Sermon Tone Analysis

A wise old evangelist was once asked, “Why don’t we see revival happening in the Church in the United States today?”

The old preacher scratched his chin and thought for a moment.

Then he said, “The reason why we are not living in revival today……is because we are content to live without it.”

Last week we begin a short series on Revive Us Again!

Revival is the topic and discussion was looking closer at the Four Characteristics which precede revival

God’s people long for renewal of their lives

God’s people experience a new awareness of sin

God’s people must repent of their sins

God’s people need to be humble

Today we are going to take a closer look at three Characteristic Results of Revival.

Characteristic results of revival

What are the results of Revival?

What happens when God’s people do get revived by God’s presences and power?

You experience inward change

It’s true that when a person comes to God the Father through the son in faith to receive saving grace that, that person is eternally changed, saved, born-again and forever His.

That my friend is called Justification.

Once a person has been justified freely from their sins there is a process which is called sanctification, which is to say that God is still working on me, to set me apart for His purpose and His use for the Glory of God.

We still need saving from ourselves so to speak.

We have been saved yes (Justification), but we are being saved (Sanctification) and one day we shall be ultimately saved.

(Glorification) all of which God’s grace is what is actively working in our life to accomplish all of this.

We still need to be inwardly changed, always living in a state of repentance, a continual turning toward God and away from ourselves.

Transformed means to be changed, our soul is justified but our mind still needs to be inwardly changed.

Eph.

4:23 puts it this way.

It is in the mind where the battle for your will is taking place.

We are faced daily with the battle of the wills.

Will I do my Will or God’s will?

More often than not we fall into the trap of doing our own will.

Failing to obey God and His will for our life.

These pattern leads to disobedient life which then leads to the need of REVIVAL or RENEWAL.

God’s will and promise for your life is to give us a changed life.

One that is obedient in Him and Him alone.

As a result of a renewed inward change obedience is then lived out in that persons life.

This leads us to the second Characteristic result of Revival.

You live in obedience

"One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having His peace and assurance in your life--it is obedience."

(Eric Liddell)

Elisabeth Elliot tells the story of when she and her brother Tom were small children.

Their mother would let Tom play with paper bags that she had saved as long as he put them away afterwards.

One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor.

Tom was in another room at the piano with his father singing hymns.

When their mother called him to the kitchen to tidy up, he protested, "But Mum, I want to sing Jesus loves me this I know."

His father, seated next to him, backed up the boys' mother by saying: "It's no good singing God's praise if you're disobedient.

To obey is better than sacrifice."

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:15

You delight in worshipping God

"True worship is God-centered worship.

People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how their worship looks to other people.

Focusing on these things misses the point.

Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed.

Worship can include praying, reading God's Word with an open heart, singing, playing and instrument, participating in communion, and serving others.

It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place.

It's also important to know that worship is reserved only for God.

The truth is we all worship something and this is why one of the Ten Commandment tell us to worship God alone -- because it is essential in our relationship with the Lord."

God’s people need revival because the results of how we worship God is needed.

We make worship about God and not ourselves.

Conclusion

What is Revival?

1. Revival is not a week worth of meetings.

2. Revival is not started in one day.

3. Revival is not controlled by man.

4. Revival is a heart thing.

5. Revival is always brought on by REPENTANCE.

6. Revival is renewed zeal to obey God

As D. L. Moody said, "Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity."

Luther gave a similar testimony when he said, "I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess."

We must place our faith and trust in the promise of God to not only save us but to sanctify us as will as revive us.