Rebuilding Cities

hearts to receive from you and I pray that everything that you want to accomplish will

happen and that no one including me about will stand in your way. We want everything

that your spirit has for us and so we welcome you in Jesus name. Amen. We are going to talk

about rebuilding cities today. So the title of the message is Rebuilding Cities. Rebuilding

cities has always been God's plan A. It's not something that God decided he would do

after everything that happened happened. Right from eternity he has always wanted to rebuild

cities because it says in Revelation chapter 13 8 it says that the Lamb of God was slain

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

before the foundations of the earth were laid and so if Jesus Christ was slain before the

foundations of the earth were laid it is also true then that God always wanted cities. Ancient

ruins he always wanted to restore. Devastated former places he always wanted to raise up.

It is his plan A. It's not something he is doing because this thing didn't go as planned

so now I am going to rebuild. No. It is in the very nature of God as we said last week.

It's in the very nature of God to resurrect. It's in the very nature of God to give life

and therefore it is plan A for God to rebuild cities. Plan A. And the cool part is that

we become part of this plan A. Simple ordinary people get to be part of this plan A that

God has for the earth. So if I follow Jesus and if we follow Jesus we have to follow Jesus

into the thing he is doing which is restoring the fortunes of his people. And when we read

that verse that Psalm 126 1 when we read that verse it almost sounds like God wants to restore

his people as in our fortunes. No no no no. He is restoring the fortunes of the world.

His people is everyone. His people is us here meeting here now and his people is anyone

walking around. And so he wants to restore the fortunes of his people. And then if I

follow Christ I follow him right into this plan. Grand plan that he has which is I am

about restoring the fortunes of my people. And may we become a people who as it says

in Psalm 126 1 it says when God changed the fortunes of his people there was laughter

in our mouths. There were songs of joy on our tongues. That's the direction God is leading

us that can we have laughter just from the sheer fact that God is restoring the fortunes

of his people. There are songs of joy that's springing up here and there and all across

the world because God is restoring. God is rebuilding. And that's what we are going to

talk about today. And there are a few things that I have written down in no particular

order. We will go through them one by one. I think it's already 12.30 so we will see

where we get to. But it's good. Okay. So the Jews thought the Israelites thought that the

redemption plan that God had was just for them. Was just for rebuilding the temple.

Was just for their kingdom to be prosperous. But we know on this side of the cross that

this plan that God has is for the entire earth. So today it's more so for our thinking to

change. For our thinking to be aligned with the ways of the spirit. For our thinking to

be aligned with how God wants us to think. Because everything we have been talking about

hearing about will not happen unless I shift we shift our thinking. Because all of a sudden

we open our eyes to the reality that I am part of something great. That I am part of

something that he is doing across the face of the earth. I wrote it down this way. When

God looks at us. He looks at us and sees his plan for the world through us. So when he

looks at us. When he looks at Pawan. God looks at Pawan and the perspective that God has

is I am looking at him and in him I see my plan for the world around him. And so if all

of us start thinking like this which is whenever God looks at me. Whenever God looks at us.

There is a deep plan. A great plan. A grand plan that he has for me to be part of his

plan. And then I follow him into the places he leads me to. And because this is something

he already wants to do. And all I am saying is yes I am willing then he does the rest.

So he takes pleasure. He takes pleasure in invading cities. He takes pleasure in invading

cities. He takes pleasure in invading cities. With his goodness. With his mercy. With his

joy. With his laughter. He takes pleasure in invading. I want us to see our God like

that today. He is invading cities. He is invading Vancouver. He is invading different parts

of the world. And his plan for different cities are different but it is all to the same end.

