Pastor Doug Williams issued a challenge to the Church to remember Jesus' message to save people from their sin.

Speaking at The Renewal conference in Wood Green, London the pastor of Emmanuel Christian Centre in Walthamstow said, "God continues to block people's access to benefit and blessing if they continue in sin. It's not comfortable anymore in church to talk about sin but that's why we're here, his name is Jesus because he saves people from their sin.

"I'm not getting up in your face but God is. I don't care what breakthrough you desire, all the while sin goes undealt with and ignored, God blocks the blessing."

Pastor Williams opened the two-day conference last week by preaching on the event's slogan for 2014 - 'Keeping the flame alive'.

Organised by Noel Robinson and hosted by the Kingdom Worship Movement, The Renewal is now in its seventh year. This year's conference features worship leaders including Graham Kendrick, Lara Martin and Muyiwa.

The day began with a variety of worship leaders leading a diverse congregation in songs including Strength Will Rise (Everlasting God) and Darlene Zschech's Victor's Crown.

Introducing the conference, Robinson said, "It was the middle of last year I began to think about what God was saying. I had this picture of a generation of people. It would be quite easy for them to miss the fire of God.

"Today I want you to step beyond the confines you placed in your thinking. What God would have for us today is going to break every thinking that you could conjure up from your own mind and take you to a new place of revelation."

Pastor Williams challenged delegates to avoid cherry picking from the Bible "the nice bits alone".

"You can't just bring anything into the presence of God, He won't accept it. It has to be what he asked for. Give God what he wants, people! When we're praying 'let the flame burn', is that what we were thinking?"

After explaining how God killed people in the Old Testament, Pastor Williams said, "I wish I could tell you that's just an Old Testament story we're in a new covenant and that doesn't matter anymore.

"But I can't because in Acts 5…the same God that said 'that's unacceptable' said to Annias and Sapphira, 'that's not acceptable' and they died in the middle of the worship service. People say, 'Woah, I wouldn't join a church like that'. Too late, you're in that church.

"You've got to know what you're praying for when you pray for the flame to continue."

Workshops on songwriting, releasing the prophetic and using sound systems in churches took place in the afternoon before an afternoon celebration with Tim Hughes and Nicky Brown.

Worship leaders gathered later on for the Adelphe Project's Women In Worship live recording and evening Renewal celebration.