Jacob’s Personal Revival
Genesis 32:24-28
Personal worship and real revival go hand-in-hand.
God is calling his people to revival.
Revival is needed!
A constant flow of personal commitment is needed to “kneed” God’s people into the whitened and falling harvest of this last hour.
But religious routine is killing the vision and heartbeat of the church!
The roots of ruin grow deep in the religion of the rut.
Indeed, life is in the Spirit’s flow, but death is in the rut of ritualistic religion.
Now, there is virtue in order. The Lord said that the things of God should be done “decently and in order.”
--I Chr. 6:32 says, the “priests waited or ministered to the Lord according to their order.”
--Paul spoke of “setting things in order” in the local churches he had established.
--Col. 2:5 commends the saints for their “order and steadfastness.”
But there is a world of difference in “order” and “mindless ritual.”
Real revival grows out of a “spiritual order”, but death reigns from the religion of the routine.
When we become engaged in our religious routine, it is here that the Holy Spirit will send the “pricks” to jab us into our spiritual calling.
In Gen 32, Jacob has been locked into the looseness of lax living spiritually.
He managed to amass material, but spiraled downward spiritually.
How deceitful are riches! (Mt. 13:22)
--Promising power—and giving bondage!
--Promising popularity—giving loneliness!
--Promising Pleasure—giving worry!
--Promising peace—giving conflict!!
Jacob had wealth, but still he needed help.
All his power could not buy him the answers for his situation.
An impending confrontation with his brother, Esau, and his own weakness of spirit drove Jacob to an encounter with God!
Desperate for his life, he became desperate for the source of life.
Seeking guidance out of his situation would press him into a new spiritual mold.
The Spirit would change not only his name, but also his nature. But this change would be borne out of a deep, desperate spiritual search.
It has most often been spiritual desperation that has sparked the great revivals of history.
--Someone, in the quiet of his own personal despair, began a search for God.
--Deep in spiritual starvation, men have risen up to exclaim, “Why sit I here until I die?”
--From the grownings of broken lives and hearts have come the cries of moral and spiritual re-birth!
--From the fervency of fevered spiritual brows has come the spiritual perspiration of REAL PERSONAL REVIVAL!
It can happen again. It can happen here. It can happen now.
We seldom get anything worthwhile without fervency.
Fervency speaks of “heat” and heat speaks of movement!
The molecules of spiritual life must become excited and begin to move before real revival can happen and movement means effort and energy.
Jacob slept on the ground with his head on a rock so he could get grounded in God and get his head on straight.
Sometimes our bed needs to become uncomfortable and our head on a stony place to move us to spiritual heat!
Discomfort can be a friend if it brings us close to God and makes us mindful of God.
Jacob moved!
Jacob managed to meet the messenger of God because his soul was on fire with desire.
“He that cometh to God must believe that he his and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently (with fervency) seek him.” Heb 11:6
When his desperation,
Gave way to perspiration,
He received inspiration and
A new designation.
Jacob put away hindrances.
“Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doeth so easily best us…!”
--Heb 12:1
The details of business were set aside.
The routine of the work-a-day experience were put away and he got alone with God.
Personal worship became the order of the day.
“Alone with God” became the theme of his life at that moment.
To be shut up with Jehovah was his driving passion.
All distractions were forgotten.
OH! How we need to do this today!
The mad rush of 21st century life mesmerizes and hypnotizes us at times.
Go here! Go there! Do this! Do that! Attend here! Be there!
But if we are to live as we ought and enjoy what we may,
There comes a time when we must draw aside to be…
Charged for Christ
Generated by Jehovah
Spurred by the Holy Spirit
Motivated for ministry!
We must be routed into real revival and renewal of the inner dynamic where we become like Jacob…Changed for all time!
Real revival begins in God’s holiness.
Isaiah “saw the Lord high and lifted up” and his soul sank in remorse for sin. But at the touch of God’s holiness his spirit soared to say,
“Here and I send me!”
Real revival costs. No investment, no return is God’s law of spiritual life.
If we sow nothing—we reap nothing.
If we sow to the flesh—we reap futility.
If we sow well—we reap spiritual wealth.
Personal revival cost Jacob a thigh out of joint, but it brought him a return of righteousness.
It cost him a struggle, but he reaped a surge of spiritual health.
It cost him permanent change (he limped till the day he died), but it was a limp of life!
--Every time he limped on that leg, his soul leaped at the thought of Bethel--The house of God!
--Every time that joint ached his soul was activated to praise.
--Every step of physical halting was a leap on the ladder that descended from heaven.
The rending of his body marked the remedy for his soul.
The personal, physical mark of struggle became the spiritual song of new life!
From that lonely wrestling with self and spirit—he was changed for good and for God!
Not only was his name changed, but his nature as well.
“What is your name?” inquired the heavenly visitor.
“Jacob.” came the reply. The name means, “user, usurper, deceiver.”
“It shall be no longer Jacob, but Isra-el.!”
No longer deceiver, but receiver.
No longer user, but used!
No longer self, but the Savior!
No longer ruled by things, but ruled by the King!
New name, new ideas, new life, new hope, new nature!
No longer Jacob, but Isra-el—Prince with God!
What a change! What a renewal! What a REVIVAL!!
Because he became desperate in his desire,
Fired in his fervency,
Helped with his hindrances,
He became altered in his actions,
Renewed in his righteousness,
Changed in his calling.
We will experience personal revival when we…
Confess and repent of sin,
Pursue the power of prayer,
Possess a passion for righteousness,
Make a commitment to the mission and vision of God!
We will rise above the rut of religion
Soar above the prevailing weariness of spirit,
Absolve ourselves of our absence of passion and the tired halting heart will leap with joy
The weary will be renewed in spirit,
The joyless will laugh with holy hilarity
The deprived will be blessed with heavenly bounty,
And the power and purpose of God will be realized through our living.
Jacob met his brother, Esau, with renewed faith and love. What was his darkest prospect became a miracle of new life and reconciliation.
It can happen to you and me, if we are willing to wrest from our own personal challenge the joy of heaven’s best in real, personal revival!!
Psalms 85:6-13
