"And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly."
Last week I said that I wanted to preach the next two Sundays on the subject of preparing for a revival. And I said that I wasn't talking about the fact that we are having a special speaker come and meet with us and bring us messages geared toward revival, and I didn't mean just setting aside a couple of nights worth of meetings and calling it "revival", and I didn’t mean how we are going to get things organized and workers lined up for revival, but rather how we can all be prepared individually in our hearts in advance, so that when the preacher does arrive here and opens to us the Word of God, that we will have already prayed, spent time alone with God, and prepared our hearts (the soil), so that we would be ready to receive the Word that is given, and more importantly, to act upon it in obedience.
It's not enough to have these special meetings and then when it's all over, and we go to our homes and back to work on Monday and absolutely nothing has changed. It would be a terrible waste of time and energy and prayer if nothing is different than it was before.
I firmly believe, according to the scriptures, that there are conditions to be met before we will actually see revival happen in our hearts.
Last Sunday I spoke about preparing for revival and we talked about Jonah and his unwillingness to go to the city of Nineveh and preach to those wicked people what God had told him. Jonah ran from God and got on a ship going to Tarshish. Eventually after getting swallowed by a great fish that God had prepared especially for him, Jonah went to Nineveh and preached eight short words. "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." The people all repented in sackcloth and God of course forgave them, and a revival came to that city. I said in that message that for revival to come we needed to see four things happen:
Today I want to look at another portion of scripture that is probably very familiar to many of us as well, but my message today is in the form of a question, and it is this. Do you need revival? Why are we having a revival meeting if we don't really need one? Do you really believe that there is a need for revival in the hearts of God's people?
I am going to make several statements this morning that will cause us to all examine our own hearts. At the end of the message, I want you to ask yourselves that same question again and by that point you will hopefully know whether you need revival or not. Let's be totally open and honest with the Lord this morning and let Him have His way in your life.
In the Old Testament book of II Chronicles and in chapters six and seven, the Bible tells King Solomon and how he has just finished the building of the temple of God. And Solomon is praying to God in chapter six and asking God what he will do if his people commit sins and if they will come before him and ask forgiveness for their sins. Solomon wants to know what God’s response will be if they sin and call on Him to forgive them. What will God do?
In Chapter seven of II Chronicles, God gives Solomon his answer. I want us to quickly look at this prayer for a moment and I want you to see the heart of Solomon and his concern for the people.
II Chronicles 6:10-12,
"The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel. And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:"
And Solomon prays to God. Let's look at some of his prayer requests in verses 22 & 23,
"If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house; Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness."
Solomon asks a series of "IF" questions here and was sort of answering for God with a "THEN" answer. Like he said here in verse 22, "If a man sin." He answers it in verse 23, "Then hear thou from heaven." In other words, Solomon is praying to God saying "God if we sin and then confess our sin before You, We expect you to hear from heaven and forgive our sin." And Solomon continues on for quite some time and asks pretty much the same thing but with several different scenarios to God. Look at verses 24 & 25,
"And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers."
Notice the prayer request is slightly different than the first, but it is asked in the same format. If we sin and we turn and confess our sin, you will hear from heaven and forgive, won’t you God? We shall see.
Notice another similar request in verses 26 & 27,
"When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance."
This request has to do with a drought. Look next at verses 28-30,
"If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be(That was an "IF" feast by Solomon) Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house: Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)"
After several more of the same requests, Solomon makes an end of his praying and God answers him. Look at chapter 7 and verses 1-4,
"Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. (this is a good sign that God is pleased, and you know why? Because the fact is that God wants you to have a revival in your heart much more than we do! God wants us to draw closer to Him and serve Him passionately much, much more than we do) And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD." (How do you think this makes God feel? When He sees His people sacrificing and praising Him? How do you feel when you see your own children come before you and weep and cry and praise you? Oh I forgot, we don't need revival. Everything is fine just the way it is thank you, if it ain't broke don't fix it mentality. I'm doing enough for the Lord right now and I can't do more neither do I want to do any more than I'm doing presently. Is that right?)