It is all to the same goal that he has. But we follow him into that plan. And he restores

the land and then brings healing to the land because that is what he does. That is what

is in his nature. And cities are rebuilt only through a restored people. Cities are rebuilt

only through a restored people. Not a man. Not a woman. Not two. Not three. It is restored

through a people. Yes great things can happen through one person following God. Great things

can happen with two or three people following God. But there is a greater plan that God

has when his church, the entirety of the community of God here in Vancouver, here at Acts 29

there at Vernon, we all gather together and we say this is the plan of God and therefore

I am going to follow him into the very thing he is leading me to. So rebuilding cities

is not done by one person or two people. It is done by a community. And so what God is

doing really in our midst over the last few weeks is this. He is saying shift your thinking

because your life is far greater than what you thought it is. It is not because of your

might or your anything. It is just that your DNA, that which is deposited right inside

you craves for this and it breaks out everything and this reality will come into existence

because that is how I made you. The moment that I received Christ, the moment we received

Christ, this is what happened. The DNA changed. And this DNA has one thing in it. It craves

to see the glory of God on the earth. Not as one person, two people, as a body. That's

what he is doing today. That's what he has been leading us. So I want our thinking to

change to a point where we are always thinking about what do you have for us as a body? How

am I fitting into your plan at Acts 29 in Vernon for the regions of earth? Because it

starts and it always starts with Jerusalem but it doesn't end there. It goes to Judea,

to Samaria, to the ends of the world. So it starts in Vernon, it starts in Vancouver but

then from there it springs into Ottawa. Then from there it goes to Lagos, Nigeria. From

there it goes into Singapore because he doesn't stop. He is just starting. And that's precisely

where we are right now because he is saying this is going to go so fast you better jump

in on the train because this train ain't stopping. And it's preparation time and it's already

started. And we say yes Abba and we follow him. So he restores the fortune of his people

and it is not done by one man or one woman. It is done through a people, through his church.

I want to read Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61 verse 4, they as in we shall build up the

Isaiah 61:4

ancient ruins. They as in we shall raise up the former devastations. We shall repair the

ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. I want us to read that again because this

is what we have been called to. We shall build up. So think about it. Not I, not the two

of us. We shall build up. What? Ancient ruins. We shall raise up the former devastations.

We shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. So because it's in God's

very nature for him to rebuild cities, to rebuild ancient ruins, it will happen. Because

all across some of the verses, we won't read it today, it says it will, it will, they will.

Use confidence that it will. We can't escape the will. It doesn't say it may happen. It

says it will happen. Whether through us or through someone else, it will happen. And

our prayer is that it happens through us. It will happen. The entire earth, Vancouver

will change. Cities will change. It is the truth of God. It is the truth of God. It is

it cannot be stopped. And now we have a choice, which is to jump right into what he is doing.

So we are talking about real things. We are not talking about something that's going to

happen ten years from now. We are talking about something that's happening today. We

are talking about things that are going to be birthed in our spirits tomorrow, which

he has already planted in our hearts. And it's going to happen. So I want us to be aware

of that, that this is not for future. This is for now. So what does rebuilding a city

really look like then? Rebuilding a city is not just transformation, a spiritual transformation

of the city. So think about Vancouver. Let's stick here. When God says I'm going to rebuild

Vancouver through you, he's not just talking about changing the spiritual nature of the

city. He's not just talking about a spiritual transformation that will happen. Because what

happened in the past is we were, and when I say we, the church, sometimes gives soup

to the poor and clothes to the needy and we think that's very good. And so when we move

away from just doing that to this, which is proclaiming the gospel and reaching to people,

it is very natural for us to think that just the spiritual transformation of a city is

what he is interested in. But no, it is a big part of what he is interested in. But

with the church, he wants to do more and we are not going to limit God in what he is doing.

So what does that mean? Well, for Vancouver then, through his church, God wants to change

the landscape of justice. Through his church, God wants to change the landscape of law and

order. Through his church, God wants to birth businesses and things, the systems that are

set up based on the principles of the word. Through his church, he wants to provide solutions

to complex problems. That is rebuilding. So rebuilding, because we started with soup and

clothes, we can't just all of a sudden go and say, oh well, that was all physical. Now

we are all about spiritual and here we go, the spiritual transformation is happening.

It is at the very core of everything that he does, but it is not limited to just that.

