Revival Is Possible

PSALMS 85:1-7

REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE

INTRO:

I want to center our thoughts on verses 6 & 7 and speak to you about revival.

I don’t intend to elaborate on the need of revival, the steps to revival, why we don’t have revival these days or what revival is.

I will however mention one thing along this line and that revival is not a great ingathering of the lost however it may include that.

Revival is strictly, and I emphasize strictly, for the people of God which constitutes the church.

All through the ages the people of God have needed reviving so the need of revival is nothing new to the people of God.

The people of God have always needed revival because they have sometimes gotten too involved with the things of life until their relationship with God has grown cold.

God knows this and that is why He called some to be evangelist so they can help us in having revival.

An evangelist is a specially called person and given special talents and gifts to do the work God called him/her to do.

So when a church member goes to the altar, don’t think they have backslid, for in most instances they have not.

If during a revival you feel God tugging at you heart don’t hesitate to come to the altar for God is just trying to draw you back to a more intimate relationship with Him.

This doesn’t mean they have backslidden but they have become so engrossed with legitimate things that they have let the fervency they once knew and had with God wane cold.

Like the Laodicean church they have become not lukewarm but cold.

And like the Laodicean church or the church of Ephesus they need to repent of their coldness their loss of their first love and return to God.

In fact all the churches of Asia Minor were admonished to repent of something and return to God except two, Smyrna and Philadelphia.

So when the invitation is given and you feel a tug at your hearts please don’t hesitate to step out and come to the altar.

Who knows but what your move will prompt others to follow and pray thus renewing their relationship with God and a mighty revival break out.

My heart yearns for this to happen in this church and it can if everyone will obey God.

The psalmist recognized the need of revival thus he begins his prayer for revival by reminding God and himself of how good God had been to him. (v. 1-3}

In verse 4 he asks the Lord to “Restore us, O God of our salvation.”

I think when the psalmists said restore us he was thinking not only of himself but all the people.

In verse 6 the tense of his prayer turns to that of an earnest plea when he cries, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you.”

Notice in verse 4 the psalmist is asking for a reviving of the joy of salvation.

In chapter 51:12 David makes the same request,” Restore to me the joy of your salvation.”

That’s why we need revival today to restore the joy of salvation we once knew, but have now grown cold.

And I use the word cold on purpose for in Revelation 3:15-16 the risen Savior chastises the Laodicean church for being neither cold nor hot. In verse 16 He says because you are lukewarm I will spew you out of my mouth.

The joy bells don’t ring as loudly as they once did,

Now the psalmist also gives us the idea that revival is a restoring of the joy of salvation.

In this message I want to share with you something the Lord gave me the other night in prayer meeting during the scriptural devotion.

It is my prayer that this message will challenge you in such a way you will begin to cry and with each cry your crying to God will become more and more intense until God cannot help but rend the heavens and come down and restore to each the joy of salvation.

I. REVIVAL IS PROMISED

A. Turn to II Chronicles 7:14

a. There you will find one of the greatest promises God ever gave to His people.

b. Notice it says, “If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

c. This world is in a sad and wicked situation because the church is in a sad situation.

d. The longer the church remains in the condition the longer and more wicked they will become.

e. But if the church will cry to God for the healing balm of Gilead the great physician will come and apply the healing balm to His people.