Revival (Section 2) Revival In A Bone Yard (From Charles Finney Revival Lectures) Series

Revival (Section 2)– Revival In A Bone Yard

I. REVIVAL IN A BONE YARD Ezekiel Chapter 37

A. Again, Revival Begins with the Bare Bones

B. God Works through Men

C. Prophets are:

1. Lone men: they walk alone, pray alone, and God makes them alone.

2. Spirit-led --- Ezekiel 37:1

3. Obedient Ezekiel 37:7 "So I prophesied as I was commanded:"

D. Contrasts

1. Audiences

a. Only Heaven and Hell were spectators.

b. Today, we would require a press photograph.

2. Statistics

a. Ezekiel was satisfied with saying, " the valley was full of dry bones."

b. Today, with numbers being such a factor, we would count the bones.

3. Recognition

a. Ezekiel was only concerned with God when things started to move.

He continued to prophesy. verse 10

"So I prophesied as he commanded me,"

b. Today, when things begin to move, we would certainly call for others

to see us operate, lest men fail to give us the right ranking and privileges.

4. End Result

a. Ezekiel had a living, exceeding great army.

b. Today, skeletons come to the altars--moved, but not born of life.

II. VITAL ISSUES CONCERNING REVIVAL

A. Broken Heart

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

M. H. ---That is, humbled for sin and emptied of self. They are low in their own eyes, and have no confidence in their own merit and sufficiency, but in God only.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Not in despair (as we say, when a man is undone, His heart is broken), but in necessary humiliation and sorrow for sin. It is a heart breaking with itself, and breaking from its sin; it is a heart pliable to the word of God, and patient under the rod of God, a heart subdued and brought into obedience; it is a heart that is tender, like Josiah's, and trembles at God's Word. Oh that there were such a heart in us! M. H.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

01792 daka’ (daw-kaw) contrite

Break, break in pieces, crush, bruised

To allow oneself to be crushed

One eyewitness said of the famous revival of Wales that it was not the eloquence of Evan Roberts that broke men down, but his tears. “He would break down, crying bitterly for God to ben them, in an agony of prayer, the tears coursing down his cheeks, with his whole frame writhing. Strong men would break down and cry like children . . . a sound of weeping and wailing would fill the air.

M. H. Those that are truly penitent for sin, who mourn in secret for it, and have a dread of the wrath of God, which they have made themselves obnoxious to, and are submissive under all His rebukes. He will give them reviving joys. He dwells with them, and His presence is reviving.

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

1. God uses broken things.

I Cor. 11:24 Christ's body was broken

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Luke 20:18 Fall on that Stone!!!!!!!

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

2. God uses unfinished things --- Clay in the Potter's Hands Jeremiah 18:1 -6

3. God uses children --- Perfection of Praise Matthew 21:15 -16

"And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

"And said unto Him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have he never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

The children in the choir broke out crying and praying when the Holy Ghost fell.

B. Mourning

1. When a couple of struggling Salvation Army officers wrote to William Booth

telling him they tried every way to get a move and failed, he sent this reply,

" Try tears!" They did. And they had revival.