It is way more. And we got to tap into this. Rebuilding ancient cities is something he

takes pleasure in. And we look at it in the way he sees it. We are not going to remove

aspects of it and say, this is what I am interested in. So no, this is everything together, everyone

together. We get all of it, all of what he wants to do. So rebuilding is the progression

and establishment of the upside down rule of Christ. I love that verse. It is from Acts

Acts 17 · chapter mention

chapter 17, 6. You don't need to read it, but Paul and Silas are in Thessalonica. And

when Jason is dragged out and taken to the authorities, this is what they say of Jason.

This guy is part of the group of people who have turned everything upside down. So rebuilding

cities, rebuilding cities, rebuilding nations is about the kingdom of God, which is turning

everything upside down, invading into a place, into a people. And it happens through us.

It's not limited to just the spiritual and just the soup and just the clothes. It changes

everything. My goodness, this is the God we serve. So he is not just something or someone

who can be limited to just one thing and one box. He is greater. He is good. He is Yahweh.

We heard from Eric about God, the God of Ezekiel, the God of Jacob, the God of Abraham is our

God. And when he rebuilds something, he does it in style and he does it well and he does

it not for one year or two years. He does it forever so that his glory will permeate

and take a hold of everything there is. That is who he is. That is his truth. And this

is not us saying it because we feel like it. This is what is in the word. And because the

word is true and I am, I am wrong and you are wrong, but because the word is true. And

if we align ourselves with the word, everything that we say then is true and it will come

to pass. It is the truth. It is the truth because he said so. It is the truth. So what

are some blueprints? How do we rebuild? You rebuild accurately if you carry God's heart

for the city. You rebuild accurately if you carry God's heart for the city. And what

he wants to do in Vancouver is different from what he wants to do in Keefe, which is different

from what he wants to do in Lagos, which is different from what he wants to do in Nigeria,

which is different from what he wants to do in another place. And if I can grab onto this

truth and his heart, then I can rebuild with him. Accurately catching God's heart. So Joshua

was ready to lead because he arrived at a place where he understood God's heart because

he looked at what was happening and over a period of time, Joshua got it. He understood

that this God operates this way with his people. And because he carried his heart, he could

lead them. And for us to go into cities and for us to rebuild, what we need to do is get

ahold of his heart for that city. Get ahold of what he wants to do in that city. And we

do it for his pleasure. We don't do it for anything else. We don't rebuild for the sake

of rebuilding. This is how it's supposed to work, so this is what I'm doing. We do it

for the sake of his pleasure. Because we get pleasure from God. We get pleasure from God.

We get pleasure by him having pleasure in what he accomplishes, in what he does. And

something we've talked about already over the last few weeks, God always has specific

directives on how he wants to do it. And we can't miss it. This is the God who told the

Old Testament people, this is how I want the tabernacle to be built. It had specifications.

Do we think that this very God who then rebuilds cities doesn't have directives? He has directives.

And we can rebuild without it. But it won't be complete. And it won't be good enough.

And people do that. And there is a chance that if we are not careful, we could do the

same. So when we rebuild with him, we look for his directives. We look for what do you

want to achieve, Abba? What are you showing us for this city? So even right now, I want

us to think along these lines because these things have to translate into real physical

things that we touch and taste and see here in Vancouver. And which ever city God puts

in your heart. And so what is your heart, Father? What do you want to do? Let's read Ezekiel chapter 22-30.

Ezekiel 22 · chapter mention

Here is what it says. It says, God is looking, I look for someone among them. God is looking

for someone among us who will build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf

of the land. So I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. And may this not be

the case where God looks for people to stand in the gap like Aaron did between the dead

and the living. God is always looking. And what he is doing with us, he is preparing

us to be a people who stands in the gap. Where we are between the dead and the living. Where

we are the ones who say, we will stand in the gap for you. We will stand in the gap

on behalf of those who are dead or are dying so that they can live. And when we talk about

getting the heart of God, it goes from just what do you want about Vancouver to a place

of us really receiving God's heart for the city. That's how Nehemiah wept. Because he

is in the palace and he could well say, you know what, I am here for such a time as this,

right in the palace. But he didn't say I am here for such a time as this. He looked at

the state of Jerusalem and he said nothing. He just wept. And so this, can we see how

beautiful this is? Because it goes beyond what we are naturally inclined to do. And

it goes into us dying to ourselves and him taking over. Which is what he takes pleasure

in. And may we become a people like that. I am not. I am not. May we become a people

like that. Who actually get a hold of his heart in that manner for cities, for nations.

