God wants to use us to shake the world – to turn the world upside down, and make a mighty impact for eternity. Learn the key to that spiritual dynamite power and see God do great things in and through you! 

<p>God wants to use us to shake the world – to turn the world upside down, and make a mighty impact for eternity. Learn the key to that spiritual dynamite power and see God do great things in and through you! </p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Empower Missions

Joakim Hjortland

The Secret to Shake the World

How many of you would like to be part of shaking the world?

Shake the world, not physically, but spiritually.

I remember when I, After high school, or whatever you call it in English, I went to a mission school in the States.

And I remember in the beginning of the time there, were people there from all over the world.

And then everyone said something shortly of why they were there.

And many of the people there, their answer to that was something like this.

They said, I'm here because I want to get trained.

And then I want to go back to Australia and turn Australia upside down.

Someone else said, yeah, I want to also be trained here.

I want to go back to England and turn England upside down.

I want to go back to Scandinavia and turn Scandinavia upside down.

I don't know what you think when you hear this, but maybe you think, man, this sounds a little crazy too much.

It says about the early church that they, people said about them, these are the people that turn the world upside down.

God wants to use us, by his grace, to turn the world upside down, to shake the world, to have a powerful influence in this world.

Ephesians 3.20, now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can think and imagine through the power that works in us.

The Salvatorius 250, there is no limit to the usefulness of 1, and by putting self aside, makes room for the workings of the Holy Spirit upon his heart.

Now, then the question comes, how can we shake the world as God wants us to do?

I believe there are several things, of course.

I talked a little bit about 2 days ago about, I think, 1 key thing that the early church disciples had.

They had their focus, they had their priority in the right place.

Another key thing, very important thing, is to have a definite aim.

Success in any line demands a definite aim.

Now, what I want to talk about or highlight this morning is something a little different.

But it's another very crucial part for this to happen.

And that is the connection with God, and especially the connection with God through prayer.

Now, I want to look on a few examples of, or before we do that, I want to read a very powerful quote from Gospel Workers, page 259.

Here it says, the greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not a result of labor argument, ample facilities, wide influence, or abundance of means.

They are gained, how does the quote continue?

The greatest victory gained for the cause of God, they are gained, how?

In the audience chamber with God, when with earnest, agonizing faith men lay hold upon the mighty arm of power.

And I believe that we see through all of history, how that people God has used in a powerful way, in a mighty way, to make a difference in this world, it has been men and women of prayer.

God has used in a powerful way to make a difference, to make an impact in this world.

I want us to look on a few examples of that this morning.

And then we're going to tell you about a special initiative, a special plan that we have.

Under Nehemiah's leadership, the walls of Jerusalem that so long had been in ruins were finally built up.

Now, any 1 of you remember, how long time did it take for them to do that?

They've been in ruins for a long time, but in only 52 days, they were able to build it up.

And that's not only was it in a short time, but it was in a difficult time.

But in difficult times, in 52 days, in a short time, I think this is 1 of the most powerful, greatest achievements of the cause of God up through all of history.

No doubt, at least a powerful achievement for the cause of God.

And so much so that even their enemies, they were so amazed that they understood, hey, God has to be behind this, they understood that they couldn't have done this alone.

They understood, man, this is not possible.

There's much we could learn from this story.

Nehemiah, he was very much a man of a definite aim.

Another thing was that church members and church officers, you could say, they united in the effort.

All But leaders and people, they united in doing this work.

And only in that way will the work today be finished, as church members and leaders rally to the work together and unite their efforts.

Now, another crucial part that we see, I think, is prayer.

Come with me, if you have a Bible, to Nehemiah, Nehemiah chapter 1.

Nehemiah chapter 1, and we'll read here verse 3 and verse 4.

Nehemiah, the book of Nehemiah, chapter 1, and we will read verse 3 and verse 4.

So it's, yeah, right after Ezra, Kings and Chronicles, you have Ezra, Nehemiah, chapter 1, and we will read verse 3 and verse 4.

Here it says, and they said unto me, the remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach.

The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

And it came to pass when I heard these words, verse 4, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.

So what happens here is Nehemiah, he hears about, he's still, he's not in Israel, but He hears about the situation of the people of God.

And he hears about the bad condition they are in.

Now, there is 1 thing that is easy to miss when you read this story.

And that is, or actually before I said it, we can also maybe read verse 5 and verse 6.

Here it says, and said, I beseech thee, O Lord, God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments.

Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel, thy servants confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee.

Both I and my father's house have sinned." Now, I want to show you something really interesting that is easy to miss when you read a story.

When you read it, sometimes you read the stories of the Bible, and we think it's happened right after each other.

It just comes the chapter after, or the verse after.

If someone could someone just read that out loud and clear.

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The Secret to Shake the World

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