“Asking For Revival”
INTRODUCTION: Next Sunday begins our Revival Services! I don’t know about you, but I’m EXCITED about what I believe God has in store for us. God is just WAITING to pour out His blessings.
This morning, I want us to prepare our hearts to RECEIVE all that God has for us. God will bless a prepared heart.
I. BE ASKING FOR REVIVAL
God will not pour out His blessings on us … UNLESS … we ASK Him to. The Holy Spirit will NOT FORCE Himself on you. He won’t go where He isn’t wanted. He won’t do a mighty work where the heart isn’t prepared. Matthew 13:58 – “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Have you ever been somewhere, when you felt like you weren’t wanted there? Maybe you HAD to be there … maybe you WANTED to be there … BUT … you weren’t wanted. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling.
Jesus WANTS to make an impact on your life next week. He WANTS to renew the Holy Spirit within you … and change your life. He WANTS to REVIVE your spirit with His Holy Spirit. He WANTS to bring you into a close, personal relationship with Him. He WANTS to give you the power, strength, victory, peace, and hope that you so desperately need.
BUT … He won’t do this mighty work … UNLESS … you ASK Him. UNLESS you are READY … UNLESS you are PREPARED. UNLESS you DESIRE Him to do so.
ASK for the Holy Spirit to do a work in your life during our Revival Services.
II. BE PREPARED FOR REVIVAL
Luke 3:3-4 – all turn
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
When you have company coming, you PREPARE, don’t you? You prepare a meal … prepare the house … prepare the activities you are going to do.
Back in Bible times, when a great King came to visit his subjects, they would make preparations ahead of time. They would clean the village of all the rubbish. They would fix the pot-holes in the streets. Sometimes, they would even build NEW highways, just for the event.
The KING is coming! I’m not just talking about the rapture. I’m talking about His coming into your life to CHANGE you … to REVIVE you … to USE you … to give you the JOY, HOPE, FAITH, LOVE and POWER that you so richly need. He wants you to get yourself PREPARED for His coming next week.
“Make His paths straight.”
I don’t like DETOURS. Sometimes there will be some road construction … or an accident … or a fallen tree over the road … or a bridge out. You’ll have to take a DETOUR … sometimes many miles out of your way. I don’t like DETOURS … I like to go STRAIGHT to where I want to go.
Jesus has a path all prepared, to go straight to your heart next week. He wants to go STRAIGHT to your PROBLEMS, and meet them. He wants to go STRAIGHT to your FAITH, and strengthen it. He wants to go STRAIGHT to you NEEDS and supply them. He wants to go STRAIGHT to your TRIALS, and guide you through them. He wants to go STRAIGHT to your FEARS, and calm them.
Jesus doesn’t want any DETOURS … “Make His paths straight.” He doesn’t want to go AROUND the DETOUR of:
o A heart that isn’t prepared and available.
o A life that isn’t clean and expecting to be blessed.
o A sin that isn’t confessed and repented of.
o A stubborn will that isn’t surrendered to His will and way.
Maybe there are some sins that need to be confessed and repented of.
STORY: 4 preachers got together and they talked about how people came to them and poured out their hearts to them. They often advised them to confess their sins. The preachers decided that, since they had no one to confess their sins to, it might be a good idea to confess them to each other.
The 1st preacher said: “I like to gamble … sometimes it becomes a problem.”
The 2nd preacher said: “I like to drink a little … but nobody knows.”
The 3rd Preacher said: “I have a problem controlling my spending, and I’ve got all my credit cards maxed out.”
The 4th preacher wouldn’t say anything. They said: “We 3 told our secret sins, now it’s you’re turn.”
The 4th preacher said: “I love to gossip … and I can’t wait to get out of here!”
Maybe we have some sins that WE need to confess … and repent of.
We need to spend some time PREPARING for the COMING of the King … PREPARING for REVIVAL … PREPARING for the BLESSING … PREPARING for the CHANGE that Jesus wants to bring to your heart and life.
We need to make a straight path for Jesus to follow to get to our hearts.
III. BE READY FOR CHANGE
Several years ago, a couple played the lottery … and won, winning several million dollars. They were interviewed by the newspaper, and they were asked, “What difference would all this money make in your life?” They replied that they wouldn’t be changed by suddenly being millionaires. A year later, the newspaper did a follow-up story. To the reporter’s surprise, the money hadn’t made a difference in their lives. They still lived in the modest 3 bedroom house, drove the same old car, and had the same jobs as before. Nothing had changed except their bank balance.
Some of you might say: “Well, good for them. They were so content in their lifestyle that they didn’t want to change anything.” My reaction is: “What a waste!” With millions of dollars in the bank, they weren’t willing to change anything! (Steve Gladwell – “Turn Back O Man”)
This is like a lot of Christians today. When God saved you, He gave you access to the riches of Heavenly blessings. He not only gave you eternal life with a home in Heaven, but He gave you the riches of His love, comfort, peace, joy, fellowship, victory and hope.
What are we doing with all these blessings? Are we just keeping them stored away in our bank account in Heaven? OR … Are we letting these riches produce a CHANGE in our life?
What can you do to bring on these CHANGES that God wants to make in your life?
John the Baptist didn’t just leave them there … he told them what to do. He quotes from Isaiah 40:4, giving them God’s instructions.
1.- “Every valley shall be filled”
Maybe there are some POT-HOLES in your life that need to be filled … BEFORE … God will send REVIVAL to your heart. Pot-holes are empty places … holes that need to be filled. What are some in your life?