And it's absolutely possible. It's absolutely possible. And God is looking for a people

like that on earth. Who gets his heart and then schemes with him, plans with him to then

build it the way he wants to do it. Number two, when God sends his people into a city

or a nation, they are to tear down what needs to be torn down. You cannot build unless you

tear down certain things. You cannot build because what you are after is cities and people.

And they will be contested for. And so when we go in, when we look at a city, when we

rebuild a city, we have to on one hand like those in the book of Nehemiah, we have to

like those in the book of Nehemiah. On one hand we have bricks with which we build.

And on the other hand we have weapons that God has put in our hands. And so we build

and we destroy. We destroy that which needs to be destroyed as the spirit of God leads

us. And then on the other hand we build. We build everything he wants to build. So we

need to have that mindset too in that this is not just about building whatever he wants

to build. Because there is no true building of what he wants to do unless you are also

involved with him in destroying that which needs to be destroyed. In tearing down that

which needs to be torn down. A couple of references. Jeremiah 1.10. I have said to you, I have

said to you this day, over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down,

to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. You see where the building and the

planting comes? I have said to you this day, Acts 29, over nations and over kingdoms, for

what about for rebuilding cities? Yes. But how do we do it? We do it by plucking up and

breaking down. By destroying and overthrowing. And then building and planting. So that's

how he trains us. Because in all of these things he is training our hands for war. Which

is again in the DNA of every believer. We have gone far to, this is something that Jacob

has always talked about. One of the things, and I am not saying it for the sake of saying

it because I don't need to. But one of the things about Acts 29 is that Jacob demands

a lot of us. And it's really God's nature. It's not something that's just how our pastor

is. It is how God is. This is who God is. It's, what are we reading? How can we do this

without him? It's not natural when we get, when we are born we don't get into these things.

It is him. It is his way of doing it. He demands a lot. Christ demands a lot. And now it can

be our pleasure to say yes to everything that he is demanding of us. I want to go through

this real quick. So we will go through this one by one. Next one is cities are rebuilt

through ordinary people. We talked about restored people. We talked about church. But we need

to think of it as cities are built through ordinary people who serve an extraordinary

God. That's how he builds cities. And within the community that builds there will be different

roles for different people. But they are all ordinary. And I like talking about it because

we need to think like that. Where there is no division between where we are at and where

we think someone should be for them to partake in what God is doing. Tear it down. Because

if you follow Christ and if you have the Spirit of God living inside you it is natural for

us to participate in these things. Next, obedience, and this is important, obedience is more important

than perceived results. Obedience is far more important than perceived results. We cannot

measure the effectiveness of what we are doing by just looking at the perceived results.

Why do I say that? Well this is what happened across centuries with people who believed

in him. Sometimes when they started they didn't see much. But when they kept at it,

kept at it, kept at it, kept at it, they saw what God promised. But the problem is when

we now read it we don't see it like that. Because the moment you start reading about

Moses you are like, oh wow. The moment you start reading about Joseph it's like great.

But for those guys when they lived it, they lived it pretty differently. It's just like

Ezekiel. Look at Ezekiel's side of the story. It's kind of different from how you read

it. And this is important guys. I'm telling you, for us as we go out, obedience to the

voice of Christ, obedience to the Spirit of God is far more important than perceived results.

