Modelling

Your presence is heaven to me.

Guys, so I want to talk about what most everybody in the world is talking about, modeling.

Don't worry, I'm not talking about that kind of modeling, though I would be qualified.

We're talking about this modeling that people talk about with regard to how do we model for post-COVID?

What are the things that should be open? What are the things that should be shut?

What distances should be maintained? How many should gather together?

And so we keep hearing this word modeling.

And so just as the world is doing it, before the world even thinks of it, we as believers need to do it.

And so how do we model for a post-COVID world?

Because the waters are beginning to recede and the rainbow is appearing.

Because the waters are beginning to recede and the rainbow is appearing.

Some parts of this message will not be prophetic as in a prophetic word, but will be prophetic as in the foresight of God.

Yeah? So how do we model for the post-COVID world as churches?

Because the waters are receding and the rainbow is appearing.

And modeling is always based on data.

Modeling is always based on data.

And so it is basically forecasting what to expect and therefore how to prepare.

Modeling is forecasting what to expect and how to prepare for it.

That's what modeling is.

And it comes to these conclusions by extracting data.

So it's based on data and it's forecasting of what to expect and therefore how to prepare.

The church needs to do that.

And man, if there's anyone in a position to do that accurately, it is us.

It is us.

Our data is extracted from Genesis 8 and 9.

Our data is extracted from Genesis 8 and 9, which was what Evan read.

Our data is extracted from Genesis 8 and 9.

And so today we'll look at the broad preparations churches have to make.

The broad preparations churches have to make.

And in the weeks ahead we'll get more specific.

But today we'll deal with the broad preparations that churches have to make.

Yeah?

Any questions?

And so most of the time will be in Genesis 8 and 9.

So when you look at Genesis 8-1, let's begin there.

And so what are we doing here?

We are saying look at Genesis 8 and 9.

There was a time when the world was shut down.

But when the waters began to recede, the rainbow appeared.

And God began to plan for the future.

So what does it look like?

And so we base it on Genesis 8 and 9.

And what we are doing is saying, okay God,

so these are the things you want us as churches to pay attention to.

And so we will decide now to be deliberate in paying attention to these things.

Because you are planning for a post-COVID model.

And the church, before anyone else, should be ready for it.

It is a crying shame when the loudest voices in churchianity are talking doomsday, wealth transfer and revival.

But the loudest voices are not the rightest voices.

So let's look at Genesis 8-1.

So in Genesis 8-1, it talks about how God sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded.

God sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded.

That's what it says in the second half of Genesis 8-1.

That God sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded.

And it is kind of what happened in Acts chapter 2, verse 2 and 3.

Acts 2:2

Where if you read it from the message, it says that Gale force winds hit the house.

And that the wildfire of the spirit began to spread through their ranks.

And so one of the things that we need to be aware of as the waters of COVID recede and the rainbow begins to appear.

One of the things we need to be aware of is that this is the time of the greatest activity of the Holy Spirit.

And it's ironic, not ironic, it is awesome that in 2019, November, December, God very clearly told us at Acts 29 that 2020 will be the year of the Holy Spirit.

I mean, at that time we had no idea.

China had no idea.

Nobody had an idea of what awaited.

And yet around October or November of 2019, God was saying, guys, 2020 for you will be the year of the Holy Spirit.

So begin to know how to open yourself up to receive him like you never have before.

And I want to say to you, as he has always done, guys, sometimes we need to look at the stories of the Bible so that we can figure out on one hand,

the patterns of God and the devices of the devil.

Sometimes I hear preachers that I respect say, we don't have to worry about the devil.

We don't have to pay attention to him, focus on Jesus Christ.

That's nice, but that is not wise.

Nice never means wise.

We are supposed to look at stories in the Bible to figure out, aha, this situation has happened before

because like Solomon said, there's nothing new under the sun.

When you look at stories in the Bible, you begin to see how God is going to respond.

And you also see the devices of the devil because the devil is no creator.

He's very limited. He's finite.

He can only have so many tricks in his bag that he keeps repeating.

It's just packaging.

And then you look at how God moves in situations like this and you realize that in our present predicament,

which has happened many times in the past, how does God move?

And you always find him moving upon the face of the waters.

You always find him moving upon the face of the waters.

He talks about that in Genesis chapter 1, verse 2.

Genesis 1:2

He moved upon the face of the waters.

In John chapter 7, verse 38, Jesus said, hey, come to me

John 7:38

and I will give you waters, the living water, oodles of living water so that it can pour through you.

