The Foundation for Revival

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Tara and Golden Wright are bring up little Elijah Reed to be dedicated to the Lord today.

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With that all being said let’s jump into todays message.

If you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

That being said, if you’re new to our church, we are currently walking through the OT book of Jonah.

And so if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to Youtube or any Podcast service where you can watch or listen to messages leading up to today.

I don’t have time to do a long recap of everything that has gone so far. We left of last week with Jonah taking advantage of his second chance. He went to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s message.

Jonah 3:1–5 ESV

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Something profound has just happened. The people heard the message and turned from their sin. They began to worship God.

This vial place that was doing everything wrong has made a change.

Something new is happening in their midst.

That is where I want to start today but first I want you to see the correlation between Nineveh and our current culture.

It doesn’t take long for you to look around and see that we live in a wicked world and our country is becoming more wicked by the day.

What we are seeing happen all around us has to be getting God’s attention too.

Even though he is a God of Grace there has to come a point where he will have to intervene unless something changes.

In 1965 Ruth Graham the wife of Pastor Billy Graham is quoted as saying

"If God doesn't soon bring judgment upon America, He'll have to go back and apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!" -Ruth Graham

We see it all through out Scripture. God always deals with nations that turn their hearts from him.

That nation of Israel is a prime example that experienced the judgment of God time and time again as they refuse to keep their hope in Him.

And it’s not just true of Israel, it’s true for any nation or that chooses to walk in wickedness.

That’s why He flooded the earth.

That’s why He destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

And that’s where the city of Nineveh was at in the book of Jonah.

God had had enough with this wicked and prideful city. And so as we learned last week, God gave them 40 days to turn it around and repent.

At some point God is going to have to deal with America in the same way if something doesn’t change.

Today, I want to tell you about the solution to the problem nation faces.

That Solution is called

Revival

And by revival, I’m talking about a spiritual awakening to Jesus.

This is what had finally come to Nineveh. A revival. And it’s what I pray will come to our nation as well.

The question then is, “How does revival come?”

That’s what I would like to talk with you about today. Because while revival is something God pours out on a nation, it is something we need to be prepared to receive.

In other words, there needs to be a foundation for revival to be poured out upon.

So, what’s the foundation for revival? Based on the revival that took place in Nineveh and in other places throughout church history, I want to give you five foundation pillars for revival.

Five pillars that are necessary if we truly want to see revival sweep our nation and turn our nations heart back to God.

We read about the first Pillar as we pick back up in Jonah 3. Here’s how the writer puts it:

Jonah 3:6 ESV

The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

The writer says that upon hearing about Jonah’s message and the people’s response, the king of Nineveh responded in kind.

In other words, he too repented and turned his heart to God. How do we know?

We know because the writer says he removed his robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

As we learned last week, this posture symbolized a position of humility and repentance.

The question then is, “Why is this important and how does this apply to us?”

This leads us to the first pillar for revival, and I would state it like this:

Pillar #1 - Revival doesn’t begin with government, it begins with a spiritual awakening in us.

Another way to say it would be, “Revival doesn’t begin in Washington, it begins with a spiritual awakening in us.

You see what we need to understand is that if we want revival to happen, we need to stop thinking it’s going to start in Washington with a Christian president or the passing of some law. That’s not what is going to change the direction of our nation.

What’s going to change the direction of our nation is when individual hearts begin to experience spiritual awakening.

We see the evidence of this in the story of Nineveh. Because the revival that took place didn’t start in the palace. It started in the streets of the city. It started among the common people. And then it spread, eventually reaching the ears of the king.

This then resulted in the king making public proclamation. We go on to read:

Jonah 3:7–9 ESV

And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

The king, after experiencing the revival himself, now proclaims public acknowledgment of their need for God.

Here’s what we need to understand. If we want changes in Washington, it doesn’t start in Washington. It starts with changes in us. I starts as God awakens us for our need for Him.

That’s how a nation is changed. Not by the passing of a law. Not by electing a Christian president. Not by getting a law overturned in the Supreme Court. A nation is changed when its people experience a spiritual awakening.

Without that, there can be no revival. This is the first pillar. This then leads to the second pillar.

Pillar #2 - Revival requires an interruption and disruption in our lives.

We see this in verse 7 as the king proclaims a public fast and worship of God. We read:

Jonah 3:7–9 ESV

And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Do you know what this requires? It requires a schedule change. A change in priorities. A change in the way we are operating as we make spiritual matters the most important matters.

In fact, I would go as far to say, until a person or people are willing to allow for an interruption in their life, it will be difficult for revival to take place.

On Average the average church attender attends once a month. We can not expect Revival unless we are willing to make God a priority.

The Ninevites made God a priority.

And if we want to see revival sweep our nation, we must make God a priority.

