THE SECRET OF REVIVAL
II Chronicles 7:14
Over the centuries God has sent periods of great spiritual awakening to His people. History records several great awakening’s in the United States. The last such awakening on a large scale took place in 1904-05. It began in Wales when a man by the name of Evan Roberts began to pray, "Oh God, bend me." Revival came and the country of Wales was affected deeply. Coal mines experienced stoppages of work because the mules could not understand the new vocabulary of the miners. Policemen formed quartets to sing in churches. Bars and taverns went bankrupt for lack of business. Churches of all denominations grew by leaps and bounds.
Soon the revival came to America and spread from church to church. A church in Kentucky baptized nearly 1000 people in just a few months. The pastor died from overwork. Atlantic City had a population of around 50,000 at that time. When the revival was over, only fifty unconverted adults remained in the city.
Since the awakening of 1904-1905, there have been a number of awakenings on a small scale. One thinks of the Shantung revival in China that prepared the believers for the onslaught of communism. Asbury College and Seminary experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the 1960’s. That revival spread to a number of colleges and churches in the United States.
In 1972-73 a revival almost came to Meridian, Mississippi when the Holy Spirit began working in the lives of young people. However, the youth were not given proper guidance by the church and the revival soon died. In fact, many pastors and church leaders were critical of the revival. As a result the moving of the Holy Spirit was quenched and things went back to normal.
Now in the first decade of the 21st century the church of Jesus Christ stands in desperate need for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Churches, even entire denominations are divided. Coldness and apathy rules the day. Pastors and lay people alike are discouraged and almost ready to give up. New religious ideas from the East seem to be taking over. The church desperately needs a move of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual awakenings have taken place in the past. Can it happen today?
While we must recognize the sovereignty of God in sending spiritual awakenings, I believe that II Chronicles 7:14 offers us tremendous hope for a great awakening in these days.
It was during the joyous time of dedication of the temple that God spoke to King Solomon. In verses 17-22 God gave Solomon some words of warning if the people turn away from Him. However, in verse 14, we discover God’s wonderful provision for revival. As we look at this tremendous verse I want us to consider three great secrets of spiritual awakenings.
I. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING MUST BEGIN WITH GOD’S PEOPLE
"If my people who are called by My name...." The promise is given to God’s people. It is not given to the government, to wall street, to education, to Hollywood, etc., but to the true church of Jesus Christ, ie., to true believers. It begins in the lives of people who are related to God personally.
In the Old Testament, revival always came when God’s people turned from their sin and began to seek after the Lord with all their heart. Yes, revival always affected society, but it began with God’s People.
In the New Testament, the promise of the Spirit was given to God’s people. The Spirit was not given to the world but to believers. The Christ rejecting world cannot know the Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39 says, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
Revival will not begin in Washington or in Moscow. It will begin when God’s people earnestly seek His face.
Hebrew history records many ups and downs spiritually. A great period of prosperity would often be followed by decline and apathy. Idolatry would set in and ungodliness would rule the day. God would withhold His blessings. Then when things seemed to be beyond hope, God would raise up a prophet to preach to the people. People would begin to seek the Lord and God would pour out His Spirit once more, and revival would come to the people. I believe that God is moving people today to seek His face.
II. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING MUST FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN
God is sovereign in bringing about revival to His people. No two revivals happen in exactly the same way. However there are some common threads that seem to accompany awakenings. One of those accompanying threads is a sense of desperation that results in a return to heart felt prayer. So far as I know, Prayer has accompanied every great revival in history. Revival praying may begin with just a few people, but it spreads and others join in. Sometimes such praying may take years, but always in revival there is prayer.
What kind of praying brings about spiritual awakening? As we look at our text we discover the kind of prayer that is needed today.
A. THERE MUST BE HUMILITY IN PRAYER. Notice, we are not told to pray to be humble, rather to humble ourselves and pray. Humility in prayer recognizes the emptiness of our lives, and the need for restoration to our first love. If only we could realize how much we need the Lord in our day.
B. THERE MUST BE EARNESTNESS IN PRAYER. "Seek My face." Revival praying is not so much praying for God to do something, or to give us something, rather it is seeking the Lord himself.
The prophet Hosea said, "It is time to seek the Lord." (Hosea 10:12)
Isaiah said, "seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7)
Jeremiah said, "And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord...."(Jeremiah 29:13-14)
Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find...."
Our text says, "seek My face...." It is not His blessings we seek, nor His gifts but the Lord Himself. A.B.Simpson wrote:
Once in was the blessing now it is the Lord;
"Once it was the feeling now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted now, the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing now Himself alone."
C. THERE MUST BE REPENTANCE IN PRAYER "Turn from their wicked ways." Though the word "repentance" is not used, it is certainly described in this verse. Repentance is not just feeling sorry for our sin. Though it begins with a sense of godly sorrow, repentance is more than that. It is a turning from sin. It is doing an about face; it is making a -U- turn. One is traveling the wrong direction in life, so he does an "about face." He turns away from sin toward the Lord.
True revival praying can be a painful thing as we are convicted of our sins, and have to confess our sins to God. It is painful but necessary.
III. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IS BASED UPON GOD’S PROMISES
God is saying that if His people follow His plan then He promises to to send revival. This verse contains three precious promises for those Who seek the Lord with all their hearts. God says:
A. I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN. Does it seem at times that heaven has turned a deaf ear to out cry? How long has it been since we have really heard from the Lord? Are we really seeking the Lord, or are we just seeking His blessings or His gifts? When we really seek Him, He says, "I will hear from heaven."
I John 5:14-15 amplifies this promise. "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
B. I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN. Sin is serious business. It separates us from God. As believers It destroys our fellowship with God. The good news is that God has provided a way for us to be forgiven. I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In the New Testament, to forgive means, "to send forth or to send away." It also means "to cancel a debt. It includes the remission of punishment due to sinful conduct-ie. the deliverance of the sinner from the penalty deserved. It also involves the complete removal of the offense based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
C. I WILL HEAL THEIR LAND. Revival may be a painful experience at first because it involves brokenness, contrition, confession, repentance, etc. The end result of revival is changed lives, and a revived church. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in awakening brings healing to the body of Christ first of all. after that healing comes to the land. As we shall see in the coming weeks, revival brings the blessings of God upon His people.
CONCLUSION: The prophet Isaiah prayed,"Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence."(Isaiah 64:1)
Throughout history, God has from time to time sent revival to His people. Oh that He might do it again in our day.
"Wilt thou not revive us again; that thy people may rejoice in thee." (Psalm 85:6)
