The Moral
Crack in the Nation & the Church
Must be Confronted and Healed
by Matt Sorger
There
is a moral rift in the foundation of our nation. But the Bible is very clear
that judgment begins with the house of God.
1 Peter 4:17 "For the time [has arrived] for judgment to
begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the
end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel)
of God?"
God's
judgments are good. Judgment is different from wrath. Wrath is God's
destruction against sin. Judgment is God's righteous discipline bringing
redemption and restoration. God's wrath destroys. His judgments redeem.
As
we look upon our nation today we can quickly see our moral foundations
decaying. But this is just a sign that there is a much deeper problem. Not only
is there a crack in the foundation of our nation, there is a crack in the moral
foundation of the church.
If
we are to see God's hand of blessing and favor remain upon America, the church
within America must repent of all compromise and sin. We must allow God to
cause His fruit to grow in our lives. This fruitfulness in the church will not
only have a profound impact upon us, but upon our nation as well.
Jesus is Looking for Fruit
Jesus
is looking for fruit in the lives of His people. It's not enough to look good
from a distance. He's looking for fruit up close.
Mark 11:12-14 "And seeing in the distance a fig tree
[covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it. But
when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not
yet come. And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you. And
His disciples were listening [to what He said]."
From
a distance things can look great. The fig tree looked great from a distance. It
was filled with leaves. But when Jesus got up close He discovered that there
was no fruit on it.
I
want to draw a broad parallel here between the gifts of the Spirit and the
fruit of the Spirit. From a distance the operation of the gifts of God in our
lives can look great. The gifts are without repentance. You can start off
right. You can begin operating in gifts of the Spirit because of your
relationship with God. But it's not enough just to start right. We have to
finish right. It's possible to begin with a strong relationship with God, but
then begin to ride on the gift God has given you and stray from Him in your
heart.
It's
possible to have strong gifts that can be seen from a distance. But you can
only see what fruit there is on the tree when you get up close.
In Season and Out
Our
true fruit is revealed through the relationships that are closest to us. Only
when you really get to know a person can you see what fruit they really have.
Jesus is not just wanting us to be leafy trees operating in gifts. He wants to
find fruit. His destiny for us is that we would be fruitful trees.
Jesus
took this so seriously that even when the fig tree was out of season for
bearing figs, Jesus still held the tree responsible for not having fruit. The
truth is, no matter what season it is, no matter what our circumstances are, no
matter if it's a good day or a rough day, Jesus wants us to be bearing fruit.
It will not always be easy to bear good fruit. It requires a death to the
desires of the flesh and to the self-life. But God wants us to be ready in
season and out of season.
2 Tim 4:2-5 "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have
their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance
to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will
turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the
work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
God is Determined to Have
a Church that Bears Fruit
Joel
prophesied in Joel 2:22-24 "Be not afraid, you
wild beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have sprung up and
are green; the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their
[full] strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord,
your God; for He gives you the former or early rain in just measure and in
righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and
the latter rain, as before. And the [threshing] floors shall be full of grain
and the vats shall overflow with juice [of the grape] and oil."
As
God continues to work in His people, He will cause wilderness places to become
green pastures. He will cause dry, dead places to become alive. He will cause
the tree to bear fruit and the vine to have full strength. God is releasing a
strength in His people to bear the fruit He desires us to have. He's making His
people strong in Spirit.
Full Maturity and Harvest
on the Threshing Floor
As
God releases a heavy latter rain upon His people He is going to cause every
seed that has been sown to spring forth to full maturity and harvest. Every
seed of God's word that has been sown on the inside of us will spring forth to
maturity. In other words, God is causing His people to grow up. He is bringing
His corporate body into a place of maturity.
One
of the signs that you are growing into a place of maturity is that things that
offended you before will no longer irritate you. You will be less offendable.
You will have less reactions from your flesh and will be led more by the
Spirit. Another sign of spiritual maturity is that you are learning to resist
temptation and walk and live in a way that pleases God. Spiritual maturity will
be reflected in your thoughts, attitudes and behavior, especially with those
closest to you.
It's
time we really evaluate ourselves in the light of God's presence and truth.
It's time to deeply repent of the besetting sins of our flesh, turn away from
ungodly attitudes and offenses and fully surrender to God's dealing in our
lives.
The
threshing floors will be full of grain. This speaks of a mature harvest. It
will not only be a harvest of souls, but it will also be a harvest of God's
word in you causing you to be a mature son and daughter of God. Every area of
our lives that has been placed on the threshing floor will produce a harvest of
maturity and fruitfulness.
The Impact of Living Out
of the Overflow
The
vats will overflow with new wine and oil. Out of a place of maturity and
harvest God is bringing His people into a place known as "overflow". We are
going to live out of the overflow of God's presence and anointing in our lives.
It's not just a new season. It's a new dimension. God's people will carry so
much of His presence and power that there will be an overflow of His presence
from our lives changing the atmosphere around us. This overflow of fresh
anointing will not only transform us but will have a profound impact on the
world around us.
God
is not a God of just enough. He is always a God of more than enough. He doesn't
want to give you just enough anointing for yourself. He wants to give you so
much of Himself that His presence and power overflows out of you to reach the
world around you.
Prayer of Agreement
Father,
I humble myself before You today. I build an altar in my life. I give myself to
You. I repent of every area of sin and compromise. Forgive me for offending
You. Cleanse me and make me righteous in Your eyes. Holy Spirit help me to live
in a way that pleases You. Cause Your fruit to grow in my life. Bring me to a
place of maturity in every area. Release a fresh anointing and empower me to
live in the overflow of Your Spirit. Fill me to overflowing with your power. I
repent of all hypocrisy and besetting sin. Heal my spirit, soul and body.
Restore your abiding presence in my life. Father heal our nation. Turn America
back to You. In Jesus name. Amen.
Matt Sorger
Copyright 2010 Matt Sorger Ministries
Visitor Comments (0)