Results will come. But obedience is far more important than perceived results. Please read

Galatians, you know what, don't read it. I'll read it out loud. You can write it down if

you want to. Galatians chapter 6 verse 9, this is what it says, and let us not grow

Galatians 6:9

weary of doing good for in due season we will reap. It doesn't stop there. If we do not

give up. Next one. Do not forget the significance of one's soul. Because the moment we start

talking about nations and cities and his kingdom and his rule advancing, it is so easy to lose

track of what he considers to be the most important thing in the world. And that is

the moment we start talking about the most important thing in the world. And that is

to lose track of what he considers important, which is one's soul. Jesus died for all, but

Jesus would also die if the rest of humanity neglected him and just one person said yes.

He will still die. So we cannot ignore, because when the plan gets bigger and what he is giving

us gets bigger, we can't ignore, forget the reality, the significance of just one person.

Jesus demonstrated this. His great mission and then what does he do? He leaves the disciples

to wherever, go get some food, because I've got a mission right here to meet with a woman

who is by the well, who is going to come, and she is going to come to draw water. And

with just this one lady, just this one woman, I am going to give her what I have, because

through her, an entire village is going to come to know about me. Do not forget the significance

of one soul. Just the way he builds, just the way he does. And rebuilding requires the

compassion of Jesus Christ. We've got to be moved with compassion. And that's the work

that he does in our hearts. Because some of us may say, oh I am this compassionate, I

am a little more compassionate, maybe I am less compassionate. But the truth is, he changes

our hearts when we say come change our hearts. And he makes it flesh. Number seven. I want

us to give ourselves a new name. And this new name is serial soul. And we are going

to be a serial sower. Sewing seeds, serial. Serial entrepreneurs, let's be serial sewers.

People who sow seeds, Prashanth and Pavan are looking at each other because we talked about

this yesterday. See people who, because again, when we read Matthew chapter 13, it's so easy

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

for us again to read through that whole parable about seed and sower and land and the soil

and different types of soil and all of that. And most often when we look at it, what we

think about and how we understand it is like this. It is when God says something, if you

have a good heart that is receptive, then everything that he sows will come and bear

fruit. But that whole chapter is about the kingdom of God. And it's not just about God

sowing seeds. What you also see is a guy who is going around sowing seeds wherever God

says. He doesn't say, I'm not going to sow seeds here on this rock and on this hard ground

because that's like, no. He sows there. And then he goes and he sees a fertile land, he

sows there. He sows everywhere God directs him to sow. That is the kingdom. Because sometimes

we make these stories about when I listen to God, I want to be like this. No man, it's

far more greater than that. It's about us being serial sowers. We have seed in our hands

all the time and we sow seed wherever, whenever he asks us to. When we wake up, think of us

like that. When you wake up, think of yourself like I've got seed in my hands that God has

given me which brings life. And wherever I go today, I'm going to deposit, I'm going

to sow this seed. Next. I'm going to sow this seed. I'm going to sow this seed. I'm going

to sow this seed. Expect creative solutions to complex problems. When we walk with God,

expect creative solutions to complex problems. Where does this come from? We won't read it,

but 2 Kings chapter 2, 19 to 21. A bunch of guys come to Elijah, I think, and they come

2 Kings 2 · chapter mention

and say, you know what, this land is kind of good, but the water is bad and no fruits

grow here. That's the problem of Jericho, I think. Here's the problem of Jericho. It's

kind of good, but there's one huge problem here and the huge problem that we have here

is the water is pretty bad. And along with that, we have fruits that won't bear, trees

that won't bear fruits. And Elijah's response is, come with a bowl. Put salt in it. And

I'm going to take the salt and I'm going to put this into the stream and that will heal

the land. So solutions that God has for very complex problems are not the ways of the world.

And we have to open our minds because our God is a creative God. He works in ways we

don't think. That is the real meaning of your ways are higher. Where everything around us

tells us this is exactly how it happens. Every city, every nation, every time it happened,

like this, steps, five steps to making it right. A, B, C, D, E. And then God says one

word and that one word is enough to do everything and more because that's who he is.

