NOTES: IN PERFECT ALIGNMENT – Reflecting God’s light to the world around you!
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-21
Introduction
– We are living in remarkable and significant times. All around us, the world is shifting, and there is a growing awareness that God is preparing to do something special in our generation.
– Through history, there have been moments when God moved mightily among His people. One of those moments was the Azusa Street Revival of 1906, where ordinary men and women encountered God in extraordinary ways.
– The presence of the Holy Spirit filled a small gathering of believers, and from that humble beginning, the global Pentecostal movement was born.
– That revival transformed lives, ignited ministries, and birthed a fresh awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit that continues to influence the world today – even reaching South Africa through John G. Lake and others.
– Now, over a century later, God still desires to move in power and visit His people again. The question we must ask ourselves is:
‘If God were to move today, would we be ready?’
– To experience the fullness of what God wants to do, we must come into alignment with Him.
1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ALIGNED WITH GOD?
– The word align means ‘to bring into proper position’ or ‘to adjust so that parts fit together correctly.’
– To align with God means that our hearts, thoughts, and actions come into agreement with His will.
– It means walking in step with His Spirit, so that our lives reflect His purpose clearly and powerfully.
– The Lighthouse Story. Years ago I heard this story of two lighthouses. Along a rugged stretch of coastline, two rocky points jutted dangerously into the sea. Ships passing through the channel often ran aground. The authorities decided to build two lighthouses – one a fully functioning lighthouse with a bright, steady beam, and the other with a large mirror inside it.
The second lighthouse had no light of its own. Instead, it was positioned perfectly to reflect the light of the first one out to sea.
When the two were aligned, their combined light guided ships safely through the treacherous waters. But if the mirror was moved even slightly out of position, the reflection would miss its mark, and danger would return.
– In the same way, our lives are meant to reflect the light of God. We have no light of our own, but when we are in proper alignment with Him, His light shines through us into the world.
– Recently we had the joy of seeing a total lunar eclipse. It was amazing to watch as the bright moon began to disappear and turn a reddish colour. We watched in amazement as the sun, earth and moon where perfectly aligned for us to witness this phenomenon. When things are aligned with God, then we can see impossible things happen.
2. DESIRE WHAT GOD DESIRES
– The first step toward alignment is surrender. We must lay aside our own ambitions, our own ideas and agendas and desire what God desires.
– Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.’ (Matthew 6:10)
– When this becomes our daily prayer, everything changes. Our focus shifts from self-promotion to Kingdom purpose.
– God can only fill a surrendered heart. As long as we cling to our own thoughts and plans, we remain out of alignment.
– Let your cry be: ‘Lord, let Your Kingdom come – in me and through me!’
3. DEAL WITH SIN DECISIVELY
– One of the greatest obstacles to alignment is unaddressed sin. Sin distorts our spiritual vision and disrupts our connection with God.
– The enemy’s strategy is to trap us in habits or attitudes that weaken our effectiveness and dull our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
– 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us: ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’
– Don’t compromise. Be ruthless with sin. Confess it, repent of it, and turn from it.
– When our hearts are clean, we can walk in the freedom and power of alignment with God.
4. BE CORRECTLY POSITIONED
– Just like the second lighthouse needed to be placed in perfect position to reflect the first, our spiritual positioning matters.
– We must stay close to God, connected to His people, and planted where He has called us.
– Choose to be part of a church or community that is alive to the things of God, where worship and the Word are valued, and where people hunger for His presence.
– When you are rightly positioned, you will reflect His light with clarity and consistency.
5. STIR UP YOUR HUNGER FOR GOD
– God responds to hungry hearts. He fills those who thirst for more of Him.
– Psalm 63:1 declares, ‘O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land.’
– Never let complacency take root. The greatest enemy of revival is comfort.
– Expose yourself to things that stir your spirit – read faith-building books, listen to worship that draws you closer to God, and spend time with believers who fan the flame within you.
– Keep the fire alive! When your desire for Him burns strong, alignment follows naturally.
6. DON’T TRY TO CONTROL WHAT GOD IS DOING
– When God begins to move, our natural response is often to try to organise or manage it – to ‘steady the ark.’
– In the Old Testament, when Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of the Covenant, he died instantly (2 Samuel 6:6-7). His intentions seemed good, but he acted out of presumption rather than reverence.
– If people try to control or formalise what God was doing, His presence lifts.
– Let’s not be quick to criticise or explain away what we don’t fully understand.
– John Wesley once prayed: ‘Oh Lord, send us the old revival without the defects; but if this cannot be, send it with all its defects! We must have a revival!’
– Don’t try to manage God – simply make room for Him.
7. GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT RIGHT OF WAY
– The Holy Spirit is the One Who reveals Jesus and empowers believers. He is not a force but a Person Who desires fellowship and freedom in our lives.
– ‘The Comforter Has Come.’ Recognise that the true power of breakthrough is not emotion or hype, but the Holy Spirit Himself.
– The Spirit will not force His way in. He waits to be welcomed.
– Invite Him to move in your heart, your home, and your church. Yield to His prompting.
– When the Holy Spirit has right of way, lives are changed, miracles happen, and God’s presence becomes tangible.
8. ASK GOD TO MOVE – AND USE YOU
– Alignment begins with a simple prayer: ‘Lord, start with me.’
– James 4:2 reminds us, ‘You do not have because you do not ask God.’
– Ask Him to pour out His Spirit again – to awaken your heart, your family, and your nation.
– Ask Him to fill you with His fire so that you become a carrier of His presence.
– Expect Him to move in power, and be willing to be part of what He is doing.
– God is not looking for perfect people; He’s looking for willing ones.
CONCLUSION
– The early church in the book of Acts was completely aligned with God – united in purpose, filled with the Spirit, and walking in obedience. As a result, the world was transformed.
– Today, God still calls us to that same alignment.
– When we desire what He desires, deal with sin, stay rightly positioned, and make room for the Holy Spirit, we become vessels He can use to bring light and transformation to a dark world.
– Now is the time to align our hearts with His.
– Pray: ‘Lord, align my life with Your purpose. Remove anything that hinders Your work in me. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done – in me and through me. Use me to reflect Your light in this generation. Amen.’
By Pastor Andrew W. Roebert
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