Well let's go on with what God does next. You see God was satisfied with the prayers and sacrifices of Solomon and the people and His glory came down and filled the temple. Now look at verses 11-14,
"Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
( and now God is going to answer the prayer requests that Solomon made in Chapter six) If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; (God says "Solomon you had a whole bunch of "IF" scenarios for me and now here is My answer. And notice that the Lord God has a few "IF’s for the people)
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
God told Solomon that He would answer the prayers of the people "IF" the met certain conditions and He told Solomon what the conditions were:
Then God said, "I will hear from Heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land!"
What a promise that God gives to Solomon. And I believe that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He changeth not the Bible says. God wants to bring revival to the hearts of His people in the New Testament just like He did for Israel in the Old Testament. Revival is a new beginning of obedience toward God. We see almost the exact same recipe for forgiveness from God in the New Testament letter by John. Look at I John 1:9 where the Bible says,
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Just like He told Solomon, God says to us today, "IF we confess our sins, THEN I will be faithful to forgive and to cleanse!
God will not bring a revival to the hearts of the members of New Durham Baptist Church until we first meet the conditions for revival!
Let me ask the question again. Do you need revival?
I want to make several statements that you must use as a measuring stick in your own lives to see whether or not you need revival.
#1) You need revival when you consider think about your own salvation experience and it no longer brings joy to your heart.
Do you remember the day when you trusted Christ as your Savior? Do you remember the excitement that was in your heart and the joy you experienced and the peace that passes understanding? How you couldn’t wait to tell someone that you loved and cared for about Jesus? Do you still feel that way? DO YOU?
Solomon’s father David wrote about it in Psalms 40:1-3,
"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."
David was excited here about what God had done for him and was praising the Lord and you should be as well when you think about what the Lord did for you at salvation. You and I were also in an horrible pit and in the miry clay of sin when God reached down and set us upon the solid rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. And now we have eternal life to look forward to with the Lord Jesus forever and ever instead of a sinner’s hell that we deserved! Who wouldn’t rejoice about that?
Story:
John Newton began following in his father's footsteps and became a sailor at 14 years of age. His life instantly plunged into a world of violence and sin. Soon after becoming a sailor, he began drinking alcohol, which finally led him to become a full blown alcoholic.
When his ship was docked, John Newton would run to the bars, find the women on the street and live his life in sin.
This same John Newton was said to have been able to say terrible cuss words for two hours straight without repeating the
same word.
One night as John Newton was on a ship, a storm arose and washed him overboard - the sea was dark and John Newton thought for sure his life is over. And there in the darkness of night in the midst of the sea he cried out for the Lord to save him and a wave came and suddenly washed him back on board ship -
And that night John Newton was gloriously saved! And he gave up his sin and became one of the greatest preachers
England ever knew! It was John Newton that wrote one of the most well known hymn of all time AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET
THE SOUND THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME.
NOW THINK ABOUT THE DAY YOU GOT SAVED –
LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING BIBLE EXAMPLES:
Story:
WHEN I WAS IN THE CHURCH DOWN IN JUPITER FLORIDA, I WOULD GET A LITTLE FRUSTRATED AT TIMES. WE HAD A PROBLEM FINDING PEOPLE TO GO AND PREACH IN THE NURSING HOME OR TO PREACH IN JUNIOR CHURCH. ONE DAY I ASKED SEVERAL MEN (WHO SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE LORD) IF THEY WOULD PRAY ABOUT HELPING IN THESE TWO AREAS AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS?
WELL YOU KNOW BROTHER FRANK, I REALLY AM NOT GOOD WITH KIDS AND I DON’T CARE MUCH FOR THE OLDER FOLKS EITHER. NOW IF YOU HAVE AN ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS, I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU OUT THERE.
I WENT BACK TO THE PASTOR AND TOLD HIM WHAT THIS MAN SAID AND I TOLD THE PASTOR IF IT WAS ME, I WOULDN’T EVEN HAVE THIS MAN CLEAN OUT THE BATHROOMS AFTER WHAT HE SAID TO ME. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO AND THE MAN IS STILL SITTING IN THE PEWS OF THAT CHURCH AND NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR THE LORD!