The pot-hole of:
o Prayer – You need to spend the next week in PRAYER, asking God to CHANGE you the week of Revival. Pray that God will show you what NEEDS changing. Pray that God will open your heart TO that CHANGE. Pray that God will plant that DESIRE for CHANGE in your heart. Fill your empty pot-hole with prayer.
o Commitment – You need to commit yourself to be here next Sunday. God won’t pour out His blessings on you, if you aren’t here. You’ll miss out on the CHANGES that God want to make in your life. Fill your empty pot-hole with commitment.
o Surrender – That means “give up”, by the way. Are you satisfied with your Christian life … with your relationship with Christ? Are you willing to SURRENDER (“give up”) the life you’re living now, for a new, exciting life of victory & joy? THEN, “give up” what you’ve got now, and EXCHANGE it for something better. Fill your empty pot-hole with surrender.
God wants to fill the pot-holes in your life the week of Revival.
2.- “Every mountain and hill shall be brought low”
We’ve got some mountains in our life that need to be made into mole-hills … AMEN? Maybe there are some OBSTACLES that need to be removed, before God can bring Revival to your heart & life.
The mountain of:
o Worry – When your life is bogged down with WORRY, you’re spiritual life is put on hold. Maybe God needs to remove your mountain of worry, and send REVIVAL to your heart.
o Pride – PRIDE, is putting ourselves ahead of God. It’s putting OUR TIME ahead of God. It’s not giving God the TIME, THOUGHT, LOVE, DEVOTION, and SACRIFICE that He deserves. Maybe God needs to remove some “self” from our lives … so we can make room for God.
Next week, God wants to make some molehills out of the mountains in our life.
3.- “The crooked shall be made straight”
“The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.”
When I read about the salvation experience of the Apostle Paul, I read that God sent Saul to a man on the street called “Straight”. Before God could bless Saul, he literally had to travel the “Straight” road.
Maybe there are some things that you need to get “straightened out” with somebody you know. Maybe there’s someone you need to forgive. Maybe there is someone you need to ask forgiveness of. You’re not going to be in sweet fellowship with Christ … IF … you’re not in fellowship with one of His children.
The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. Let’s spend this week straightening out some crooked paths, so Jesus can have a direct line to our hearts.
4.- “The rough ways shall be made smooth”
Is your life a “bumpy road” … filled with ups & downs … up one day, and down the next? So much of our Christian life is like a roller-coaster ride, isn’t it? So many times, we react to every circumstance that comes in to interrupt our lives. Just about the time our lives start to smooth out, we run over another bump in the road.
We need to remember that God is sovereign. He knows what He’s doing. He’ll never allow anything into your life that you & He aren’t able to handle.
Maybe there’s some bumps in the road that you’re experiencing, that you need to turn over to Him. Won’t you do that this week, to prepare your heart for Revival!
CONCLUSION:
TITLE: “Asking For Revival”
Jesus doesn’t want you to enter Revival week without preparing your hearts to receive all the rich blessings He has for you. He wants you to ASK Him for Revival. He wants you to DESIRE Revival. He wants you to SEEK Revival.
Jesus wants you to INVITE Him into your Christian life.
I’m reminded of Jesus as He talked on the Road to Emmaus with 2 of His followers. Jesus had just risen from the dead, and they didn’t recognize Him. Luke 24:16 – “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.”
It was getting late, and they had arrived home. Listen to what happened … Luke 24:28-29
“And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. [29] But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.”
“constrained” means that they “compelled” Jesus to come home with them … they took Him by the arm, and led Him away with them. They latched hold of Him … they wouldn’t turn Him loose … they ushered Him to their house.
It was THEN that their eyes were opened and they realized that they had been with Jesus!
When we “constrain” Jesus to revive our hearts, we will see Him do so. If we treat next week like just another week … If we don’t prepare our hearts for Revival … If we ignore the blessings that Jesus wants to pour out on us … If we don’t desire the change that Jesus wants to make within us … If we don’t “constrain” Jesus to come and be the Lord of our life … THEN … we will miss out on what it means to be REVIVED.
Let’s spend this week preparing our hearts for Revival. Let’s start NOW!
STAND – PRAYER
HYMN - #347 – “I Surrender All”
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Asking For Revival”
Luke 3:3-5
INTRODUCTION: God will revive a prepared heart.
I. BE ASKING FOR REVIVAL
- The Holy Spirit won’t force Himself on you – Matthew 13:58
- Jesus wants to make an impact on your life & heart.
II. BE PREPARED FOR REVIVAL
- Luke 3:3-4 – The King is coming to change your life … prepare for His coming.
- “make His paths straight” – Jesus doesn’t like detours.
- Jesus wants to go straight to your problems, faith, needs, trials and fears.
- Prepare for revival, blessing and change.
- Make a straight path for Jesus to follow to your heart.
III. BE READY FOR CHANGE
- Let the riches that God has for you, change your life.
- Isaiah 40:4 – God’s instructions for change:
1.- “every valley shall be filled”
- Are there some “pot holes” in your life that need to be filled?
- The pot hole of PRAYER … pray for God to show you what needs changing … open your heart to that change.
- The pot hole of COMMITMENT … commit to be available.
- The pot hole of SURRENDER … exchange your life for a better life of victory and joy.
2.- “every mountain and hill shall be brought low”
- Maybe some mountains need to be made into mole-hills.
- The mountain of WORRY … your spiritual life is put on hold.
- The mountain of PRIDE … putting your self, time, thought, love and devotion ahead of God.
3.- “the crooked shall be made straight”
- Maybe there are things that need straightened out between you & someone else … forgiveness asked or given.
4.- “the rough ways shall be made smooth”
- Jesus wants to turn your roller-coaster Christian life into a life that looks to His sovereignty in every circumstance.
CONCLUSION:
- Luke 24:16,28-29 – When you “constrain” Jesus to revive your heart, He will do it.
- Prepare your heart for Revival… watch God work!
PRISCILLA BAPTIST CHURCH – Ray Scott, Pastor
