Normal or Supernatural - 4
Subject – Don’t Circle the Wagons
By Rick Welborne
Mark 16:15-20 (NKJV)
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
--I grew up like many of you watching old cowboy and Indian shows where the adventuresome settlers would be moving westward across the US for a new life, a new frontier.
--Their wagon train, with family and supplies, would be making their way westward when all of a sudden they would be attacked by Indians wanting to kill them and take their supplies.
--Before anyone loses their mind and accuses me of not having compassion on our native Americans, I am just talking about TV shows or movies. We support missionaries to our US native Americans.
--The wagon master or leader (possibly John Wayne) would shout, “Circle the wagons”. The settlers would, as quickly as possible, get the wagons in a circle for protection. Women and children in the middle for safety.
--I loved how the Indians were so good at riding their horses. They would scoot down on the opposite side of the horses for protection, and shoot their arrows at the cowboys.
--The cowboys hunkered down behind the wagons would attempt to shoot the wild savages as they rode around and around the wagons like shooting at ducks at the fair. 98% of the time the cowboys won. Yippee!
--Okay, Pastor Rick, we know you are heading somewhere with this but we are struggling to see where you are going. With God’s help I want to help us understand we don’t have to circle the wagons.
--I love last days’ prophecy and I have a deep appreciation for those who have spent years and years of study investigating the Scriptures and present day events and how they tie together.
--Don’t misunderstand me, I believe we are in the last days and I believe Jesus could return at any moment. The key for us is make sure we are ready and to reach out to the lost.
--What I want to share with you in my introduction is by no means an exhaustive list of events that have happened over the last forty years but I want to mention a few to help make my point.
--When I first came into the Kingdom (1974) Bible prophecy was very strong and there were a large number of Christians at that time who were circling the wagons.
--The first Christian book I read (given to me by our pastor) other than the Bible was the book, The Day the Dollar Dies (1973) written by Willard Cantelon. Put fear in people’s hearts to buy silver, gold, and property.
--In Bible College in Waxahachie Tx.1976 I was invited to teaching on the Alumina Tee. A bunch of friends invited me to a meeting in Dallas where the guy said sell your TV and get a gun. Stockpile food and ammo.
--He even said that when people came to take your food or supplies that you should take your gun and shoot them. I had only been a Christian a couple of years but I had read my Bible. I raised my hand and read it.
Romans 12:18-21 (NIV)
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
--He told me I just didn’t have the understanding he did. I told him I was just reading the Bible. We left.
--In 1988-89 (about the time we came to Life Church), Eighty-eight reasons Jesus was Coming. Christians circled the wagons. Sold their homes and other crazy things. Oops Eighty-nine Reasons. Believers listened.
--I hope you are aware that Jesus did not come then or all of us are in a heap of trouble. The church just helped another person get wealthy off their ignorance of the Word.
Matthew 24:35-36 (NKJV)
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
--Then 20 years ago…Y2K. What a frenzy from the church as we once again circled the wagons. People were in a panic and believers (who are supposed to have peace) were going nuts.
--Our computers will not work, our cars won’t crank, planes will crash, and our economy will crash and we will have to take the mark of the beast to buy and sell.
--The pastors who were not caught up in all the fear mongering were trying to calm done believers who should have known better. Pastor, what are we doing to get ready? Are we buying food for the apocalypse?
--If I had done every crazy thing people would have wanted me to do, the church would have lost its mission and purpose and would have been a laughing stock. Stop circling the wagons.
--For sake of time, let me skip a few other crazy things the church has swallowed hook, line, and sinker, let’s get to Covid 19. Once again the church is circling the wagons. Everyone knows what this is all about.
--You know they know because they send you a different video every day on messenger or by email. Some of you wonder why I don’t respond. I have hidden your junk so I don’t see it. We will answer for this:
Matthew 12:35-37 (NKJV)
35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
--Don’t misunderstand me, this could very well be a part of the end day prophecies, this could be a part of an evil world trying to stop the church, but what I fear most, it is another distraction for the church.
--Let’s face it, Satan has been trying to destroy the church since the beginning. If the enemy of our souls can get us to major on minors and to get us off mission, he will laugh every time a soul is lost.
--Please listen to someone who has seen a lot of crazy things come and go in our world and in the church, we cannot afford to get off message and spend our time on dung that doesn’t matter.
1. The danger of circling the wagons.
Circling the Wagons – It is when the Church forgets there is a lost world outside the walls and we turn inward concerning ourselves with self-preservation instead of the Great Commission. It is when no one goes out and no one comes in. We spend our time taking shots at the heathen outside our circle.
--But, Pastor Rick, there are wolves outside our circle and we possibly will die if we leave these walls. True!
Matthew 10:16-20 (NKJV)
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
--Matthew 28 and Mark 16 Jesus said…Go! But we cannot go because we have to figure out what Bill Gates and all the other people are up to first. We can’t go because we have circled the wagons. Hold the fort!
--We can’t go because now the government is recording every sermon the preachers are preaching on-line and they will use that against us some day. Someone has to listen to find what we are saying.
Romans 10:14-18 (NIV)
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
--If we circle the wagons and if we turn to self-preservation, how will they hear, who will call on the Name of the Lord, how will anyone be saved? This is why we cannot lose focus.
--We must be a soul winning mission’s church who will not be distracted from our mission no matter what comes. Whether it is Covid 19 or any other persecution. We have a job, Life Church!
2. The Great Commission will take us going from normal to supernatural.
Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
--It will take more than the church’s ability to keep up with Hollywood and the music industry. Just getting the live-streaming right won’t do it. It will take supernatural power.
--Again the disciples were in trouble. They were not in trouble for circling the wagons. They were in trouble because people were being saved and healed supernaturally. The lame man.
--They were being persecuted and told by the authorities to stop preaching in the Name of Jesus. Did they circle the wagons? No, they prayed for more power!
Acts 4:24, 29-31 (NKJV)
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
3. We must stop being distracted and keep things in proper perspective.
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
--For those of you who feel we have had it so bad with Covid 19 imagine you were born in 1900. When you are 14, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed.
--Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.
--When you're 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy.
--When you turn 39, World War II starts. When you're 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million.
--At 52, the Korean War starts and five million perish. At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die in that conflict.
--Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening.
--As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? Yet, during that time the Azusa Street Revival breaks out. Millions saved.
--At this time there are almost 300 million Pentecostals in the world not counting those who have been saved because of their Holy Spirit witnessing!
--So what’s my point? Covid 19 has been tough but comparatively not that tough. We need to grow up, stop whining, and fulfill the Great Commission thru the power of Holy Spirit.
--Fix your eyes on Jesus and on the lost!
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