Urban Reformation

I heard Richard Owen Roberts, International Awakening Ministries, on April 26th 2009, apparently he was in town for a conference and he was going to be preaching for a mobile conference at several different churches over a period of several days. He happened to be preaching at Faith(FCC) on his final day with us and we were notified on the Friday before.

So it’s my understanding Richard Owen Roberts has been preaching revival for 60 years, he told us that evening that he is now 77  years of age. He is from Wheaton, IL. Dr. Mac Brunson, Pastor, FBC Jacksonville, called him “the closest thing to an OT prophet we have.”

I had heard a little about him, I listened to part of a sermon online once, but I knew that he had a reformed perspective yet was a huge proponent for biblical revival. I was excited at even the mention of revival. I see a luke warmness, or a coldness in the general sense around the things of God for most people, around fellowship of the believer, and around loving one another. A love for form but not the substance therein.

FCC is my home church, and we generally don’t have Sunday evening services. There were only a few people from our church there, and several others from the church I believe that sponsored him. ( If anyone has further information about the church that sponsored him I will update this post and post more information. )

I had been told of Dr. Roberts by several friends of “revival” that he had been brought to Kansas City before and Dr. Whitney knew him. So I was slightly prepared for the sermon but I don’t think I was prepared for this little old man to preach with this kind of authority and power.

I will not say I agreed with him 100% on every point but I did for the most part and I believe it’s a message for the church right now and today.

I don’t want to give all of it away but I would encourage you to listen to it.  You can Down Load it here.

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Or you can find it here http://faithcommunity.com/media-center

NOTES

Passage: 2 Samuel 6

(Part I) History of the Removal of Ark from Israel

The ark was out of place for approximately 60 years (taken under Eli, Samuel ruled 20 yrs, Saul ruled 30yrs, David ruled 10 yrs before ark brought back)

The priest Eli was a glutton and did his service from a stool because he was overweight from eating the choice meats that people brought for sacrifice

(Num 4:1-15) the descendants of Kohath had been given specific instructions on proper care for the Ark.

Like Israel, the American Church has taken its direction from the Philistines instead of God’s Word in the “How” to do things.

Believers need to pay close attention to what the Lord has said and then follow God precisely, and not believe that God accepts whatever, however, but God’s word requires obedience.

(Part II) David dancing before the people

The 1st 3 Beatitudes are expressing 3 relationships: poor in spirit (upward), mourning (inward), meek (outward)

David was wearing a linen ephod, the attire of a common man, before God because he wasn’t pretending to be something before men that he admitted he wasn’t before God.

If God is worthy to be worshiped, everything is to be done in the way God commands.

David danced in the street as a common man among common men, visibly humble before God, in himself, and before the people.

There are lots of people in the church who are not willing to admit that they are common men all under the same grace of Jesus Christ.

(Part III) Practical Applications

He has been thrown out of some reformed churches because, after hearing great sermons, and some conferences, Roberts commented that though they have pristine theology, ‘Theology as important as it is, is not all that there is!’ That their churches aren’t churches of prayer.

(1) It’s God’s primary intention that His house be known as a house of prayer -Luke 19:41-47

Almost every evangelical Church in America is making a mockery of corporate prayer.

Unless you humble yourself, you’ll be incensed when someone tells you you’re out of line with Scripture

(2) Eating and drinking damnation to self is a serious issue -1 Cor 11:23-29

(3) John the Baptist knew he was the forerunner of Christ

* ROR set under the ministry of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones > dozen times

* MLJ proscribed a baptism of fire & Holy Spirit -Luke 3:16 (passion, purity & power)

Don’t let the misinformed high-jack this doctrine and application of Scripture, I refuse to dismiss the word of the Lord because someone has carried it to sinful extremes.

The above are notes from the sermon.  This doesn’t cover the whole sermon but offers a bullet point overview of much of what was said.  To make sure you understand though, and gather in all the context in which these things were said I would encourage you to listen to the sermon on your own!

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