To Revive or not to Revive?

By Ronald George preached at the Sand Fork Baptist Church on 9-28-97.

What is revival? It is CPR. to the believer 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 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. At our recent VBS we saw a revival within some of the folks in our church and our community. Let's pray that the fires of revival may spread to each of us. May we be drawn closer to the Lord.

Let's look today at a story in the Bible that shows the People of God in a place that they needed revival, and let's look at their actions.

Background on the text:

Today we see the people of God waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain with the word from the Lord. As they wait they become discontented with their situation and demand of Aaron to give them a god to follow, since Moses is no where in sight. While worshiping their new found deity, Moses is informed by God of the Backslidden condition of the people. So Moses comes down from the mountain to see the results of the sin of the people led by Aaron to worship the golden calf made from their earrings.

Text: Ex. 32:19-33:1

Exo 32:19 As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.20 He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.21 Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?"22 And Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are bent on evil.23 They said to me, 'Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.':24 So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, take it off'; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"25 When Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them run wild, to the derision of their enemies),:26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.27 He said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.'"28 The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day.29 Moses said, "Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day."30 On the next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold.32 But now, if you will only forgive their sin--but if not, blot me out of the book that you have written."33 But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; see, my angel shall go in front of you. Nevertheless, when the day comes for punishment, I will punish them for their sin."35 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf--the one that Aaron made.

Exo 33:1 The LORD said to Moses, "Go, leave this place, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.'

Key Verse: Exod. 32:26 (KJS) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who [is] on the LORD'S side? [let him come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

1. A Need for Revival. When Moses came off of the mountain do you think he saw a need for revival. How do I know the church needs revival? How do I know that I need a revival?

a. I become discontented with the way things are going. (shows that I have stopped looking to God)

b. I start looking to other gods and I push God aside. Too busy doing my work or playing with my toys and I don't have time to get together with God.

c. I begin to make excuses for my Sin.

d. We begin to make decisions or do things that hurt or hinder the spiritual life and relationship of others. We have a disregard for the relationship that we have with the God of the mountain. See the needs that we have for a revival.

2. A Decision for Revival. V. 26 "Who is on the Lord's Side?"

Make the decision to draw closer today to the Lord. This is a decision that we make daily for the Lord. Will we take time today for the Lord? Will we take time to worship the Lord today or during the revival services?

Matt 6:24 (KJS) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Rev. 3:15 (KJS) I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

As leaders of the church we need to see the Lord up close and personal. We need to be revived to lead the people in revival. We need to come to the mountain by humbling ourselves before Him. Acknowledge that He is God and we are all His servants.

As leaders of the church we need to love the people enough to beg God for their pardon, but be tough enough to say to them and to us, " Who is on the Lord's Side?"

See the seriousness of our decision. We will drink the results of our choices. Can you see the importance of staying on the Lord's Side and the results of sin.

Rom. 6:23 (KJS) For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is so serious that God Gave His one and only son. Jesus died that we may know Him in a personal relationship.

3. A Beginning of Revival V.29 Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD. As the Leaders we need to set ourselves apart to the Lord and choose this day for the Lord.

Are you ready to move on out to the Promised the land the place that the Lord can continue to bless the people that live in relationship to Him. Move out today in obedience to the Lord. Gen. 33:1