You might ask, “Pastor, how do we do that?” It starts by being willing to be disrupted.

For example, I’m not saying I’m going to do this, but what if next week I said we are having a week of revival, where we are going to meet at the church every night next week to pray and worship God.

Everyone including me would begin to look at their Schedules and say There is just no way.

Do you see my point? The fact is, most of us wouldn’t be willing to do what the King of Nineveh asked the people to do. Because to do it would require an interruption and disruption of what we think is more important.

Here’s something we need to understand. Revival can’t take place if you’re not willing to be interrupted and disrupted. If you’re not willing to make God, the priority when God says, “I want to be the priority”.

Now, I’m not saying we need to schedule a week of revival to test that. What I’m saying is, why would God pour out revival on us if He already knows we wouldn’t be willing to be interrupted and disrupted.

The question is, “What does it take to be willing to be interrupted and disrupted?”

This leads us to pillar number three:

Pillar #3 - Revival requires a desperation and hunger for God.

We see this in verse 8:

Jonah 3:8 ESV

but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.

The Hebrew word translated “mightily” here literally means to do so forcibly and vigorously.

In other words, this is a calling out to God with a great desperation that comes from a great understanding of our need for Him.

This is why fasting is so important. Because when we fast, we starve our flesh which then creates a hunger in us. And the idea of fasting is that instead of fulfilling that hunger with food, we direct that hunger towards God.

The people of Nineveh have finally reached that point. The word of warning has penetrated their hearts. They now understand that they have offended a holy and righteous God. They now understand they deserve judgment. They now understand how desperately they need God.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Revival begins with a desperation and hunger for God. And the fact is, until you get a hunger for God, you won’t be willing to be disrupted.

The two work together.

The question then is, “How do you get a hunger for God?”

This leads to the fourth pillar:

Pillar #4 - Revival requires a turning from sin.

We see this in verse 8:

Jonah 3:8 ESV

but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.

The writer says as the King makes the proclamation, he encourages the people to turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands.

The idea here is that they would repent of their sin. Repent of their wickedness.

And to do that, it requires two actions steps on our part.

First, we must acknowledge our sins.

We have to be willing to look at our lives and pinpoint what is out of alignment. What is contrary to God’s Word.

Second, we have to be willing to turn from our sin.

The king said to turn from evil and the violence in their hands. You know what that means? It means you stop doing it.

You stop drinking and getting hammered every weekend.

You stop sleeping with your girlfriend or boyfriend.

You stop gossiping and putting everybody down. You stop cussing like a sailor.

You stop being a person of negativity. You stop looking at porn.

You stop texting that person you shouldn’t be texting when your spouse is asleep.

You stop spending wasted hours feeding yourself on tik tok videos and instagram reels.

Whatever it is that God points out as sinful or unhealthy in your life, you stop doing it. You turn from it.

Why is that so important? It’s important because when you stop feeding yourself with sin and start feeding yourself with truth, you stop getting a hunger for sin and develop a new hunger for truth.

That’s how it works.

For example, if your diet consists of drinking Dr. Pepper and eating Fudge Rounds all day, what’s going to happen?

Well, you’re going to probably gain weight and become really unhealthy.

But if you stop drinking Dr. Pepper and start drinking water. And you stop eating Fudge Rounds and start eating things like salad or broccoli, you’re going to lose weight and become more healthy.

Now, you might be thinking, “But Pastor, Dr. Pepper and Fudge Rounds taste better!” No they don’t. They only taste good to you because you’ve acquired a taste for them. And it’s killing you.

But, if you’re willing to turn from Dr. Pepper and Fudge Rounds and embrace water and broccoli, over time, you’ll develop a taste for what’s healthy, and you’ll start getting more healthy.

That’s how it works, folks. You develop a hunger for what you put in your body, and the same is true from a spiritual standpoint.

If you fill yourself with porn, you’re going to desire more porn.

If you fill yourself with gossip, you’re going to desire more gossip.

If you fill yourself with sexual immorality, you’re going to desire more sexual immorality.

But, if you turn from porn, eventually you’ll lose taste for it in your life.

If you turn from gossip, eventually you’ll lose your taste for it in your life.

If you turn from sexual immorality, eventually you’ll lose your taste for it in your life.

All that to say, if you want a hunger for God, you have to start eating what gives you a hunger for Him.

And guess what, sin doesn’t make you more hungry for God. It actually makes what God offers less appealing. Because that’s how the enemy works. He wants you to think what God offers isn’t good.

When in fact what God offers leads to not only a better life now but eternal life to come.

The people of Nineveh recognized their need to repent. So they turned from their wicked ways and turned their heart to God and His ways. And the result was a greater hunger for Him. The result was a revival.

