Church Breakthrough

THE CHURCH BREAKTHROUGH

What is a breakthrough?

David described his victory over the Philistines like the powerful force experienced when water breaks over the banks of a river or like a tsunami that washes away everything in its way, so shall the church breakthrough shall be. Whatever the need, the Lord your God, is the Lord of Your breakthrough. The Word of God shows us what others have done to receive their breakthrough from God. Let’s see what Church can do to receive her breakthrough. Church persecution brings about her breakthrough.

EXAMPLES OF CHURCH PERSECUTIONS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1.       Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were persecuted because they refused to worship the image of the king (Daniel 3:1 ).

2.       Old Testament Israel was the agent of persecution of nations (Judges 2:11-23; Leviticus 26:7-8 )

3.       Israelites’ fate in Egypt (Exodus 1-3 )

4.       Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews Esther 3:5-8

EXAMPLES OF CHURCH PERSECUTIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1.       Paul (1 Corinthians 4:11-13; Acts 23:12-35 ),

2.       Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60 ),

3.       James (Acts 12:2 ), and

4.       Peter (Acts 12:3-5 ), together with many anonymous.

Jesus pronounced God's salvation upon those who are persecuted for righteousness sake

(Matthew 5:10-12 ).

Our breakthrough will be our ability to overcome persecution and further the gospel to the next generation. All these people achieved breakthrough and their breakthrough is the existence of the Church today. The church can achieve a breakthrough today as our predecessors achieved their and kept the faith till today through the following:

PREPAREDNESS

1. Ask the Lord what to do. Be prepared to seek the Lord.

Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, and then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer. — 2 Samuel 5:17-25

David needed to fight and win the battle against the Philistines who had come after him. So David (as he often did) asked God what to do before going out to battle. He realized that he was in a better position whenever he consulted God. He not only asked what to do but he did as God directed. God gave him strategy on how best to defeat his enemies.

For the church to receive breakthrough we need to ask God and then step out in faith and in obedience to do as God said. God is the Master Strategist and has the upper-hand over the enemy, follow His leading and you will be victorious and rejoice.

COMMITMENT

2. Make a vow or commitment to do something for the Lord. —1 Sam. 1:1-20

Hannah desperately wanted a child. Being taunted by her rival about her barrenness didn’t make it easy to bear. Hannah poured her heart out to God. She wept her prayer and made a vow to the Lord to give back when she received her breakthrough. She offered to God the thing she wanted the most – a child.

What a commitment!

What about you? Don’t be reserved. If you have to cry, then cry but let God know your burden and express your desire to Him (vs.10). If you are as determined as Hannah was about receiving her breakthrough, maybe you too need to make a commitment to the Lord. Is there an area in which you’ve been meaning to serve but haven’t yet? Is there something you will sacrificially vow to give to the Lord? I’ve seen friends vow their first pay check to the Lord when they needed an income stream and God blessed them. What can you vow? Make a vow to the Lord and when you receive your breakthrough be sure to follow through.

The church has to making choices that are different from that of the world. It includes a healthy fear of God that will keep us from sin. However, holiness primarily is a commitment of the heart to follow God above all else. This will include choosing to obey God’s leading to pray for someone even if you are afraid they will mock us or afraid that God will not come through.

What do we love more, God or our comfort? Obey God rather than men Acts 5:29

FASTING AND PRAYER

3. If you want to get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done before and fast your prayer.   —Esther 4:13-17  Esther fasted and prayed to save her life and those of the Jews. She did something she never did before – she risked her life for the sake of her people by going before the king uninvited. However, before she took that risk, she and her people prepared themselves – they fasted and prayed to God for three days. Why? She knew only God could touch the heart of the king and give her favor with him. Do you need to take some risk? Do you need to mix your prayers with fasting? As Jesus said there are some situations that would need prayer and fasting to bring deliverance, to be resolved or for breakthrough to come, the Church need to Examine their life and the circumstances they are experiencing? Have they tried different ways to deal with their problems but they still prevail?

Consider spending time in prayer and fasting. Even a commitment to skip a meal for a season would help bring light to the situation.

STEADFASTNESS

4. Be willing to wrestle with God all night.       —Gen. 32:22-32

Jacob wrestled with God all night to receive his breakthrough. For him it wasn’t about money; he was wealthy. He needed a transformation in his life. His breakthrough was about getting a blessing that would change him from the inside out.  Jacob held unto God all night until He blessed him. And God blessed Him and changed him from being known as a trickster or swindler (someone who couldn’t be trusted) to being a prince with God.

1.       What life transformation do we need as a church?

2.       Are there areas in our life that remain stagnant or become worse?

3.       Do we have character issues or a reputation that stains us wherever we go?

4.       Are we willing to stay up all night seeking the Lord to receive our breakthrough? To wrestle with God is to passionately pursue Him and have an encounter with Him that changes our life and perspective.

5.       Maybe seeking God in the night season when there are no distractions and you can fully focus on Him is the answer to your breakthrough.

