Revive Us Again

Psalm 85:1-13

REVIVE US AGAIN

Intro: Ill.

• We know neither the author nor the background for this Psalm.

• Most scholars believe that it was written just after Israel returned from captivity in Babylon.

• Israel had been sent to Babylon for 70 years as punishment for their sins against the Lord.

• Now, they have been restored to their land, but their hearts are still not where they need to be. The nation has experienced restoration, but it stands in great need of revival.

I think Israel’s situation parallels ours to a degree. We have been saved by the grace of God and delivered from the penalty of our sins. We are on our Way to heaven!He separated our sins as far as the east is from the west and he remembers them no more. (WE ARE SAVED FOR AN ETERNITY)We are washed in the blood of the Lamb!

-No man can pluck us from our Father’s Hand – We are eternally secure.

(Song Illustration)

Saved! saved! saved! my sins are all forgiv’n;

Christ is mine! I’m on my way to Heav’n;

Once a guilty sinner, lost, undone,

Now a child of God, saved thro’ His Son.

Saved! I’m saved thro’ Christ, my all in all;

Saved! I’m saved, whatever may befall;

He died upon the cross for me,

He bore the awful penalty;

And now I’m saved eternally—

I’m saved! saved! saved!

-We have been blessed beyond words, but we are not where we need to be with the Lord. Just like ancient Israel, the church stands in need of a revival.

-Right in the very heart of this Psalm, there is a plea for God to send His people a revival.

-The word “revival” means “to refresh; to restore to live; to live prosperously”.

-Jesus said I have come to give them “LIFE and life more abundantly”

(Song Revival)

Revive us again;

Fill each heart with Thy love;

May each soul be rekindled

With fire from above.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Revive us again.

We need revival! Everyone here needs revival! We need some things refreshed and some things restored.

1.Maybe some people need a restoring in their Soul-Winning

2.Maybe some people need a restoring in their FAITH!

3.Maybe you need a restoring in your Faithfulness to GOD!

4.Maybe you need a refreshing in your service . . . .

This Psalm gives us a little insight into what real revival involves.

I want to take these verses and preach on the subject of: Revive Us Again.

I want to point out the three steps the Psalmist took in his quest for revival:

I. v. 1-3 THE PSALMIST REMEMBERS THE PAST

(Ill. He looks back on where they were and what the Lord had done for them. He looks at the Blessing of GOD!

We as Christians many times get so comfortable – That many times we need to just LOOK BACK as where we were, where we were heading: BEFORE GOD!

1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us!

-Aren’t you Glad that God stepped in and rescued us? -Aren’t you glad that Christ stepped in and washed away our sins

-We were heading to a Christ-less Eternity with no hope – no happiness – and no help – BUT GOD STEPPED IN!

A. v. 1 He Remembers Their Captivity – He remembers the years of exile in Babylon.

a. He remembers the hard aches – He remembers the Sorrows – he remembers the pain. Before Christ we were all slaves to SIN! – (We were captives to sin)

b. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

c. (Eph 2:11-12) Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, (Separated His Person- Salvation) and strangers from the covenants of promise, (Separated from His Promise-The Blessings of God) having no hope, (Separated from His Position-A Child of the King) and without God in the world (Separated from his Presence-You were separated from His power)