Preparing For Revival

PREPARING FOR REVIVAL

(February 2006 - Sunday am at Bible Fellowship)

KEY TEXTS ON REVIVAL:

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

“O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!” (Habakkuk 3:2).

There are two kinds of revival in the Bible:

1. Personal: Where we cry out to God to revive us personally.

2. Corporate: A revival of the supernatural work of God in our midst today.

THE BIG IDEA: When God’s people are no longer experiencing the abundant life and joy of God, it’s time to prepare for revival. Revival is not just hundreds of thousands of people getting saved. To revive means to make alive again – God wants us to be a living and powerful church!

WHAT IS REVIVAL: Chayah: sustain life, be restored to life or health; to cause to grow; restore. Something that’s alive will be growing and bear fruit!

How do we know we need revival? When the people of God are easily offended; easily gossip; compromise with and justify sin; act and talk just like the world, put sports over God’s house…

ILLUSTRATE: We need the FIRE OF REVIVAL! Discuss Christmas time fire log on TV (you can buy on video, too!) It looks like fire, but it’s got no heat! We need the fire!

- Jim said in pre-service prayer today: “It’s cold in here!” We had to turn up the heat!

QUOTE: “The single greatest need in our land today is heaven-sent revival! Revival comes at the sovereign, gracious decision of God to send a fresh movement of His Spirit among his people… (but) Revival will not come unless it is desired. It is an invasion from heaven at the request of the saints on earth.” (Raymond Perkins, Sermon Central).

REVIVAL HISTORY: The Welsh Revival of 1904-5

- 1904 - 26 year old ‘youth intern’ Evan Roberts had prayed for revival for 11 years.

- felt God was going to pour out a mighty spirit of revival on Wales - prayed, Bend me, O Lord!

- pastor led him speak following a prayer meeting, only 17 stayed, mostly youth & young adults.

- all ended up at altar crying out to God until 2 am. That week, 60 people were saved,

- next 1 1/2 years = revival in Wales, 100,000 people saved.

- changed national culture - bars & liquor stores shut down; entire police force dismissed

- would pray from 1-5 am; prayer meetings were multiplied (2,000 in a meeting).

WHAT IS REVIVAL AND HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR IT?

OPENING TEXT:

“1 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 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever." 4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God… 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. 11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:1-14).

WHAT DOES REVIVAL LOOK LIKE?

Fire from Heaven, Glory of God, Sacrifice, Worship!

FOUR ROADBLOCKS HINDERING REVIVAL:

ROADBLOCK #1: PRIDE

ROADBLOCK #2: PRAYERLESSNESS

ROADBLOCK #3: SATISFACTION

ROADBLOCK #4: SIN

FOUR KEYS TO PREPARING FOR REVIVAL:

KEY #1: GET LOWER STILL

KEY #2: PRAY BIG PRAYERS

KEY #3: HUNGER AFTER GOD

KEY #4: KILL THE FROGS