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Just in case you missed the live-feeds of Dr. Warrick yesterday, here’s a brief synopsis…..

Reverend Warrick began our REVIVAL services yesterday with a simple question. 

“How big is your God?” 

That seemed like a relatively easy question to answer, until we started to think about and he continued talking.  How big IS your God?  Is He big enough to handle the day to day problems you face?  What about the crises that come into your life?  Is He big enough to change your life?  That one is up to you.

Rev. Warrick reminded us that we serve a God who is immeasurable.  There is no one greater!  He is the God of the impossible.  He created everything! 

The next statement that grabbed everyone’s attention was even bolder.

“We are all exactly where we want to be in our walk with God.”

WHAT?  How is that possible?  Dr. Warrick went on to explain using Matt. 5:6 –

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” 

Are you hungry?  Are you thirsty?  Then you are on the right path.

If you have lost your appetite then Dr. Warrick maintains you are one of three things.  You are: 

                        1.  Sick

                        2.  Dying

                        3.  Dead

If you are “all good with God” then you belong in one of those three categories.  You are sick, dying or already dead in the Lord.  You have hardened your heart, closed your ears, your eyes and your mind to God.  You have sealed off your soul.  While this might be a comfortable place to be right now, today, it’s not a wise place to be when weighed against eternity.

The wise place to be is that in which God is first in all things.  First in your thoughts when you wake, first in your conversation each day and first in your mind as you go out into the world for whatever your schedule holds.  When God is first, all else will follow.  He has promised that in His Word and He never ever breaks His Word.

If you want MORE of what God has for you, if you want Him to have MORE of you, please join us tonight at 6:30 p.m. as Dr. Warrick continues his message of REVIVAL for Cove Church of the Nazarene.

This is just a quick reminder that REVIVAL starts tomorrow morning. Please join us at 10:55 to hear from Dr. J.K. Warrick. He will be speaking to us again at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Monday through Wednesday evenings Dr. Warrick will be bringing us the Good News at 6:30 p.m.

When we no longer feel that we desperately need God, He can no longer use us as He wills. Look into your heart. If you aren’t feeling that urgent need, perhaps you’ve become too comfortable, or are relying on something or someone other than God. While comfort is a nice place to visit, its not always a good place to live. Think about David and how the ease of palace life disrupted his life.

REVIVAL services are an effective way of bringing us back to the hunger for Him that we need to be feeling. Please pray earnestly for a true revival in our church and then come hear what God has given Dr. Warrick to share with us.

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.” —John 1:35-37

I recently read that currently 2.2 billion people worldwide identify themselves as Christians. That is an impressive number, especially considering the many Christians that have previously walked this earth and have gone on to glory in the last 2,000 plus years. However, one must remember that even though Christianity began with a small following, prompted by the Holy Spirit and by word of mouth, followers of Jesus passed on the good news about Him being the Messiah to the people who crossed their paths. 

In John 1:35-51, John the Baptist points two of his own disciples to Jesus as Jesus passed by. These two men, Andrew and John, decided to follow Him to where He was staying.

After spending several hours with Jesus, they were both convinced He was the Messiah and that nothing would be the same ever again.

Soon after, the first thing Andrew did was to tell his brother Peter about his encounter with Jesus. Later, Jesus also met with Phillip, who went on to tell his friend Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew) about Jesus. These five men (Andrew, John, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael) were the first disciples of Jesus.

As we see in Scripture, the men who followed Jesus simply told their family and friends about Him. They knew that something about Jesus had changed their lives, and they wanted other people around them to have that experience as well. All they did was to simply invite, “Come, see for yourself” (v. 46, NLT).

This simple task of spreading the Good News is as effective today as it was for Andrew and John. Now, regardless of the many resources available to spread the gospel at a faster pace, modern-day Christians sometimes fail to take up this task consistently and seriously. We make excuses and shy away from sharing the story of our Savior with others. We worry about inappropriateness in certain settings, inconvenience, and lack of receptivity from our listeners. In a way, by focusing on our comforts, aren’t we wasting opportunities to share the Good News with the people we encounter daily?

The apostle Peter reminds followers of Christ to have a sense of urgency when it comes to telling others the hope they have in Jesus (see 1 Peter 3:15).

Who is the first person that told you about Jesus Christ? I remember the days my mom would sit with me at the kitchen table sharing the love of Jesus. Those conversations are etched in my memory. She did this with me in the same way her father (my grandfather) did it with her. The knowledge and understanding of who I am in Christ and my life’s purpose is the greatest treasure I could have. I am eternally thankful to my mother for carrying on the tradition of sharing faith.

Sadly, many people have never had these types of intimate conversations with anyone. The body of believers has the opportunity to fill this void. Cross-generational relationships in the church can help encourage evangelism and discipleship—small but important actions that are desperately needed for those who may not know the truth about Jesus.

Sending someone a note, extending a phone conversation, or taking him or her to lunch is a great way to make a Kingdom impact in that person’s life. Some might say these are basic ideas, and I agree—but the key is to follow through. “Knowing” and “doing” are two different aspects. So, seize the day! A genuine interest in another person’s life and family is an important step to sharing Jesus’ love.

Do you remember the person who introduced you to Jesus? Do you truly understand what this person did for you when he or she shared Jesus’ love with you? Make an effort to be that person for someone else today. Could you and I be an Andrew, a John, a Peter, a Phillip, or a Nathanael? It can make all the difference in the kingdom of God!

Prayer for the week:

Lord Jesus, I am thankful for the person (or persons) who told me about you. Today, I pray that you would put someone on my heart to whom I can tell about you. Guide and direct me as I intentionally invest in another person’s life, so that person would know how much Jesus loves and cares. Amen.

Bob Buck is senior pastor of Liberty Church of the Nazarene in Liberty, MO, USA.

Written for Coffee Break with Holiness Today.