INTRO:
The word "revive" means "to come back to life or consciousness, to come back to health or vigor, to be useful and flourish again." It implies that we, as God's people, have reached a state of spiritual slumber, sickness, and apathy. Before we can experience revival, we must realize there is a problem-A problem common to all of us - S-I-N!
Graham Scroggie said, "There never has been a spiritual revival which did not begin with an acute sense of sin
Lamentations 3:40 says, "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD." If we are not growing and prospering as a Church and as a people, there must be a problem with sin! That is why it is so important for each member of this body to give themselves totally to God and His purposes! We have a misconception of what sin is!
Romans 14:23b says, "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
I want to speak tonight on, "A Longing For Revival!" If we want to see revival it must begin with us!
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "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."
That's where it must start with each of us totally-committed to God! This will produce an intense longing for God, which we need to see in our midst!
We often have a tinted view of revival as a time of glory and joy and swelling numbers flocking nter the churches. That is only part of the story. Before the glory and joy, there is conviction; and that begins with the people of God. There are tears of godly sorrow. There are wrongs to put right, secret things...to be thrown out, and bad relationships, hidden for years, to be repaired openly. If we are not prepared for this, we had better not pray for revival.
Vance Havner said, "Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.
Folks, that’swhat each of us need! We need that longing! We need that desire! I want you to notice tonight that…
WHEN WE LONG FOR REVIVAL THERE WILL BE:
1). A REAL NEED FELT
ISAIAH 64:1—"Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou
wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy
presence."
*When we are less close to God today then we were the day before we need revival! There Is A Need For:
Matthew 6:33—"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
One of the things that plagues our Church and Churches cross this land today is the lack of proper priorities. A preacher was once asked how many active members he had in his church. He replied, "They all are active! Some are active for the Lord and the rest are active for the devil."
Friends, we are commanded in Colossians 3:1-2—"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
Our Church will ever grow nor reach its full potential for the Lord until each of us become
faithful to the Lord!
Isaiah 64:1 says , "Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down…".
Jesus said in Matthew 18:20—
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The key phrase in that passage is "In MY Name". We cannot gather together with ill will, unresolved hurts, or evil thoughts one toward another and expect Christ to be in the midst of us even though we have gathered together!
ILLUS:
A man went to an asylum for the criminally insane. He was a bit surprised to find that there were three guards to take care of a hundred inmates. He said to one of the guards, "Aren't you afraid that the inmates will unite, overcome you, and escape?" The guard said "Lunatics never unite." Locusts do. Christians should.
Folks, for us to feel the presence of the Lord among us in a mighty way, we must have such a unity and harmony among us that it is not us and them, but it is simply US! We must live by the words of Philippians 1:27b—"… stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Matthew 28:18,
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth".
Friends, we have the power to accomplish great things for God. But so many times it is not that the availability of power that we suffer from but a lack allowing the Lord to be preeminent in our lives. Because when the Lord is not preeminent in our lives then we lack His power also! When we have anything in our lives which takes our attention away from God and His plan for us, then we need revival! The first commandment is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). We have no power because we put things ahead of the Lord! Friends, He is our everything! OH, how we need him!
1 Corinthians 1:30 says—"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
A new manifestation of His power and glory would put to shame the sins of God's people and the false confidence of the ungodly! We NEED A VISION like Isaiah! If we are going to see revival we MUST see how much we need the LORD! When we have A LONGING FOR REVIVAL there will be A Real NEED FELT but also there will be a…
2). A REQUIRED WORK TO BE DONE
*WHAT IS THIS REQUIRED WORK? IT IS:
Mountains of Inability (Philippians 4:13)
Mountains of Indecision (1 Kings 18:21; Proverbs 3:5-6)
Mountains Of Indifference (John 10:27; 14:21-23)
Isaiah 64:2a—"as when the melting fire burneth…". Anything in our life which hinder our
growth in grace and limit our usefulness to God needs to be burned up! We must remember that "…our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).
God’s fire can burn-up:
Our Vain Thoughts. 1 Corinthians 3:20 says—"…The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." If we are honest with our selves then we will have to admit that many times we are wise in our own eyes. And when we are the Lord says our thoughts are vain. Many times the Lord has to show us how unwise we truly are and how vain are thoughts are. Many times we think and act foolishly. Foolishness is not in the lack of brains, but in the silly use of them. It is when we think foolishly and act foolishly that God must burn-up our vain thoughts.