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A MINISTRY THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED IN, EVEN IN A SMALL WAY, AND YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, THEN SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. YOU NEED REVIVAL!
QUESTION. ARE YOU STILL EXCITED WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR SALVATION? DO YOU HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO SERVE THE LORD IN THIS LOCAL CHURCH?
EVERYBODY CAN DO SOMETHING FOR THE LORD. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO COME HERE ON A SUNDAY MORNING, OR A SUNDAY NIGHT OR A WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND HEAR THE PREACHING AND TEACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND NOT HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING FOR HIM!!!!
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WHEN WE WERE SAVED THAT GOD MADE US A NEW CREATION. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT. EVERYONE ON THE TEAM GETS TO PLAY. WE HAVE A MINIMUM PLAY RULE HERE.
#3) You know you need revival when the Holy Spirit of God IS no longer convicting your heart. Either of sin’s of commission or of omission, what you shouldn’t be doing and what you should be doing.
MAYBE YOU’VE BEEN COMING TO CHURCH FOR MANY MONTHS AND YEARS AND YOU’VE HEARD THE STORIES AND THE MESSAGES SEVERAL TIMES AND YOU START TO GET USED TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND YOU’RE NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE WORD ANYMORE. IT DOESN’T SEEM TO CONVICT YOU LIKE IT USED TO IN THE PAST WHEN YOU FIRST TRUSTED CHRIST.
SOMETIMES WE MAY WANT TO BLAME THE MESSENGER, THE PREACHER, OR THE TEACHER OF THE WORD, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN GOD’S WORD IS PREACHED IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO THE MESSENGER IS, GOD HAD PROMISED TO BLESS HIS WORD AND THAT IT WOULD GO FORTH AND DO THAT WHICH IT WAS INTENDED TO DO.
Look at Isaiah 55:8-11,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
GOD’S WORD IS ALWAYS GOING TO DO A WORK IN THE HEARTS OF HIS PEOPLE, IF WE WILL ONLY BE OPEN TO IT AND RECEIVE IT WITH GLADNESS AND ALLOW IT TO WORK US OVER SPIRITUALLY AND BE THOROUGH WITH US. GOD SAID THAT IT SHALL PROSPER! HE PROMISED US!!!!!!!
LET’S SEE WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS.
HEBREWS 4:7 SAYS,
"To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
THE PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN WITH THE WORD OF GOD, THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE HARDNESS OF OUR HEARTS AND ALLOWING SIN TO REIGN IN OUR MORTAL BODIES. AND GETTING SO USED TO OUR SIN THAT IT DOESN’T EVEN BOTHER US ANYMORE.
IN TIMOTHY 4:2, PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT HAVING A CONSCIENCE THAT IS SEARED BY A HOT IRON. IN OTHER WORDS WE HAVE BECOME DEADENED TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF SIN. IT DOESN’T EVEN BOTHER US WHEN WE SIN ANYMORE BECAUSE WE HAVE GOTTEN USED TO IT AND WE’VE GOTTEN OUR HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION NERVE ENDINGS CALLOUSED EVER TO WHERE SIN DOESN’T SEEM AS SINFUL. MAY GOD HELP THOSE OF US THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO, TO COME TO THE ALTAR TODAY AND GRIEVE OVER YOUR SIN LIKE IT GRIEVES THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD AND YOU GET YOURSELF A NEWFOUND HATRED FOR SIN LIKE YOU ONCE HAD WHEN YOU FIRST GOT SAVED.
HEBREWS 3:13 SAYS,
"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
THE DEVIL IS A LIAR TODAY. HE TELLS YOU THAT YOUR SIN ISN’T SO BAD.
HE TELLS YOU THAT YOUR SIN IS JUST NOBODY’S BUSINESS AND AFTER ALL IT ISN’T THAT BAD. IT’S A LIE STRAIGHT FROM THE DEEPEST PITS OF HELL! YOU NEED TO CONFESS IT TODAY AND GET IT RIGHT WITH GOD TODAY AND TELL THE DEVIL TO GO BACK TO WHERE HE CAME FROM.
