What is revival?
It is CPR. to the believer and to the church that is fading in their
life in relationship to the Lord their God.
Revival can bring back to life that one that is failing.
The difference is the picture of Lazrus that Jesus raised from the dead
or a blind man who can now see. On
the other hand, a lack or need of revival can be seen in the rich young ruler
in the NT, who was religious but turned and walked away from the very one who
would give him newness of life.
Who needs revival?
Do we as a church need revival? Everyone
has his or her own view of revival? But the old song says, "Revive Us Again."
We always need to draw closer to God on a daily basis.
Yes. We need to be revived. Do
we need to have extra services in our busy schedule to draw closer to the
Lord? Yes, we have decided
as a church during our business meeting to hold these services to stimulate
revival within our church. This
is what we feel the Lord has led us to do.
It is not because we have always had revival services, but that we feel
that we need to draw closer to the Lord.
We need to make an extra effort to come back so that we can move on in
our spiritual life. If we have a
revival it will be because God sends it to our lives and to our church.
Let's pray that the fires of revival may spread to each of us.
May we be drawn closer to the Lord.
Scripture Text:
2Kin 5:9 (KJS) So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and
stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto
him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again
to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and
said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on
the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover
the leper. 12 [Are] not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all
the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and
went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and
said, My father, [if] the prophet had bid thee [do some] great thing, wouldest
thou not have done [it]? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash,
and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan,
according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto
the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 And he returned to the man
of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said,
Behold, now I know that [there is] no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now
therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
Who needs revival?
We
need to make the one that getting by better.
We have to become dissatisfied with the condition we are in.
1.
For the Church: The girl and Elisha.
Find those who need revived. Go
out to them.
Show them the way.
Take them to Jesus.
Give them the gift of eternal life.
Take a chance on them and on the Lord.
Give them the message from the Lord.
2.
For the dying church. Naaman.
Follow his direction.
Wash 7 times in the river of the Lord’s Spirit.
1.
The first washing: Realize
we need to be helped. Realize our need for CPR.
2.
The second washing: Stop
being satisfied with the way things are in your church.
Could it be better? Are
people being saved? Are
people’s lives being changed? Is
your church making a difference in your world?
No, then there is a problem. The
church needs help.
3.
The third washing: Go to
the Lord for help. Have we been
praying for God to work in our lives and in our church?
Do we want God to do something here?
Listen to his message. Believe
and Receive the Lord’s message.
4.
The fourth washing: Be
willing to do what it will take to be made whole.
Follow directions. Are we
willing to change what needs to be changed?
Are we willing
5.
Humble ourselves to go God’s way and not our own.
What if God wants us to do something different?
Would we be willing to do what it would take?
6.
Wait for Him to bring the healing we so desperately need.
Trust the Lord for the results. Keep
on washing and waiting for the Lord to save the lost and revive you and your
church.
7.
Praise God for the results.
Give God the glory for what he has done.
Be healed to heal others and glorify
God.