Revived to Thrive
Revival is not an event, but a lifestyle.
Is Revival All God? All Man?
Why We Need Revival
What is Revival?
How Do I Position Myself for Revival?
Is Revival All God? All Man?
Why is this important to know? If we believe it’s ALL God - we will sit back and do nothing
If we believe it is ALL Man - we will become frustrated, tired, and helpless.
John George Govan, founder of The Faith Mission (Edinburgh, Scotland) who partook of several revivals at the end of the nineteenth century said, “Without God we cannot, without man He will not.”
Victor Ellenberger wrote A Century of Mission work in Basutoland 1833-1933. In reference to the Qalo Awakening (c.1912) in Basutoland (modern-day Lesotho), he wrote: ‘…The awakening of a whole district under the guidance of a missionary who had joined the mission rather late in life, is a veritable miracle of the power of God in conjunction with the faithful service of man.’
Norman Grubb, in the foreword to Floods on Dry Ground which documented the Imbai Revivals (1935) and (1936), in the N. E. Belgian Congo wrote: ‘It clearly demonstrates that revival is not an act of Divine sovereignty apart from human co-operation, but the legitimate outcome of man’s compliance with Divine conditions for revival.’
Eva Stuart Watt’s, in her book, Thirsting for God wrote: ‘Let us realise that revival is not a miracle, but like other events, is brought about by fulfilling God’s requirements for revival and paying His price.’
Michael Howard, a Rhodesian intercessor, who has seen at least six revivals in various African countries during the 1980s-90s, in his book, Tales of an African Intercessor wrote: ‘No move of God or mighty revival is His sovereign act. God works and moves by the distinct cry of His people or is prevented by the distinct lack of their cry.’
‘While human agency is thus very plainly declared, we should ever remember that all man’s work, however zealous and untiring; all his words, however eloquent; all combined forces of the professed people of God, apart from Divine sanction and aid, shall be powerless in bringing one soul to Christ or reinvigorating the Church. Such results are ‘not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts.’ To attain success we must be ‘labourers together with God,’ labourers not idlers, labourers together with God, not equal with, but under and belonging to Him, in subordination to God as instruments in His hand.’ - Rev. C Perren,
Why We Need Revival
1. God must be glorified. Jesus must be exalted and the Holy Spirit needs to be given His rightful place within the Church.
2. The Church needs to be revived. If revival does not start in the Church then it cannot move outside the Church amongst the sinners.
3. The sinners need to receive the saving grace of God. - in times of revival sinners are drawn as if by an unseen hand to call upon the name of the Lord and to turn from their wicked ways.
4. The Lord is waiting for the precious fruit of the earth.
Something significant is mentioned more than once in the Bible
That is why the rapture and second coming hasn’t happened yet
2 Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. (ESV)
The most significant - important thing to God - and why the rapture and second coming hasn’t happened?
The precious fruit of the earth - PEOPLE
2 Pet. 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
2 Pet. 3:11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, (WE NEED REVIVED)
2 Pet. 3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
2 Pet. 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Pet. 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
NOTE: 3 out of 4 reasons why we need revival are in these verses:
The Church needs to be revived. (what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness)
The sinners need to receive the saving grace of God. (Not wishing that any perish - but all come to repentance)
The Lord is waiting for the precious fruit of the earth. (Not wishing that any perish - but all come to repentance)
What is Revival?
Revival glorifies God, it exalts Jesus, it gives the Holy Spirit His rightful place in the church, it revives Christians (us), it saves sinners, and brings backsliders back into the fold of God.
How do we know we have real revival?
It focuses on Jesus Christ
It focuses on cross
It allows the Holy Spirit to do what He wants - to crucify the flesh - each one of us must crucify the flesh daily and take up our cross
A man made revival is:
All about me
A personality
Lots of advertising and self-promoting
A real revival:
Takes you low - into the dust
It always focuses on Jesus Christ - on the cross
If it’s a real revival people will want to be talking about Jesus
People’s lives will be transformed
It isn’t about charisma - but about character - about fruit - fruit in our lives - Romans 12 - offer our bodies a living sacrifice
In times of revival we will offer our bodies as living sacrifices
Many go to church - Jesus may be their saviour - but is He their Lord? The Lord of their lives?
