Getting Ready For Revival: When God Comes Down

GETTING READY FOR REVIVAL #1: WHEN GOD COMES DOWN

INTRO TO SPEAKER AND TOPIC: Welcome Pastor Darrell & Maralee and St. Ouen’s.

• We have the same wells of revival, signs and wonders and the supernatural!

• “Isaac reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham's death.” (Genesis 26:18, NKJV).

• The enemy wants to stop up our wells, but we’re going to redig them this month together!

MY VISION: I saw an island that represented Beausejour, and little boats all around it representing the churches in our town. Some of them were pleasure yachts, and the people were having fun playing, swimming and sun-tanning. Some of them were battleships, blasting each other with cannons. But the island started to sink, and there was a little tugboat that came along and tried to pull it up but it couldn’t do it alone. Then another tugboat came along and they started working together and kept the island from sinking. We need to work together! Two are better than one! One can put a thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand to flight. PRAY!

OPENING TEXT: “1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence-- 2 As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil-- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! 3 When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence. 4 For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. 5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways.” (Isaiah 64:1-5a, NKJV).

WHAT IS REVIVAL?

• Psalm 85:6: “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?”

• Used about 250 times in the Old Testament. “It may be translated as revive, live, restore, preserve, heal, prosper, flourish or save.” (Nicky Gumbel, The Heart of Revival).

• Other terms include reform, renewal, restoration, times of refreshing, or awakening.

• More than anything else, revival is about a fresh revelation of the Father’s love!

THE BIG IDEA: If we want to see God come down today, we need to learn from previous revivals to see what they did to get what they had.

WHEN GOD CAME DOWN – IN SOLOMON’S TEMPLE:

1. REPENTANCE AND HOLINESS:

“And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves…)” (2 Chron. 5:11).

• “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3-4).

• This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, but when you sin, be quick to repent.

• Repentance always precedes revival!

• John the Baptist preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:2).

• Jesus preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17).

2. WORSHIP AND UNITY:

“indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud.” (5:12).

• If we want to see revival, we must worship and praise the Lord. Not just with songs:

• Also, there must be unity: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious (anointing) oil upon the head… For there the Lord commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.” (Psalm 133).

• God’s presence, blessing and salvations come where there is unity!

3. OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES:

“When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (2 Chron. 7:1).

• We want the fire and glory, but first there must be offerings and sacrifices.

• “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1).

• We need to be willing to sacrifice time to pray, get in the Word, seek His face!

• “Jesus said: "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34).