Vision For Revival

Set The Stage:

1 Samuel 7:1-14

High priest Eli did not discipline his sons for their disgraceful behavior with the sacrifices brought to the Lord ..and..their treatment of the women

So judgement was pronounced on the house of Eli

His sons were killed and the Ark of God was captured by the Philistines and Eli falls and dies.

After 7 months, the Ark is sent back to Israel and it is put in Kiriath-Jearim

1 Samuel 7:1–2 NLT

So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the Lord. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the Lord had abandoned them.

There is a deep longing in the souls of the saints for the real thing…the presence of God

Many saints are wondering.....WHERE IS GOD

The Lord has not abandoned us - we have abandoned him

Samuel gives the solution

1 Samuel 7:3–6 NLT

Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord. Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)

Idols of Pride

Idols of appearance

Idols of programs and man made ideas of how to make the church work

1 Samuel 7:7–9 NLT

When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. “Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.

Where is the pleading for God’s help?

Where is the dependence on God?

Where are the prayer meetings that call out to God?

There will be rebuttal/battle if you invite Jesus back into the church (your heart)

Some people will not like it.

But look at what God does to the enemy of our souls when his people return to him

Look what he does for his people when his people repent

Look at what he does when our hearts are truly after God and not comfort-prestige-and the honor of man

1 Samuel 7:10 NLT

Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.

God supernaturally intervened for his people

Where is the supernatural interventions

Where are the miracles

Where are the “signs following the preaching of the word”

Maybe we are not preaching God’s word....but our manipulation of it to suit our comfort and culture

1 Samuel 7:13–14 NLT

So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the Lord’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.

The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel

God wants to restore what the enemy has stolen from us

He was able to steal it from us because........

we were too weak-blind and deceived to do anything about it

Psalm 51:12 NLT

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

“I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts......Isaiah 57:15