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Is Revival Coming?

Psalm 85:6

Is it appropriate to expect a revival?

Contextually, only a small remnant of the captives had returned, and these returned to a scene of complete desolation and not a little opposition.

Thus, their great hope reflected in Isaiah 40 had not been realized.  Therefore, this accounts for the emotion exhibited in Psalm 85.  The essence of this message is capsulized in our text: “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (v.6)

The answer to this question cannot be yes or no, because the coming of revival will be of God.

“Hast thou not known?  Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?  There is no searching of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28)

-       Thus the aftermath of 9/11 or the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

-       Victims of these and other dilemmas are asking the same question today.  Only rephrased:  Is revival coming?  Is it appropriate to expect a revival?

1.     We must have information.

a.      Just what is revival?  “Revival is a work of the Spirit among God’s own people whereby they get right with God and with each other” (Vance Havner, Repent or Else)

b.     From the text: “Will thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?  (v. 6) Suggests that there is promise, and there is life.

c.     To revive a fire, you don’t start a new fire, you simply stir up the live coals already there.  You free them from the smothering ashes, and fan them into flame.  Over the next three days, our hope or desire would be that God would take that that is already alive in us, and revive it again, that we his church may rejoice in him.

2.     We must have a realization.

a.      We must know first hand that it is God’s people who need to be revived.  That is the reason the Psalmist prayed: “Wilt thou not revive us again; that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (v. 6)  The Psalmist  speak of reviving those who are still alive, but appear to be dead.  It was God’s people the Psalmist prayed to God to revive.  It is too God’s people today we pray to God to revive.

b.     There were two qualities of the early church that demonstrated this:

1.     Their Vigorous Corporate Prayer life.  The selecting of the disciples that would replace Judas was done beginning with prayer.  “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.  That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas transgression fell, that he may go to his own place.  And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

(Acts 1:24-26).

     Or, “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.” (Acts 3:1).  There, thy met a certain lame man who had been lame from birth.  He was brought daily to the temple gate to beg.  “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, look on us.  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.  Then Peter said (prayed) silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:  In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”  (Acts 3:3-6)

The apostles’ Prayer:  “And now, Lord behold their threatening, and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30).

As the apostles prayed that whole place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke with boldness the word of God.  Those who heard were of one heart and one soul, and had all things in common.  Now that is what revival means and is.

It is God who does the reviving!!

3.     We must have an expectation

Highlands, are we expecting anything?  Before revival comes God’s people must have faith to believe that revival will come.

-       The people of the Gulf Coast!

-       The people of 9/11!

-       The people of the Middle East!

-       Highlands!

-       The Evangelism Committee!

-       The Evangelist!

We must expect god to revive us again, that God’s people may rejoice in him.

Conclusion:

When the foundation for the restored temple was laid after they returned from Babylon, the youth who had been born in Babylon shouted jubilantly, but many of the old men who had seen the temple of Solomon and all its glory wept. (Ezra 3:10-13).

Beautiful people, any true Christian who has witnesses a real, spirit blessed revival among God’s people is hungry to experience another.  Do we expect revival to come?  Revival.

So, what is revival?

“Revival is a work of the Spirit among God’s people where by they get right with God and each other.” (Vance Havner, Repent or Else.)

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