Reaching For Revival

Why are we not seeing more lives transformed by the power of Jesus?

What is keeping our church from experiencing revival?

What is keeping our church from seeing people saved?

What is keeping our church from seeing people sanctified?

Revival is the extraordinary work of god among His people causing extraordinary results in and through the church ¡V Promise Keepers

Revival is a process that God uses to change the world. Revival is God¡¦s way of bringing His people back to him. Revival is not just for those who are lost but it is also for the faithful who have lost the fire of their faith. Revival is for those who need a fresh anointing from God. In reality revival, real revival is for every single person on earth.

Phases of Revival ¡V Henry Blackaby: Fresh Encounter

Phase 1: God is on a mission to redeem a lost world. He calls His people into relationship with Himself, and he accomplishes His work through them.

Phase 2: God¡¦s people depart from Him, turning to substitutes for his presence, purpose and ways.

Phase 3: God disciplines His people out of His love for them that they would return to Him

Phase 4: God¡¦s people cry out to Him for help

Phase 5: God calls His people to repent and return to Him or perish

Phase 6: God revives His repentant people by restoring them to a right relationship with Himself

Phase 7: God exalts His Son Jesus in His people and draws the lost to a saving faith in Him

Revival is an act of God, not us. We do not bring revival. We do not create revival. We can only respond when God calls

14 Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15 the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. 16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:14-18

Revival begins in seeking a spiritual comeback

Return to us O God Almighty! V. 14

One of the misconceptions of revival is that somehow the church or people need to draw God back. The Israelites called for God to return to them. The issue was not that God had left them but rather that they had to get into a position where they were ready for God to pour out His blessing upon them.

God is already here with us. We need to prepare ourselves to receive what God wants to give. We need to get ourselves ready on a personal level and we have to be ready on a corporate level.

What is keeping us from experiencing revival?

Lack of personal preparation

- Prayer

- Fasting

- Worship

- Bible Reading and Study

Lack of Corporate Preparation

- Times of corporate prayer (Not just in worship)

Prayer Vigil: February 16 (12 Hours)

Prayer Retreat: March 2 (9am to 1pm)

Prayer Vigil: March 30 (12 Hours)

- Lack of genuine seeking of God

God stops moving when the people stop seeking

Why do we stop seeking?

* Busyness

* Misplaced priorities

* Spiritual satisfaction

Revival begins when we accept spiritual correction

We will never experience the power of God¡¦s reviving Spirit until we accept His divine correction. The problem for most of us is that we hate correction. How can we get on the same page with God unless we listen to His guidance?

Correction: Allowing God to show you what is wrong in your walk with Him.

Conviction: Allowing God to give guidance on a daily basis

Cleansing: Allowing God to bring forgiveness with our repentance

1. Known sin must be confessed

Many times we try to justify our behavior and we try to make excuses for our sinfulness. God does not take these things lightly because sin is still sin. God makes it clear that He cannot and will not work within a heart that harbors sin. We buy into a lot of socially acceptable sins and even sins that the church seems to accept.

- Obvious sins: There are often times things that come immediately to mind

- Hidden or buried sins: There are things that we often bury that God desires to unearth. We need to ask for God to search us and show us any offensive way

2. God expects repentance

Repentance means to turn away from sin. Repentance mean to have sorrow over hurting the heart of God. We will never experience revival in our lives and in the church until we are willing to repent. The time has come to stop playing games with God. Our world has become a spiritual wasteland and the longer we wait to get serious with God, the longer we lose to make an impact on eternity.