Let’s Have Revival

Psalm 85:6

 

 

Everybody’s talking about the revival at Asbury, in KY.  Thousands are flocking there and millions are watching intently.  And everyone has an opinion.  Many feel the need to state their opinion online.  I am being asked for my opinion.

 

My opinion doesn’t matter.  God’s Word matters.  And so, I will preach it again today.  Why?  Because we need revival.  I need it.  I want to want it more.  How about you?  I don’t just want to see it over ‘there.’  I want it here!

 

Revival is real.  Revival is Biblical.

 

Psalm 85:6
⁶ Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

I’m not talking about having “a” revival…but having revival.  It’s not something we can schedule on the calendar or announce in the bulletin.  

 

I have nothing against revival meetings.  I’ve been in plenty of them, and been revived in some of them.

Ill.—A lady asked Billy Sunday:  "Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn't last?" He asked her, "Why do you keep taking baths?"

 

Seeking revival is simply seeking the Lord.  May we ever be seeking!

 

Revival is the spontaneous overflow of the fruit of the Spirit, a divine intervention from God by a desperate intercession of man...and the situation is desperate, but often the saints are not.

God had no trouble saving Nineveh, the problem was getting Jonah headed in the right direction.

 

So I’m not as concerned with Asbury as I am with Jerry Shirley, and his need for revival.  FBC too.

 

Psalm 138:7
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me:

We need an old fashioned, heaven sent, soul saving, sin erasing, devil chasing, banner waving, Christian flaming, Holy Ghost revival…from the pulpit to the pew…let’s have revival, that starts w/ me and you!  Then it reaches out to a lost and hungry world and brings them too!

 

My first reaction to Asbury was to think how to criticize it, and that’s a sad commentary on me.  By the way, I came up with a lot of concerns, and I’m sure some of it is valid, but it mostly served to steer me clear of receiving revival myself.  Most of the critique I read online is about what the music there is like or what Bible version they are using.  God help us!

I’m like the hypocritical Pharisees I just preached about when I try to excuse my lack of spirituality by tearing down someone else’s.  And so, when I asked the Lord to help me, He reminded me of

Mark 9:38-40
³⁸ And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
³⁹ But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
⁴⁰ For he that is not against us is on our part.

I’m thankful for young people gathered in a church at 2 AM instead of a bar!  I’m thankful for the reports of repentance and salvations.  I’m thankful for the national conversation that is underway.

And I’m thankful that I don’t have to be in that room to seek and find the Lord for myself!

 

And I want revival for this church!

Habakkuk 3:2
O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years…

Revival shouldn’t be an Asbury thing…but a people of God thing.

2 Chronicles 7:14
¹⁴ 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.

What is revival?

21. 1. A RENEWING - Get Plugged Back In.  Half the battle is just realizing we need revival and seeking it.

 

21. 2. A RETURNING - A Prodigal Coming Home.  We are sinners.  We slip and fall.  We must get back up!  “He came to himself…”  It’s a realization of what really matters.  It’s a focus on eternal values.

 

21. 3. A REFRESHING - Excitement & Expectancy.  Remember back when you were dating?  It’s time to fall in love again!  Remember back when you first got saved?  It’s time to fall in love again!

 

21. 4. A RESTORING - Back to the Bible & Praying.  Back to basics.  It’s not complicated.

 

21. 5. A RECOGNIZING OF SIN - Attitudes, Habits.  We need our eyes opened to our sin.  We look downward [phone].  We need to get back to looking upward, inward, and outward.

 

21. 6. A REALIZATION - Awesomeness of God.  Realizing who He really is.  And #6 helps #5.  When Isaiah got a glimpse of God in His holiness he said, “Woe is me!”

 

21. 7. A REPENTANCE - Changing of the Mind.  It’s a revolution.  Rejecting the old ways and the world and giving God our heart.

 

Why do we need revival?

21. 1. BECAUSE OF INDIFFERENCE.

Just going thru the motions.  You go to church, you go home, rinse, repeat.

 

21. 2. BECAUSE OF IMMATURITY.

We are babes in Christ when first born again.  Want to die that way?  It’s time to move up from milk to bread and on to the meat of the Word.  This morning isn’t enough, and neither is this evening.  We need to grow in grace tomorrow!

 

21. 3. BECAUSE OF INDULGENCE.

We are filling in the voids in our lives with the junk foods of the world.  We sit back, feeling fat and happy.  We’re gonna die young.

 

21. 4. BECAUSE OF INDECISION.

We’re often stirred, maybe shaken, but not changed.  We’ve gotta do something about it…enough is enough!

 

21. 5. BECAUSE OF INDIGESTION.

Dead sea - always taking in - never giving out.

Sit-Soak-Sour - We've seen all, heard all, been there, done that, bought the shirt.

• To whom much is given, much is required.

 

When do we need revival?

21. 1. WHEN THERE IS LACK OF CONCERN.

Our burdens get old.  Our compassion fades.  It needs revived!

We’re a dry-eyed church in a hell-bent world.

 

21. 2. WHEN THERE IS LACK OF CONTROL.

If God’s not in control then I am out of control.  [finances/thoughts/habits]

 

21. 3. WHEN THERE IS LACK OF COMMITMENT.

Preachers say that people aren’t committed anymore.  But really we commit to lots of things.  But shouldn’t God be our highest commitment?  His Word?  His ways?  His house?  His will?

 

21. 4. WHEN THERE IS LACK OF CAUSE.

David took on the giant saying, “Is there not a cause?”

There is a higher purpose for living than just paying bills and surviving.  We need to bring glory to the God who saved us, and we need to be helping to save others!

 

What will revival do for us?

21. 1. MAKE THE LORD REAL TO US.  Do we believe or not?  Lord, I believe…help thou mine unbelief!

 

21. 2. MAKE THE BIBLE PERSONAL TO US.  Revival is a reminder – like the fact that this is God’s love letter to me!

 

21. 3. MAKE PRAYER EXCITING and EFFECTIVE.  It’s another reminder about this two-way conversation we can have with our Creator.  Do you believe He REALLY hears you?

 

21. 4. MAKE CHURCH SERVICES INTERESTING.  When you’re not just going thru the motions, but feasting on the spiritual nourishment set before you.

 

21. 5. MAKE GIVING WILLFUL & JOYFUL.  Not just a duty, but a delight.  Not grudgingly, but happily…a privilege!

 

21. 6. MAKE WITNESSING APPEALING.  The more you do it, the more you want to do it more.  It revives you!

 

21. 7. MAKE US CONCERNED FOR PEOPLE.  Not just the lost, but other believers…in our church…in Asbury…everywhere!

 

The kingdom of God is not going to advance by our churches becoming filled with people, but by people in our churches becoming filled with God. 

 

Some of the membership of FBC would reject real revival if it were to come. If revival were to really come to us, that is, N.T. 1^st Century Revival, some of the present membership would leave and go elsewhere. Because real revival will really change a church in a mighty way…and some like it how it is.

        We’ve been sub-normal for so long that if ever we experienced what is truly normal, we’d think it was abnormal!

 

Revival is the return of the people of God to the Word of God in the house of God, by the power of God, according to the plan of God, under the direction of God, and thus receiving the blessings of God. It is possible that every person here could experience revival except you. Wouldn’t that be a tragedy?

 

Heb 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

   

A whole generation was denied the blessings of the Promised Land because they didn’t believe.

Matthew 13:58
⁵⁸ And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Jesus had just given amazing teachings by the seaside.  It could have led to great revival!