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!

A PRAYER FOR REVIVAL

Introduction

It is believed from the reading of this Psalm that it was written right after Judah their return from the Babylonian captivity.

Judah had been restored to their homeland. God had kept His promise given through the prophet Jeremiah and had honored the prayers of men such as the prophet Daniel.

But upon I want you to get a glimpse at what they found upon their return. What they found was total destruction that was to the point of being overwhelming to them. As far as their eyes could see there was only debris and desolation. The Babylonians had done a thorough job of destroying their homeland.

The glorious temple that Solomon had built was a heap of ruins, as was the wall of the city of Jerusalem. Over the 70 years that they had been gone, undergrowth had begun to take root and flourish complicating the clean up.

Added to everything else was the active resentment of the Samaritans as well as some of the northern tribes of Israel who were prejudiced against Judah.

Such is the background to this Psalm. It belongs to the early days of the return.

That is why there is gladness in verses 1-3 and then gloom in verses 4-7.

I.            WE SEE THE RESPONSE TO RESTORATION. (Vs 1-3)

This unnamed poet looks up to God from the midst of the rubble and ruins that he sees and his first inclination is to give a note of praise.

Even with the devastation that he sees, he is thankful for what God has done!

That goes totally contrary to what most folks might do. But could I tell you that is what the response of a child of God ought to be.

               A.         The Psalmist Speaks Of The Favor Of God. (Vs 1)

“Lord thou hast been favorable unto Thy land. . .”

The land lay desolate for 70 years. It had been like a body without a soul.

But now a remnant of the people were back in their land and life was slowly being breathed back into the land.

                            The land could experience a brand new beginning.

                            God had been gracious. He had shown favor to the land.

                            “Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.”                                        Why “Jacob” and not “Israel?”

“Jacob” was renamed “Israel” after he showed strength and prevailing power with the angel of the Lord.

I believe “Jacob” refers to the people’s weakness, because at first only a small feeble remnant of the people returned to the land.

After the captivity the majority of the Jews stayed in Babylon because they had come to prefer Babylon.

Nevertheless, God had shown favor. A remnant was back in the land. God had restored the nation and removed the captivity as He promised He would do.

               B.         The Psalmist Speaks Of The Forgiveness Of God. (Vs 2)

                            “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. . .” 

                            The word “forgiven” means “to clear away.”

The word “iniquity” is from a root that signifies “perverseness, or to be bent or crooked”

It sums up the history of Israel from the time of the conquest up to the time of the captivities. A reading of the book of Judges and the history of the kings shows how really perverse this nation had been.

The nations idolatries and other perverseness had been cleared away by God during the 70 year captivity.

                            “. . .thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.”

The word “covered” means “concealed,” and the word for “sin” means “to miss the mark or to come short.”

The two things mentioned in verse two happened symbolically on the annual day of atonement.

The Scapegoat–symbolic of iniquity being “cleared away.”

                            The Sacrificial goat –symbolic of sins being “covered.”

               C.         The Psalmist Speaks Of The Fury Of God. (Vs 3)

“Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.”

God’s wrath was a holy wrath! His anger was a righteous anger!

Judah had provoked Him. They had ignored and even at times mistreated His messengers. Also, they had wallowed in the filth of their sins and iniquities.

                            God’s answer to such a state is always judgment!

The Psalmist remembered the wrath of God. Though it had been deserved, God had now turned away from His wrath and the fierceness of His anger.

And then he inserts “Selah.” A pause to reflect on what has been said.

               WE SEE THE RESPONSE TO RESTORATION.

II.           WE SEE THE REQUEST FOR REVIVAL.   (VS. 4-7)

In spite of the fact of God’s mercies that had been experienced, there was plenty that the remnant were pessimistic about.

After all, the bulk of the nation had ignored the end of the captivity. Many chose to be voluntary exiles and did not return to their land. Those that had returned to the land were discouraged by the monumental task of reconstruction that they faced.

They had to deal with backbreaking work, economic hardship, hostile neighbors and attempts by some to bring the reconstruction to a halt.

               All of these things had turned their gladness into gloom.

               It doesn’t take long for us to forget God’s mercies to us, does it?

The reality of living the Christian life in a difficult world can weigh on us if we are not careful.

               A.         Repentance Was Needed. (Vs. 4-5)

                            The psalmist sees the heart of the matter.

There had to be a turning back to God and His purposes by His people!

                            God had turned! (Vs. 3)

But His people needed to turn! Without a nationwide turning to God, there was little hope for the future.

               B.         Revival Was Needed. (Vs 6-7) 

                            Reformation only changes the outward.

                            Revival changes the inward!

                            Revival is the mighty work of the Spirit of God!

