House of Prayer

Challenges for the Church:

1. Church online replacing live participation
2. Threat of terrorism
3. Emerging generation of un-churched people
4. Truth being exchanged for lies
   2 Timothy 4:3-4 NKJ
   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
   according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they
   will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears
   away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
   Matthew 21:12-16 NIV
   Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying
   and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers
   and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to
   them, “’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are
   making it ‘a den of robbers.’” The blind and the lame came to him at
   the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the
   teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children
   shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they
   were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they
   asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips
   of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Four Things Release When a Church Becomes a “House of
Prayer”:

1. Presence of God
   “A lot of Christians are living analog lives with a high definition God!”
   Acts 2:1-2 NIV
   When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
   Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from
   heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
   Acts 2:3-4 NIV
   They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and
   came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy
   Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled
   them.
2. Passion for God

Four Temperatures People Live in With God:

1. Cold: God is irrelevant; church is irrelevant; all that matters is
   what’s happening in their world
2. Lukewarm: neither cold nor hot
   Revelation 3:15-16 NKJ
   “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you
   were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither
   cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
3. Warm: involved with church – tithes, serves, worships, etc. but no
   real FIRE for God!
4. Hot: IN PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF GOD’S PRESENCE, POWER
   AND PURPOSE FOR THEIR LIVES!

3. Power of God
   Acts 2:41-43 NKJ
   Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day
   about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued
   steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of
   bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many
   wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
   Acts 4:31-33 NKJ
   And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled
   together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and
   they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of
   those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did
   anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but
   they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles
   gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace
   was upon them all.
4. Purposes of God
   Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG
   It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.
   Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his
   eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall
   purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.