REVIVAL AND RENEWAL (PART ONE)
BIBLE PASSAGE: REVELATION 2:1-7; PSALM 51:1-19
INTRODUCTION:
Revival is a word we often use in the body of Christ. We talk about it, pray about it, but seldom do we know what it really means. We often focus our prayers on revival of material, physical things rather than our soul and spirit when we at all pray for revival.
WHAT IS REVIVAL? Revival according to English dictionary means: Re-awakening, restoration, renewal, to live again, resuscitation, re-kindling of flame.
WHO NEED A REVIVAL?
1. A once living individual or group of people who have :
Dosed off (I e sleeping) spiritually
Who are dying or are spiritually dead
Please note the word “ONCE LIVING”
A non “once living individual or group of people does not need revival but salvation. For instance a stone is regarded as a non living thing. John the Baptist talk of God creating children from a stone, not reviving children from a stone as stone has never lived before Matt. 3:9, God promised a complete heart of flesh in Ezek 36:26, whereas the dry bones in the valley of dry bones were revived Ezek 37:1-9
SIGN OF SLEEPING/DEADNESS IN:
Individual:
When an individual have left the first love;
When sins are excused away, and people who hold on to moral values are regarded as “old school”;
When fear and reference of God & authority does not become necessary anymore;
When prayer life becomes once in while affair; and if it is done at all, it has become a routine rather than a longing for God’s presence;
A little bit of compromise here and there, and individual will say God understand/ or Grace covers me;
When an individual have lost the joy of their salvation;
Psalm 85:6, 2Tim 3:1-5, Psalm 51:12, Rom. 6:1-2, Rev. 2:4
A Church:
When the truth of the Gospel is no longer being preached;
When the focus has shifted from Jesus to the “big man” on the pulpit –pastor, bishop, prophet, reverend;
When the service in the Church has become monotonous and “programised”;
When we no longer ask the Holy Spirit how He want the service conducted, but everything has been pre-programmed by our own wisdom;
When the emphasis is laid on the quantity and not quality;
When personal ambition of leader has overtaken God vision for His church;
When a pastor look for other source of power in other to please the crowd!
1 John 4:1,
A Nation:
When a nation becomes apostate, i.e. renouncing their faith, e.g. Western world;
For instance we can pray for Western nations for revival, but places such as Japan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia etc, we pray for their salvation.
When sin becomes norm in nation;
When righteousness is frowned at;
When there is no more fear of God, lawlessness and complete disregard to constitute authority;
Jer. 8:5-7 Jer. 2:13, Rom. 13:1, Ezek 37:11-14
CONCLUSION:
From the above, we would realize that we as individual need revival, our church need revival, and obviously our nation need revival. In the next lesson, we would consider “How to be revived and Beyond revival”
REVIVAL AND RENEWAL (PART TWO)
BIBLE PASSAGE: REVELATION 2:1-7; PSALM 51:1-19
INTRODUCTION
Last week we learnt about the meaning of Revival, and symptoms of souls, church, community and Nations that need revival.
Today we will be considering ways to be revived and to remain revived.
A. GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR REVIVAL
1. Admit our need for revival: the church in Ephesus Rev 2:1-7, did not realize that they need revival until God Himself pointed it out to them. Psalm 51:3-5 David saw his need for revival, 2 Chron. 29:4-7. Our nation need to do as Hezekiah did in 2 Chron. 29-4-7, where he admitted the sin of their parents
2. Turn to God in humility. We need to embrace humility to avoid being humiliated. We need to forget our self righteousness, confess our sins and mourn for them like David. Pro 28:13; Joel 2:12-13
3. Seek God’s face in prayer. 2 Chron. 7:14, Jer. 29:13-14
B. BEYOND REVIVAL
God is interested in us not falling back to our old state again, He want us to maintain our state of revival. How do we do this?
• We do this by being vigilant. 1 Pet. 5:8
• In our prayer time. 1 Thess. 5:17
• In our fellowship. Heb. 10:12
• In whom we fellowship with. 2 Cor. 2:14
• In our attitude & lifestyle. Heb 12:14
CONCLUSION
God is interested in us as His people to live a life of victory body soul and Spirit. He is interested in the prosperity and good health of our soul and Spirit. By taking the above “Biblical prescriptions”, we can be sure that our body, soul and Spirit will continue to be prospered as God wished 3 John 2