Revival Begins

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 83

Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

Intro/FCF: We are starting a new and the final section of the book of Isaiah today.

Heres the build up. In the first major section Isaiah went to the vineyard of the Lord, he proclaimed to them a message that they would not hear. Then came oracles to the nations to all the message was clear: Look to God, trust in God. From there we had the next major section: “Will you trust God”, which culminated in the success (and failure) of Hezekiah in trusting God. Then we had, starting in chapter 40 the “comfort, comfort” section, also the servant section because this is where we found the servant songs. Now we turn our attention to the last 16 chapters which become a call to hear all that Isaiah has said up to this point. they become a call for Revival.

What happens when the servant is seen? What happens when we do trust God? What happens when we heed the warnings and the calls to return to the Lord, what happens When God restores his vineyard? Revival happens. So I have entitled This sermon, the beginning of the last leg our our series through Isaiah, “Revival begins”. But I realized that even in that there is a problem. When you hear the word revival what do you think of? For some of us we think back to the times we have seen the word used in the past and it is a tent somewhere with an advertisement: Revival here tonight!.

But here is the problem with that. I firmly believe that you cannot schedule a revival. You cannot anticipate a revival. You can eagerly expect one, you can hope for one, but only the working power of the Holy Spirit can cause one. as we start this last section of Isaiah lets make sure to keep that thought in the forefront of our minds: that revival begins not with a move and work of man, but with a movement and work of God on behalf of broken people.

But with that in mind we will turn our attention to our passage. today. We are again, like last week looking at two chapters, Chapters 56-57 this morning, but before we dive into God’s word this morning, lets PRAY.

PRAY

So today we will look at the beginning of revival, and revival starts with:

The WORLDWIDE CALL to Revival.

Verse 1 of chapter 56 shows us what the revival is that we are called to. It is to live a righteous and just life. but more than that, it is to see God’s salvation and HIS righteousness. Revival happens when God’s Salvation comes to a people in desperate need of that salvation. It is God who revives broken hearts, it is God who, in revealing himself, his righteousness, his justice, his goodness, mercy, and love, saves us. When God is revealed, then hearts are revived.

But then we get an interesting thought: we are told that the one who keeps the Sabbath will be blessed. And we can (and should) ask: where did the sabbath come from? we haven’t seen this before.

And cutting through a bit of cultural and technical issues to get to the heart it is this: God’s people were called to be a set apart people. In the OT this was most clearly seen in contrast with the people around them in two ways, one was circumcision, the outward sin of being in the covenant people of God, and the other was the sabbath, a visible sign of following the commands of God.

and so following the Sabbath becomes a litmus test for are you listening to God? SO really the call to revival is a call to see God, who he is, and what he has done, it is to see his salvation THEN live lives that are changed by that vision of what God has done.

And all of this is not the most incredible portion of this passage. Because what is incredible is WHO is included in the call to revival. It is the WHOLE WORLD.

Read: Isaiah 56:3-8

Two people become the focus in this section, and it is not who we would normally think of, it is the Foreigner and the eunuch.

Isaiah 56:3 ESV

Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”

then these are looked at in reverse order. first the eunuch. and man there is a WHOLE LOT going on here, for more details on these two characters come on Thursday to Grace Group, but I will say this: the eunuch is one who had no hope of family and lineage, this would be a great concern AND according to the Law, was one who was not allowed into the temple. and so to hear God say: come find revival, YES YOU THE EUNUCH, to hear god say to one that was mutilated and less than come find healing and restoration is a miracle. to be the one with no hope of lasting linage, to feel like you are cut off from the future because you have no one to carry on your name and then have God say that he will give to you an “everlasting name that will never be cut off” is HUGE.

then to the foreigner they are welcomed in to the hose of God, a HOUSE OF PRAYER by the way. They are not strangers, they are not cut off, God welcomes in all whop will follow his commands. Again here specifically mentioned is the Sabbath, but this is the point, foreigner, outcast, come be a part of the revival of God, eunuch, outcast and hopeless one, come experience the revival of God. the call is greater than anyone could have ever hoped for. For it is worldwide in scope.

But what is interesting if you look at commentaries of this section, what is beautiful is they label this portion we just read something like: God’s people as they shall and will be.