Next one. Become conduits of justice. We talked about it a couple of weeks ago where we said,

we have to be known, Acts 29, we have to be known for what we stand for. The Church of

Jesus Christ has to be known for what they stand for. Conduits of justice. Because oftentimes

we are known for what we don't like. Mark is kind of a weird guy because whenever he

comes into work he doesn't participate in this and that. It's kind of weird. It's kind

of difficult to talk with him. Derrick is like that. He kind of steps away from all

of these things. I don't really know why he does that. That's how most people tell about

us. But how they should talk about us is he doesn't participate in that but he stands

up for this. It's a big difference. It is a big difference for the Church of Jesus Christ

to be known for what they stand for rather than just what they do not align with. In

all of this, Psalm 127, 1, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build

it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. So father, with everything

that we are talking about, everything that we want to do, we recognize that if we go

down this path with our human strength and our human thinking, we will not do what you

actually want us to do. So even right now as we hear your word which says, unless God

builds, they labor in vain, we don't want to be people who labor in vain because we

are not building as you want us to build or because you are not with us. God is with us

all the time but we have to build it as per he wants us to build. Then what we build will

not be in vain. And when he guards the city, the watchman keeps awake. When he doesn't

guard the city, they keep awake in vain. Let's read, I want to read a verse but read

it in the message version just for our minds to hear it like that. I'll just read it out

loud. I say chapter 58, 9-12 but we'll skip over the first few verses here. You can just

listen to me. The last couple of verses is like this. I will always show you where you

go or where to go. I will give you a full life in the emptiest of places, firm muscles,

strong bones. You will be like a well watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs

dry. You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew. Rebuild the foundations out

of your past. Listen to this guys, can we aspire for this? You will be known, Acts 29,

as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate. And here's the

best part, and make communities livable again. You will be known, Acts 29, as those who can

fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, and make communities livable again.

So beautifully written. Let's think together. You will be known, Acts 29, as people who

can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, and make communities livable

again. So I want to go back to something I said earlier. The time to rebuild is now.

It's not a few days out, a few months out, it's right now. This is the time to rebuild.

This is the time to jump in on this train that he is headed in a direction, and he ain't

stop. When Jacob talked about the revival, I remember him saying something along, something

like this, not sure exactly the words he used, but he said something like, at certain

points in history, God does certain things. And it's not like anyone can stop God other

times, but when he is so specifically wanting to achieve something, no one can stop him.

It's almost like the flood is coming. You can't stop, you can stand in the way, you

can try to make it crack here and there. The flood is coming and you can't stop it. You

can't stop it. The flood is coming and when the flood comes, everything is washed away.

That's kind of the image that we need to have in our minds. I need to, we'll wrap up because

it's one, but I want us to make this now for our cities. So for Vancouver, let's think.

For the cities that God has put in your hearts, where you know that he has always given you

dreams for certain nations, because nations are impacted through cities. Nations are impacted

through cities. Canada is impacted through a Vernon and a Vancouver and a Montreal and

an Ottawa. That's how Canada is affected. Nations are impacted and transformed through

cities. That's why we're talking about rebuilding cities, but the idea is not to just rebuild

cities. The idea is to rebuild nations and the idea is to fill the earth with the glory

of God. So here is what Nehemiah did in the Old Testament. He did this. When he found

out that the walls of Jerusalem was broken down, what he did is he went around examining

the walls. He wasn't really, I'm coming back to Jerusalem from the palace because I was

feeling God say, let's go. There is a rebuild happening. Let's participate in that. Everything

all get on? Okay. That there is a rebuilding happening. That's so I'm out here. I'm doing

it. No. He comes out of Jerusalem with this focus, with this thing of, I'm going to examine

what's happening. I'm going to see what God is showing and then I'm going to build how

he wants me to build. So for us in Vancouver, we cannot rebuild Vancouver unless we carry

