In this sermon, the speaker reflects on his experience as a young boy working for a plumber and relates it to the concept of spiritual stamina. He shares a story of pushing a bathtub up the stairs and how one of the experienced men told him to put his gut into it, emphasizing the importance of giving one's all. The speaker then draws a parallel between the exertion of childbirth and the rebirth of Israel as a nation. He highlights the significance of Israel's restoration and how it is a testimony of God's grace and mercy to all nations. The speaker concludes by expressing his belief that the time has come for God to favor Zion and bring forth this mystery in the sight of all nations.

God is wanting to birth some things in the earth. That requires a whole other mentality to understand. We are too much the products of a technological age. There are things that happen, but they are humanly arranged. But the idea of birthing is another mentality. And it's God's. And we need to rise in faith to share it. Not only that we should appreciate the birthing process of God, but also that we should be participants in it. And this will exceed everything that we formally understood by church. So I'm walking in these days and tonight with great carefulness, feeling something like the one who assists in the birth. And I'd like my sister to read from Isaiah 66. You may read with her. Verse 7 through 9. I'm sighing already and groaning for this birthing. I'm sighing. In part because what needs to be birthed is the restored nation Israel herself. I'm not speaking about the political entity which already exists, but a nation spiritually restored to God. It's remarkable how absent this is from the consciousness of the church. We had the opportunity only the other night to see photographs of the cathedral of Strasbourg. And there were the famous statues which are to be seen in many of the Gothic and Renaissance churches of Europe. The defeated synagogue, broken and finished, with a blindfold on one side of the portal and on the other side the triumphant church. And that has characterized the thinking of the church through the centuries. That the Israel, God's original people, are finished. They've had their opportunity. And all of God's promises for them are now subsumed in the church itself. It's called Christian triumphalism. And it's exactly the thing against which Paul warned us. He said, brethren, I would not have you ignorant of the mystery that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. This is in the book of Romans, in the 11th chapter, verse 25. And then he says, and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written. For the deliverer will come out of Zion and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. It's interesting that in the Septuagint portion of the Bible, you know what that is, the Septuagint, it was the Greek edition of the Hebrew scriptures, translated by 70 elders of Israel in Alexandria, Egypt, before the time of Christ, already to provide for Jews who were in dispersion the Bible in the Greek language. It's interesting to see the variance between that edition and the scriptures that have been edited and formed after the advent of Christ. There is a conscious effort to avoid the Christological meaning of some of the prophetic scriptures. But in this first edition, they have no hesitation. And so it says in the Septuagint, we read the deliverer will come out of Zion, that's what you have in the French Bible, the deliverer will come out of Zion. In the Septuagint it says the deliverer will come for Zion's sake. And this is much more in keeping with the scriptures that we just read in Isaiah. As soon as Zion travailed, a nation came forth. Before she travailed, she gave birth. You have that in French. So there's an interesting mystery here. This clearly refers to God bringing back an entire nation quickly, in a day. For Zion's sake, a nation shall be born. And Paul says, what shall it be but life from the dead? Because that restored nation shall be the key to all nations. And it's more than I can explain in a single night. Perhaps we'll have a further opportunity Thursday. But this is deeply in my heart now, as I'm traveling through all these countries, that the time has come to favor Zion. This mystery is about to break forth in fact. The fullness of the Gentiles is coming in. And then the deliverer will come for Zion's sake and turn Israel from her transgressions and from her sins. It's going to be the most astonishing event at the end of the age. It's God's final act of grace toward the nations. For he says, I will do this in the sight of all nations. And which nation does not know the lamentable and melancholy history of Israel? Melancholy. Sad. Ah, okay. Which nation in the world does not know Israel's sad history? They've all had opportunity to see the failure of modern Israel, which was born with such expectancy and hope in 1948, after all of our thousands of years in exile, now at last we would have our own Jewish state and exhibit to the world what distinctively it means to be Jewish, that highly esteemed ethical and moral quality that we Jews have loved through the centuries. Contrary to the character of Gentile nations, who have given themselves to the use of power and violence and corruption, this Jewish state would be a demonstration of another kind. But it has not proved to be. In fact, ironically, Israel has acted so much like the nations. In fact, if she has any special ability, it is even to exceed the nations in the use of modern instruments of warfare and the whole mentality of the modern