Series: The Next Generation

Sun am 03 July 2011 – Kobus Swart

Jude 11-13; 2 Pet. 2:17-19; Hos. 6:1-3; Heb. 11:39 – 12:3

We are going to create an environment in this house for the next generation to emerge; to come in line; to develop their own wings and to find their own grace in God. Yes, There is going to be bone-to-bone connection, but we are here to recognize that gifting and tofurther develop it in the vision.

What is called ‘church’ is going to have to change radically. The latest research from statistician George Barna, states that in the USA, the impact of the Church on American society and culture is down to 1%. Churches have to ask themselves – “If we shut down, will we be missed?”

We sing, ‘Holy Spirit – rain down.’ Rain clouds are multitudes of small drops of water. Heat coming up from the earth interacts with the cloud, causing it to rain. The rain we want from heaven is not going to fall unless there’s a “heat” coming from God’s people that will touch the cloud. This “heat” is a hunger, a thirst and worship – a reaching into God that will trigger the fall of rain.  God wants to rain on the world – through the Church. He wants to rain on the people who don’t know Him – through those who do know Him. You and I have to start ‘raining’ on unbelievers. Until that happens, we’re in a kind of stalemate. We will grow spiritually up to a point, and then our growth will stop – until we turn around and help others! While you selfishly continue to want more of God and more of His blessing, stagnation sets in.

Churches in this season are called to impact their surrounding cultures – to be the salt of the earth; the light of the world. And this will not happen unless people whose lives have been transformed by a living Word, start interacting with their surrounding communities, reaching out with living works. Attending meetings week after week alone is not enough!
Has the living Word impacted every mindset, like it should have? I don’t want to be part of a “cloud” that carries no water.

The theme of the book of Jude is talking about ‘these people’ : Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain (he killed his own brother; he was jealous) and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam (a prophet open to manipulation) and perished in the rebellion of Korah (he rebelled against oversight; leadership). These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds (winds of doctrine – where there’s not the installation of the 5-fold grace in the church, people run after every ‘wind of doctrine’. The church has become a spectacle in the world because of religion. Clouds without water are religious expressions which seem to have promise, but are empty) autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever (Jude 11-13).

These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved (2 Pet. 2: 17-19). I want you to connect with this anointing that says, ‘We don’t want religion.’ We need to remove ‘patterns without His presence.’

“Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us,but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day That we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth”(Hos. 6:1-3). God wants to water the earth through the true Church!

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Without us, here on earth, the cloud of witnesses are not made perfect. But they died believing. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart (Heb. 11:39-12:3).

Become a world changer!  Only those people whose lives have been deeply impacted by a Living Word, will impact the world.