God's heart and we examine what is actually happening. It's not happening. Otherwise

all of this becomes words and it stops there. We've got to examine what is happening in

our cities. That's how it starts. So do this for yourselves. So let's say you're in a city

where you live. What are the things that God is putting in your heart for the cities that

we come from, for where we live? What are the things that are peculiar that are so innate

in the way you are that God puts in your heart? And how can you gather people around you and

then you go about doing what he asks you to do? That's how it works. So within Acts 29,

what I believe is that our house churches and our hubs and our different groups, they're

all going to go out and explore the way God wants us to explore in a nice way. That's

how it works. Not one person, not two people, but all of these communities. That's the reason

why we are put together. Because the house church that meets in this place, all of a

sudden they are attentive to the spirit of God and how God wants to operate and all of

a sudden God says, for Vancouver, here is my agenda through you. And then we work together

as a family, as a community of believers, and we go in the direction that God has set

for us and we'll see things that he wants to accomplish. So that's how we put this into

practice. Vancouver, examining. I read something, I don't know if you guys know this, I know

we know this, but it's good to put it in these words about Vancouver as an example. We talk

about empty homes. But there are more empty stomachs in Vancouver than empty homes. But

we hear and read more about empty homes. Is that right or wrong? 100% right. You read

about Vancouver in the light of housing prices are inflating, it's difficult to buy a house,

and empty homes, foreign buyers, that's the media. But there are more empty stomachs in

Vancouver than empty homes. Examining the walls of the city, examining what is happening

in the city and communities within, taking on things that God is giving to go out and

transform. Not just, not rebuild, but rebuild the way he wants to rebuild. And these are

not events, they are spirit directed lifestyles that we take on. I want to stop with last

two verses because in all of this, because God is intentional and because God is who

God is. I want you to listen to this. Matthew 16, 18, I will build my church and the gates

of hell will not prevail or overcome. So when God gives us assignments to do and when God

leads us a certain path, he says, I will build it and the gates of hell will not prevail

or overcome. Genesis chapter 22, 17, I will bless you and your children will possess the

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

gates of the enemy. This is the God we serve. He doesn't just send us and say, God do it.

He comes with us and his promises will keep us and his nature is with us. His word will

sustain us. And it all comes together when we say yes, Abba, we'll go. Not alone, but

together. I'll stop there. See, five minutes only. 105. So, I want to say, I want to say

this. Diana, do you want to come up and pray? When Diana comes up to pray, please don't

think that this is done. When she comes up to pray, listen to what she's praying. First

hear it and then there is going to be slides up here for us to pray together. It's a crafted

prayer that she has written down. I think I'll let Diana speak to it, but please be

attentive. Please pray together.

Hello. Derek asked me to craft a prayer for the cities and that's all he said. And my

response, because it came on Friday night, was I don't know if I'll have time. Can I

let you know in the morning? Like it was, I don't know if I can do this. Because my

weekend has been really busy. But in the morning I was woken up and God gave me something

to, he wanted us to pray. So this is kind of like asking for God's directives. Like

this is not something I came up with. This is what God wanted for us. So I sent what

God had shown me and had written down to Derek and he advised me on a change I should make

and I did and I agreed with it. And then in order to keep it more interesting for you

we decided we would involve you in a prayer as well. So part of this will be you listening

to me speak. Part of it will be the mic being passed around so you can actually read what's

up here. And there are several different sections of the prayer because we're talking to specific

groups of people. And it's a prayer but it's also talking to the people, calling the people

in for Christ. So here goes. God, thank you for your presence in our lives and for your

great love for us. What you have given us is beyond our comprehension and certainly

nothing we have earned. And we long for others to be connected with you too. So Father, thank

you for sharing your heart for the city with us, for continuing to deepen our understanding

of your love for the lost, which each of us was until we heard your heart's cry of

love and your come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

And we responded by choosing to surrender our disbelief and our baggage of sin, guilt,

rebellion, hurt, despair, self-determination and everything else that was keeping us from

you and found ourselves in life-giving relationships with you, our rock and redeemer. And we acknowledge

that there is nothing we did to earn any of this except listen, believe and then surrender

and admit that we need you. So Father, we pray specifically for our city, the one we

live in, whether that be one in our local greater Vancouver area or one in other parts

of the world that listeners are in. We begin like David did in Psalm 103 reminding ourselves

of who you are, God. You forgive sins instead of treating us as our sins deserve. And you

separate us from all our sins. You heal our diseases. You redeem us from hell. You crown

us with love and mercy. You renew our lives. You put victims back on their feet. You show

us your plans. You are slow to anger and rich in love. You don't nag and hold grudges.

