February 17, 2008
Morning Worship
Text: Joel 2:12-32
Subject: Revival
Title: The Last Great Revival
I want to begin this morning by sharing with you a list of my favorite things to preach about.
1. Salvation – I love to tell about what Jesus did for you on a cross.
2. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
3. Healing
4. The gifts of the Spirit.
5. Holiness
6. God’s Promises
7. Witnessing
8. The church and your role in it
9. The ministry of Jesus, and…
10. What I’m going to talk to you today about - Revival
After the city wide revival had concluded, the three pastors were discussing the results with one another.
The Methodist minister said, "The revival worked out great for us! We gained four new families."
The Baptist preacher said, "We did better than that! We gained six new families."
The Presbyterian pastor said, "Well, we did even better than that! We got rid of our 10 biggest trouble makers!"
We hear about revival past and present. We know what has happened here before. We know that there are reports coming in from around the world that indicate that there is revival breaking out everywhere – even in Muslim countries where it is against the law to be a Christian. It is an exciting time to be a Christian even though in America, Christianity seems to be on the downhill slide. It may look good on the surface but the truth is that the churches that are growing in America seem to be churches that demand nothing from its adherents. If you trust Christ you can go on living how you want. There are no demands, no holiness, and no sanctification and there is definitely no power. Plus, it seems that those churches are not reaching the lost – they are simply attracting previously churched people who were looking for an easy gospel.
But I believe that it is not too late for revival in America and even in Palmyra. I believe that the great end times revival may be right here at our doorstep. In this revival I believe that God is going to draw a line in the sand so that people will have to make a decision, either for Him or against Him – no more fence riding. And I believe that revival comes shortly before the rapture of the church.
In our passage today I want to show you three things that are going to be a part of the revival that may be starting now.
First – There will be a call to repentance – not by me or any other preacher – but by the Holy Spirit.
Second – There will be intensified warfare in the heavenlies. The enemy’s strongholds are coming down.
Third – There will be great manifestations of God’s power displayed everywhere.
Are you ready for the revival to end all revivals?
I. THE CALL TO REPENTANCE Many will say that this prophecy is specifically written for the time when the Jews would return from captivity in Babylon and that it has no real meaning for the church. Let me tell you something – the church is in the midst of the “Babylonian spirit” right now. The world system of economic greed and power struggle is as much Babylon as the ancient city itself. And that is what the Lord is calling the church away from. 12 “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God… Many have foretold what the status of the church towards the end of the age would be. Jesus wondered, “When the son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth…?” Paul said the church would be characterized by those who will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and, 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5having a form of godliness but denying its power… (2 Timothy 3:1-5). But today God is calling the church back to Himself. “Return to Me” He is saying to each of us. And don’t let it be some unauthentic kind of repentance marked by “all show” and no “go”! In other words you can go to the altar as many times as you want, but if your heart is not turned toward God it doesn’t count. 13 Rend your heart and not your garments… Make it real. See how far from God you have drifted and it has happened so gradually that you don’t even realize it. Turn back to the One who saved you! When you do you’ll see a different side of God beyond judgment. 13He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him… When you repent and get back into God’s good graces He will once again be inclined to pour out blessing on you. Now the purpose of the blessing is seen. What God blesses you with He waits to see if you will give it back to Him. A grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God? The condition of your heart is always revealed by your relationship with things – money, possessions, and treasures… All God asks is for you to give some of it back to Him. He doesn’t even ask for all even thought it is all His. He just wants ten percent and He doesn’t need any of it. He just wants to see a pure heart develop in you. Once the church turns back to the Lord it is time to celebrate.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16Gather the people,
Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber
And the bride from her dressing room.
In other words, “Let’s have church!” Let’s rejoice because the Lord has accepted us back and has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. Let’s tell the whole world that Jesus Christ is Lord! No excuses! You’re not too old or too young. Your family commitments must take a back seat to your relationship with God right now. He has graciously called the church back. Let’s celebrate! And then let’s intercede for one another.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’” It is time for us to let God arise and let His enemies be scattered. We’re going to pray. One of us will put a thousand to flight and two will stand together in agreement and put ten thousand to flight. Praise the name of the Lord who has called us back to Himself!
II. THE INTENSITY OF WARFARE. 18 Then the LORD will be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
19The LORD will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
God is sending something that every nation on earth is in need of - grain and new wine and oil… This grain is the spiritual food that we have to have in order to continue in this life in Christ. It is the bread – the Word of God. The oil is symbolic of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, but the “new wine” is the baptism in the Holy Spirit that we’ll talk about a little later. The one thing that is important to see here is that He sends these things because they will give us the satisfaction that we have been looking for all along. Also when we turn back to Him, He will begin to fight the spiritual battle for us. But I will remove far from you the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done monstrous things.”
I want you to look at these two lines… His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise…
Go on the internet and type in the keep words “spiritual warfare” and “sulfur” and you will see testimony after testimony of pastors and others who have been in a spiritual battle with a demon possessed person and when the demon comes out there is the stench of sulfur – straight from hell. When we come against demons in the name of Jesus they have no other option than to come out. It may take some time depending how securely it is imbedded in the person but it will come out. Philippians 2, 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. When you go into spiritual battle in the name of Jesus every time you mention His name the enemy has to stop what it is doing and bow it’s knee, and confess that Jesus is God! With spiritual victory comes restoration. Verses 21 and 22 give an indication that this restoration will be part of the end-times revival. 21Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the LORD has done marvelous things!
22Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
Romans 8, 8For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Look at verse 23. 3 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
If God was faithful by sending the former rain, how much more will He be faithful to send a new outpouring of His Spirit. Verse 24, The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. Do not be confused about this. Yes, this is prophesied of what would happen to Israel but there is a dual fulfillment with the church. This just reiterates what the prophet had said back in verse 19. God is going to satisfy us physically and spiritually. Verse 25 – 27 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army, which I sent among you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the LORD your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame
III. THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT. Real quickly let’s look at how God is going to do all these things.
1) Supernatural power among the people of God. And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
This is the same outpouring that Peter recognized as coming on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2, 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. God’s intention for the outpouring was for His power to be manifest in His people.
2) Supernatural signs in God’s creation. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
3) Supernatural transformation of people’s lives And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the LORD has said,
Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
Repentance, Warfare, and a supernatural outpouring of God’s Spirit. I believe revival has come.
Call to repentance…
Call to battle – be filled with His fullness
Call to receive the outpouring – again!
I tried to give you way too much in the short time we had here today. I want to challenge you to keep coming back for more. You need to be filled with the word. You need to be protected in warfare. You need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Get it right with God today!
