2 Chronicles 7:13-14
My dear people, there is a price to be paid for revival — it’s a painful affair! Duncan Campbell put it this way; “If you want revival, get right with God. If you are not prepared to bring the "last piece," for God's sake stop talking about revival, your talking and praying is but the laughing-stock of devils. It is about time we got into the grips of reality”. The Welsh revival of 1904-05 began with a young man seeking the face of God by the name of Evan Roberts. For over a decade he had prayed in private for God to send a revival to Wales. At the age of 26, Evan attended a meeting at which a preacher named Seth Joshua prayed these famous words, “Lord, bend us”. As Roberts heard these words, the Holy Spirit pressed Him sore and said, “That’s what you need”. Upon bended knees, with tears streaming down his face, Evan Roberts cried aloud, “Bend me, bend me!!”. That same year, God used Evan Roberts as an instrument of revival, as God swept into Wales.
You say, Lord, send revival — Brother, don’t ever pray these words unless you’re willing for God to begin with you!!
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Without question, even on a precursory level, as one picks up the history books and begins to read the accounts of past revival, you will be met with a common pattern again and again. Before the sound of the mighty rushing wind, the prayers of God’s people were heard! “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-2). What were they doing gathered together with one accord in one place? The same thing they were doing previous to this, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). The first business of the first Church of Jesus Christ was prayer!! Quite literally, the Church was birthed in prayer. When they hit upon hard times, they didn’t gather to deliberate and strategise, they held a prayer meeting and poured out their hearts to God!
Search the history books and show me revival which was not preceded by prayer, I know of none! May God be pleased to stir your hearts through this third sermon part to the end that you might seek His face in prayer to see a heaven sent revival in our day.
Acts 2:37-38
Before every divine visitation, God begins to awaken the consciences of His people first to the possibility of revival, and secondly to the need for revival. How can a thirst for revival begin in the hearts of God’s people unless there is a conviction that such a work of God is even for today? Perhaps the greatest hindrance to God sending revival amongst the so-called remnant Church in this land is the sin of unbelief. Simply put, we do not believe that such a work of revival is possible today. Just mention the word “revival” and with a disheartened look of disapproval, you will be pointed to the headline news which daily announces the moral and spiritual decadence of our nation. But look, Biblically and historically, revival has always come out of moral lows. When God’s people get burdened over the spiritual rot in their own lives and the lives of those around them, then they begin to cry out to God if perhaps He might do something about it!!!
This sermon is part 2 of a 3-part mini-series, looking at revival.
Acts 2:37-38
My dear Brothers and Sisters, you don’t need me to tell you that we are living in a dry and thirsty land! A land that once flowed with milk and honey is now a barren wasteland. Once the Church of Jesus Christ stood as a bastion of faithfulness and a pillar of truth decrying the spiritual bankruptcy of a fallen world. Once it stood as a blazing lighthouse, warning the wicked of their pending danger, guiding them into the Gospel harbour of saving grace. But now? Now it has made the world its bed-fellow, drinking from the same polluted cisterns, and eating from the same soiled troughs. Rather than it being the “ekklesia” - the salt and light of the earth, the Church of Jesus Christ has joined hands with the world and is marching in sync to the same humdrum tune. Horatius Bonar - that great Scottish light; in a day when giants still roamed the land, summed it up so well when he said; “I looked for the Church and I found it in the world; I looked for the world and I found it in the Church”. If that could be said 150 years ago, what can be said of this generation? Let’s just be honest, spiritual indifference plagues the Church! The Word of God has been side-stepped, the prayer meetings abandoned, the pursuit of holiness replaced with the pursuit of pleasure, and godly discipline has given way to entertainment. Where’s the brokenness? Where’s the mourning? Where’s the sorrow over sin? My dear people, I ask you in earnest, what are we to do? By what means shall we recover to ourselves this dying corpse? Without hesitation I tell you; there’s only one hope for this backslidden nation and the dying Church that lingers within it. REVIVAL!!
This sermon is part 1 of a 3-part mini-series, looking at revival.