6.       Don’t let go until God blesses you.

GOD'S PROMISES

5. Your heart must hold onto the promise. Mathew 16:18

Speak God’s word over our life not matter how bad it looks. —Joshua 1:8

Abraham believed God for his breakthrough – to have a son and become the father of many nations. In Gen. 12:1-3, the Lord gave Abraham (then Abram) promise that he would be the father of many nations. Years passed and in Gen. 15:1-6, Abraham confronts God about the promise because the only heir in his house was his servant’s child and Sarah wasn’t pregnant yet. God assured him of the promise, made a covenant with him and changed his name from Abram to Abraham (father of many nations). God also gave him a visual – the stars – to help him understand the vastness of the promise. Then Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. When Abraham is about to sacrifice his only son (Gen. 22), God reiterates His promise with two visuals – the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. All those years, can you imagine, Abraham had to hold that promise but God gave him the tools to do it: his new name along with the visual of the stars and sand. In everyday conversation he was being reminded of the promise every time someone called his name. He was being reminded of the promise when he felt the sand under his feet and gazed at the stars at night.

For the church to get the breakthrough we have to hold unto the promise of God as Jesus said that the gets of hell shall not prevail against the church.

Considering the persecution of Church from the first century:

- Persecution under Nero (64-68). Traditional martyrdoms of Peter and Paul.

- Persecution under Domitian (81-96).

- Persecution under Trajan (112-117). Christianity is outlawed but Christians are not sought out.

- Persecution under Marcus Aurelius (161-180). Martyrdom of Polycarp.

- Persecution under Septimus Severus (202-210). Martyrdom of Perpetua.

- Persecution under Decius (250-251). Christians are actively sought out by requiring public sacrifice. Could buy certificates (libelli) instead of sacrificing. Martyrdoms of bishops of Rome, Jerusalem and Antioch.

- Persecution under Valerian (257-59). Martyrdoms of Cyprian of Carthage and Sixtus II of Rome.

- Persecution under Maximinus the Thracian (235-38).

- Persecution under Aurelian (r. 270–275).

- Severe persecution under Diocletian and Galerius (303-324).

In all these persecution they were unable to stop the church.

We have to hold to the Word – meditate on it day and night and live it out in our life (Joshua 1:8). You have to keep speaking in faith what God promised you (Heb. 4:14)We must hold fast (keep speaking) that confession until your breakthrough happens.

SELF EXAMINATION

6. Examine your heart (rather ask the Holy Spirit to examine you) and ask for forgiveness where you have fallen.       —Psalm 51

Nothing severs our relationship with God like sin. Sin not only brings a barrier between you and God but it stops the blessing (Deut. 28:15-68). David is an excellent example for us. He wasn’t a perfect man, yet God calls him a man after His own heart. I believe one of the reasons he says this of David is because he was quick to repent whenever he faltered (2 Sam. 12:1-15).

Today, though we are under a better covenant than David was we too sin at times. However, God is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you (give you the ability to overcome the temptation) from all unrighteousness (1 <st1:bcv_smarttag>John 1:9). Don’t let sin come between you and the wonderful relationship you have with God. Be quick to forgive and be quick to ask for forgiveness. It is needed to continue in right relationship with God and to experience your breakthrough.

TAKING  ACTIONS

7. Take actions and ignore what others may say.  —Mark 10:46-52

Bartimaeus needed a breakthrough – he wanted what he never had before – the ability to see. He was known for who he was – a blind man begging on the road side. Vision is something we take for granted but for him not being able to see meant living below standard and having to beg at the wayside in order to live. No vision was darkness over him – no work, begging all the time, being out in the scorching sun, being snubbed and ridiculed. Bartimaeus wanted more and saw the opportunity when he heard that Jesus was passing by. He was not willing to let this moment pass him by. He yelled out to Jesus until he got his attention. He ignored the naysayers and kept shouting until Jesus took notice of him. Then Jesus asked Bartimaeus … “What do you want me to do for you?”

For the church to get breakthrough we need to step out from our comfort zones. Taking the right actions against the church ugly situations. Decision to change the church, revive the church, equip the church and also impart the church.

To take action we need to consider these four points

(1) Collective Effort

The church should come together to work as one and forgetting their differences 

“For just as we have in one body many members, but the members do not all have the same function, so we, although many, are one body in union with Christ, but members belonging individually to one another.” – Romans 12:4,5b– Ecclesiastes 4:9,10

(2) Specific Prayers for church breakthrough

Our prayers must be a distinct expression of definite need, not a vague appeal to His mercy or an indefinite cry for blessing but specifically on breakthrough

(3) Persistent Efforts Luke 11:5-8

Stressing our need with persistence

(4) General Fasting & Prayers

Jesus declares that miracles should be a normal experience for a praying Christian, but Christians

(5) Making room for a breakthrough (Faith)

But in chapter 54, He says to Israel, at a time when their life is not going well, and breakthrough doesn’t even seem possible – He says this to them: “Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords . . . strengthen your pegs.”  Why?  “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.  Your descendants” – I mean, they’re in captivity.  “Your descendants [are going to resettle cities and nations.  God is going to use you].”

He’s saying, “You need to make room for the huge and amazing blessing beyond what you can imagine is coming.”  And what I want you to know is that you and I have to do that in our private lives.  We’ve gotten do it in our relational lives.  And we need to make room, even in the Church, to let God work.