world. So for God to restore that nation, because he says that the promises and callings of God are without repentance, the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, that's what it says in, I can't find it now, Romans 11 verse 29, for the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. Which gift is he calling about, talking about? Which calling? You shall be a nation of priests and a light unto the world. God is going to fulfill that. Despite the nation which in modern times has contradicted that very calling. And he is going to do it suddenly. And so all Israel shall be saved. A nation shall be born in a day. And that's not just a rhetorical phrase, a piece of poetry. It's a literal statement of how the event is going to come to pass. And God himself is going to birth it. Why should that surprise us? That's indeed the way our faith was conceived at the beginning. It was birthed through a virgin. God chose a foolish and frail instrument who said, let it be unto me according to thy word. Who said, let it be unto me according to thy word. And the Spirit came in. And something was conceived that came forth as the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. Our faith was birthed. And if you really have an eye to see, every great thing that has happened for us personally and as the Church has always been through birthings. Our own conversion came by the hearing of the word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Paul says of the same Jewish people, how shall they call upon him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear except one preach? And how shall one preach except to be sensed? For as the Scripture says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That doesn't mean that they receive information about salvation. The Gospel is not a technical formula on how to be saved. It is a power. Of which Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a power. It is the power of God unto salvation. To everyone who believes. The Jews first, and also the Gentiles. This is a mystery. Now many of you need to be reminded perhaps. I'm more familiar with this mystery than you. Because I've stood outside Freiburg University or Tübingen or Aarhus in Denmark or Yale or Harvard in America. And I've preached the foolishness of the Gospel. Paul says, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that will believe. It is a mysterious phenomenon. A very peculiar message. That does not commend itself to human understanding and to sophisticated acceptance. It has to do with blood and atonement. There is nothing to commend it to human intellect. It's a piece of pure foolishness. And you'll never know it until you're required to preach it. Before sophisticated hearers. You may be embarrassed by the message. But Paul's not ashamed. Because it itself is the power of God. To conceive something that was not before. To birth and to bring into being. An actual new life. Born of God. By the Spirit. You must be born again, Jesus said. That which is from the earth is earthly. And that which is from heaven is heavenly. And it must come down from above. There's a must. Not only the initial salvation. But every subsequent heavenly thing. Including tonight. Oh brother, you exaggerate. We've heard your tapes. We've read your book. You have no special ability. This is nothing for you. Just a handful of souls. What is it to put together a message? Use a few scriptures. You have a flair. Charm. Ability. Not so. I'm much more jealous for this night than you are. For you this may be novelty. For me, it's the issue of life or death. Of something of enormous consequence. That perhaps has never before been in French-speaking Switzerland. We had an intensive time of prayer in our apartment the night before we came here. We were groaning and weeping before God. That something was going to break in to this French-speaking Switzerland. Not only to delight the heart of God who has waited so long until now. But to terrify the principalities and powers of the air that have ruled over this area without let or hindrance since the beginning of time. I'm praying for a birth. I'm living for a birth. It's not the word of God. It can never come in any other way. What needs to be birthed before Israel itself is birthed is a Zion of God. It's a Zion of God. Even here. And in every locality where earnest saints come together who will constitute a true church having authority with God and who can pray in such a quality of faith as to affect this thing for which God is waiting. But this is an ultimate kind of prayer. This is beyond respectable prayer. Polite prayer. Religious obligation. We should do this. We love Israel. And this will glorify God. But it's going to take much more than that. The word that God uses is travail. The very moment that Zion travailed in that moment a nation was born at once. She gave birth to her children, it says. And yet later on, as we read, the child is Jerusalem itself. And the one who birthed her rejoices for her. The one who gives birth. No, it says before, she mourned for her. Verse 10, rejoice with joy for her, all you who mourn for her. Do you have it? No, I don't have it. Sorry, I've kept it. The one who gave birth to her rejoices for her. We all mourn for her. No, it's verse 10. 