Revive Us Again! Part 2

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 

(Psalm 51:10-12 KJV)

Note:  On March 12, 2017, I was blessed to lead worship at my church—the title of my sermon was Revive Us Again! 

This is the second post in a short series sharing a heavily edited version of my sermon by the same title.  In the future, there may be an audio or video of this sermon which will enhance what I will be sharing in writing.  To enhance your understanding I recommend you read the first post here:  Revive Us Again!

From  https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-51-10_Inspirational_Image/

Starting with our own sinful nature, crying out to God in humility, as David did in Psalm 51 is a great place to start.  Revival starts with individuals and spreads.  In Psalm 51 David cries out for mercy, for forgiveness, asking God to cleanse his iniquity—God is the only one who can do this.  In confessing our sins and seeking forgiveness from God, our hearts are purged (cleaned, emptied out—complete thorough cleaning process), we are washed in the blood of the Lamb—the blood of Jesus and made whiter than snow.  A clean, renewed heart wholly devoted to God alone. 

From  https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-51-11_Inspirational_Image/

In revival, we are restored to a right relationship with God.  This causes us to rejoice!  Revival is a blessing from God—it is not a given in every generation, nor is it a cure-all for all that ails us.  Revival—true revival changes us and shakes things up.  Revival should fill us with a passion to share the gospel with everyone!  Revival without obedience to God is a mockery, a disservice to God—honestly, I am not sure how that can even be called a revival!

From https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-51-12_Inspirational_Image/

For several suggestions on praying for revival, I offer to you the following links that contain solid information on praying for revival:

How to Pray for Revival

Ten Prayers for Revival and Spiritual Awakening

In summary, all our prayers for revival should start with our own hearts and lives—seeking God for a renewed sensitivity to sin and deepening of love for God.  It is from there the biggest changes occur and we are changed, as well as those around us.

If you decide to pray for revival, be prepared for change—change in how we worship and do what we do--music; for example, changes through revivals.  Consider the music Charles Wesley wrote—he used contemporary tunes to turn his poetry into hymns, many of which are still sung today…or consider the contemporary worship music influenced by the Jesus People/Charismatic Movement of the late 1960s/1970s.  Expecting revival without change will not work.  In revival the church is changed; then society changes.  Sadly, this did not happen in the Charismatic/Jesus People Movement—while many people came to faith, society grew more and more liberal (this was the time of prayer being removed from schools and the legalization of abortion).

Where do we start?  We start with our own heart—searching it and confessing our sins, seeking forgiveness from God.  Then we can pray for those around us and the rampant sin in our society.  Ask God to open the windows of Heaven and pour out His Spirit.  O that God might have mercy on us and send revival before things get really bad!

Nevertheless, may the cry of all our hearts echo the cry in a contemporary worship song from the early 1990s, Cry of My Heart:  

The hymn I selected to close the service, Revive Us Again, comes from a renewed, revived heart—from one who was a prodigal but returned home to the Lord.  May the words ring true for us as we live each day for the Lord.

Amen!

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, through Your Holy Spirit stir-up in us the embers of faith that are beginning to die, so that we may see our hearts as You see them.  As we cry out to You, in faith, realizing the depth of our how lost we are, we know that You will be faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us anew.  Cause us to be sensitive to the sin in our lives and to confess and receive forgiveness, moving on in faith to all that You have for us.  Open us to the variety of changes revival will bring our way—changes within us and within our churches.  Empower us to change our society through a revival of Your work within and around us.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Revive Us Again!

If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.  

(2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)

From https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/2-Chronicles-7-14_Inspirational_Image/

Note:  On March 12, 2017, I was blessed to lead worship at my church—the title of my sermon was Revive Us Again!

This is the first post in a short series sharing a heavily edited version of my sermon by the same title.  In the future, there may be an audio or video of this sermon which will enhance what I will be sharing in writing. 

Personal photo

What is revival?  As expected there are a variety of definitions.  For the purposes of this post, I am sharing only two:  Pastor Greg Laurie, who was saved during one of the more recent revivals—the Charismatic/Jesus People Movement defines revival in this way:  “…revival is nothing more or less than a new beginning of obedience to God.  It’s a church word…  It is not for the nonbeliever.  Revival starts with the church and then affects the world.  The world does not need revival; the church does. The world needs evangelism.”[1]

As C. H. Spurgeon stated:  “To be revived is a blessing which can only be enjoyed by those who have some degree of life.  Those who have no spiritual life are not, and cannot be, in the strictest sense of the term, subjects of revival.”[2]

With these definitions and understanding in mind let us consider revival more fully from the Word of God and from history.  This is a sizable undertaking and cannot be covered in great depth in one short sermon.  However, I believe, it is important to learn about it and to pray for it, if we feel God placing it on our heart.