You are like a parent and are for those who fear you. You know us inside and out. We come

and go but your love is forever and you make things right. God, you are our king and we

bless you. Thank you, Lord, for your great love and mercy. Thank you for including us

in your plans of rescue and redemption in life and for your spirit who un-dwells us

with the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead. And knowing these things,

we pray for the cities that we call home and for the people in the cities. God, I thank

you for the people you have your eyes on and are chasing after. For those who are actively

seeking you and for those who are actively hiding from you. For those who are currently

disinterested and unaware. And for those who are actively doing battle against you and

your kingdom. God, we acknowledge that there is not one of these individuals that you have

not already paid the price for. Even the vilest offenders. And we ask, Lord, that you soften

their hearts and prepare them to hear and accept the news that you love them and the

invitation that you offer to them to become your children. And if you can put the things

on here. The mic is going to be passed around. I'm just going to randomly pass it to somebody.

How many of you love to read? A few of you love to read. Okay, you guys are going to

be doing, be reading. So Karen, I'm going to pass the mic to you first and then you

can hand it to whoever you want to from there for the next one. So each one of these where

it says we call out to those who, we speak to those who, that's the start of a new section.

We call out to those who need rescuing from anyone or from anything. Be it from physical

danger or abuse to mental turmoil, fear, addictions, or simply from lives of mediocrity or unending

sameness and responsibility or any other bondage. Know that rescue has come. Jesus the Christ

has paid the price for your freedom and redemption. Come out. We call you into his presence and

freedom. Amen. We speak to those who believe lies about God. Either that he doesn't exist,

he does, that the Bible is not trustworthy, it is, or that you don't need him, you do.

We speak open ears, eyes, and spirits so that you can see new truths and new realities including

the realities that God does exist and that you are lost without Christ and he loves you.

Amen. We speak to those who don't recognize a need for God and we call you to a discontent

with your plenty into an awareness of your lack. And we break any mindset that promises

that the answer to your discontent is more stuff, more activity, and more anything that

is not God. Amen. We call you into a hunger for God and we speak to your heart and mind

and spirit. Be drawn to the things of God. Amen. We speak to those who know God but are

floundering and remind you that God is alive and is active. We speak to your heart, spirit,

and eyes and say be open in the name of Jesus, start walking. Amen. We speak to all those

in the city who have not yet heard and responded as well as to those who need a reminder, Jesus

loves you. He wants a personal relationship with you. Talk to him. And Father, I ask that

you would direct us to be the ones, to be these ones so that they can never say that

no one told them the good news. Amen. We speak to each other, to us that already know you

and want more of you. Step up. Trust that the Holy Spirit living in you is indeed the

spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. That same resurrection spirit is still and always

will able to bring life from the dead things and is fully able to use your words and my

words, our words, to bring about great changes for the kingdom. Speak with your mouth, believe

in your heart, and others will believe and be delivered from death to life. Amen. Amen.

And together from our position of being seated at the right hand of God with Christ the risen

Lord even as we walk on the streets of our city and knowing that the Holy Spirit who

brought everything out of nothing and raised Christ from the dead indwells us and empowers

us to do greater things. We speak to the enemy and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. This

city belongs to him. He will reign and we, his church, will prevail. The church is God's

and is built on the rock. The gates of hell shall not prevail. This promise is sure. God

does not lie. So Almighty God, our Father, we ask that you would empower us to do both

the easy things and the impossible ones and use us to reach those you are calling in the

cities we are in. And we ask that those you call would respond, that none would be left

behind, and that you would equip and prepare us for the harvest so that it would be gathered

in with no one overlooked or lost. And we thank you for each one. Amen.