There's Going To Be A Revival In This Town

October 14, 2007

Morning Worship

Text: Luke 13:10-17

Subject: The Healing of a Woman

Title: There’s Going to be a Revival in this Town!

I’m going to begin this morning by sharing a dream that I had Thursday Night.

I was preaching in this church. It was evening and there were many new faces in church that night. There was a young mom with her little girl of about 6 years sitting back about where Lyndell and Tyler sit – a little closer to the center. At the end of the service I walked back to where they were sitting to talk to them. Many of the others in church had already headed for the door. There seemed to be something keeping them from getting out of the door. I was walking and talking with this young mother and when we got to the back of church the crowd was backed up so there was no way of getting out. At that point (for no apparent reason) I turned and looked back toward the platform and shouted as loudly as I could, “Hallelujah!” I don’t know why – if I saw something or heard something, I can’t remember – but when I shouted out I was lifted up off my feet and floated in mid-air over the congregation. When the people at the back of church heard me and saw what was happening and began to flood the platform and altar area. I have never seen this church worship like it did in my dream. The dream ended with me hovering over the congregation and worshiping with my whole being.

Is that pretty wild or what?

That’s not all! Friday morning at prayer I asked the Lord, “What does this dream mean?”. It was so real I knew there was some significance to it. This is the first time the Lord ever gave me a clear interpretation of a dream.

The young mom represents the new generation that is coming into the church. These new believers will be the fresh life the church needs. Their excitement and hunger for the Lord will draw their friends with them. Their children will come in with them.

Those who were at the back of church are the Christians who are more concerned with what they have to do after church than with what Jesus wants to do in the church.

The single word that I shouted out, “Hallelujah” – Praise the Lord - is the call to a higher place of worship within this church. With that higher call, God is going to fill this church with His Spirit once again. That is why everyone was running to the front of church to stand in worship.

When I saw myself hovering in mid-air over the congregation God was confirming that He is going to keep us here to lead and watch over the flock.

The Lord finished by saying, “Revival is coming soon.”

I felt led in my spirit to share that with you. I also want you to know that this revival is going to stretch you. You will be asked by God to go where you have never been, do what you have never done and receive what you have never thought possible.

I want to share with you today from the scriptures some recurring steps in the process of revival.

I. THE REASON FOR REVIVAL (10) What is it that brings revival to churches? 10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues… Many of the healings, deliverances, teachings and demonic confrontations took place when Jesus was in the house of God. Why is that? Psalm 84, 1How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! 2My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. …10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. Revival happens where the presence of God is. In Acts chapter 8 we see that revival broke out in Samaria when Philip went there to preach. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ£ there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7With shrieks, evil£ spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.

9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.