10 and 11. All you who mourn for her. Rejoice now with her with overflowing joy. Thus you will be filled with the consolations she gives you like the newborns raised by their mother who are with her without ever leaving. You can't search for the word. What had been the object of mourning mourning to mourn, to be sad, sorrowful now becomes the cause for rejoicing. Not only for rejoicing, but for a source of comfort. This is full of strange contradictions. This that becomes newly birthed comforts the one who birthed it. It comes forth fully formed. It's not an infant that's birthed. But a nation comes forth in a day. A nation that is a nation of priests and a light unto the world for whom Zion has travailed because she mourned. So I ask you tonight. Are you the Zion of God and you should mourn? Are you mourning for the present condition of Jerusalem? The unhappy condition of God's people this round. All could be a nation of priests but have given the world calm months. Sigmund Freud perversion violence revolution and every anti-Christ movement in modern times has Jews in its leadership beyond its proportion in number to the population. God says you have blasphemed my name in all the nations into which I have sent you. How much greater then will his name be glorified when he restores such a people? In a day. It's clearly the work of God. Something that comes abruptly. And he says I do this before the face of all nations. And if those nations will refuse that testimony of God's grace and his mercy because you will have mercy upon whom you will have mercy then will his judgment come. I'm trying to speak so simply and give you the basic outline of God's redemptive intention for the earth his final strategy for the nations where the church itself has failed to be his witness. It was never God's intention that the church was going to save nations but that the church itself would be a people for his name from among all nations. For whom does God reserve the task of the nations themselves? Israel. As his first restored nation. There's nothing else more calculated to glorify God than this dealing with his Jewish people. Therefore we need to rejoice. This is beyond the issue of sentiment or our personal delight in Israel or the Jewish mystique. The real issue is the glory of God whose name has been blasphemed in all nations and yet at the end of the age at which hour we stand God is going to bring forth this remarkable event. Have you the faith to believe? Are you familiar with the God who breathes? And yet he has limited himself waiting for one thing and here's where we come in the moment that Zion prevails. I have a question for you tonight. Are you a casual collection of charismatic saints? Or the Zion of God. The church within the church. There's something that God respects about this Zion that is so dear in his sight that he calls it the daughter of Zion. There are references in scripture in a mysterious way to this Zion of God. He calls a daughter the moment that she prevails. So this morning I looked up the word prevail because it is the key word and it is a way of understanding the character of the people which God is waiting. Prayer is not the issue of method or technique. Or just the casual expression of different sentiments expressed to God. The prayer that God is waiting for is something corporative. It has a certain quality and authority that cannot be expressed by casually related saints. It itself is an ultimate statement of true relationship. True faith. Ultimate commitment. We have not had historically much opportunity to view this kind of phenomenon. How many of you have heard of Reese Howells, the intercessor? Praise you. You know that he and his prayer band actually affected the issues of World War II. The great battle of Britain by which the Luftwaffe was destroyed in the air and broken as the air arm of the German military force was accomplished by 19 year old pilots who had virtually no experience at all. But while that battle was raging called the battle of Britain this intercessory group was on its face before God. Groanings. Groanings that cannot be uttered. Groanings. That affected the outcome of what was taking place physically. At another critical point where Great Britain was almost defeated had Hitler invaded Great Britain then they would have gone down. They prayed a deception upon him. Contrary to all military principle and strategy. So that instead of going against Britain in the West he went against Russia in the East. Proved to be a fatal mistake and turned the whole course of the war. To this day the military historians cannot account for this blunder. It was effected in prayer. By a band of souls no greater in number than you in this room. They effected history. In 1948 when the United Nations had to vote on the issue of Israel they groaned again in travail. And to the astonishment of all the political experts the political state of Israel was born. And even Russia voted yes. We need to have our eyes opened that God is a God of history and not just Sunday church. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. And the fullness thereof. And the fullness thereof of it. And the fullness of the earth. The nations and those that dwell in them. This is God's. And he has intention for it. And he shall bring it to pass. Through a restored Israel. The moment that Zion travails. But do you know what travail is? It's the most painful aspect of childbirth. It comes with labor. Exertion. Sorry. The fact of being exhausted. Do you think that this timing is an accident? Not at all. Not at all. This is a physical statement enacted right in before you of what God is going to reveal through you in this exact same way. For the bringing forth of this event. And are you in? And are you able? Do you have the strength? Do you have the spiritual stamina? Can you grow? When I was a young boy I worked for a plumber after school. I was