Quote:
Lord, revive the church—beginning with me.
SAMUEL M. SHOEMAKER
First things first, Revival is not an evangelistic campaign, neither is it about what I can receive from Jehovah. It can be stated this way by an old statement from Teddy Roosevelt: “Ask not what my country can do for me but what I can do for my country.”
Therefore it may be concluded that revival is not about me at all but about Jehovah, who desire, deserves, and requires our worship, love and adoration.
Now, as our text states, “Whom have you feared”; which revels the truth of the matter, we are a proud and arrogant people who fears not the Lord Jehovah who made the heavens and the earth.
I. A Revelation of Jehovah’s majestic nature
Quote:
The purpose of revival is to make God, not men, famous; to focus the eyes of the people, not upon human leaders, but upon the Divine Leader; to give glory not to great men but to a great Savior.
RICHARD OWEN ROBERTS
1. God alone is eternal
The problem with the church today is in its view of self; we think, if not in theology then in methodology, that we exist to serve our self and the community exclusively. We can see it in our activities, services and weekly meetings that are never Christ centered but man centered, and it is of my opinion that the problem has bleed over into out theology as well.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. God is the cause of time and is separate from time
Origin is a word that can apply only to things created. When we think of anything that has origin, we are not thinking of God. God is self-existent, while all created things necessarily originated somewhere at some time. Aside from God, nothing is self-caused.
A. W. TOZER
Note: Our text states that “God inhabits eternity”, before time existed there was God and when time shall end and be no more there will still be only God.
As Tozer places eternity, so must we, and with that we must come to terms with our on lives and nature. We are nothing more than a simple creation of an infinitely powerful supreme God, who created from his own will a creature to serve him. The lot in life of each believer is summed up in the term “WORSHIP”, that’s why we are here and that is were we gain our power and in it we have our “Revival”.
B. God is the author of everything
3. God absolutely Holy
His very name is Holy:
Luke 1:49
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
Psalm 111:9
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
God’s perfect holiness should be that for which every believer strives, it is our goal and will be our achievement in glory, to be the expressed image of the one who died for us, Jesus.
4. God’s total sovereignty
Isaiah 6: 1-4
A. Jehovah seated on the throne of eternal power
God alone has the right to move, as he will, our will is bound by the very nature of sin that entangles us. Even though Christ has set us free from spiritual sin, we are still bond to the effects of sin and death awaits each of us as a consequence of that sin. Jehovah God has set us free spiritually and will one day set us free physically, but until that day we are to exalt him above the nations of the world.
B. Jehovah holds the means of Revival
Jehovah God holds revival in his powerful hands and gives it at will to whom ever He pleases, and when a church or individual truly, deeply desire Revival, then, and only then will he/she find it.
Deuteronomy 4:28-31
The church is much like the wandering Jews, we often fall prey to he temptations of the devil and worship false gods, seek our own way; but if we will turn and seek Jehovah we will find Him, when our inward desire is to have Him so very near us that His power illuminates our hearts and Revival springs forth from our soul, impacting everything around us.
a. We must seek Him
b. We must desire Him
c. We must love Him
Revival has never come, historically or currently, with out a sale out of self and a picking up of the cross lifestyle.
II. A Revelation of our nature and Purpose
When we have a revelation of our nature and purpose it must be through the eyes of God; we must see ourselves the way God sees us.
Isaiah 6:5
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Note: We think that just because we are saved from hell by grace that we have or will this side of eternity achieve perfection; such a notion as this is not from the Father, but from Satan, and is boosted from pride. Therefore we must say as Isaiah, “Woe is me!!!!” because once we have been in the presence of Jehovah God our very best seems so small and insignificant and our very nature shines through.
1. Man was created for God
Isaiah 43:7
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
Revelation 4:11
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
No where in God’s Word do we receive any clearer understanding for mans creation than what is read in these two verses. God wasn’t lonely in the celestial heavens nor was He bored and needed something to do and thereby man came into being, but God created man for the purpose of bringing Him Honor and glory.
A. Isaiah was confronted with his failures
If we want a true revival, we must first understand our purpose and how we as the children of God have slipped from that purpose, namely in the two that are mentioned.
a. He brought no glory to God
b. He brought no honor to God
By the very statement “I am a man of unclean lips” Isaiah recognizes that even with the abilities he has been given he has failed. Isaiah failed as each believer does from time to time, to honor and exalt God with the praises of our lips.
B. Isaiah confessed that the whole nation failed
The church of God has fallen short overall, especially in the nation of America, in every part of church life we fail. Many local congregations are full of dry dead orthodoxy and others are so self-centered with their {freewill} adventures that they have lost focus on the truth of the matter. That God wants to be exalted and lifted up above all creation.
Immediately Isaiah knew the purpose of his creation and the extent of the remainder of his life on this earth, which was nothing less than serving Jehovah God with all of his strength and to fulfill the command of making Jehovah known to his people.
III. Isaiah’s revelation brings personal revival
Isaiah’s revelation caused four things
1. Humility
Once Isaiah saw Christ seated upon the throne of glory he had to be the most humble person in the universe at that moment. What we need as individuals is a revelation of Christ seated on the throne with us as his subjects kneeling before Him desiring mercy and grace.
2. Contrite (broken) heart
Isaiah was moved at the very sight of Christ seated in power and glory; it not only humbled him, it also broke his heart.
The broken heart Isaiah experienced was over his very own sinfulness, his personal inadequacies in his walk with Jehovah.
A. Broken heart caused him to confess his sins
B. Broken heart caused him to confess the sins of the nation of Israel
C. Broken heart caused him to repent
3. Forgiveness (purging of sin)
Once Isaiah saw and felt the power of a holy God, experienced the humility brought on by his sinfulness, repented of his sin, then he had the most awesome of all experiences, “Forgiveness” not just any forgiveness but a soul cleansing, life changing forgiveness that moved him forward to evangelism.
4. Commission to evangelize and be on mission for Jehovah
In my time in pastoral ministry I have visited with many people, some who truly desire a life changing experience with God and others who simply just live life, among those who desire some are afraid of the very thing God wants them to do, tell the world about a savior. If our church services produce no works, have we truly had revival???? Revival will produce a church on fire for evangelism and a heart on fire for those that are lost.
We may not have the ability to save anyone from anything, but we sure can introduce them to the one who can, Jesus, the most wonderful name in any language.