*THAT’S WHY SOME NEVER FEEL CONVICTION ANYMORE!
* THAT’S WHY OUR FACES ARE DRY DURING INVITATION TIME.
* THAT IS WHY THE ALTARS ARE EMPTY – WE HAVE HARDENED OUR
HEARTS TOWARDS GOD!
YOU KNOW IT’S THE TRUTH FOLKS AND IF YOU’RE SITTING THERE THINKING THAT YOU DON’T HAVE A HARD HEART, THEN YOU NEED TO EXAMINE YOURSELF BETTER.
LISTEN, THE REASON WE CAN SIT THROUGH SERVICE AFTER SERVICE AND NOTHING EVER HAPPENS IN OUR HEART’S IS BECAUSE WE ARE SO FULL OF PRIDE AND SELF, THAT WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO SEE US WEEPING AND SHEDDING TEARS. THAT’S ANOTHER LIE OF THE DEVIL. AND I AM AFRAID THAT HE HAS SOME OF US BELIEVING HIS LIES.
LET’S PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR THE LORD TO DO GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS. BUT IT’S UP TO YOU WHETHER THAT WILL HAPPEN OR NOT.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
#4) You need revival when you feel yourself slipping away from God and God’s people.
Ask yourself these questions.
WAS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN YOU WERE:
A.MORE FAITHFUL TO THE HOUSE OF GOD THAN YOU ARE TODAY
B. CLOSER IN YOUR COMMUNION WITH CHRIST THAN YOU ARE TODAY
C. FELLOWSHIPPING WITH THE SAINTS MORE THAN YOU ARE TODAY
D. MORE CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE DYING AND GOING TO HELL MORE THAN YOU ARE TODAY
E. READING YOUR BIBLE MORE THAN YOU ARE TODAY
F. PRAYING MORE THAN YOU ARE TODAY
LISTEN, THE VERY MOMENT YOU FIND YOURSELF BEGINNING TO SLIP AWAY FROM GOD, FROM THE CHURCH SERVICES, THE SAINTS, READING YOUR BIBLE AND PRAYER – STOP RIGHT THERE, FALL DOWN ON YOUR FACE BEFORE THE LORD AND REPENT AND CONFESS THAT YOU NEED HIM AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE. WITHOUT DELAY!
· PETER COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF A LOT OF HEARTACHE IF HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED AND REPENTED THE VERY FIRST TIME HE DENIED CHRIST.
· LOT COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF A LOT OF HEARTACHE IF HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED AND REPENTED THE VERY FIRST TIME HE LOOKED TO THE WELL WATERED PLAINS
· SAMSON COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF A LOT OF HEARTACHE IF HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED AND REPENTED THE VERY FIRST TIME HE LOOKED AT DELILAH OR IF HE HAD LISTENED TO HIS PARENTS.
AND WE WILL SAVE OURSELVES A LOT OF HEARTACHE IF WE WILL STOP, CONFESS, REPENT AND TURN BACK TO JESUS THE VERY MOMENT WE FEEL OURSELVES STARTING TO STRAY.
WHAT ABOUT YOU TODAY. DO YOU NEED A REVIVAL?
IF YOU’RE NOT SAVED TODAY. THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS COME DOWN TO THE ALTAR AND FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE THAT HEAVEN IS YOUR HOME. AND WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE TAKE GOD’S WORD AND SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN GO TO HEAVEN WHEN YOU DIE SOMEDAY.
IF YOU’RE A BELIEVER TODAY, AND YOU HONESTLY ANSWERED ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED, THEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
PLEASE DO IT WITHOUT DELAY. THE LORD IS WAITING FOR US TO GET RIGHT WITH HIM. HE IS WAITING. HE SAYS "IF YOU DO YOUR PART, THEN I WILL DO MINE."
IF THE TRUTH BE KNOWN, WE ALL NEED TO BE REVIVED. DON’T PUT OFF WHAT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD DO. COME THIS MORNING AND DO BUSINESS WITH THE LORD. HE IS WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE. LET’S PRAY.
GOD SAYS "IF" If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."