And then in John 20, verse 21 and 22, Jesus turns to his disciples after he rises from the dead.

John 20:21

And he says, receive the Holy Spirit.

And I'm trying to tie together these three because we need to understand that Acts 29, for sure,

before all this happened, it was told us that this is the year of the Holy Spirit.

As the wind begins to blow over the earth again, the waters will recede

and we will begin to see the activity of the Spirit in our lives and through our lives like we have never seen before.

I look forward to December sometimes when stuff like this is spoken

to look back and see did it really happen.

So every morning, like I've said in past teachings, open your arms wide and say to God, I receive your Spirit.

I receive your Spirit this morning.

Let what Jesus said in John 7, verse 37 come to pass where he bursts through us

John 7:37

because he's moving over the waters, man.

You know, it's this idea of running with the wind of the Spirit.

Zechariah 6, 8 talks about these four winds symbolized by chariots being pulled.

And there is this one chariot that is pulled by black horses that begins to head towards the north.

And you hear God saying, see the wind of my Spirit that has headed towards the north has given rest to my Spirit in the north.

There is this idea of moving with the Spirit post-COVID.

Guys, this is when the church has always been meant to arise.

This is Isaiah 60, arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Isaiah is saying it to the rest of the world.

Great darkness covers the earth, but greater is the glory of God.

Through whom? Who carries the glory of God now?

I don't know how far this message will reach.

But I'm telling you, man, these messages are going forth.

I got this picture of horses running, eh?

And it's a very simple picture.

But you can see as one horse begins to turn, the rest of them begin to turn.

Is it on screen?

This picture of horses?

Oh, don't worry about it if it's not.

Josh is eating far away today.

I can hear spoons and forks and coke cans opening, but he's eating far enough.

So you can't really hear him.

Is it Josh or is it me?

It's Josh, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, Josh, could you come here for a second?

I just want to show you a picture of a horse.

It's a picture of a horse.

It's a picture of a horse.

Can you come here for a second?

I just want to show you guys, for whatever reason, I mean, I don't know whether we planned it or not.

I don't remember.

But everyone seems to be wearing a Canuck jersey around here.

So this is Josh.

I can smell the food off you.

Yeah, I have that picture on my phone.

And every time I look at it, I think of Spirit of God.

Every time you begin to turn, an entire group of people must begin to shift.

And if you, I mean, there's that Newsboys song.

I don't know if you've heard of that famous group.

It's one of Jane's favorite groups.

And so when you veer left, then veer left.

When you veer right, you veer right.

And so there's a sense of doing exactly that.

OK.

That's the first thing that we need to pay attention for.

How do we model based on data?

How do we forecast what to expect?

And how do we prepare for it?

One of the first things is this will be a time of unprecedented spirit activity.

The second thing is, guys, in Genesis 8-9, and this is really bothersome, eh?

Genesis 8-9, Noah sends out a raven and a dove in order to determine the conditions on earth.

Genesis 8 verse 9, Noah sends out a raven and then a dove

Genesis 8:9

in order to determine the conditions on earth.

And he sends them out a few times.

And why is it that a man who received directions from God

regarding the corruption of the earth, regarding the building of the ark,

regarding the impending storm,

regarding what kind of animals to bring into the ark,

why is it that the same man who received directions from God

regarding everything is now resorting to birds

to figure out when it is time to step on the earth?

Moses fell into the same trap in Deuteronomy 1-22.

We often think that the spies were God's idea.

The twelve spies that were sent out were God's idea.

The twelve spies were a result of Moses listening to the demand of the people

who wanted to make sure that before they stepped into the promised land

that we better check it out and have observable data

to verify that it's a good idea to go into the promised land.

One of the things I felt God saying to us as a church

with regard to Genesis 8-9 is,

thus far you have walked listening to me.

But know that you need to develop not herd immunity,

but immunity from the herd.

They talk about herd immunity.

You have to develop something called immunity from the herd.

Where post-COVID, you'll find that there'll be increased demands

on how to figure out life.

There'll be ways of quick fixes that'll launch life again.

There'll be new fears.

There'll be new rumors.

There'll be worldly counsel and advice as to how you should live.

There'll be worldly counsel and advice as to how you should go about your work,

how you should go about church, what is good, what is popular,

what is successful, what is safe, what is unsafe.

And I'd say to you, live by the proceeding word.

You know, what happened to Elijah should not happen to us.

Here's what happened to Elijah.

Elijah had a massive victory on Mount Carmel,

and then he let his guard down.

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