Sermon Central
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The Only Means Of Revival
Contributed by Thomas Lanthrip on Nov 4, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Are you weary from the daily struggles of life? Do you long for a brighter more spiritually uplifting life? There has been and currently is a lot of effort being placed on “Revival”, but the problem is in our methodology; “Revival” cannot be structured by
Quote:
Lord, revive the church—beginning with me.
SAMUEL M. SHOEMAKER
First things first, Revival is not an evangelistic campaign, neither is it about what I can receive from Jehovah. It can be stated this way by an old statement from Teddy Roosevelt: “Ask not what my country can do for me but what I can do for my country.”
Therefore it may be concluded that revival is not about me at all but about Jehovah, who desire, deserves, and requires our worship, love and adoration.
Now, as our text states, “Whom have you feared”; which revels the truth of the matter, we are a proud and arrogant people who fears not the Lord Jehovah who made the heavens and the earth.
I. A Revelation of Jehovah’s majestic nature
Quote:
The purpose of revival is to make God, not men, famous; to focus the eyes of the people, not upon human leaders, but upon the Divine Leader; to give glory not to great men but to a great Savior.
RICHARD OWEN ROBERTS
1. God alone is eternal
The problem with the church today is in its view of self; we think, if not in theology then in methodology, that we exist to serve our self and the community exclusively. We can see it in our activities, services and weekly meetings that are never Christ centered but man centered, and it is of my opinion that the problem has bleed over into out theology as well.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. God is the cause of time and is separate from time
Origin is a word that can apply only to things created. When we think of anything that has origin, we are not thinking of God. God is self-existent, while all created things necessarily originated somewhere at some time. Aside from God, nothing is self-caused.
A. W. TOZER
Note: Our text states that “God inhabits eternity”, before time existed there was God and when time shall end and be no more there will still be only God.
As Tozer places eternity, so must we, and with that we must come to terms with our on lives and nature. We are nothing more than a simple creation of an infinitely powerful supreme God, who created from his own will a creature to serve him. The lot in life of each believer is summed up in the term “WORSHIP”, that’s why we are here and that is were we gain our power and in it we have our “Revival”.
B. God is the author of everything
3. God absolutely Holy
His very name is Holy:
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
God’s perfect holiness should be that for which every believer strives, it is our goal and will be our achievement in glory, to be the expressed image of the one who died for us, Jesus.
4. God’s total sovereignty
Isaiah 6: 1-4
A. Jehovah seated on the throne of eternal power
God alone has the right to move, as he will, our will is bound by the very nature of sin that entangles us. Even though Christ has set us free from spiritual sin, we are still bond to the effects of sin and death awaits each of us as a consequence of that sin. Jehovah God has set us free spiritually and will one day set us free physically, but until that day we are to exalt him above the nations of the world.
B. Jehovah holds the means of Revival
Jehovah God holds revival in his powerful hands and gives it at will to whom ever He pleases, and when a church or individual truly, deeply desire Revival, then, and only then will he/she find it.
The church is much like the wandering Jews, we often fall prey to he temptations of the devil and worship false gods, seek our own way; but if we will turn and seek Jehovah we will find Him, when our inward desire is to have Him so very near us that His power illuminates our hearts and Revival springs forth from our soul, impacting everything around us.
a. We must seek Him
b. We must desire Him
c. We must love Him
Revival has never come, historically or currently, with out a sale out of self and a picking up of the cross lifestyle.
II. A Revelation of our nature and Purpose
When we have a revelation of our nature and purpose it must be through the eyes of God; we must see ourselves the way God sees us.