terribly miscast in that role. But so be it. So it was. And one day we had to bring a bathtub up a flight of stairs. I was a very artistic young man. You were? I was. Don't be so surprised. I really should have been taking dancing lessons. I secretly wanted to be a ballet dancer. And here I was pushing with three men a bathtub up the stairs. At a certain moment one of the experienced men turned and looked at me eye to eye. I had my arms around the string and I was, you know, pushing. But he looked at me with a piercing look. He said, put your gut into it. Put your kiss-kiss in it. And instantly I understood. He was pushing and pushing. Interesting, it's the very same word by which the best way to say it, when the baby is brought forth out of the womb. That's the travail. When the woman pushes. It's such an exertion. Such a labor. But I asked my doctor friend this morning, I said, what if the mother is lazy and refuses to extend this? He said, her baby will die. When it's time to come forth, it must come forth in that time. The amount of oxygen is limited. And the issues of blood and the other complications situations with blood and the other... It must be brought forth in its time. The mother must cooperate. Must make the supreme efforts because when we realize the marvel of what birth is, something is brought into being that was not before. We take it so much for granted. It's an astonishment. It's a miracle. It's a heavenly process. Only God himself could have elaborated this. And it's exactly the same by which Israel is to be birthed. The moment that Zion commits. It's a painful labor. Ultimate exertion. A suffering. My question is what is your capacity for pain? It's one thing to be charismatic. It's another thing to give ourselves to a necessary suffering. For the joy and for the comfort of what will come forth. This is a mystery. And it's a voluntary mystery. God is putting something before you tonight that is more than your own intention for yourself. You would have been satisfied to be a nice fellowship. Even deeper than the conventional charismatic kind. I wonder why it is that having gone to bed this morning after one o'clock in the morning God wakes me up before six. To dwell on the subject of birth and to take the dictionary off the shelf and examine the word travail. Did he intend this for you tonight? I believe so. This travailing in birth is a struggle. It's a struggle that requires a certain tolerance for suffering and pain. It requires a determined effort under extreme difficulty against obstacles and obstructions. An effort, an exertion, an ultimate effort that requires something intense that only a woman who has given birth can know. It's a moment of truth. And what a woman's character is will be revealed in that moment of suffering. Can you imagine a church like that? Can you imagine a church like that? That has that capacity that willingness for the joy of that which will come to endure that suffering. This will of necessity brings such a people to a place of transcendence. At the same time that this nation is birthed the Zion that travails is itself transformed in the very same process because we have been brought through an ultimate thing. And this travail is in prayer, a corporate prayer of people who have come to such a place of faith together. Who understand the mystery of God and will lend themselves to it and will allow God to shape that character in them by which this intensity of labour and suffering will come forth. So I have to ask what is our intention tonight? How far are we willing to go in the fulfilment of God's mystery for the church and Israel? Paul says, have they stumbled that they should fall? Have they stumbled? Romans 11 and 1? Romans 11 Verse 25? I'm sorry, verse 11? Certainly not. But through their fall to provoke them to jealousy salvation has come to the Gentiles. What's this? It's a mystery to which God has called the church that the church is actually the key to Israel. Salvation has come to us through their momentary fall but not to be enjoyed upon ourselves but in the end to be the key to their restoration by moving them to jealousy. It's an ultimate demonstration of the very character of God himself of his holiness of his nature in such a way that the Jews cannot resist that demonstration he will tempt them to jealousy and to the consideration of the Gospel. In a word the church is the key to Israel and Israel is the key to the nations and we are in this together. There is a purpose for our salvation beyond ourselves that requires us to break through into a transcendent dimension nothing less than being the Zion of God. But to be prepared for that is the issue. To have a character that will not fail in the moment that God calls for our labor our strenuous exertion our hard labor our painful travail will we be capable willing that issue is being decided now issue day zone and every day that issue is being decided now issue day zone and every day issue, that question that question, that decision must be taken now. Do you know what my impression was while I was walking while I was walking this afternoon in Neuchatel after having been in Scotland for not long Do you know what my impression was while I was walking while I was walking this afternoon in Neuchatel after having been in Scotland for not long in Sweden there is only one word for your civilization it is exquisite such a sensibility such a sense of elegance that a church that reflects this society could be capable of this suffering this anguish this ultimate exertion you are going to have to be moved as it were out of your nation