The Meaning of Revival
SERMON STARTER
We pray for revival, but we aren't sure what it is and how we will react to it when God answers our prayers and sends revival. We pray verbally for the fire of God to fall on us, our churches, our region. However, we muster up the fire brigade to extinguish any Godly fire that might occur. We hate change, and we are desensitized to the abject moral decay all around us.
Honest Holy Spirit inspired spontaneous revivals are all about change. Most of the change revival brings is in us.
I grew up in an evangelical, revivalist church. We held revival meetings every year. They were called "Two Week Revivals." Actually, they were "Too Weak Revivals." How in the world can you predict a sovereign move of God like revival in advance and predict the time it will end? Does God operate on His timetable, or ours? God's Holy Spirit crashes in on the comfort of our lives and leaves us drained, exhausted and better people for the encounter.
The revival fire was kindled in my heart in 1971. The renewal and refreshing didn't happen in a church setting during an impassioned altar call. The Holy Spirit's inspired visitation from God came to me in the darkness of night. Like Jacob of old I met Him in one of life's extremities, but there was no wrestling match, only surrender to His will and His love.
My sermon this morning explores Jesus' disciples first collective Holy Spirit encounter in the book of Acts. The church had a mighty visitation of God on the Jewish holiday of Pentecost when Jewish males traveled to Jerusalem for the first of three harvest offerings to the Lord. It was then that Jesus chose to return to the church in spirit and in power. He told them to wait in Jerusalem to discover the real Meaning of Revival.
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49
Pastor Phil <><<
April 17, 2016 - Sheepfold Ministries
Pastor Phil Roland
The Meaning of Revival
John 14:15-20 - Acts 1:12-17
"What is the Meaning of Revival? It has been debated for hundreds of years as to exactly what revival is. I like Vance Havner's definition, 'Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.' Revival is about getting a new connection with God and yourself." Pastor Phil <><<
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49
PENTECOST
Pentecost was the First of Three Jewish Feasts, Jewish males went to Jerusalem to present a Wave Offering to the Lord. The Acts 2 Pentecost occurred 50 days after Jesus Christ was crucified and approximately 10 days after he ascended into heaven.
There are seven Holy Feasts in Ancient Israel:
1. Feast of Passover 4. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks)
2. Feast of Unleavened Bread 5. Feast of Trumpets
3. Feast of Firstfruits 6. Day of Atonement
7. Feast of Booths (Tabernacles)
I. THEY GATHERED INTO ONE PLACE - Verse 13
13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.
A. Temptation would be to scatter
1. Confusion in their hearts
2. Each disciple sharing and interpreting
3. Disciples today differ in where to assemble
4. Large buildings / Small buildings
5. Many divided on what to call themselves
B. Gathered together to affirm what they knew from experience
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of
some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the
Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
1. Jesus last command was to Tarry in Jerusalem
". . .tarry in the city of Jerusalem. . ."
2. Wait for the Promise of the Father
a. Followers then and now do not do "Wait" very well
b. Limit God with our impatience
THE MEANING OF REVIVAL, cont. p.2
II. THEY WERE ALL IN ONE ACCORD - Verse 14a
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
A. They were together but they were Broken, w/o Power
1. Abandoned by their Messiah
2. Emotionally in turmoil, confused, dejected
B. Ancient Hebrew scriptures told them what to do - 2 Chron. 7:14
1. Humble themselves and Pray
2. Seek God's Face - Matt. 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
3. Turn from their Wicked Ways - Repentance
a. Conviction of the Heart
b. Led to a Change of Behavior
C. Unity (one accord) was amazing both then and now
1. Most amazing thing about Pentecost was Unity
2. They had the same objective in their hearts
III. THEY DETERMINED TO PRAY WITH SUPPLICATION - Vs. 14b
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
A. Prayer with Supplication - Supple Prayers - Phil. 4:6
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
1. Drawn Out Prayer - Extended - Prolonged
2. This Prayer Meeting was Ten days long
a. Did they Eat, Drink or Sleep?
b. Don't know, the Bible doesn't say
c. At Gethsemane they couldn't stay awake for one hour
B. A Genuine Move of God must always be preceded with prayer
1. Charles Finney - Former NY Lawyer
"Unless I had the spirit of prayer, I could do nothing."
