A. REVIVAL WHEN THE FIRE FELL
1. Solomon new king. “I have become king in my father (David) place” (2 Chronicles 6:10, NLT).
2. Right place. “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer” (2 Chronicles 16:12).
3. Revival fire. “When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burnt up the offering” (2 Chronicles 7:1).
4. God showed up. “The glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple” (2 Chronicles 7:1).
5. Response. “All the people … fell down in the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord” (2 Chronicles 7:3).
6. God’s warning/reminder to people enjoying God’s fullness (TRBC). “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
B. THE PRINCIPLES OF 4 + 3 = 7 (PERFECTION)
1. Four things we must do to keep/regain God’s presence:
a. Humble. “God opposes the proud, but favors the humble. Humble ourselves before God” (James 4:6-7, NLT).
b. Pray, recognize your need, confess it to God, ask God to answer, and fix the problem.
c. Seek. Give all your attention to God, give the first of your time, give your energy to serve God, dedicate your time, talents, and tithes to God.
d. Turn from you wicked ways, identify any thing between you and God, confess what sin possess you. Surrender it to God, ask for cleansing. “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9, NLT).
2. Three things God will do for you:
a. Hear. Your confession will get God’s attention. “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore” (Isaiah 59:2, NLT).
b. Forgive their sins. First, judicial cleanse, our sins recorded in God’s book. Second the actual presence of sin in our lives, and the control of sin over our lives, i.e., slavery to sin (Romans 7).
c. Restore their land. In the Old Testament, Israel lost the Promised Land because of idols. In the New Testament it means, regeneration, new life, new desires to live and serve. Transformation, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT).
C. PRACTICAL STEPS TO KEEP/BRING REVIVAL
1. Study God’s recent revivals. Igniters of Revival.
2. Invite “carriers of revival’ to testify their experience in a revival.
3. Call for individual and corporate prayer for revival in our church and in private intercession.
4. Preach on the conditions that lead to revival.
5. Give people the opportunity to make a deeper commitment to revival (sign a pledge to pray, come and pray at altar, call for prayer groups, etc.).
6. Give people opportunity to testify of God’s work in their life (in public meetings, by video, etc.).
7. Spread the revival – use every available means, to challenge every available person, at every available time, to be involved in every available way.
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.
Video presentations of the PBC are available online at trbc.org/pbc
Television Airing Times for the PBC
Go to hopenow.tv for the current program schedule.
