DO YOU REALLY WANT REVIVAL?

April 25, 2005

Lamentations 3: 40- 42

INTRODUCTION:

1-    Do we really want”? “REVIVAL

2^nd. Corinthians 13: 5 Tells us to:

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.

THAT WORD REPROBATES means;

Rejected by God, excluded from salvation and lost in sin.

NOW! DO WE REALLY WANT REVIVAL?

1-    Are you willing to examine yourselves?

2-    And see that you are in the Faith?

3-    And Hopefully, none here will fail the test:

4-    They that be in Christ can be Revived!

5-    They that are lost can be saved! Amen?

WE CAN HAVE OUR PROMOTIONS:

1-        And they’re all good; Friends day. High attendance day.

2-        Pack-a-Pew day; children’s night; Hot Dog night.

3-        It’s all good! But none of it will bring Revival.

4-        Revival is the “State of being Revived”!

5-        A period of Renewed Religious interest!

6-   Revival is the act of dealing with existing deadness within the church!

REVIVAL COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD MEANING: “To Live Again”!

1-        It means “To bring back to life or consciousness”

2-  Revival is understood to help us all return to Deep Spiritual Health and Healing!

3-        Revival is not so much for the sinners as it is for “Us His Body!”

4-      It’s the Body of Christ who often become sick and anemic Spiritually;

5-          It’s us that need the Healing and the reviving;

ONCE WE’RE REVIVED;

1-    We’ll have a heart for the sinners!

2-  We’ll go after them with Compassion and interest in their souls!

GOD REVIVE OUR FIRST LOVE!

1-    Let none of us come behind in our love for you!

2- God, let us not hear what was said to the Church at Ephesus;

“I have somewhat against you! Because thou hast left thy first love!”

CHURCH THERE IS A REASON FOR SELF-EXAMINATION:

1-    First of all we who are indeed Christians, must examine ourselves; and see where we are spiritually.

2-    Have we become apathetic; or complacent?

3-    Have we been less than Faithful;

4-    Have we been less than 100% sold out for God?

5-    My Friends; this alone will bring us to our knees!

GOD HAS A FORMULA AND GUIDELINESS FOR US ALL TO CONFORM TO:

1-  If we the Church will come before Almighty God and confess our wrongs.

2-     Fall on our knees before Him who is able to forgive us!

3-   Confess our wrongs and turn back to Him in Brokenness!

4-     If we will truly Repent to God; He will forgive us!

5-     He will Revive us everyone! Amen?

THE NIV VERSION READS LIKE THIS:

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

          Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say.

          We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE PREACHER!

1-      Revival is not about me; It’s about getting sinners in!

2-      Wrong again O’White warrior!

3-      But don’t make me examine myself, especially in the light of His Holiness!

4-      Beloved; this Revival is not for “Them out there;

5-      It’s about Us in here! Amen?

6-      The need here is to Examine ourselves: Test ourselves; and Return to the Lord!

GOD HAS THE FORMULA: 2^ND. Chr. 7: 14

IF my PEOPLE:

1-    He’s calling us by His Name; His People; My People!

2-    If MY People which are called by My Name!

3-    Do you want Revival; He’s calling YOU!

4-    If we First; “MEET CONDITIONS”!

5-    He’ll grant us His People! The promised blessing!

6-    But first; His People must “HUMBLE THEMSELVES”!

7-    Humbly before I come; Just as I am! I come!

THEN HE SAYS WE ARE TO HUMBLE OURSELVES AND PRAY;

1-     Do you believe what Jesus told us to do will work?

2-     “Ask the Father anything in My Name and He will do it”! Do you believe it?

3-     Talking to God is Praying! Amen?

THEN WE ARE TO SEEK HIS FACE:

1-    To Seek His Face is but to TURN away from all of our wicked ways. Amen?

2-    No un-clean thing can stand before HIM!

3-    But now are ye clean

THEN WILL “I HEAR FROM HEAVEN”!

1-    God says I will hear from Heaven!

2-    “I will FORGIVE their sin!

3-    “I will HEAL their land!”

4-    EXPECT IT TO BE DONE!

5-    GOD HAS SAID IT AND THAT SETTLES IT!

BELOVED; THERE IS PAIN INVOLVED IN SELF-EXAMINATION & CONFESSION OF SIN

1-    Jeremiah said; 23: 29

“Is not my word like as a fire”? Saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”

·        Beloved; the FIRE of GOD can burn out the dross within us; and purify us from sin.

·        The hammer Jeremiah spoke of being the word of the Lord,

·        Can break even our hardest spirit; and hard heart; and make us “HUMBLE”!

1-    My word is sharper than a two-edged sword!

2-    It penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.

3-    It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

IF MY PEOPLE WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES; PRAY; & SEEK MY FACE:

1-    Beloved; we can run if we like!

2-    But we can never hide from His presence!

3-    Jonah tried it and failed!

4-    Others have tried running and failed!

5-    God got your “Number” and He knows your address!

DO YOU REALLY WANT REVIVAL?

1-    James tells us how! 4: 7- 10

Submit yourselves therefore to God; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!

Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.

          Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

          Be afflicted and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

HERE IT COMES:

          Humble yourselves In the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up!

DO YOU REALLY WANT REVIVAL?

1-    Are we willing to go through the painful process of self-examination?

2-    Are we willing to confess our sins?

3-    And are we willing to change our ways?

4-    Are we willing to “Get Right With God?”

AND WHEN WE GET RIGHT WITH GOD!

1-     Lean heavily on the Lord and He will direct your paths!

2-     Learn to Trust the Lord;

3-     And Learn to Stand Still and see the Salvation of the Lord at work!

GOD LOVES YOU FOLKS! HE REALLY DOES

1-    If you’ve ever felt yourself close to Him;

2-    He’s there right now waiting patiently in line;

3-    Reach out and Touch Him right now! Amen?

HE’LL DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!