Revive Us Again

Psalm 85:6–7 NKJV

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.

Houston, we have a problem!

 “Houston, we have a problem” (a common misquote) On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 was launched with three crew members, intended to be the third crewed lunar landing on the moon. It lasted until April 17. 56 hours into the mission, an oxygen tank exploded on board the spacecraft. Jack Swigert, the command module pilot, reported to Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas: "Okay, Houston ... we've had a problem here." After Swigert was prompted to repeat his words by Jack R. Lousma, the capsule communicator at Mission Control, Jim Lovell, the mission commander, responded: "Ah, Houston, we've had a problem."

Heaven, we have a problem!

Our problems are severe.

The more we try to solve them, the worse they get.

We are more divided than ever.

Only God has the solution

That solution is found through repentance, faith, and surrender to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Revive us again!

When we stray, the solution is found in returning to the Lord.

We need God to show us mercy. We need God to show us His salvation.

We need God to revive us again!

Hymn: Revive Us Again (William P. Mackay): Revive us again, fill each heart with Thy love; may each soul be rekindled with fire from above. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Think the glory. Revive us again.

What does true revival look like?

Restored joy

Revive us again...that Your people may rejoice in You!

One of the blessings of revival is the restoration of joy in the LORD.

The joy of the LORD is more than happiness due to favorable circumstances.

The joy of the LORD involves His restored presence, restored favor, and restored power.

Regarding this Psalm, Charles H. Spurgeon said: “A genuine revival without joy in the Lord is as impossible as spring without flowers or day-dawn without light.” (The Treasury of David: Spurgeon’s Classic Work on the Psalms)

Response to the Word