This is why we take up our cross daily - crucify the flesh - follow Him with all our heart, mind. Soul, and strength
“There is a difference between effective evangelism and revival. Evangelist, revivalist and world renowned revival historian J. Edwin Orr expressed it well, when he said:
“In times of evangelism, the evangelist seeks the sinner, in times of revival the sinners comes chasing after the Lord.” - (J. Edwin Orr)
With an evangelistic campaign you advertise and promote
With a revival you don’t - God rends the heavens and He comes down - when He comes down - things happen
A genuine revival is like a 2 edged sword - a blessing for many and a curse for many
He first will deal with the saints - if they aren’t right He will show them areas in their lives - things they need to turn from - He will want us to deal with them - either sins of commission or omission - the Bible talks of many things we shouldn’t do - and some indulge in those - it also talks about many things we should do - and we don’t do - like lack of prayer - spending time with the LORD - lack of reading the Holy Bible
Here are some things we can all think about DOING as we come to the end of the year:
How Do I Position Myself for Revival?
One: Recognise the Times
We just read scriptures about the God patiently waiting for the precious fruit of the earth
Backing up in 2 Pet - we see the context of why it said: (The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance)
2 Pet. 3:4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” (NLT)
Accepting the fact we are living in the church age - and the end of the church age at that
There should be an urgency - a time when we choose not to live for ourselves - but to live for Him
Two: Humble Ourselves
Q: Does a country need God? Or does the church need God?
A: When the church has God, the country feels God. So the church needs God in order for the country to have God.
2 Chr. 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (ESV)
Three: Pray
“Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the end of the earth for your possession” (Psalm 2:8).
Mr Swallen was a missionary to Korea. In a discussion about the fruit of the Pyongyang Great Revival (1907-1910) of which he was a part of, he said:
“It paid well to have spent the several months in prayer, for when God the Holy Spirit came He accomplished more in half a day than all of us missionaries could have accomplished in half a year.”
"I once knew a minister who had a revival fourteen winters in succession. I did not know how to account for it, till I saw one of his members get up at a prayer meeting and make a confession. 'brethren' said he,'I have been long in the habit of praying every Saturday night till after midnight, for the descent of the Holy Ghost upon us. and now brethren,’ and he began to weep,’I confess that I have neglected it for two or three weeks.' the secret was out. that minister had a praying church.” - (Charles G Finney)
"In a certain town there had been no revival for many years; the church was nearly extinct, the youth were all unconverted and desolation reigned unbroken. There lived in a retired part of town an aged man, a black smith by trade, and of so stammering a tongue that it was painful to hear him speak. On one Friday, as he was at work in his shop alone, his mind became greatly exercised about the state of the church and of the impenitent. His agony became so great that he was induced to lay by his work, lock the shop door, and spend the afternoon in prayer.
He prevailed, and on the sabbath called on the minister and desired him to appoint a 'conference meeting.' after some hesitation, the minister consented, observing however, that he feared few would attend. He appointed it the same evening at a large private house. when evening came, more assembled than could be accommodated in the house. All were silent for a time, until one sinner broke out in tears, and said if anyone could pray, would they pray for him. Another followed, and another, and still another, until it was found that persons from every quarter of the town were under deep conviction. And what was remarkable was that they all dated their conviction at the hour the old man was praying in his shop. A powerful revival followed. Thus this old stammering man prevailed, and as a prince had power with God.” - (Charles G Finney)
James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. (ESV)
Hos. 6:3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
Zech. 10:1 ASK THE LORD FOR RAIN in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone. (NKJV)
Q: What is the rain? What is the rain symbolic of?
The rain is not the fruit
The rain is what the fruit needs to be ready for harvest
A: It’s God grace, anointing, spirit, presence, ability, power poured out on us and the precious fruit
The latter rain to me is symbolic of the glory of God - the anointing of God - the grace of God that we ALL need to have an abundant harvest
On us to minister
On the fruit to draw them
Zech. 10:1 ASK THE LORD FOR RAIN in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone. (NKJV)
This could be looked at totally as a natural thing - if you look at commentaries most interpret it as only natural - only for Israel’s food harvest
I believe it is a scripture that is prophetic - so it has both a natural and prophetic interpretation
The Lord will make FLASHING CLOUDS - (sign and wonders - miracles - healings)
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