PETER AND JOHN ARE COMING TO CHURCH – Jeremiah Johnson
Introduction
I do have a friend named Paul. He’s my youngest brother. I told the first service, uh, Paul is a prankster, and he enjoys it. How many of you know Paul? Yes? Okay. I’ll tell one quick story before we jump into the Word. I told a story at the first service about him. I think he just tries to get me back for all the times we made his life miserable as a little kid.
Yeah, so I was ministering at his church. We were in North Carolina. Just kind of a quick, you know, flyby. One of four boys, Paul and I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our father pastored a charismatic church. This morning was very familiar. The Johnson boys shoveled the church driveways when it snowed and cut the grass in the summer. So thanks for the memory of growing up—some things you’d like to forget—but very familiar.
We ended up going down to Lakeland, Florida. I studied at Southeastern University, met my wife there, and we got married. We graduated and planted a church within six months. We started a church there called Heart of the Father Ministry. Paul followed a similar path, ending up at Southeastern when he was of age, meeting his wife, and then I hired him as our youth pastor in Florida. I loved being his boss, loved telling him what to do. That was awesome. Then God called them back home to Indiana to plant a church where they’re at now. So that’s kind of a little bit of the connection.
Paul’s Prank
Anyways, I was over there ministering for him, and my family and I were staying in his house. We were brushing our teeth before bed. My wife, unfortunately, is a part of Paul’s pranks—she’s definitely not on my side. I went to brush my teeth, got back in bed, and reached my arm around who I thought was my wife. It was Paul—with his shirt off! Man, I don’t think I’ve ever jumped out of bed that fast. There’s got to be something a little off in that guy’s head, but man, that was freaky! But that’s Paul for you. Anyways, he’s awesome. He’s a good younger brother. We talk most weeks.
Ministry and Writing
I have a spiritual son and assistant, Dom. Can you wave at everybody? This is Dom Dry. He travels with me to some of the different places that I go. I have written 15 books. I feel called by the Lord to help put into writing the encounters, the dreams, and the things that the Lord is saying to me. I write for a company called Destiny Image.
I had a dream some years ago about a warrior bride—that Jesus isn’t just coming back for any bride, but a warrior bride who would defeat the works of darkness in the earth. Several evil spirits were highlighted to me: the Jezebel spirit, the Leviathan spirit, and family warfare. If you find yourself in a season of spiritual warfare or need to learn about your authority in Christ Jesus—because it’s not God 50% and the devil 50%. The devil has already been defeated, and we need to recognize our authority in Christ. Dom would love to help you at the back if you want this book.
I also brought another one called Prophetic Pioneering. I do a lot of teaching on five-fold ministry, church planting, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. My friend Kevin Wallace wrote the introduction. I have a friend named Lana Vawser over in Australia who wrote the foreword for this one. If you’re looking for some language for what God is doing in this new era, you can grab that one in the back and see Dom.
Peter and John Are Coming to Church
Alright, if you have your Bibles, would you turn to Acts chapter 3?
That was the first service, okay? That’s good. So, in the first service this morning, I preached out of a dream that I had last night. There was no snow involved in the dream, but I had a dream last night here on the campus where the Lord began to talk to me about raising up Gideon’s Army. So I preached out of Exodus chapter 3 and Judges chapter 6. If you want to grab that message, I’m sure it’ll be available.
I’m terrible at preaching the same messages. I preach at a lot of multi-campus churches across this nation. My record is six different messages in one day. They had six services—a big mega church up in Michigan. So, I typically just go with what I feel the Spirit is saying. I try to stay in prayer and in the Word of God and release whatever He’s saying to me.
I’m going to call this message this morning Peter and John Are Coming to Church. Our church back in North Carolina—the Lord really encountered me earlier this year to teach the book of Acts. The book of Acts is a blueprint for revival. The book of Acts is a blueprint for the New Testament Church.
Believers and Disciples
I believe that you have believers and then you have disciples. I do not believe that you can be a disciple of Christ unless you do Acts 2:42-47. I think it’s really, really clear there. No condemnation to anyone who’s not doing Acts 2:42-47, but I do believe that there’s a difference between believers and disciples. Believers come to church on Sunday, and disciples live it out Monday to Saturday. It’s really important in this generation that we fully give ourselves to all that the Lord wants.
Acts chapter 3—Peter and John are coming out of a powerful encounter in the upper room. Jesus told them to wait there for the promise of the Father. My take is you can’t do the New Testament Church without the Holy Spirit. Jesus literally could have just died, rose again, gave them the Great Commission, and then let’s get on with it. But they needed the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “It’s to your advantage, it’s better for you if I go.”
The New Testament Church is not the American Church. The New Testament Church is empowered by the Holy Spirit. The American Church is run by entertainment. It’s really, really important that we define ourselves as the New Testament Church—those who are following the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Revival and the Church
Revival is a word that gets thrown around a lot. To me, revival is New Testament Christianity. It’s the saints getting back to normal. We will always need revival so long as our version of Christianity doesn’t look like the book of Acts. When are we going to stop talking about revival? When we start doing the New Testament Church. You will always need revival until our Christianity looks different than the way it is now. There’s always a fresh invitation for revival.
The Clash at the Gates
You guys tracking with me? It’s the Clash at the Gates again. It’s like, you know, sometimes—I love this brother—he talked about generosity. I mean, do you? A lot of people ain’t giving 10%. Talk about generosity above and beyond, but again, it’s just like crazy.