Beloved, we are not alone in seeing the need for an awakening, a revival from God.  Not only do we see this in our country’s history; we can also see it throughout the whole of history.  In reading through the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, we read about the following revivals:  there were revivals under the leadership of King Jehoash (2 Kings 11-12), King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18), King Asa (2Chronicles 15), King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23), Zerubbabel (Ezra 5-6), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8-9, 13).  In the New Testament we read about the revival of Pentecost in Acts 2-3.[3] 

One of the greatest revivals in human history occurred when Jonah, God’s “prodigal” and reluctant prophet ultimately obeyed God and went to Nineveh proclaiming God’s message of destruction if they did not repent.  This was a nation-wide revival from the king down to the lowest—repenting and turning to God happened and the society was changed, if for a time.[4]

God’s faithful people throughout the ages have cried out for mercy, for revival.  Sometimes these prayer warriors lived to see their prayers answered, other times their prayers came to fruition only after their death.  Therefore, it is proper for us to seek it, to pray for it.  However, we do need to be aware of what we are getting ourselves into when we pray for revival.

Revival is a completely God-given time of refreshing and renewing—a sovereign act of God.  IT IS NOT something we can work up in our flesh.  Revivals are not manufactured or generated through human efforts.  All the programming, the special services—sometimes termed “revival services” are not the true revivals that are God-sent from Heaven.  Revival gives life to dry, dead spiritual bones—through the breath of the Holy Spirit—like Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 37.  It is all God and God alone!

Revival starts with God’s people—being convicted of their sins and of the sin around them—causing them to fall on their faces—literally and metaphorically before God, repenting of their sins.  In revival our lukewarmness is revealed for what it is—lukewarm faith is revived, becoming hot once again.

Personal photo

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  

(Revelation 3:14-20 KJV)

Personal photo

Like the church in Laodicea, we have left our first love—the result is a weakening faith—a faith where we are rather content to go through the motions, instead of being willing to risk the cost and the change necessary when God shows up.  We would be wise to heed Jesus’ warning to this church.  

 If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.  

(2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)

What would happen IF we follow 2 Chronicles 7:14?  If my people… Notice the if …then construction:  if this happens; then this will happen.  If my people (that is us!) humble themselves (rend hearts and not our garments, see themselves as they really are—crying out for a clean heart), pray, seek God’s face (desiring God above all else), and turn from their sins (confess sins with a contrite or repentant heart).  Then God will hear His people’s (that is us!); He will forgive their sins (If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9); and He will heal their land. 

There is a diligence, a dedication for God’s people in what they need to do, turning the focus back to God and His righteous standards.  It is important for us to be genuine in our behavior—we may be able to fool others or even ourselves, however, we cannot fool God.  This Scripture is one of many revival oriented Scriptures we can pray.  I encourage you to search the whole of God’s Word for other Scriptures to pray regarding revival.

I invite you to return next week for the second part of this series.  Until then consider the thoughts and Scriptures on revival shared above.  Remember, above all else, revival is a sovereign act of God—God alone brings about revival—it is not something that He is obligated to do.  Nevertheless, we can pray for and seek it with every fiber of our being.

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Lord, Enhance our spiritual vision to see our own sin and need for personal revival.  Move us to cry out to You and to seek You for the renewal our spirits need.  We see how we have grown lukewarm in our worship and service to You.  Please send refreshment through the winds and fire of the Holy Spirit.  Many of us have grown tired and perhaps even bored with the emptiness of our worship services and have started to simply go through the motions.  Remind us that worship really is all about You and not about anyone else.  Rekindle our faith, so we can once again be hot, on fire for You, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

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[1] From https://www.harvest.org/devotions-and-blogs/daily-devotions/2016-01-23

[2] From https://www.harvest.org/devotions-and-blogs/daily-devotions/2016-01-23

[3] From Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations by Robert J. Morgan (2007), Thomas Nelson Pub. Pg. 673

[4] A very short summary of Greg Laurie’s sermon series on Jonah (revival)