This is designed to be a picture of what God’s people shall look .like, and a hopeful trusting promise that this is what God’s people WILL be like. Two thoughts quickly, ONE, praise God that we get to see the beginnings of what this means, we get to see in the person and work of Jesus Christ the truth that Paul tells us. that in Christ there is no longer foreigner, there is no longer outcasts, but we are one in Christ.

Galatians 3:28 ESV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

and Two, this is what God’s people SHOULD BE LIKE. there is no outcast, there is no foreigner here. If you are in Christ you are welcome here!

The problem is that, as we have seen in Isaiah up till now, this is not what God’s people were currently like. So we turn our attention to:

The DESPERATE NEED for Revival

I want us to look at two different groups called out here, that both show our great need for God’s revival.

We start with the blind leaders.

READ Isaiah 56:9-12

God is calling to his people, come find revival, and the people will not listen. there is danger outside the gate and NO ONE IS AWARE. lurking are death and destruction but the people are led by verse 11 “shepherd who have no understanding”.

here is the tragedy, people are dying both in a literal physical sense, but more importantly in a spiritual sense and no one seems to care. The wold is burning down around them and the leaders of the people could not care less.

verse 12 bears a closer looking at. The devouring Dogs are all around, tearing the flock to pieces, literally tearing the sheep apart and what is the leaders response?

Isaiah 56:12 ESV

“Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

What part of this day has been close at all to “great beyond measure?”!?!

so here is the question: are these leaders just this dumb or are they intentionally closing their eyes to what is going on around them.

the answer: YES!

There are people who refuse to see what is going on around them, who will not hear the calls to revival and instead think that everything will be fine.

and there are those who are so against God, what he has called people to tha they cry our peace when there is no peace, and they will refuse to admit that God is calling people. either way the tragedy is this, God is calling for revival, but the leaders of the World are blind to the call for hope and the danger all around them.

But then attention turns from the leaders to the people that they are leading, and bad leaders are no excuse for these Deceitful Idolaters

READ: Isaiah 57:1-13a

there is so much here, and I cannot cover it all, but here are the highlights.

Note that this is the people of God who are called:

Isaiah 57:3 ESV

But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.

How bad has their rebellion gotten, well, in the name of following after foreign pagan Gods they have compromised their morals and “burn with lust among the oaks” and are so warped in their thinking that they then “slaughter their children in the valleys.”

And when you put it that way it sure sounds bad, but may I say that the culture that we live in is NO BETTER.

have you seen the filth that Hollywood tries to fill our eyes and mid with? do you know that of the most visited websites over 50% are pornographic?

but at least we don’t sacrifice our children! you might think, but in abortion clinics across the nation children are being sacrificed to the God of the sexual revolution. We are NO better.

the peoples futility and sin continues to be described they have deserted God verse 8 and traded their intimate love of God for a cheap fling.

but here is the tragedy, these people love their idols so much they have no idea what is actually going on.

Isaiah 57:10 ESV

You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, “It is hopeless”; you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint.

so they are filled with deceit. They lie. they claim to be good, they claim to be of God and yet they are far from him. They fear, but it is not God says verse 11. And because of their deceit, because of their refusal to look to God they cannot be saved.

Isaiah 57:13 ESV

When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry them all off, a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.

This is why we NEED revival. It is because we are deceitful idolaters, following blind leaders, looking for hope and restoration in Idols that can NEVER save. unless God come in and save, unless revival begins at the working hand of God we are in trouble. Unless God comes in and tears down the altars in our hearts we are left with something that can never save, and we will be to ignorant to see and know that. WE NEED REVIVAL because Isaiah ends this section showing us:

The ULTIMATE END of Revival

Again two major sections here, I would like to take them in reverse order here, because it helps drive the point home.

First, When revival comes, if you ignore the calls, when salvation is shown and you deny it then there is no hope. The forst end I would like to look at is the end for one who will not respond to revival.

Isaiah 57:20–21 ESV

But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

so what is the hope? well the hope is all in the portion that we just skipped. Hera the call to repent, here the call of the revival of God, allow your heart to be brken, open your eyes and have a contrite heart. Because God will save the contrite in heart.

Isaiah 57:14–19 ESV

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made. Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.