What Is Real Revival?

What is Real Revival?

June 28th 2009

Malachi 3:6-16

Introduction

I have been pondering on this question for some time now, what is real revival, now I have been a Baptist for all of my Christian life, and I have been apart of many revival services where an evangelist comes along with a music evangelist, and they sing uplifting songs, and the preacher preaches his messages, and if feels good while the services are going on, but after the services it seems like we just go back to business as usual, no extra efforts to reach the community, no meetings to see what we we’ve learned and how God spoke to us on what we need to be doing in our own lives, and on reaching the community with the gospel. So as I thought about that, I had to ask myself, was that real revival. The conclusion that I came to was NO!

What we don’t need is just another series of services and label it revival. We don’t need “Wild Fire” as I have heard it called, someone said in some churches people are barking like dogs, and roaring like lions, and they are calling it revival. That’s “wild fire” not real fire, when the real fire comes people are going to be humbled, they are going to be obedient, listen we don’t need you to bark like dogs are roar like lions, we need you drop a tithe in the offering plate every time it is passed around, we need you to volunteer to work in the outreach of this church, we need you to earnestly pray for the lost, that’s real revival, that’s real fire, not this “wild fire”.

But rather what is needed is a old time, old fashioned, holy spirit anointed, sin killing, devil stomping, sinner praying, saint praising, fire kindling, power packing, life changing, reconciling, soul saving, God breathing , heaven sent Revival.

God desires more from us than having four days out of a year and designate it for revival. True revival cannot be planned or programmed. We can’t expect the evangelist to bring revival in his briefcase. When real revival comes, its going to be because the church has got down on her knees and prayed like she did in days of old. When the saints start praying, God’s fire starts churning, and the heavens begin opening, and the spirit begins descending with the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.(Herb Revis)

God wants not only for us to experience revival, but rather he want us to remain in a spirit of revival continually, praying and praising the name of the lord, god almighty.

Today from this passage of scripture, I want us to look at the formula for real revival and the see the results of real revival.

Read Scriptures: Malachi 3:6-16

I. Real Revival must be preceded by prayer

Malachi 3:1 “Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple;”

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

God’s desire is that His people the Church seek Him, listen if we have any hopes of experiencing real revival it must preceded by prayer. Not just as a formality but as a true humbling ourselves and seeking Gods face for a true and genuine revival of our spirits.

Listen when you pray you are doing more than just relieving yourself of something, or just something that might make you feel better. As you pray you’re getting the mind of Christ. God even show’s you things about yourself. You’re finding the will of God; you’re hearing from the creator of the universe who takes time for you! Also, you are creating a God spot, a place of contact; a meeting place!

Prayer is the first vital part of real revival, the text says, “Then suddenly the Lord, you are seeking will come to his temple.”

II. Real Revival requires Repentance

Vs. 7 “Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.”

We cannot expect to have an authentic true revival without repentance. The fact that we need revival suggests that we have moved farther away from God. Listen if we never moved then we wouldn’t need revival, and if we don’t need revival, then we have more people in this building than we could hold, because that would mean you are getting out there and beating the bushes, loving the lost enough to tell them the gospel message.

The fact is that we need revival because we have grown complacent, we have moved farther from the will of God for our lives.