The Need for Revival

The Need for Revival

II Kings 22

Introduction: Revival is a mystery of God. Mainly because man cannot make it happen because God must come upon mankind. Revival is not manipulated by man or worked up by some group, it is totally and absolutely of God. Man will need to meet God’s condition but revival does not come simply because we have a meeting. Some will measure revival because of attendance or because of a certain kind of response; but God shows us true revival in the Bible. True revival means a life change.

In II Kings 22, we read of one of the most exciting times of revival in the nation of Israel. Josiah had been the king for 18 years and he is now 26 years old. Shaphan is sent to the house of God and a book of the Law is found. Revival breaks out in a tremendous way because sends it. Jm. Here are the necessary elements needed for revival.

1. God’s Word

2. Godly conviction.

3. Immediate confession and repentance.

4. Godly cleansing and forgiveness.

Dr. Goetsch writes in his little book 21st Century Revival on pp. 22-23. “The word “revival” means nothing to our generation. We’ve never seen one! Oh, to be sure, churches still have revival “meetings.” But if any emphasis is placed on actual revival, it would almost seem to by accident. More time is spent planning the special music or the “carry-in dinner” after the Sunday morning service than on prayer meetings, preaching, or the winning of precious souls. The average church member might feel obliged to attend at least one of the week-night meetings out of duty to their church and feel as though they had made a great sacrifice. Services dare not last too long as to infringe upon our business, the children soccer league, or our precious television programs. The average Christian is at best luke-warm, and bordering on down-right cold. Someone once said, ‘We are so sub-normal today as Christians, that if we ever become just normal, the world would think we are abnormal.!’

Dr. Rice founded the Sword of the Lord to keep the fires of revival and soul winning hot in the churches of America. The weekly paper, as it was in his day, was the effort to move the church forward in his day.

Why is there no revival?

Ravenhill, pp. 55-56 “It has been well said that there are three classes of people in the world: those who are afraid, those who do not know enough to be afraid, and those who know their Bibles. Sodom, which had no Bible, no preachers, no tracts, no prayer meetings, no churches, perished. How then will America and England be spared from the wrath of Almighty, think you? We have millions of Bibles, scores of thousands of churches, endless preachers—and yet what sin!”

“Men build our churches but do not enter them, print our Bibles but do not read them, talk about God but do not believe Him, speak of Christ, but do not trust Him for salvation, sing our hymns and forget them. How are we going to come out of all this?”

There are some reasons the need for revival is ever present.

I. Because we have softened the message

God’s Word is being cheapened today by softening its message. Hell is not fire and brimstone anymore, it is a state of mind rather than a place. Sin is now accidents, illnesses or mistakes rather than sin. Preaching against sin and living a separated Christian life is called legalism. There are more Christians than ever who fight against, criticize, even speak against preachers who call sin what it is.

God’s Word is still as powerful today as it was in the days when God inspired the writers. Notice the response of Josiah and the nation came because of God’s Word.

We must get back to preaching the Word. It is unfortunate that we have come to a time where we must resort to entertainment to get people to attend. When we come into contact with God’s Word, it is then we realize how far we have gotten away from God.

II. Because we live prayerless lives

We have become technology experts. We don’t need to pray, why pray, we can do it ourselves. We are good at advertising, we are good at programs, we are good at technology, we are busy on our jobs, we don’t have time to interrupt our busy lives with extra church meetings and prayer times. Thinking we can live our Christian lives without prayer is like believing we can live our physical lives without air.

If we would get on our knees to seek God, our lives would change in so many dramatic ways.

III. Because we live unseparated lives

Worldliness abounds in the average Christian. It is strange, but there will be some Christian right here in this church, who have no intention of coming to any of the meetings except, maybe Sunday AM. Sunday PM. The average Christian today knows more about the wiles of the world than a worldly man knows.

I pray that God’s people will awaken out of their Laodicean attitude—Rev 3:15-17 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. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

IV. Because we delay in obedience

Josiah immediately responded to the message. There was no waffling or counting the cost. The cost mattered not. In fact, God was the one responsible for the cost. We are not to negotiate obedience with God, we are to respond in obedience. As God speaks to us, there should be a holy submission and repentance.

V. Because we have unbelief

A man might think a problem is so enormous that God cannot fix it. This simply comes out of a heart of unbelief. God is able to care for any need, any problem, and any hardship; however, it will be limited to His will and His plan.

The struggle is not God but us and our unbelief. Notice how unbelief prevents God from working.

When Jesus had gone into His country which was Nazareth, the people began questioning Jesus and did not believe him. The Bible records this interesting truth:

“And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58)

I have often wondered how many times my unbelief has hindered the work of God in my life. How many times has my unbelief kept me from accomplishing all God wanted to do in my ministry. In Hebrews it says

“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12)

Unbelief caused Israel to wander forty years in the wilderness. Their unbelief prevented them from going into the Promise Land

“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:19)

Faith is belief and God wants us to believe. Perhaps a church with tremendous belief can do more for God than you can ever imagine. A revival of belief can begin tonight.

Conclusion: I want to invite you to come to the altar tonight and seek God’s face. Ask God to revive your heart and save souls this weekend.