WHAT KIND OF REVIVAL DO WE NEED?
PSALM 85:6
INTRODUCTION
A. In light of the times…there is no doubt that we are in need of revival.
1. Some would listen to this statement and say, Yes our country is in serious need of revival.
2. With all the things that our country allows to take place and considers as normal…
a. The attack…and I do mean the attack…on the traditional family…
b. Not even the traditional…but the family unit...as defined by God himself.
c. The blatant refusal by our Government to allow anything having to do with God to be placed in our courtrooms, our schools, or any of our public buildings!!!
d. The rampant killing of millions of children in the abortion mills across our great country
e. Our children being taught that it’s normal for Little Billy to live in a house with 2 daddies.
f. The dumbing down of Christians.
B. But…here’s a somber thought for you…the world does not need revival…the church does!
1. Walter Boldt defines revival as “God at work restoring His church to health.
2. What this old world really needs is for God’s people to get on fire for Him.
3. This old world and it’s leader (Satan) have warred against the church for so long that the church has become too weary to fight…we have lost our will to stand up for Christ.
4. As we can plainly see…it is the church that needs revival…
5. But…what kind of revival do we need?
Psa 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
BODY
A. First of all, We need a revival that resurrects the church.
1. Revival actually means a return to the living.
a. The return to the living brings the idea of resurrection.
b. The example of Lazarus…dead for four days…Jesus revived him.
c. There are some churches and lots of individuals who have been just as dead spiritually as Lazarus.
d. We need a revival that will call us back to life…we need to wake our churches up out of their slumber.
2. A spiritual resurrection that is like the physical resurrection will take place when Jesus comes.
a. We need a revival that will awaken the saints…just as the trumpet sound will.
b. There are too many of God’s people asleep.
c. We have lost many of our rights as Christians because we have fallen asleep at the wheel.
d. We stand to lose a lot more unless we wake up and defend our rights and our faith.
Bill of Rights
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
e. Now I ask you, did you hear anything in this amendment that even remotely sounds like the term “separation of church and state”?
f. That’s because it doesn’t say that, or even imply that.
g. Yet we have let a few alarmists calling themselves the American civil liberties union, cower Christians and browbeat churches by threatening to sue them for standing up for God. As a preacher of the Gospel I will challenge them openly. They are nothing more than agents of the devil.
Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
h. We need a revival that will wake God’s people up.
i. A revival that makes this old world sit up and take notice.
3. What kind of difference would it make in your life for a revival like this to come to our church?
a. What are you willing to do to bring genuine revival to HBC?
b. Are you willing to take the first step to making that happen?
c. Are you willing to re-commit yourself to Jesus?
B. We need a revival that will rekindle old fires.
1. Revive us again…implies that we have been revived before.
a. It is a sad fact…most Christians live in a cycle.
b. We start out close to the Lord when we are saved…only to let sin drive a wedge between us and God…then to be revived when God touches our heart.
c. It was the same for the nation of Israel.
d. Israel was known for living a life of dedication…followed by a going away from God, followed by repentance, and once again enjoying the graces of God.
e. Jer 8:5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slid back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
f. The Christian life is made up of many beginnings.
g. Do you remember better days?
h. Days when you were closer to the Lord than you are now?
i. Are you growing in grace??? Or are you losing the race??? Are you even running the race?
2. One of the best ways for us to experience revival in our lives is to return to our Bethel…
a. The place we met God for the first time.
b. The day that He saved us.
c. The day He changed our lives forever.
d. Our memory is a gift from God.
e. With it we are able to recall many wonderful things that God has done for us down thru the years.
f. We are able to recall scripture when we need to.
g. But Satan is able to use our memory as well…against us…
h. Satan takes great delight in bringing up the sins of our past to try and get us down on ourselves.
i. Everything God gives us for our good, Satan tries to pervert it and use it against us.
j. But we can rely on these great promises from the Lord and with them defeat Satan.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
k. Explain the difference between North from South and East from West!!
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
l. So what do we do when Satan reminds us where we’ve been and what we’ve done?
m. We look him right in the eye, remember these promises from God’s Word, and remind him where he’s going!
3. To experience true revival in our lives we have to do three things.
a. Ask Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins and restore us to fellowship.
b. Forgive ourselves…enjoy our forgiveness.
c. Go forward with a renewed sense of determination…stay at it.
