Time for Revival

INTRO: Psalm 85:6 (NKJV)  Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? What does revival mean? It means to restore to life something that is almost dead.

Revival comes when we realize we have lost our zeal for God. When we realize we have become self-satisfied in our worship and we begin to cry out for the Spirit of God to have His way in us. Revival is when God does awesome things in our lives that we have not even looked for. As He revives us it changes those around us. Why doesn’t God move this way now? Why doesn’t He Just come and straighten things out. Why does revival tarry? It's because revival is waiting on you and me. We are the ones to blame. The Lord's just waiting on you and me. Revival is waiting on me and you, and that's why revival tarries. I. REVIVAL IS DEPENDENT ON US CHRISTIANS. I believe this great revival and change in America that all us Christians are waiting for is a lot more dependent on us than we realize. With any real revival, we understanding that we are not where we should be. Whether it be in our lifestyle, our effectiveness for God or our love relationship with Jesus, we recognize that things need to change and that it needs to begin with us. We need to start with some deep soul searching. We are no longer satisfied with the status quo of our spiritual life and start seeking God from a deep-felt need within our soul. Revelation 2:1-5 (NKJV) ¹  "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ²  I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³  and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. ⁴  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.
So often, our prayers for revival consist of us asking the Lord to change everyone else so that revival will come. And, don't get me wrong, those prayers are needed for revival to truly happen in other people who need to be changed.
But there's something that the Lord's Holy Spirit brings into the light. It's the idea that revival - this big, huge wave of change in our nation where people turn back to the Lord uncompromisingly and permanently - starts with me. Revival starts with you. It starts with us. Revival has to come to us as individuals before it can (or will) ever touch others. Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. We must arise and let the light of Jesus shine in us so bright we can lighten this dark world by our good works that bring glory to the Father. Only we Christians can help change this world as we live and witness for Jesus.

II. REVIVAL BEGINS WITH ONE. Gypsy Smith, a British evangelist in the early 1900's, was once asked how to start a revival. He answered: "Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of your floor. Draw a chalk mark all around yourself and ask God to start the revival inside that chalk mark. When He has answered your prayer, the revival will be on. 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰  Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. ²¹  And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. If we entered into a personal revival first, (a "revival of one") it would change things around us. Just like it did with Israel thru Hezekiah. If each of us were to become even a little closer to the Lord and become more obedient to Him, the fires of revival would burn that much brighter. There is not a one of us that have perfected our relationship with the Father. If each of us decided to follow after the Lord with a passion to where our actions, attitudes, and appetites were changed - to where we actually follow and chase after God instead of just talking about it – we would change the atmosphere in our church and nation to the place where the Lord might release revival in our land. King David gives us an excellent example of a personal revival in: Psalms 63:1-8¹ A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. ² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. ³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. ⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. ⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. ⁶ When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. ⁷ Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. ⁸ My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. Sixteen times David used personal pronouns to describe his fervent desire for a revival in his relationship with God. Verse 8 shows us David's surrender to God and his determination to follow Him. He would chase after God and the things that pertain to Him depending on God to uphold him in his efforts.

Conclusion: Revival has to start somewhere. And the best place for it to start is with me and you! With us. Then our personal revival spills over into the lives of those around us, until “the whole world comes to the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab 2:14). So revival is waiting on you and I. How sincerely do you really desire a revival of God in your life? If you feel satisfied with your relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son then you will never have revival in your life. You must have a hunger and a thirst for God.

INVITATION: Have you ever taken time to ask Jesus to forgive your sins against God. Have you invited Him to be your Savior and Lord? If you will salvation will come to you. Will you Christian stop right where you are and ask Jesus to forgive you for your disobedience, unconcern and lack of love for Him? Then you can rejoice in the Lord your God! Then revival will come to you and those around you.