"Lord Send Revival"

"Lord Send Revival" HHM Pastor Jim Parisi 6-16-02

Ps. 85:6-7 6 Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation.

In our text this morning, the psalmist asks God an important question.

“Will You not revive us again?"

We sometimes sing a song that says, "Revive us again;"

We talk about revival, but this morning I want us to take some time and consider what we are asking the Lord for.

First, we cannot forget that revival broke out in the S. Calif area in 1906 on Azusa Street the Pentecostal movement was born.

Pastors and their congregations came from everywhere to see what God was doing.

Reporters from secular newspapers where sent to check out the scene.

There were no airplanes then travel took long and was tiring.

Another was Aimee Semple McPherson, where in 1923, the 5,300 seat Angelus Temple in L.A. Was dedicated, and became the center for a God ordained revival…

They started out like great forest fires consuming acre upon acre of land. This area was at one time a great seedbed for revival.

It was so powerful that people would run and drop what they were doing to see what the Lord was about to do.

These Powerful Movements of god that were so powerful then, are barely an ember of their former selves.

We the people of God need to maintain the flame of revival so bright in our area, that the lost just out of curiosity alone come looking.

Like chasing a fire engine to see the blaze

That they would be attracted like moths to a great flame.

It was a place in time without a doubt that GOD was the most important thing in their lives.

I. What is Revival?

A. it’s not evangelism even though many souls may be saved as a result of it.

B. it’s Not emotionalism although there may be emotional manifestations connected to it.

It is a renewal of spiritual life in an individual or among a group of people.

II. When is Revival Needed?

A. Whenever the love of God’s people has grown cold.

Has the love for God grown cold in the World? This country, this state, this area or in the small a place known as your heart?

Has the fire that was so strong once in your heart diminished because of the day-to-day responsibilities and natural things of this life?

B. Consider the symptoms that it needs to have revival grow cold.

1. Complacency: self-satisfaction or satisfaction with the status quo. We are become self-serving and not a God serving people in this country.

2. Lack of concern for the lost. That our needs become more important then the needs of the lost and un-churched, the needs of the poor and sick.

3. Hiding or covering secret sins. / Doing things that we think no one else sees.

4. Ill feelings towards other people and Christians. Holding a grudge that creates an obstacle in our walk and withdrawing from our fellowship with the Lord.

5. Having an unforgiving spirit. Not able to let loose of our sin, forgiving our selves or others and causing a greater separation from God. How foolish is this path?

6. Being filled with pride. The first Sin, man is a prideful being. Why do we hold this thing called pride so dear? If you had a bag of 100 lbs of manure how long would you like to carry it around with you?

7. Any condition of spiritual standing where we are less than we were before:

It’s called the the backslidden state!

This is where you are not ahead in your walk from where you were just yesterday.

C. Dangers in our need for revival.

1. Often spiritual deterioration comes without our awareness.

a. Samson had the power of God upon him, but he played around with sin and was found out to where his strength was.

b. The disciples had received power from Jesus Christ to heal and cast out demons

c. They had lost their power, but they were unaware that it was gone!

d. Jesus told them that it was because of their unbelief! We see this in

Mt. 17:14-21

14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.