A. INTRODUCTION
1. “Come with fasting, weeping and mourning, don’t tear your clothing in grief, tear your hearts instead . . . then . . . I will pour out My Spirit upon all people” (Joel 2:12, 28, NLT).
2. Definition of revival: “God . . . pouring Himself on His people.” Revival verse: “Time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:10, ELT).
B. WHAT IS REVIVAL?
(From the book, Rivers of Revival, by Neil Anderson and Elmer Towns, Regal books, 1997).
1. Revival is not an evangelistic crusade.
2. Revival is not a meeting.
3. Revival is not just a feeling of excitement.
C. WHAT IS REVIVAL?
1. Revival (Latin) mean “Return of Life.”
a. Return to New Testament Christianity.
b. Return to commitment and joy of your conversion.
2. Definition of Revival. Revival is an outpouring of God’s presence on His people when Christians:
a. Repent of Sin.
b. Renew their love to God.
c. Recommit themselves to God’s purposes.
d. Invest extended time in prayer, communion with God, meditation and experience blessings in Christian service.
3. Revival is a work of God. Jonathan Edwards taught that a revival is the sovereign outpouring of God.
4. Revival involves a work of man. I said that a revival is the result of the right use of the appropriate means. The means which God has enjoined for the production of a revival. Otherwise God would not have enjoined them. But means will not produce a revival, we all know, without the blessings of God. No more will gain, when it is sown, produce a crop without the blessings of God. It is impossible for us to say that there is not as direct an influence or agency from God, to produce a crop of grain, as there is to produce a revival – Charles Finney (1835).
5. Revival includes that total area or a selective area.
6. Revival is atmospheric or individual.
7. Revival is sovereign or caused.
8. Historical word for revival is awakenings.
D. PREPARING TO FAST FOR REVIVAL AND EVANGELISM FOR THE SAMUEL FAST
Fasting has a two-fold action, i.e., pre-fast preparation, and the actual fast, learning from 1 Samuel 7:3-13.
Pre-Fast Preparation
1. Recognition of your bondage. Some are in bondage to habits, sins, others, demons, the past, etc. “Don’t stop praying!” They told Samuel, “Ask the Lord our God to rescue us” (1 Sam. 7:8, CEV). “The Lord (had) delivered them into the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 13:1).
2. Renew allegiance to God’s presence among His people. Today, the presence of God is in His church. “The church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22-23). To prepare for revival, the people:
a. Recognized the need for God’s presence among them. “The men . . . fetched up the ark of the Lord” (1 Sam. 7:1).
b. Assembled the people at God’s place. “Gather all Israel to Mizpah” (1 Sam. 7:5).
3. Type of fast for revival and/or evangelism.
a. Congregational fast, one day.
b. Weekly fast.
c. 40-day congregational fast with various levels of entry.
d. Leadership fast.
e. Pray and fast during sermon, i.e., watchers.
The Actual Fast
4. There must be a corporate gathering.
a. Individual fasting makes a person individually responsible to God. “When ye fast . . . fast unto my Father” (Matt. 6:18, ELT).
b. Corporate fasting makes a person responsible for what God does to the corporate body. “Gather all Israel” (1 Sam. 7:5).
5. God’s people must demonstrate sorrow for sins. “Israel lamented after the Lord” (1 Sam. 7:2). “If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtoreth from among you” (1 Sam. 7:3).
6. God’s people must search for hidden sin and separate from it. “Then the children of Israel did put away Baal and Ashtoreth” (1 Sam. 7:4).
a. Backsliders are blinded to sin in their life.
b. Backsliders are careless about sin in their life.
c. During fasting, God will show hidden sin to the believer, i.e., and the sin that is prohibiting God’s blessing.
d. Fasting must be an ongoing process, and God will gradually reveal sin as we continue to fast.
7. Corporate confession (Identificational repentance) of sin. The leaders must confess for the group as Daniel privately confessed Israel’s corporate sin. “We have sinned” (Dan. 9:5). Each individual must privately confess group sin. “We have sinned against the Lord” (1 Sam. 7:6). There is power when a group corporately deals with its sin.
8. God loves symbols. The fast is an outer symbol of inner desire for God.
a. Not eating. “On that same day, they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the Lord” (1 Sam. 7:6 a, CEV).
b. Sacrifice to God. “They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the Lord” (1 Sam 7:6 b, CEV).
E. PRINCIPLES TO TAKE AWAY
1. The need for leadership to lead the people in faith, sacrifice, with fasting and prayer.
2. The need for unity among God’s people. The people had to “trust and obey” by gathering together, confessing, fasting and seeking God’s victory.
3. The need for faith and works. Some travel to the extreme of only praying for revival. Others travel to the opposite extreme, thinking God’s blessing comes with programs, meetings, or human activity. “We are co-laborers with God” (1 Cor. 3:9, ELT).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
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