God is also waiting. He has already enacted His plan and, contrary to what we have fed ourselves to believe, it didn't end with Jesus. Jesus was the prologue-the vital background that provides the foundation for the rest of the play. The script has been written. The stage has been set. The audience filled. Now, God-the Great Director-waits on his players, waits for those He's casted to fulfill their roles. And yet, the curtains remain undrawn.
Revival is imminent. Revival is always near. God will change the world and His plan to do so begins with Jesus and ends with you and I. Through our faith in Christ, we become part of a much bigger movement than acting the Christian part. No, through the power of the Holy Spirit we are called to live out our roles in a way that makes our audience gasp, makes them think, and ultimately leaves them wanting more.
But first we must leave our own play-the one we've written ourselves, the stage we've built to spotlight our own greatness. We must close the curtain on our own agenda and find ourselves reciting the lines of the greatest writer in the history of the world. To finish this production we've invested so much in we must proclaim two words that are utterly synonymous with that grand finale of theatrics: "The End". These two words signal the end of ourselves and the beginning of God's plan. In this drama they are:
''Yes, Lord"
"Yes, Lord" exudes an attitude of radically immediate obedience. And obedience by the power of the Holy Spirit is God's only plan for revival.
"Yes, Lord" says I may not know why You're asking me to do this or how I will be able able to, but I will do it and I will do it now, because I find hope in You and I believe with all that I have that You are good and You are mighty and where I am weak, You are strong. It says, I trust You, Lord. I do not believe that you are some manipulative tyrant in the sky and that even when I don't see it and even when the world vehemently disagrees, that all you ask of us is for our good and, more importantly, for Your glory.
The radical obedience ushered in with those two little words: "Yes, Lord", says This is where I end and You begin. You are God. I am servant. Your will be done.
Radical obedience trusts, glorifies, and testifies. Obedience is the only hope of revival. No one will be saved from the wrath of Hell if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No one will become disciples if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No sick will be healed if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No dead will be raised if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No change will be seen in our world, let alone our lives, if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So I invite you to join me in this holy experiment of radical obedience. I want my heart to be, and yours to be, that every time we explore what God asks of us, even if we don't understand, that our immediate reaction would be "Yes, Lord". That the very moment we become aware of a command that we would instantly confess our failings in that area, and that we would beg for the mercy of God then repent of it and translate it to our lives. That we would hear and instantly obey is what God expects of us. We need to remember that our flesh is weak, but He is strong. Our life in Christ was not meant to be Him waiting patiently as we engage in a cycle of sin then guilt then temporary obedience then sin and so on. I do this. You do this. But our life in Christ is victorious because we have been endowed with the Holy Spirit. Anything short of victory is spiritual infancy.
It's opening night, beloved. The curtain is rising. Are you ready?
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