Vertical Church Reprise

Text: Various Scriptures

1. The church in America is in decline.

In a free fall
6,000 churches close their doors permanently each year
HBC’s deficiencies are lacking in the good we are doing, different than other churches
9/10 pastors leave the field before 30 years
the church in western Europe is a ghost town
“the heavens” are the barrier that exist between God and me; “rend the heavens” is poetic for something else
rend means tear apart, there is extreme urgency to this request
mountains – you feel small, and you sense it’s physical permanence; God is often compared to mountains; this is not a verse about mountains, it’s a metaphor about the things in my life that make me feel small or that I cannot change
“oh” is really an “OHHHHHH”
not a physical earthquake but a metaphor again, calling God to break down the overwhelming circumstances in my life
the book of Judges – when children are not told the works of God they lose the wonder about God, and they walk away from God.
God is not reluctant or unwilling
quake at your presence is manifest presence, not omnipresence
omnipresence – yes God is everywhere but a better understanding is that I am in His presence, He is not always in mine.
while it is true that God is everywhere, He is not working equally at every place, He isÂ omnipresentlyÂ everywhere but fewer places manifestly
churches don’t die, God’s voice in them silences

2. Only God moves mountains (Isaiah 64:1)

3. God’s grace is forfeited through stubbornness. (Exodus 32:9, 33:3)

Conclusion:

From a message preached by Pastor James MacDonald at Harvest Bible Chapel. Watch or listen to the complete message here.