Revive Us Again

Revive us Again

Psalm 85:1-8

Rev. Brian Bill

October 28-29, 2023

In the Massachusetts village of Northampton, a Congregational pastor knelt in prayer. He was burdened for the 1,100 souls of his little town who were in bondage to sin. In a few minutes he would be walking into the pulpit. Should he tell people all was well with their souls? Or should he tell them what he really believed – that unless they experienced the new birth through faith in Jesus Christ, they were headed straight for Hell?

The decision was made. The tall, thin-faced man arose, adjusted his periwig, and entered the sanctuary. That day in 1734 marked the birth of the most notable revival America has ever experienced. Nothing like it had happened before. Nothing quite like it has happened since.

The dark conditions pressed Jonathan Edwards to his knees that Sunday. Gone was the God-fearing generation which settled the land of America. The new generation had forgotten God. Immorality, debauchery, and self-interest ruled. Few cared about the next world. Even those who held to the externals of traditional religion had lost the heart of it. [adapted from America’s Great Revivals]

Several years later, Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in which he declared, “Mankind’s own attempts to avoid falling into the ‘bottomless gulf’ due to the overwhelming ‘weight and pressure towards Hell’ are insufficient as ‘a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.’”

One individual, who was in attendance that Sunday remarked, “Before the sermon was done there was a great moaning and crying out through the whole house – ‘What shall I do to be saved?’”

Our title today is “Revive us Again” and our text is Psalm 85:1-8. Let’s stand and proclaim it together:

“LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah. 3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. 4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! 5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.”

Prayer

Let’s begin with a definition. To “revive” means, “to re-life, to live again, to flourish anew.” Synonyms include “renewing, repairing, restoring, and refreshing.” Ray Pritchard says you revive something when you bring it back to life. Revival awakens the saved from a state of spiritual slumber. Here’s a more formal definition, “Revival is the sovereign act of God, whereby He calls His backsliding people to repentance, faith, and new obedience to Him.”

I like how another pastor puts it: “We need an old-fashioned, heaven-sent, soul-saving, sin-erasing, devil-chasing, banner-waving, Christian-flaming, Holy Ghost-revival…from the pulpit to the pew…let’s have revival that starts with me and you!”

According to multiple sources, scores of students at Auburn University surrendered to Christ recently. This put a smile on my face because I came to Christ when I was in college. In February, when accounts of revival at Asbury circulated, I started praying this prayer, “Do it here, Lord!”

While it’s possible to manipulate a movement or focus on emotional excesses, I never want to be skeptical of what the Holy Spirit might be doing. Jesus said it like this in John 3:8: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” In two weeks, we’ll launch our series on the Holy Spirit called, “Our Holy Helper.”

During the first weekend of our “Unshaken and Unashamed” series, the Holy Spirit seemed to be blowing through our worship services and in the lives of His people for His glory as hundreds of us stood in response to a call to surrender our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord (see Romans 12:1-2). We shouldn’t be surprised because we’ve been praying Psalm 85:6 during our Everyone emphasis this past year: “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” Could it be happening right now? Lord, make it so. Do it here, Lord. Bring revival now.

Let’s turn to Psalm 85 and make some initial observations.

1. This psalm is addressed, “to the Choirmaster,” meaning it was intended to be sung in worship. It was written by “the sons of Korah.” While Korah led a rebellion and was swallowed up by the earth, his sons were chosen to be worship leaders. This shows how God does a new work in each generation.