This leads to one final Pillar:

Pillar #5 - Revival requires the HOPE of SALVATION.

We see this in verse 9 as the people cry out to God and turn from their wicked ways and say:

Jonah 3:9 ESV

Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

What the people of Nineveh recognize at this point, is the only thing that is going to save them now is the grace and mercy of God. Without that, they are done for.

I want to tell you today. You don’t have to question whether or not God is willing to extend Mercy.

He is.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9–11 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

The point is this. If we want revival to take place in our nation, then we have to point people to Jesus. We have to tell people that Jesus is the way to salvation. That only through faith in Him can we be saved.

how do we know?

It’s all over the Bible.

Titus 3:5 ESV

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Without Jesus, there is no salvation.

He’s the hope.

He’s the one we are to look to.

He’s the one who brings revival and radical change to our life. This is what God desires for us. In fact, this is what everything in life will boil down to.

We read about his in the book of Revelation as Jesus proclaims His soon coming. He says:

Revelation 22:12–17 ESV

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

The fact is, Jesus is coming back, and now is the time of salvation. Now is the time of revival. Now is the time for us to cry out, repent, and turn our hearts towards Him.

The people of Nineveh did just that, and God responded. We see this in verse 10:

Jonah 3:10 ESV

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

The writer says, as revival sweeps across the city, as people cry out to God, as people repent, as people look to God for salvation, God saw, and God relented from the pending disaster.

Church, if we want to stop the impending disaster that is coming upon our nation, this is what it takes to stop it. It takes a nation to turn it’s heart back towards God. It takes a people who are willing to repent, turn from sin, and put their hope in Jesus.

And the fact is, it begins with us. It begins with us wanting it more than anything else.

That being said, as the worship team comes, I want to close by giving you three challenges to consider, based on this fact.

The fact is, I believe God wants to do something supernatural in our church. To be honest, I don’t know what it is, what it looks like, or when it will happen. But I know a work of God is coming soon.

The quesiton is, “Will we be ready for it?” And by ready, I’m talking about ready for revival.

So, how do we know if we are ready? By considering and answering these challenge questions:

Question #1 - Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired.

In other words, are you tired of what you are seeing in our culture? Are you tired of sin spreading like a cancer. Are you sick of all the descension and division? Are you ready for revival?

That’s where it starts. It starts with you wanting something different.

You being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Tired of sin plaguing our nation.

Tired of watching your kids suffer.

Tired of being woke, when what we really need to be is awakened.

Question #2 - Are you ready to be disrupted?

I’m going to be straight with you. When God begins to move in our church, like I said, not sure what it’s going to look like, I can already tell you it’s going to be disruptive.

It’s going to require you to change some priorities. It’s going to require you to put some stuff on the back burner.

It’s going to make life uncomfortable.

It’s going to require you to step out of your routine. It’s going to require you to make God more important than anything else in your life.

Are you ok with that? Are you sick and tired enough to be willing to do whatever it takes to see revival in your life, your kids life, and in our land?

Question #3 - Are you ready to make Jesus 100% Lord of your life?

What I mean by that, is are you willing to do whatever it takes to develop a hunger for God.

Are you willing to evaluate your life. Pinpoint areas that need to change, and repent.

Are you willing to give up the porn, give up the gossip, give up sleeping with your girlfriend, give up watching trash on television, give up getting smashed every weekend, give up trying to fill your life with junk that is doing nothing but destroying you?

Are you willing to give up unhealthy focuses. Unhealthy habits. Unhealthy priorities. And replace them with a healthy focus on your walk with Jesus.

Are you willing to give up religion. Willing to give up this idea that you have to do something or belong to something in order to be right with God.

Willing to stop worrying grandpa and grandma or your parents might think. Ready to embrace relationship with Jesus over religious affiliation.

Are you ready to ARISE. Are you ready to be ALL IN. Are you ready to stop making the world more important than your relationship with Jesus.

And maybe for some of you, the question is, “Are you ready to make Jesus Lord? To stop trying to find hope and salvation in what the world offers and put your faith in what truly offers it.

That’s what I mean by 100%. Are you ready to truly make Jesus Lord of your life.

Because that’s how you develop a hunger and that’s what ushers revival in.

Church, I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I’m ready for a move of God. I want revival to take place. But it can’t just be because I declare it or want it. It has to be because it’s something we want, desire, hunger for, and seek.

So, just know, I’m not trying to make anything happen.

I’m just here today to tell you what it’s going to take.

And I want that not only for me, but for you. Because I know, if revival takes place in each of us, not only will we benefit, but others will to as well as the fire of revival spreads from our church to our community, to our county, and to our region, and maybe, as crazy as this sounds to our state and our nation, as we join with other churches who are crying out to God.

And our prayer would be:

Jonah 3:10 ESV

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Let’s Pray