C. A revival that rebuilds Broken Fellowship!
1. …that thy people…
2. Our walk with the Lord is individual…but…notice this…it is not isolated!!!
3. We NEED each other…why??? Because life is not always pretty!!!
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
4. We are to be builder uppers, not tearer downers!
a. When we are thinking about someone else’s welfare our own problems will fade away.
b. There is no better thing we as Christians can do than to minister to a Christian brother or Sister who is in need.
c. Each one of us here for a reason.
d. That reason is simple…each one of us have life experiences that we can use to build each other up.
e. We need a revival that focuses our hearts on ministering to others.
Php 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5. We need to care…about everyone in this room!!!
6. We need to share…with everyone we meet!!!
7. We need to walk together again…hand in hand with each other…and Christ!!!
8. It is VITAL that we walk hand in hand in Christian Fellowship and unity.
a. We are about to embark on a building program that if we are not careful will cause strife and ill-will in our church.
b. I told the building planning committee that we needed to be careful not to try to push any personal agendas but for us to try to discern what God would have us to do.
c. We have to guard against our personal goals and be willing to adapt our wants to what God wants us to do.
d. Too many churches start out on a project and hope God gets behind it.
e. I’d rather discern His will first…then us jump on board…goes much better.
9. There is nothing any more devastating to the church than Christians who harbor ill will towards other Christians.
10. It is vital that we be in one accord…and that calls for us to be all moving in the same direction.
11. We need the kind of revival that brings us together in love.
D. Lastly, we need a revival that restores Christian Joy
1. One of the saddest truths of this day and age is how many Christians are living defeated lives.
a. We should be living victorious lives but we choose to live beneath our station!
b. We are God’s Children.
c. We have access into the very throne room of God Almighty.
d. He has promised to fight our battles for us.
e. There is no reason for us to live defeated lives.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
2. If today there are so many defeated Christians in the world there is twice as many who are living lives of discouragement.
a. Webster defines discouragement as the loss of courage and confidence often linked to repeated failure to achieve OUR desired outcome…
b. One of the things we can’t seem to understand is why we as Christians have to endure suffering while here below.
1Pe 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold thatperisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
3. Jesus says we should be of good cheer…there is no reason to be discouraged…He is our over comer.
a. Approximately 150,000 Pastors leave the ministry each year…why???
b. They are discouraged by the lack of growth in their churches.
c. Discouragement is one of Satan’s greatest weapons.
d. With it he can drive a wedge into the heart of even the most devout Christian…
e. But listen to what God tells us about discouragement.
Psa 46:1-3 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (2) Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; (3) Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4. Lastly, the biggest group of all…Christians living in a backslidden condition…
a. This is the biggest target of evangelists.
b. Those who know the Lord…
c. Those who profess His name and His Salvation.
d. But are not showing evidence of it in their lives…
e. The backslidden Christian is in danger of arousing God’s anger against them!!!
Jer 3:12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger forever.
5. Some of the most miserable people in the world are Christians out of fellowship.
a. Oh they may talk like it doesn’t bother them…
b. They may even act like they don’t care.
c. But…and I do mean …but…if they are truly God’s children in the first place…His Holy Spirit should be whispering conviction into their heart…and making them extremely uncomfortable…
d. You see, when we fail to live for the Lord all our strength is taken away.
e. Listen as Nehemiah describes how the Lord ’s Day is to be celebrated…
Neh 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
6. Without the joy of the Lord in our heart…we lose our strength.
7. Remember what King David said about what his sin with Bathsheba cost him.
8. He said… “My sin is ever before me”…
9. He asked… “Restore unto me the joy of THY salvation.”
CONCLUSION
A. A call to personal revival…
1. I know some of you may be a little confused this morning…Bro. Ron didn’t mention one thing about seeing people saved in our revival…
a. Oh yes I did…you just missed it…RE-VIVAL is for God’s children.
b. People who have never come to know Him in saving faith can’t be RE-VIVED.
c. But…when God’s church experiences TRUE REVIVAL in their hearts guess what happens???
d. They start witnessing…they start bringing people to church…and people start getting saved. Salvation is a by-product of Christian people with their hearts right with God.
B. What kind of Revival do we need?
1. First of all, We need a revival that resurrects the church.
2. We need a revival that will rekindle old fires.
3. A revival that rebuilds Broken Fellowship!
4. Lastly, we need a revival that restores Christian Joy
C. I don’t want us to wait until October the 12th to begin our revival.
1. I’d like it to be in full swing by day one of our scheduled revival.
