Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

REVIVAL–WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Introduction

I want to bring a message this morning in preparation for next Sunday when Bro. Shock comes to begin a week of Revival services here at our Church.

What is Revival? Where does the idea of a Revival come from? Is it Biblical? Do we need it?

The word “Revival” is not found in the Scripture, although the principle is found in many places as we will see.

However, the word “revive” is used 8 times in Scripture two of which we find in our text today.

This morning I want to share with you what “Revival” is (that is, I want us to look at its definitions) and then as we look at those definitions I want us to see how each definition relates to the Scriptures and how it relates to us today.

I have four points this morning. Each point is one of the definitions of the word “Revival” as it is found in Noah Webster’s American Dictionary Of The English Language (1828 Edition).

As we look at each of these definitions, then we will look to find examples of them and a basis for them from the standpoint of the Scriptures.

I.         DEFINITION #1–“RETURN, RECALL OR RECOVERY TO LIFE FROM DEATH OR APPARENT DEATH; EXAMPLE–THE REVIVAL OF A DROWNED PERSON.” (Revelation 3:1-3)

            This reminds me of the admonition of Christ to the Church in Sardis as recorded here in

            Revelation 3:1-3.

Now, answer a question, were they dead? Not physically they weren’t. And not as far as their relationship to the Father was concerned! They were saved and on their way to heaven!

            Ephesians 2:1–“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

Ephesians 2:5–“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Colossians 2:13–“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

2 Corinthians 5:15–“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

Take for example the parable of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32.

In that parable we know that the prodigal son left the Father’s house and went to a far country and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. After he spent all he had, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

Eventually he found himself working on a pig farm hungry enough to want to eat their food!Now, that’s being hungry!

I want you to understand that in the son’s eyes, he thought he was more alive than he ever had been before (to begin with). He wanted freedom without responsibility, but there is no such thing. With freedom always comes responsibility.

He began to be in want before he realized what he had done. Jesus said there was a time “when he came to himself.” He got to the end of his rope.

He all of a sudden realized that he had alienated himself from his Father, he was far away from the Father, and he had wasted what rightly belonged to his Father!

            I can imagine that when he first left home he was saying, “THIS IS LIVING!”

            But, he ended up saying, “This is living?” to the circumstances he found himself in.

That’s the was the son’s perspective, but what about the Father. We need to understand that to the Father, all the while his son was away, it was as if his son was dead.

Luke 15:24–“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” Luke 15:32–“. . .for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”

            Now, was he dead? No, the Father was even looking and longing for him to return!

            But as far as fellowship with the Father, he was as good as dead!

            1.         The Son was living outside of the Father’s will! Under the Mosaic law, a rebellious son was to be executed by the parents!

            2.         The Father could have no fellowship with this son and this son could have no fellowship with the Father while he was away!

            3.         This Son was living outside of the Father’s place of provision and blessing!

While he was at home he had all that he needed. Not all that he wanted, but all that he needed. In the end he didn’t have what he wanted or what he needed.

            Remember how Paul told Timothy to take care of the widows who were widows indeed,

1 Timothy 5:5-6–“Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.”

            So listen to me! It is possible to be dead while you live!

            1.         When we live our lives outside of the Father’s will, we are as good as dead.

            2.         When fellowship is broken between us and the Father, we are as good as dead.

            3.         When we live outside of the Father’s place of provision and blessing, we are as good as dead.

            4.         When we live our lives in pleasure, instead of obedience, we are as good as dead.

To get out from under that deadness, we must come to the end of ourselves and return to the Father! That’s Revival!

DEFINITION #1--“RETURN, RECALL OR RECOVERY TO LIFE FROM DEATH OR APPARENT DEATH; AS THE REVIVAL OF A DROWNED PERSON.”

II.       DEFINITION #2–“RETURN OR RECALL FROM A STATE OF LANGUOR; AS THE REVIVAL OF SPIRITS.”

“Languor” means that state of the body which is induced by exhaustion of strength or by weakness from any cause.

            It says, “I’m tired, I can’t go on anymore.”

            So, Revival in this instance would mean “getting your second wind.”

One teammate might say to another; “Let’s suck it up and get going; the game’s not over yet”

Could I tell you dear Christian that it is time to suck it up and get going; the battle is not over yet!

            Galatians 6:7-9

            2 Thessalonians 3:13–“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”

1 Corinthians 15:58–“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

James 5:7-8–“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

III.      DEFINITION #3–“RECALL, RETURN OR RECOVERY FROM A STATE OF NEGLECT, OBLIVION, OBSCURITY OR DEPRESSION.” (Revelation 2:1-5)

This reminds me of the admonition of Christ to the Church in Ephesus. (Read Scripture)

Moses told the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 4:9–“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;”

But they did neglect many times. The result of one of those times can be seen when Elijah stood on Mt. Carmel he was looking for this kind of Revival.

            1 Kings 18:30–“And he (Elijah) repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

            The Purpose Of The Altar– It Was A Place Of: 

            Thanksgiving And Praise, Confession, Sacrifice, Death, and Communion.

            The Polluting Of The Altar–It Had Been Misused, Abused, Neglected.

            The Preparation Of The Altar--Elijah Recognized The Condition Of The Altar,

            Elijah Repaired The Altar, Then, Elijah Set Things In Order Upon The Altar.

            We also see one of those times in the book of Nehemiah 1:3-4.

            Then the writer of Hebrews talks to us about neglect:

Hebrews 2:3–“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

DEFINITION #1–“RETURN, RECALL OR RECOVERY TO LIFE FROM DEATH OR APPARENT DEATH; AS THE REVIVAL OF A DROWNED PERSON.”

DEFINITION #2–“RETURN OR RECALL FROM A STATE OF LANGUOR; AS THE REVIVAL OF SPIRITS.”

            DEFINITION #3–“RECALL, RETURN OR RECOVERY FROM A STATE OF NEGLECT, OBLIVION, OBSCURITY OR DEPRESSION.”

IV.      DEFINITION #4–“RENEWED AND MORE ACTIVE ATTENTION TO RELIGION; AN AWAKENING OF MEN TO THEIR SPIRITUAL CONCERNS.” (Romans 13:11ff)

1 Corinthians 15:34–“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”

            Listen to God calling the people of Jeremiah’s day to this kind of Revival:

Jeremiah 6:16–“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.”

            At the dedication of the Temple that Solomon built, God spoke of this kind of Revival:

2 Chronicles 7:14–“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14If 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.”

            What questions do we need to be asking ourselves this morning? Well, we could ask. . .

What’s wrong with our world?

            What’s wrong with our nation?

What’s wrong with our state?

What’s wrong with our community?

            What’s wrong with our Church? 

What’s wrong with our Families?

            We could ask all of these questions and more or we could ask the more relevant question:             

            Is there something wrong with you and me?!

We must get right before the rest of it can even begin to get right!

            The person we see in the mirror is the one we need to deal with first!

Most of the time it is just like the old song says, “Its me, its me Oh Lord standing in the need of prayer!”

Conclusion

The bottom line, we need Revival Church!

If you are here today and there has never been a specific time and place where you came to see yourself as a sinner in need of a Saviour, your greatest need is for Christ to give you life today!

You are dead in your trespasses and sin. But by putting your faith and trust in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for you, you can be saved today!

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!