What is Real Revival?
June 28th 2009
Malachi 3:6-16
Introduction
I have been pondering on this question for some time now, what is real revival, now I have been a Baptist for all of my Christian life, and I have been apart of many revival services where an evangelist comes along with a music evangelist, and they sing uplifting songs, and the preacher preaches his messages, and if feels good while the services are going on, but after the services it seems like we just go back to business as usual, no extra efforts to reach the community, no meetings to see what we we’ve learned and how God spoke to us on what we need to be doing in our own lives, and on reaching the community with the gospel. So as I thought about that, I had to ask myself, was that real revival. The conclusion that I came to was NO!
What we don’t need is just another series of services and label it revival. We don’t need “Wild Fire” as I have heard it called, someone said in some churches people are barking like dogs, and roaring like lions, and they are calling it revival. That’s “wild fire” not real fire, when the real fire comes people are going to be humbled, they are going to be obedient, listen we don’t need you to bark like dogs are roar like lions, we need you drop a tithe in the offering plate every time it is passed around, we need you to volunteer to work in the outreach of this church, we need you to earnestly pray for the lost, that’s real revival, that’s real fire, not this “wild fire”.
But rather what is needed is a old time, old fashioned, holy spirit anointed, sin killing, devil stomping, sinner praying, saint praising, fire kindling, power packing, life changing, reconciling, soul saving, God breathing , heaven sent Revival.
God desires more from us than having four days out of a year and designate it for revival. True revival cannot be planned or programmed. We can’t expect the evangelist to bring revival in his briefcase. When real revival comes, its going to be because the church has got down on her knees and prayed like she did in days of old. When the saints start praying, God’s fire starts churning, and the heavens begin opening, and the spirit begins descending with the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.(Herb Revis)
God wants not only for us to experience revival, but rather he want us to remain in a spirit of revival continually, praying and praising the name of the lord, god almighty.
Today from this passage of scripture, I want us to look at the formula for real revival and the see the results of real revival.
Read Scriptures: Malachi 3:6-16
I. Real Revival must be preceded by prayer
Malachi 3:1 “Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple;”
2 Chronicles 7:14 “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
God’s desire is that His people the Church seek Him, listen if we have any hopes of experiencing real revival it must preceded by prayer. Not just as a formality but as a true humbling ourselves and seeking Gods face for a true and genuine revival of our spirits.
Listen when you pray you are doing more than just relieving yourself of something, or just something that might make you feel better. As you pray you’re getting the mind of Christ. God even show’s you things about yourself. You’re finding the will of God; you’re hearing from the creator of the universe who takes time for you! Also, you are creating a God spot, a place of contact; a meeting place!
Prayer is the first vital part of real revival, the text says, “Then suddenly the Lord, you are seeking will come to his temple.”
II. Real Revival requires Repentance
Vs. 7 “Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.”
We cannot expect to have an authentic true revival without repentance. The fact that we need revival suggests that we have moved farther away from God. Listen if we never moved then we wouldn’t need revival, and if we don’t need revival, then we have more people in this building than we could hold, because that would mean you are getting out there and beating the bushes, loving the lost enough to tell them the gospel message.
The fact is that we need revival because we have grown complacent, we have moved farther from the will of God for our lives.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “Turn from there wicked ways”, what is wicked ways, you say well I’m not cheating on my spouse, I’m not shacked up with anyone, I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t cuss, I don’t gamble. Wickedness includes those things, but it is also anything that is outside the will of God for my life.
If we are going to have real revival, then we need to turn form that which is contrary to the will of God for our lives, and seek God for what is His will for my life, and to do that require repentance on my part, realizing that what I have been doing is not right, and I need to turn, which is what the word repentance means, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and get my marching orders from Him.
III. Real Revival requires Obedience
Vs. 7c-10a “ "But you ask, ’How are we to return?’ "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’ "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”
A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God. You cannot have revival apart from obedience.
We can hear the Word of God, we can hear from the Holy Spirit on the changes that need to take place in our lives, but unless we are obedient to what the Holy Spirit tells us then we will accomplish nothing.
The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:22 “To obey is better than sacrifice”, which means, instead of going through the motions of religious ceremonies, God would have us listen and obey Him.
IV. Real Revival impacts the lost
Vs. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.”
When the Church of the Living God truly receives a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we will want what God wants, your might ask well what does God want, in the words of Jesus Christ, Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was Lost.”
God cares about the lost, He cares about the poor, He cares about the down and out, He cares about the drunkard, He cares about the adulterer, He cares about the drug addict, He cares about the homeless, He cares about the true widow.
When we have a real revival, we will care about what God cares about, it will not be just business as usual, when the church has real revival, it will impact the lost.
V. The result of Real Revival
Vs. 10c “Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
What a great picture of real revival, when we truly are revived, God opens the windows of heaven and pours out His Spirit on us.
The result of real revival, God Shows Up! Things are done that only He can do. Relationships are restored that only He can restore, people are saved, that only He can save. A dead church will become alive.
The result of real revival, we are blessed by God, with more of Him, and less of us.
Conclusion
Real revival begins as a matter of the heart because the heart is where we know what really matters. It begins with prayer and repentance, and turning away from sinful activity. It moves into what for most of you in this room will be a major lifestyle change. Do you really want revival?
People moving in true revival complain but for different reasons. They complain because the church doors are not open enough, there is not more opportunity for spiritual growth, they want to grow deeper and not when it is convenient for them, but when it might even be inconvenient. Revival disrupts schedules, it refocuses priorities, it creates problems and tension, and it ushers in an era of God.
As a result, most revivals are short-lived. Do you really want revival? Who hear wants to take the step, is ready to pay the price, and would say, I want to begin the journey today?
We need a drenched altar, with tears of the saints of God, crying out to Him for forgiveness, and for the lost.
