ISAIAH 64:1-9 "A LONGING FOR REVIVAL!"
The word "revive” means "to come back to life or con¬sciousness, to come back to health or vigour, to be useful and flourish again."
1. THE REAL NEED FELT 1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
There Is A Need For:
A. A REVIVAL OF GOD'S PEOPLE.
Matthew 6:33—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
THERE IS:
A CHOICE TO BE MADE. (Joshua 24:15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
A COMMITMENT TO BE MADE. (1 Kings 18:21) And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
B. A REVIVAL OF GOD'S PRESENCE.
1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
Jesus said in Matthew 18:20—“For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.” The key phrase in that passage is "In MY Name".
ILLUS: A man went to an asylum for the criminally insane. He was a bit surprised to find that there were three guards to take care of a hundred inmates. He said to one of the guards, "Aren't you afraid that the inmates will unite, overcome you, and escape?" The guard said "Lunatics never unite." Locusts do"
Philippians 1:27 that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
C. A REVIVAL OF GOD'S POWER
Acts 1:8; But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
The first commandment is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
We have no power because we put things ahead of the Lord!
1 Cor 1:30 says—“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
2. THE REQUIRED WORK DONE that the mountains might flow down at thy presence 2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! 3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
*WHAT IS THIS REQUIRED WORK? IT IS:
A. A REMOVING WORK. 1 that the mountains might flow down at thy presence
Fire melts and causes to flow.
There Are Mountains Of :
(a) Inability Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
(b) Indecision 1 Kings 18:21; And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
(c) Indifference John 10:27; My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
B. A REFINING WORK. 2 As when the melting fire burneth,
(a) Vain Thoughts 1 Cor 3:20 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
(b) Self-Confidence. Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
(c) Flesh Energy.
Jesus told His disciples—"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mat:26:41).
In this body of flesh we become tired, discouraged, and defeated.
1Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
C. A REVIVING WORK 2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil
David said in Psalm 39:3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spoke I with my tongue.
Lukewarmness cannot exist where this fire is!
Jer 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
3. THE RIGHT RESULT SOUGHT 2 to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
A. A RESPONSIBILITY SEEN. to make thy name known to thine adversaries
AN ASTRONOMER: Night Well "Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?'
B. A REVERENCE SHOWN. “…that the nations may tremble at thy presence."
The world is not lacking in wonders, but in a sense of wonder. -- G.K. Chesterton.
We must reverence God so much that we see service not as labour but as love.
We must see prayer as not as duty but as a delight.
"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6).