even where you are in it in the world but not in other we are the victim of little things little things that nurture and cultivate our sense of luxury the indulgence of our luxury the indulgence of our bodies the cultivation of our tastes so the question that is before you is this a French speaking charismatic community that speaks French or the science of God I am not kidding we have really cried this evening we ourselves have been torn for this birth for it to be conceived the willingness and the desire to be a Zion of God that when the Lord will call for it in that moment when it must take place you will not fail you will not be offended by suffering and by pain because you will have been prepared for it you will have been brought to a place of ultimate sincerity unfamed faith unfamed don't lose this word unfamed true faith not a simulation to an infancy a fervent love for the brethren truth in all of our acts in the inward place in the inward place corporately beyond pride beyond ambition our little jealousies our privacy to be a Zion of God is to be the church within the church the true church that is the very expression of God on earth and when that Zion prevails something is going to happen in a day an event will take place that will affect the redemption of the world the spirit of God came to marry a virgin and put before her a proposition you have found great favor in God's eyes she was astonished at that greeting she didn't think that she was qualified in her sight she had no conspicuous qualification but it pleased God to select her but he could not compel her to accept her he said out of you will come forth out of your travail something will be birthed that will be the salvation of Israel and all the world she had a choice to make to say yes to this impregnation to allow something to grow large in her that cannot be explained to others it would not just be a matter of embarrassment or even reproach it could very well be her death how could it be explained? that a virgin in Israel should be swollen without being impregnated by a man that a virgin in Israel should be pregnant without being impregnated by a man it had never happened before and she knew what the scriptures said any woman who has lost her virginity in such a way should be taken to the doorstep of her father's house and there to be stoned to death by her father and by her brothers and by the men of the community and she said to the angel let it be unto you that it be done for me according to your word something was conceived by the word that came from an angel a messenger that's what angel means that still waited on her acceptance and when she said yes let it be open to me the word and the spirit came in me and something was conceived that came forth in God's time that has affected the redemption in that same sense God is speaking something that is not just a message it is the hope of an event if you will say to him in this place in this exquisite culture where bodily comfort and elegance and taste has been cultivated and brought to such an ultimate pitch to say in that place let it be done for me according to my word many of us here are a Zion of God that can suffer and exert itself and groan painfully to bring forth and it must be together Zion is not the casual collection of casual individuals it is something that is knit together one an entity a corporate personality to achieve that in the light of all of our individualism will itself be a suffering are you willing? what is your intention? that is the question God put in my heart this morning for you what is your intention? how sincere are you? how far are you willing to go? the moment that Zion prevails God brought forth a nation was born in a day a despised Jerusalem a despised hated Jerusalem the scorn of all nations the scorn contests the an object for mourning sorrow promise a rejoicing and a comfort to the very Zion that brings forth this is more than a sentimental interest in Israel this is an intense jealousy for the glory which itself needs to be birthed it needs to come into us it birthed in us or we will not have the motivation to work I would like to pray tonight for an event to take place here in this locality for this piece of Zion to be formed are you willing? can you say to the Lord this is beyond our intention nevertheless whatever it takes to form this ultimate kind of character in us for the issue of birth is the issue of character the body of character formed in this people who can suffer with Him to bring forth salvation and ignorance according to this word we can consider it as a message yes, it's interesting it's an interesting concept or we can receive it as the very seed of God to be implanted right into our corporate womb to bring us forth as the Zion of God that will in turn bring them forth it must come forth out of Zion for Zion's sake whatever the Zion is it's ultimate beyond culture and nationality and every form of Christian development that we have thought impressive so I want to pray and I'd just like you to join me Lord we love you and we can hardly believe what we're hearing would you restrict yourself will you be held back waiting for us are you so willing to bind yourself that you wait for this one thing and you cannot act until it comes for the moment that it comes that Zion prevails you will release the glory of this event in the sight of all nations Lord we have not spoken tonight to be impressive or to bring an interesting and different kind of word your time is too short for that your purposes are too earnest and I simply trust your spirit and your word and have