When revival comes to a nation, as it did to England in the days of the Wesleys and to Wales in the days of Evan Roberts, it changes national morality.

There is a new surge in Church attendance. Drunkenness, immorality, crime, and dishonesty are curbed. Integrity is restored to national character.

                            There had been some notable revivals in Judah’s history.

The greatest revivals were under David and Hezekiah’s leadership. But Jehoshaphat and Josiah sought to bring the nation back to God as well.

The Psalmist thinks back to those great days and longs for them once again.

               He prays for God to once again bring revival as he had in days gone by.

What he doesn’t know is that the revival under Nehemiah is yet to come.

I.            WE SEE THE RESPONSE TO RESTORATION.

II.           WE SEE THE REQUEST FOR REVIVAL.

III.         WE SEE THE REMEDY IS RELATIONSHIP.

The neglect of God and His Word was the source of all the personal and national ills of the past. So, the Psalmist turns his ear to hear the Lord.

But, notice what it says in vs. 8–

               “. . .but let them not turn again to folly.”

What is the definition of folly? It is the state of being foolish or of showing a lack of good sense or showing a lack of understanding.

               It is not thinking through the consequences of one’s foolish actions.

At one time Israel had God’s presence, God’s power and God’s promises. But then they turned to folly!

David knew what it was to walk in Revival fires, but he also knew rebuke, reproof and remorse because of sin! (2 Samuel 11 & 12)

His first mistake was that he stayed behind when he should have been in battle. Then he lingered as he looked on Bathesheba the bathing beauty. He yielded to his lust and sinned in committing adultery with Bathsheba. And then he compounded his sin by having her husband Uriah killed.

David knew what it was like to rejoice over battles won and blessings in general. But when he sinned none of that much mattered anymore because of the weight of the guilt of sin in his life.

               So he cried out to God in repentance for revival! (Psalm 51)

Revival is renewing our walk, our worship, and our work, but it begins with repentance!

               But revival seems short-lived much of the time. But why?

               Why is there no lasting revival?

               Because We Move Away From The Fear Of God. (Vs 9-13)

               1.          The Fear Of God Brings Salvation. (Vs 9a)

                                         This is talking about more than salvation of the soul.

               2.          The Fear Of God Brings Glory. (Vs 9b)

               3.          The Fear Of God Causes Mercy And Truth To Meet Together. (Vs 10a)

                            God cannot administer mercy at the expense of truth.

                            He cannot uphold truth at the expense of mercy.

But they are met together at Calvary and when we fear God and repent of our sin truth and mercy meet together.

               4.          The Fear Of God Causes Righteousness And Peace To Kiss Each Other.     (Vs 10b)

God wants to give us His peace, but His righteousness demands a payment for sin. Jesus became our righteousness and met the payment for our sin that we might have peace.

So when we have sinned and our peace flees us, we must repent of sin and run to the righteousness of the Cross so that peace may be restored.

When we sow truth in our lives, we reap the fruit of truth and the righteousness of God will look down from heaven with approval!

               5.          The Fear Of God Brings The Blessing Of God. (Vs 12)

               6.          The Fear Of God Brings The Leadership Of God. (Vs 13)

If righteousness goes before Him and He sets us in the way of His steps, then our steps will also be steps of righteousness–

                            His righteousness!

Conclusion

Why is there no lasting revival? Because we move away from the fear of God!

What does your life say about your fear of God?

We will never have lasting revival as long as what we have the wrong desires:

1.            If we want to be stirred without change, there will be no lasting Revival.

               (i.e. When we are just looking for a feeling of some sort.)

2.            If we want sound doctrine without compliance, there will be no lasting Revival.

               a.          I’m talking about when we want it told like it is, but then we live like it isn't.

               b.          I’m talking about when we want it straight on Salvation, but then we don’t give it all in our own personal witness.

               c.          I’m talking about when we want it straight about separation, but then we live like the world.

3.            If we want sermons to shout about but not to challenge us, there will be no lasting Revival.

               a.          Challenge Us In Our Growing.

               b.         Challenge Us In Our Going.

               c.          Challenge Us In Our Giving.

4.            If we want blessings without obedience, there will be no lasting Revival.

               a.          We all want God to bless our Church!

 b.        But, how many of us are willing to be wholly obedient to God for Him to be able to bless our Church?

5.            If we want satisfying experiences without commitment, there will be no lasting Revival.

               a.          We need committed hearts to worship the Lord.

               b.          We need committed homes to walk in the ways of the Lord.

               b.          We need committed hands to work in the work of the Lord.

i.e. It is our own selfish desires that stifle and prevent Revival–We must deny self! Jesus said, in Luke 14:33 - " So likewise, whosoever he be of you that

forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

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!