Self-Confidence. Galatians 6:3—"For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." It is good to have self-confidence but many times we allow our self-confidence to lead to pride which is sin. "Self confidence acceptable only if it is rooted in God-confidence." The line between self-confidence and conceit is very narrow. That is why we must realize how dependent upon the Lord we must be in everything. Because when we become too self-confident it only leads to conceit. When this happens God can and will burn-up our self-importance and teach us to lean more fully on Him!
Flesh Energy. Jesus told His disciples—"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). In this body of flesh we become tired, discouraged, and defeated. Many times we try to serve God in the power of the flesh and then we become so weary we believe that we can no longer go on! The flesh can only take us so far. But the Spirit of God working within us can allow us to achieve the impossible! Sometimes God must burn-up our confidence in our ability so that we will rely upon His ability!
ILLUS: A HOUND, who in the days of his youth and strength had never yielded to any beast of the forest, encountered in his old age a boar in the chase. He seized him boldly by the ear but could not retain his hold because of the decay of his teeth, so that the boar escaped. His master, quickly coming up, was very much disappointed, and fiercely abused the dog. The Hound looked up and said, "It was not my fault master: my spirit was as good as ever, but I could not help my infirmities."
"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." For this reason, Christians must continually rely upon the Holy Spirit to help them overcome the evil one
VAIN THOUGHTS, SELF-CONFIDENCE, and FLESH ENERGY—All these are
powerless substitutes for the POWER of God! (1 Peter 1:3-9).
Our trials, sorrows, and cares are merely Cod's way of burning away our impurities so we can shine like His son! And we must remember "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose!" (Romans 8:28).
Just as gold must go "through the fire", we, all as believers, must face the purifying fire of God's work in us!
When the fire is there:
Then Our Prayers Will Be HOT!
Then Our Testimony Will Be HOT! The prophet Jeremiah expressed the feeling the we feel many times until God fire burned within him—"Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." (Jeremiah 20:9).
When our hearts are made to burn within us, we will be ready, willing, and able to do His Will! We should be as the two Emmaus disciples who encountered the resurrected LORD saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the SCRIPTURES?" (Luke 24:32).
This encounter with the Lord "brought a divine heat with a divine light into their souls, such as put their hearts into a glow, and kindled a holy fire of pious and devout affections in them"
When we have A LONGING FOR REVIVAL there will be A REAL NEED FELT, A REQUIRED WORK TO BE DONE and finally…
3). A RESULT SOUGHT
ISAIAH 64:2c—"To make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the
nations may tremble at thy presence"
A. A RESPONSIBILITY SEEN. When we truly are revived, we will make His
name known among the people! (Matthew 28:19-20; Psalm 126:5-6). But
until we have an earnest desire for others to come to Jesus, then revival
has not come! We must never forget that there are multitudes all around us
without Christ. We must never fail in sharing Christ with a lost world. We
must not become so heavenly minded we are no earthly good!
ILLUS: AN ASTRONOMER used to go out at night to observe the stars.
One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole
attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well.
While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried
loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had
happened said: "Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into
what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?'
B. A REVERENCE SHOWN. "…that the nations may tremble at thy presence."
Friends, If we are going to see revival we must recapture the reverence we
need and the awesome respect due to our glorious Lord! The world is not
lacking in wonders, but in a sense of wonder. We must reverence God so much that we see
service not as labor but as love. We must see prayer as not as duty but as
a delight. We must see our brothers and sisters in Christ not as our
enemies but as our encouragers. We must see our Church not merely as a
place to come to but as our purpose to live for! That’s what reverencing
God is all about!
IN CLOSING: Are WE ready for revival? Then WE must be willing for God to have
His perfect will in each of our lives! And then WE must submit ourselves to that will! When we have A LONGING FOR REVIVAL there will be A REAL NEED FELT, A REQUIRED WORK TO BE DONE, and A RESULT SOUGHT. Friend, do you want revival?
Let us pray as the Psalmist, "Wilt Thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6).