opened my mouth that you can even birth this word out of me to go into the spirit of this people who will say to you let it be unto us according to this word whatever it takes and we know it will take much we're soft we're spoiled we're indulgent we're self-centered we have no capacity for pain we resist suffering and yet it is to these very things to which you call us and we want to say tonight we're willing give us grace help us form us shape us mature us bring us to such a place together with other expressions of your Zion that are being brought forth over the face of this earth and that have also been formed on the surface of this earth elsewhere thank you for this great privilege to rise above mere religion and to be participants with you in holy redemption history that we might eternally rejoice for the glory that shall come to your name when this nation shall be birthed in a day thank you Lord we say yes let it be unto us according to you you affirm that now in your own prayer let it be out of your own heart your own commitment of will all that you've heard and received from now can be considered a preparation that you can even understand such a call as this and be able to say yes to God so let it be a yes as you are able to express it and make of this night an event that when the time came for Mary's birthing to take place it occurred not accidentally in a stable a stinking place shameful scandalous but she was able I don't know how to say this I hope you will not misinterpret this as a legalism on my part but if you are earnest before God tonight I think the Lord would have you to examine your present lifestyle and the kinds of things that you allow yourself which are not in themselves sinful and for which no one would ever criticize you really palmless indulgences except that the sum total of them will prohibit you from entering the stable so I would encourage you to simplify your life to remove the unnecessary things which the world has taught you to find necessary that little thing that encourages that cultivation of exquisite sensibility with the cosmetics or perfume the enjoyment of a cigarette a certain kind of comfort which you are well able to afford financially but is that the issue? it's not whether you can afford it financially can you afford it spiritually? shouldn't we begin now to be in a process of preparation by a lifestyle that is contrary and other than the world would force upon us that when the ultimate requirement comes even if it should be in a stable we will not falter you'll be surprised at the power of these things which you have up to now taken for granted when you now want to break that when you now want to give it over in that moment you realize that this has a power and yet ostensibly it's a harmless thing but didn't God say love not the world nor the things that are in the world for all that is in the world is the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and that if we love the world the love of the Father is not in us the call to be in the world but not of it so I ask you to put it before the Lord and to invite his gentle conviction of things which are legitimate in themselves as the world goes but are not appropriate for the Zion of God you can even break that power tonight if the Lord is already indicating things that you need to forsake which are indulgent even while they are legitimate do it faith is an act when you hear the word of God harden not your heart do it you know what you need to do break the power of that thing be loose from its influence and let the gracious influences of God come into your heart instead that will form you into his Zion a daughter of Zion for whom he rejoices and whose prayer he hears hallelujah thank you for such love Lord that will not let us go that will not be satisfied with charismatic things with improved religion that yearns for that transcendent people for a heavenly people the witness of another kingdom even while they are in the earth bless these children give them the courage to break habits and dependencies and mental lusts to simplify their life and to walk in your way hallelujah you see already how much we need each other and that casual relationship will never suffice we simply don't have the strength to break the power of secret things we need the prayer and the encouragement of our brothers and our sisters and to live in such an atmosphere together of sincerity and truth and love that we can identify the secret thing to the other that we need to live this way to be able to identify the secret needs of each other so that we can pray for each other so that we can be healed already the implications of what God is wanting compels us into the higher ground you see what he is wanting and if we will say yes to him it compels us to be true church hallelujah thank you Lord take steps tonight of faith take a risk of faith against your fear your sense of embarrassment what is that but another form of pride that keeps the secret thing to yourself let it be known ask the fellowship for prayer help me to break the power of this thing I might be loosed from that this is true church the Zion of God, the church within the church let's not indulge ourselves by withholding ourselves from before our own flesh which is the body we are in this together or we are not in it at all hallelujah help us through our fear and reluctance our self consciousness the masks behind which we have hidden to take it aside and to show our true face and our true need to one another that great grace might be upon us all help us to be a real people thank you Lord power for you