Revival (Part 2)

Real Revival

Acts 19:11–20 ESV

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Main Idea: Real revival changes hearts, calls for repentance, and unleashes the power of God's Word.

INTRODUCTION: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

Revival isn’t just louder music or longer services. It’s not emotional hype. It’s not crying during a worship song and then going back to normal.

Revival is when the Spirit of God moves so powerfully that people’s hearts change, sin is destroyed, and the Gospel takes over a community.

We’re not after a moment. We’re asking for a movement. That’s what happens in Acts 19.

Let’s break it down.

1. Revival is Real When God Moves in Power

Acts 19:11–12 ESV

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

Explanation:

Notice, the scripture is specific about saying that God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul...

Paul wasn’t the one doing miracles — God was. And not just normal miracles — it says “extraordinary.” God was putting His power on display so people would realize He’s real, holy, and unstoppable.

Miracles got their attention — but they were just the start.

Revival starts when God shows up and people stop playing games.

Illustration:

Let me show you how this happens in real life.

In 1949, a young preacher named Billy Graham was invited to lead a simple tent revival in Los Angeles.

At the time, Billy wasn’t famous. He wasn’t rich. He wasn’t considered the greatest speaker in the world.

But he was hungry for God to move.

So he prayed. His team prayed. They set up a giant tent they called the 'Canvas Cathedral' and started preaching the Gospel every night.

And something started happening.

Night after night, more and more people came. Word spread like wildfire. Newspapers picked up the story. Celebrities and politicians started showing up.

The tent couldn’t even hold the crowd anymore.

Billy would preach the simple message of Jesus, and thousands — literally thousands — would walk forward, fall on their knees, and surrender their lives to Christ.

It wasn’t just an event — it was the beginning of a movement.

Over the next 50 years, Billy Graham would preach to over 215 million people in person, and hundreds of millions more by radio and TV.

But it all started with a handful of people praying for God to move.

It wasn’t about hype. It wasn’t about Billy being some celebrity. It was about God showing up, changing hearts, and setting a fire that the world couldn’t ignore."

Main Tie-In to Point:

Real revival starts when people are hungry for God’s power.

Billy didn’t "make revival happen" — he just gave God his whole heart, and God did the rest.

Just like in Acts 19:11-12 — God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, not the other way around.

Application Questions:

Are you asking God to move in your life or just watching others burn?

What would it look like if you gave Him full access to your heart this week?

2. Revival is Real When People Get Real About Sin

Acts 19:17–19 ESV

And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Explanation:

After seeing God’s power, the people realized that this isn’t a joke!

Jesus isn’t somebody to play with.

They didn’t just confess their sins and ask for forgiveness in private, they brought their idols into the light and burned them!

Real revival doesn’t just stir your heart or make you feel good, it demands response. Lives will be changed.

They didn’t just sell their sinful stuff (magic arts books), they destroyed it! Why?

Because when God becomes your treasure, when He becomes first in your life, when you surrender to Him, you’ll trash the idols that once stood in the way of your relationship with Him!

Illustration:

In the late 1940s, the island of Lewis in the Hebrides (Scotland) was spiritually dead. Churches were almost empty. Young people didn’t care about God.

But two old women, Peggy and Christine Smith, started to pray.

They asked God to move again.

Then one night at a prayer meeting, a young man stood up and read Psalm 24:

'Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...'

He closed his Bible, looked around, and said:

"Brothers, it is just humbling ourselves, that’s the price!"

Suddenly, conviction swept over the room. Men began confessing hidden sins out loud. Pride. Bitterness. Secret addictions. Anger.

Some cried out so loudly that neighbors woke up and came to the church to see what was happening.

In the next days, people flooded into churches, not because of an event, but because they couldn’t stand their sin any longer.

Teenagers and adults alike were seen on the streets crying out for mercy, not because of a service, but because of the presence of God.

Revival didn’t start with a concert or a crusade. It started with getting real about sin.

God doesn’t bless fake religion. He moves when we get brutally honest and surrender.

Application Questions:

What are you holding onto that’s keeping you from full surrender?

Are you ready to not just confess, but cut ties with your sin?

3. Revival is Real When the Word of God Spreads

Acts 19:20 ESV

So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Explanation:

This is the result of real revival. This is what we should want.

Not a feeling, not a moment… A MOVEMENT When people repent, prioritize Jesus, and obey Him fully, the Gospel will spread.

The word didn’t just increase here, it prevailed. It beat the culture that surrounded it, it beat the darkness, it beat fear.

That’s what happens when revival goes beyond the church building. We should want it to hit the streets, hit our city, hit the nation. God can move like He did back then, we just have to let Him!

Lets touch back on something we talked about earlier. There are some denominations/churches that put too much emphasis on miracles and healing. Don’t get me wrong that’s a great thing, but notice how this story uses miracles to bring people to Jesus! That’s the point. There are all kinds of biblical accounts of Jesus performing miracles to only one person in a crowd of people that probably needed one. Why? Because the miracles were not just to heal that person, it was so others would believe in Him! Revival isn’t mass physical healing, its mass spiritual healing!

Illustration:

Did you know some of the biggest, strongest trees in the world — the redwoods in California — started from seeds smaller than a tomato seed?

A tiny seed, barely bigger than a grain of sand, can grow into a tree over 300 feet tall — taller than a football field laid upright.

And once one tree grows strong, it drops more seeds.

Before long, a whole forest springs up — a forest that lasts thousands of years, withstands fires, storms, and droughts.

But it all begins with one small, unnoticed seed taking root.

Tie-in to Point 3 ("The Word of God Spreads"):

Real revival doesn't always look huge at first.

It often starts small — like a simple prayer, a Bible study, or one young person deciding to fully surrender to Jesus.

But when God is in it, that "small seed" grows into something unstoppable — lives changed, schools transformed, families saved.

The Word of God spreads like a living forest — powerful, unstoppable, and deeply rooted.

The redwoods didn’t take over overnight. But one tiny seed led to something no storm could ever tear down. That’s what happens when the Word of God takes root in our hearts and spreads through real revival.

Application Questions:

Are you someone God can use to spread His Word?

Will revival stop with you, or will it go through you?

VIDEO

CONCLUSION:

What you just watched was real. No one planned it. No one hyped it up. There was no celebrity preacher, no lights, no smoke machines. Just hungry hearts, open Bibles, and a move of the Spirit.

Tie it back to your message:

Acts 19 showed us that when real revival happens, three things take place:

God moves in power — its not manufactured, not fake.

People get real about sin — they don’t hide it; they confess it and walk away from it.

The Word of God spreads — it changes cities, it changes schools, it changes hearts.

Personal Challenge:

“The same God who moved in Ephesus... and moved at Asbury in 2023... wants to move right here, right now, in your life.

Revival isn’t a place you visit. It’s a decision you make.”

Invitation Moment (Optional altar call setup):

“Revival always starts with one heart that says, ‘God, I’m done playing games. I want You.’

If that’s you tonight, don't wait for someone else to move first. Be the spark.