost has never left this earth. Yet who of us can deny that there is a need among us for a fresh spiritual awakening?

New vision.

New zeal

New joy.

A new abandoning of our hearts to the Lord.

While we know that any spiritual awakening of this kind is the sovereign work of God, we don't engineer it, we can't manufacture it and make it happen, God sends it.

Does this mean then, however, that we sit around and wait until it comes? Or is there something we can do to at least invite it?

Is there some posture that we can assume together that will make clear to ourselves and to God that we're waiting and we're ready?

This psalm is a description of a spiritual awakening.

When the life of the Spirit of God descends from heaven and comes down to the earth and quickens it. Just like that precious anointing oil that was on Aaron and ran down from his head, over his beard covered his garments, as a sign.

A sign that life from God was overwhelming him, was flowing over him, and coming down upon him and rolling out from his mouth, across his hands and bringing blessing to everything he touched, and everyone who heard him speak.

It's a description of life coming down like the dew of Hermon giving new and fresh life to the mountains around Jerusalem and quickening everything.

Now this anointing oil, this refreshing dew of the Spirit…when it comes, doesn't only bring us joy (as it does of course), or power (as it does of course)…..

But it flows out from us.

And permits the world around us to experience life from God.

Now what do we have to do in order to experience such a thing? And what is the evidence when the Spirit of God brings life upon us that this is really an awakening from God?

In this psalm, we see very clearly that the evidence, always, always when the life of God comes down upon us, we draw together and we dwell together in unity, in harmony.

It could also be equally true to say that when we come together in unity around the name of Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord will be there.

That every spiritual awakening that has ever hit this Earth has involved people, men and women laying aside the barriers that separate them from each other. And coming together around the name of Jesus.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

When they come together in unity, life from God begins to burn within them, and quicken them, and the dew of Hermon and the anointing oil begins to become obvious, and they have life and abundance for others.

May it be that we all have a desire for this, a craving that is absolutely unquenchable until it is fulfilled by God.

We need to keep asking what do we have to do, what can we do to come into such unity that the anointing oil may come down upon the head, and that the dew of Hermon may descend upon the Body?

And the answer is very simple.

We need two things.

First, we need to learn how to really abide in the vine.

Second, we need to learn how to really love each other.

Abide in me.

Love one another.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15-1-11

Now when the branch abides in the vine to the extent, to the degree, that the life of the vine is able to come up into the branch… so that the branch can bear fruit.

That branch absolutely ….must be in harmony with the other branches.

If this place is drawing life from the vine and another branch is drawing life from the same vine, how can they be in disharmony?

And when the wind blows upon the vine, all the branches move at the same time. If we're gathered in the name of Jesus and the Spirit of God begins to stir among us, surely we're going to move together.

If our hearts are one around him, then we move as one, as branches, a body in the same vine.

And when we are in that kind of unity around him, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers as well together in unity, then the life of God must flow.

The Spirit moves up through the vine, into the branch, and it begins to flourish.

The anointing oil comes down upon the head in abundance. It rolls down over the beard, covers the garments with life. The dew of Hermon descends upon the assembly, and there is an awakening.

Now the problem for many of us, is that we have tried to abide in the vine single-handedly, individualistically.

“Lord, I will abide in you. I want to dwell in you. I want to rest in you. I want to trust you. I want to do your will. But Lord, please don't ask me to open my heart to other Believers. Lord, I’ve had too many bad experiences. I’ve been disappointed too many times. It’s been too painful. Let it just be me and you Lord.”

And the Lord responds, “My child if you abide in me, you have no choice but to open your heart to the other branches that are abiding in me.”

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

John 15: 12-17

Spiritual awakening is the sovereign work of God.

We cannot make it happen.

God makes it happen.

And if he wants to He can make the stones cry out to his praise.

And yet every spiritual awakening that has come to this earth since Pentecost has involved two things.

First, men and women who are deeply and radically committed to Jesus as branches on the vine.

Second, men and women who are deeply and radically committed to each other in holy love.

Abide in me.

Love one another.

You'll never love one another unless you abide in me…. and you'll never abide in me unless you love one another.

But if you abide in me and love one another, you will have the unity of Heaven. The anointing oil will come to rest upon the head, the dew of Hermon will come upon the body, and there will be an awakening.

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Now the spirit has come. And he is in our midst, but the power of the anointing of his Spirit upon us hinges on the extent to which we respond as he calls us to two things.

Commit ourselves to Jesus as branches in the vine

First, the spirit is calling us to deeply and radically commit ourselves to Jesus as branches in the vine.

And our response is often, “I’ve heard that a million times and I've done it a million times, what are you talking about?” “I know all about that, I’ve done it”.

And yet, if we're honest, surely, we need to see that there's more. Who of us can say that, that we are the way we should be?

We're called to a rest in the vine that is deeper than we've ever known. A trust in him, a listening to him, a surrender to him, an obedience to him….as we’ve never done before.

“We're going to listen to your word, Lord and whatever you tell us to do, we're going to do. I want to know you Lord as I've known you before. I want to walk with you. I want to listen to you. I want to trust you. I want to fellowship with you.

When this becomes supreme in our hearts, then when we pick up the Bible, it won’t matter whether we're in Genesis or Psalms or Isaiah or Ezekiel or Revelation or some other book… Everywhere we look, we'll see Jesus.

And we will hear his voice.

And mysteries will open to us.

We'll begin to open our hearts in prayer to God, and we will know that we are being helped by the Lord himself, that he’s there interceding.

And now we will experience as never before what it’s like… this little branch getting it’s sustenance from the vine. The life of the vine begins to come up into us. We're drawing our life from him. And our strength.

When the wind blows we’ll know we are going to be alright. The vine is holding us. And now we begin to bear fruit without even trying.

Abiding in him…. life after life that we touch, soul after soul that we touch in his name…. comes bounding into the Kingdom of God… to our own amazement.

Commit ourselves to each other in holy love

The second thing to which the Spirit of the Lord is calling us today… is to deeply, radically, rootedly commit ourselves to each other in holy love.

Have you ever heard the Holy Spirit calling you to love your wife or your husband? Or that child you've been picking on and picking on.

Have you ever sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart and telling you to begin to love that mother of yours, that you've been mad at for years? Or that father who seemed to close his heart to you before you became a teenager? Or that boss at work?

You’re walking around with this.

And now comes the command …. love.

When we hear the Spirit of the Lord, calling us to love this person, the power to do it comes to us and it's like heaven breaks forth in our hearts.

in the same way now, the Spirit who set us in the Body is commanding us to love each other.

This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

And this works out practically in such things….

Now you go out and you begin to pray for the very person in the fellowship who has hurt you, abused you, ignored you, who has misconstrued your motives.

Then you go out to the people in the fellowship who are bearing wounds that you have inflicted and you ask forgiveness, and you make it right.

Then you reach out to people whose names you still don't know, after all these years.

Then you reach out to people who seem to be in some kind of need.

If we're abiding in the vine, we get all the strength we need to love each other.

We can do it. We can do it. Even we can do it.

Spiritual awakening is not something far away. Mighty spiritual awakening is not something out of reach.

It's very, very near.

It comes when the branches get down to business and really, really abide in the vine… and really, really begin to love each other.

The call of the Spirit is upon us today… and if we will respond in faith…

There will be an awakening.