But these are the people who went and blew all their money on beer every Friday. Hello? Anybody else a really bad steward of your money back in the day? Hopefully, you’re not now. But I’m telling you, people used to literally waste their money on every kind of evil, yet they clench up when someone says “tithe.” What happened?
Religion. You are captive. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to preach the good news, to bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim freedom for the captives.”
He’s saying there are two types of captives—captives to sin and captives to religion. Many people can say, “I’m no longer a captive to sin,” but the truth is, you’re a captive to religion.
Faith, Power, Intimacy, and Love
The good news today is that Peter and John are coming to church! Hallelujah! Peter represents faith and power; John represents love and intimacy. I want to prophesy to you—when I say Peter and John are coming to church, what I mean is that faith and power, intimacy and love, are coming for a generation that has been crippled by religion.
And the word of the Lord is: Rise up and walk! I felt it when I stepped on this property today—that The Roads Church has a mandate from heaven to speak to this! Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost! To speak to this region and say, “Rise up and walk!”
You’ve been in routine. You’ve been going through the motions. You once served the devil wildly, but I want to invite you into New Testament Christianity. I want to invite you into revival. I want to invite you to say “Yes!” to Jesus.
A Call to True Encounter
Folks, let’s be honest—our little religious whatever we’re doing, it ain’t working. People need a real encounter with God.
I love to talk about the harvest and all the souls that are coming in, but it worries me a little bit. Because I’m worried about who they’re going to meet when they get in here. I want people fresh off the street to meet us, who are going to stoke their fire, not put it out.
Man, I feel the Holy Ghost in here. Let’s talk about the temple gate called Beautiful.
The Strategic Temple Gate
This is a strategic gate. I believe that this church is strategically placed in this city. I believe that God is strategically placing men and women in the marketplace. Your business could be a gate!
Gates are symbolic of many different things, but this man sat at one. It’s like real estate, right? Location, location, location! I want to point out to you that this man strategically sat at the Temple Gate called Beautiful because behind this gate was access to what people wanted.
Let me just read you a few stats about this Temple Gate called Beautiful to give you a better understanding. This was one of nine gates that was a part of Herod’s Temple. The temple had four courts and nine gates. This gate was 40 to 60 feet tall and made of Corinthian brass.
The gate faced the east. Twelve steps led up to it. Through this gate led to the Court of the Women. Past the women’s court was the treasury, where 13 trumpet-shaped boxes were there for tithes and offerings. Next were 15 semicircular steps, where the Levites chanted. Next was the sanctuary, where the Ark of the Covenant was held.
This was the only gate that women and children could enter into. This was the only gate where teaching was allowed.
Jesus at the Beautiful Gate
This gate was strategic.
Let me read you a couple of scriptures. When Jesus was born, Luke 2:27 says Jesus was prophesied over by Simeon and Anna—now at the Temple Gate called Beautiful. This was the only gate where women could enter. So when the scriptures say in Luke 2:27 that Simeon and Anna contended for the salvation of Israel, when they brought Jesus as a baby up there, which gate do you think they entered through?
Luke 2:47—Jesus was 12 years old when he amazed the rabbis in the temple courts with his wisdom. Remember, his parents had left, thinking he was with them. There was only one gate that children could have walked through. Through which gate would Jesus have walked through?
Matthew 21:12—Jesus cast out money changers and merchandisers in the temple court. It was through the Temple Gate called Beautiful where they would have kept the tithes and offering boxes.
Mark 14:49—Jesus taught daily in the temple.
A Crippled Generation
After the death of Jesus, believers could have gathered there to give witness to the resurrection. Does anyone know how old Jesus was when he was crucified? 33.
Acts 4:22—”For the man was more than 40 years old when the miracle took place.”
Through study, through research, and I believe just simply by a spirit of revelation, we can make an inference that Jesus Christ, as an infant all the way up to the time that he died, would have passed by this crippled beggar.
Is there not a crippled generation in America, bound by religion, who has experienced all that the temple has had to offer except the power of God? Are there not people here this morning who have been in church their whole lives, but if they’re honest, there’s no transformation?
Today, I’m here to prophesy to you: It’s time to rise up and walk!
A Call to Revival
If you died tonight, are you certain where you would spend eternity?
I think we need to deal with simple salvation this morning. Am I truly born again? And then, we need to deal with this concept: Am I born again? Is my heart turned to the Lord? Am I walking with Him?
The good news of the Gospel is that what God delivered you from, you now have authority over. And we have to fight apathy, lethargy, and complacency. We have to war against a religious spirit at the gates of this city!
Jesus Christ did not die and rise again for an hour on Sunday and a couple of bucks in an offering. Jesus gave all of Himself for all of us! So the question this morning is: Are you all in?
A Prophetic Declaration
Peter and John are coming to The Roads Church! They are coming to set religious captives free. I’m speaking to some Peter and Johns this morning!
The Holy Spirit is speaking over you this morning: “You are mine!”
Lord, we pray for revival! Lord, send revival to Norris City! Send revival to The Roads Church! Lord, we thank You for these Peter and Johns!
I hear the Lord saying: “I am breaking the fear of man! I am setting you free today from the opinions of men, and I am liberating you!”
The Lord says, “I will restore back to you my sons and daughters! I will meet you in the stillness of the day! I will meet you in the middle of the night! And I will speak my tenderness and my love over you once again!”