2010 Senior Pastors' Conference - Session 6 - Raul Ries

·         Raul began by talking about being overwhelmed by the awesome grace of God

o   He will never give up on you – never.

·         It seems that when God is moving, doing a tremendous work – we need to remind ourselves of the need to maintain purity in the church.

·         We are living in very dangerous days in the history of the church

o   The Spirit wants to do great things in the church

·         Three things B. Graham warned of:

o   Power

o   Money

o   Women

·         Speaking of how he’s had many men come up in many conferences, confessing that they’re hooked on pornography, games that they shouldn’t be involved in, entertainments which defile rather than edify.

o   These things short-circuit the moving of the Spirit

·         Also, there are those who are fleecing the flock of God

o   That is not your money, that is not my money

o   It’s God’s money – watch out.

o   It’s certainly not a good witness – and God takes that very, very seriously.

·         We call ourselves ministers, servants – which means we need to understand the God we claim to serve

o   He sees all

o   We will give an account of and for all.

·         God has given each of us a call to live not perfect lives, but holy lives dedicated to Him

o   Live lives of continual repentance.

o   I want Him to rebuke & chasten me – because I want to finish well, I want to stay as close to Him as possible.

o   We don’t want Satan to hinder any of our lives so that we don’t come to the end and regret, wishing that we had listened to all the warnings.

·         The purpose of this conference is not just for the purpose of getting away, but also for taking inventory with God, to allow Him to do a tremendous and deep work in our lives.

·         ACTS 5

·         If there is a country that needs more prayer than ever before, it is America.

·         The church must become salt and light and speak truth, and never ever wimp out, even when and if persecution comes – keep speaking and living truth.

o   That is only by the empowering of the Spirit and yielding to His Word.

·         First observation in ch.5: as God is moving, the sin of hypocrisy seeps into the church – Ananias & Sapphira.

o   Their names talk about their character – both are good names – what happened?

o   They’d moved away – perhaps even imperceptively – from the first principles of the faith.

o   When you move from the place of being in love with Jesus, it’s only a matter of time.

o   The hypocrisy was that they wanted to appear something other than what they are.

·         Satan hates people that are fully commited to God

o   So he wants to get you to disqualify yourself.

o   He is always studying, to try to get you to fall into an ambush

o   Always laying new ambushes

o   Always refining them, hoping you fall.

·         A little leaven leavens the whole lump          

o   Right in the middle of revival, as God is moving, it all came to a standstill

o   Why?

§  Sin.

·         We need to be committed to be accountable to our wives, our congregations, our neighbors, everybody.

o   We are not above examination

o   Hypocrisy – pretending to be spiritual when we’re really not

·         We need to be aware of the presence of the Lord.

o   We need to be men of integrity.

o   We need to look to the Lord as the Author and Finisher of our faith

o   We need accountability

·         To whom much is given, much is required.

o   We are going to stand before God and give an answer

§  For our works

§  For our motives

·         If you’re not called to minister, go do something else

o   But don’t bring shame to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

·         BE SERIOUS ABOUT SIN IN YOUR LIVES.

·         If you want the Book of Acts to continue in your lives, get right with God.

·         Don’t be afraid to confront people with the Word of God – because you have not been afraid to confront yourself with it.

·         God uses donkeys (like us) to bring His Word to His people.

·         I want God to move in His church (not my church, His church)

o   So I need to make sure I am not disqualified

o   I need to seek to live in holiness.

·         Perhaps you haven’t stolen – your sins are “little” sins

o   But they’re still sin

o   They still hinder the work of God

o   You want to see another Jesus movement in your church?

o   Don’t play around with sin!

·         Before the Holy Spirit came, Judas had to be moved out of the way.

o   But those in the upper room who were looking for Jesus, He came to.

·         The real power of God never brought any attention to what they were doing, but to what Jesus was doing.

·         Do the hard work of studying to show yourself approved unto God.

·         When you catch yourself lying, being less than truthful – stop.

o   Repent.

o   Don’t justify!

·         Ananias got slain in the Spirit.

o   God is not killing people today, but He’s not sleeping, either.

o   Keep in mind – we are currently living in the Book of Acts.

o   Think that one carefully through.

·         Don’t be a different person in the pulpit than you are in the home or in private.

o   Be a man of God at the home

o   Be a man of God in private

·         Don’t waste opportunities to repent!  Think of Sapphira!

o   If she was in prayer & sensitive to the Holy Spirit, things might have turned out very differently for her.

·         Sin grieves the Holy Spirit of God.

o   Be careful of what you approve of.

o   May God help us not to test the Holy Spirit

o   May He help us to be up-front.

§  Are we struggling? Be honest! Deal with it! God will not disqualify you if you lay it down to Him!

·         Do you want effectiveness in ministry? People need to see the power of a life given over to God – they need to see the testimony of a holy life.

·         The way we live, the way we do things – God is fully aware.

·         Want to see God move and use you? Humble yourself and bare yourself open to Him.

·         After sin was taken care of in the church – there was revival, there was healing, there was growth.

o   The power of God began to move.

o   There was unity.

o   It kept people away from the church who had less than good motives.

·         Never use programs – rely on the Spirit to move through His Word.

o   Have a small church? Praise God! Love them with all your heart

o   Be content with where God has you

o   Be content with the gifts God has given you

o   Love your people

o   Care for your people

o   Be passionate for them, for the Gospel, for Jesus, for His Word.

·         If anyone desires to come after Jesus, let him deny himself and take up his cross

o   If you lose your life for Jesus’ sake, you will find it.

·         Our new life:

o   Is produced by the Spirit

§  Not by works of righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the Word

o   Is produced by the Word of God

o   Is founded on and lives in simple faith

§  Simple trust