REVIVAL #1: HUNGER AND THE NEED FOR REVIVAL
OPENING TEXTS:
“The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former.” (Haggai 2:9).
• The Lord declared that the glory of the latter church would be greater than the former.
• We’re not there yet! Look at the early church:
o Thousands of people were saved in a day
o Signs and wonders, healings and miracles were common place
o Peter’s shadow healed people; Paul’s handkerchiefs healed people
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but wait…until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49).
• The church today is a powerless church, but its time to change that. We need the power!
• Grew up in church that sang, “There’s gonna be a revival” but we never saw it…
• My prayer today is, “More, Lord!” There’s got to be more!
THE BIG IDEA: God’s desire is that this latter day’s church would be greater in glory and power than the church was in the book of Acts. It’s time to contend for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our midst today, and pray for revival.
KEY TEXTS:
“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).
• Two kinds of revival in the Bible: Personal and corporate - the 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!
• When we are revived, we will be ‘juicy fruit’ Christians – full of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control).
THE NEED FOR 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, neglect prayer and Bible reading…
REVIVAL HISTORY: Throughout the history of the church, there have been times where God has send fresh fire to stir up His people to seek after Him again.
1. 1500’s - the reformation – Luther and Calvin – reminded us salvation by grace alone
2. 1700’s - the first great awakening –Wesley, Whitfield, Edwards – evangelism
3. 1900’s - the Pentecostal revival – William Seymour at Azusa Street – Holy Spirit
THE WELSH REVIVAL OF 1904:
- 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).
AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON AND THE FOURSQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH:
- Aimee was a farm-girl from Ingersoll, Ontario who started preaching at the age of 17.
- Foursquare church was birthed out of Holy Spirit empowered healing revival meetings.
STORY: Of my own personal journey deeper into the things of the kingdom of God. Healings, miracles, prophetic realms, etc. God moving in our youth group in Surrey, BC.
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…"
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. 7:1-3,14).
FOUR KEYS TO GETTING READY FOR REVIVAL:
1. HUMILITY – to admit our need for God.
• ILLUSTRATION: A young woman went to her pastor and said, “Pastor, I’m struggling with a sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and I can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I shouldn’t think that, but I can’t help it. Please help me.” The pastor replied, “Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake.”
• Humility means we acknowledge we need God. How many of us go through a whole day without calling on Him?
• QUOTE: “God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for His power.” (Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire).
2. PRAYER – to pray in boldness and faith (Eph. 3:20)
• “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24).
• I have one prayer I’m praying these days, “Lord, send revival!”
• QUOTE: “Faith’s supreme longing is for the return of the glory that has departed from the sanctuary… If we today could rediscover the virtue in that Name, the victory in that Name, the violence in that Name, we could set this world alight for God.” (Leonard Ravenhill, Revival Praying).
• It’s time to pray big prayers! Ephesians 3:20 – God promised to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or imagine…
3. SEEK GOD’S FACE – to become God Chasers!
• “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.” (Psalm 63:1-2).
• We need to realize revival isn’t a formula, it’s about falling in love with Jesus again!
• QUOTE: “God chasers are after the fresh presence of the Almighty. Sometimes their pursuit raises the eyebrows of the existing church, but usually they lead the church from a place of dryness back into the place of His presence. It’s simply not enough to know about God. We have churches filled with people who can win Bible trivia contests but who don’t know Him.” (Tommy Tenney, The God Chasers).
• We’ve got to stop just seeking His hands (his blessings – health, prosperity, peace, etc) and start seeking His face (His presence, knowing Him).
• Paul said, “My determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him.” (Phil. 3:10, Amp).
4. REPENTANCE – to turn from our wicked ways
• “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ’Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” (Matthew 3:1-3).
• Before Jesus came the first time (2,000 years ago) in power, He sent John the Baptist to prepare the way. Repentance precedes revival!
• Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand (it’s here, it’s near).
• “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap.” (Malachi 3:1-2).
• We will see God come in revival when we begin to seek Him in prayer and repentance.
CLOSING: PRAYER FOR HUNGER!
Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Blog: http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/
