Keep The Fires Of Revival Burning

How To Keep the Fires of Revival Burning

Matt. 22:34-40

Did you ever hear the story of a man his son and their donkey? As the story goes the man would ride the donkey to town and the boy would walk along beside. The people said “Look at that man riding the donkey and making that poor boy walk.” So the man let the boy ride the donkey and he walked. Then they said, “Look at that young strong boy riding the donkey and making his old father walk.” So they both got on the donkey and rode. Then they said, “that is animal cruelty both of them riding the donkey.” So they both got off the donkey and picked him up and carried him. Then they said, “That is stupid the donkey should walk.” So they put the donkey down and all three walked. Then they said, “that is dumb to own a donkey and not ride him.” The moral of the story is that you cannot please all of the people all of the time and you will drive yourself crazy trying to do so. So it is with preaching. Some people like one type of preaching some like another.

We have had a good revival we had a lot of visitors to the church, we had 7 people saved and we had some hearts revived to want to serve God more with renewed spirit of dedication. This morning we want to talk about what it will take to keep the fires of revival burning.

Lady asked Billy Sunday:

"Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn’t last?"

He asked her, "Why do you keep taking baths?"

I don’t know how you feel about the revival, you may feel a renewed dedication, you may feel like you have lost something from coming to this revival, or somewhere in between.

Revival is not a feeling; revival is an action.

Revival is not brought by a preacher; revival is what happens between you and God.

Revival is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

Revival is not singing and preaching; revival is the renewing of your spirit.

Revival is not having a series of meetings; revival is asking God to restore the joy of our salvation.

Revival is not the building up of excitement and returning to complacency; revival is getting excited about God’s love and retaining a lasting passion for God.

Revival is remembering the first and greatest commandment and keeping it first on our priority list.

What is that first and greatest commandment? I am glad you asked. It is found in Matt. 22:34 – 40.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said, "’Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’

Mat 22:38 This is the most important, the first on any list.

Mat 22:39 But there is a second to set alongside it: ’Love others as well as you love yourself.’

Prayer

If we are to keep the fires of revival burning we must do four things we must do:

I. Love the Lord with all of your heart or passion

A. If I am to love God with all my passion, what is passion?

1. Passion is neutral it can be good or bad

2. Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish

An example of passion is Bro Bob preaching. God calls his men to preach the gospel but he does not call all of them to preach the same way. He uses our personality in preaching. Bro. Bob happens to be more outgoing than Larry or me.

3. Biblical examples of passion

a. Negative: Samson & David it led them to lust and immorality. Balaam: he had a passion for money. Pharisees – passion for religion, Peter – passion for vengeance when he cut off the servant’s ear when they arrested Jesus.

b. Positive: Moses – passion for the people of Israel, Nehemiah – passion to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Paul – passion to – plant new churches.

4. True passion is Christian passion: being centered in and driven by Christ in such a way that we are moved to action.

5. We must have passion. A Christian without passion is like a river without water.

6. Passion energizes the Christian life.

7 The only way to keep the fires of revival burning is to have a passion for God.

8. Without the passion of God in our lives we will lead a dull and draining existence.