Revival #1: Hunger and the Need for Revival

REVIVAL #1: HUNGER AND THE NEED FOR REVIVAL

OPENING TEXTS:
“The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former.” (Haggai 2:9).
• The Lord declared that the glory of the latter church would be greater than the former.
• We’re not there yet! Look at the early church:
o Thousands of people were saved in a day
o Signs and wonders, healings and miracles were common place
o Peter’s shadow healed people; Paul’s handkerchiefs healed people

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but wait…until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49).
• The church today is a powerless church, but its time to change that. We need the power!
• Grew up in church that sang, “There’s gonna be a revival” but we never saw it…
• My prayer today is, “More, Lord!” There’s got to be more!

THE BIG IDEA: God’s desire is that this latter day’s church would be greater in glory and power than the church was in the book of Acts. It’s time to contend for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our midst today, and pray for revival.

KEY TEXTS:
“Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6).
“O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!” (Habakkuk 3:2).
• Two kinds of revival in the Bible: Personal and corporate - the church.

WHAT IS REVIVAL: Chayah: sustain life, be restored to life or health; to cause to grow; restore. Something that’s alive will be growing and bear fruit!
• When we are revived, we will be ‘juicy fruit’ Christians – full of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control).

THE NEED FOR REVIVAL:
When the people of God are easily offended; easily gossip; compromise with and justify sin; act and talk just like the world, put sports over God’s house, neglect prayer and Bible reading…

REVIVAL HISTORY: Throughout the history of the church, there have been times where God has send fresh fire to stir up His people to seek after Him again.
1. 1500’s - the reformation – Luther and Calvin – reminded us salvation by grace alone
2. 1700’s - the first great awakening –Wesley, Whitfield, Edwards – evangelism
3. 1900’s - the Pentecostal revival – William Seymour at Azusa Street – Holy Spirit

THE WELSH REVIVAL OF 1904:
- 1904 - 26 year old ‘youth intern’ Evan Roberts had prayed for revival for 11 years.
- felt God was going to pour out a mighty spirit of revival on Wales - prayed, Bend me, O Lord!
- pastor led him speak following a prayer meeting, only 17 stayed, mostly youth & young adults.
- all ended up at altar crying out to God until 2 am. That week, 60 people were saved,
- next 1 1/2 years = revival in Wales, 100,000 people saved.
- changed national culture - bars & liquor stores shut down; entire police force dismissed
- would pray from 1-5 am; prayer meetings were multiplied (2,000 in a meeting).

AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON AND THE FOURSQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH:
- Aimee was a farm-girl from Ingersoll, Ontario who started preaching at the age of 17.
- Foursquare church was birthed out of Holy Spirit empowered healing revival meetings.

STORY: Of my own personal journey deeper into the things of the kingdom of God. Healings, miracles, prophetic realms, etc. God moving in our youth group in Surrey, BC.

TEXT: “1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from