"A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God."
2. D. L. Moody - Chicago Pastor/Evangelist
“Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.”
IV. THEY WERE INCLUSIVE - Vs. 14c
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
A. Please note the women were Included - Galatians 3:28
8 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
1. Can you imagine a Burka or Head Covering?
2. Jesus was no Misogynist, He had a Father's love for women
An Iran Imam, "Looking at a single strand of a woman's hair beneath her head covering could send a man to hell!"
THE MEANING OF REVIVAL, cont. p.3
B. With Jesus there was to be no more Wall of Separation - Eph. 2:14
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken
down the middle wall of separation,
1. Ancient Semetic / Jewish belief: Women caused men to sin
2. Women were more than a distraction
3. They took men away from prayer and worship
V. THEY EXPERIENCED REVIVAL - Acts 2:4
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
A. The 120 Spoke in an Unknown language
B. The hearers heard in their own language and dialect
C. The Gospel of Jesus was proclaimed with great power
D. The Meaning of Revival is the Church is Renewed and Refreshed
THE MEANING OF REVIVAL
A Revival Experience of the Youngstown Rescue Mission Director, Timothy P. Lowe
Youngstown Rescue Mission Director, Timothy P. Lowe asked me a surprising question one day as we were in the mission parking lot after a mission board meeting. Tim asked me,
"Phil, Will you pray for me to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?"
I asked him why he felt he needed the Pentecost experience.
"Because I need Revival, a refreshing from God."
I prayed and Director Timothy began his journey toward Revival. A few weeks later Ashland Theological Seminary held a 4-Day Conference on the work of the Holy Spirit. John Wimber and C. Peter Wagner were leading on the subject of the Power of God and Healing.
The third evening we were there was the last evening and John Wimber asked if there was anyone there who had a spiritual need to stand up. Director Tim stood up and several young people gathered around him, per John Wimber's instructions. They asked Tim what he wanted. He said afterwards,
"I just wanted a little touch from Jesus."
Tim was unable to stand when He was revived by the Holy Spirit. His ministry friends gently helped him to lay down. I watched over his books and personal effects as he was immobilized. Finally I took his things and mine to the dorm room we were staying in. Almost two hours later Tim was still laying there where he had lain down. His hands sometimes fluttered, but he was still breathing, so I knew he was OK.
When Tim stood up he did what I call a classic double take as he looked at his watch. He told me later that he felt no time at all had passed. All he felt was refreshed and renewed.
What Mission Director Lowe experienced was what I call the Meaning of Revival.
Pastor Phil <><<
THE MEANING OF REVIVAL
John 14:15-20
15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
Acts 1:12-17
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey.
13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,
16 "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;
17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."
Accepting Jesus is like Fishing
A twelve year old boy became a Christian during a revival. The next week at school his friends questioned him about the experience. "Did you see a vision?" asked one friend. "Did you hear God speak?" asked another. The youngster answered no to all these questions. "Well, how did you know you were saved?" they asked. The boy searched for an answer and finally he said, "It’s like when you catch a fish, you cant see the fish, or hear the fish; you just feel him tugging on you line. I just felt God tugging on my heart."
CHINA REVIVAL IN 1932
Revival came to north China in 1932 in answer to several years of prayer. At one point, Norwegian missionary Maria Monsen wondered what good her praying could do. She longed to see God's river of life flood spiritually dry China. Then she realized that the mighty Yangtze River began when the tiny drops of rain came together in the top of the mountains. Maria sought a prayer partner who would join her in claiming the promise "that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven" (Mt. 18:19). When she finally found someone she exclaimed, "The awakening has begun! Two of us have agreed!" The rain drops of revival prayer were coming together.
In November of 1930 Maria announced, "A great revival is coming soon and it will begin in the North China Mission." She was convinced that the missionaries had fulfilled the conditions for revival found in 2 Chron 7:14. In 1932 about forty Christians were meeting in a town in North China for prayer four times a day beginning at 5:00 a.m. Believers were convicted of sin. Two men repented of hating each other. Love was strong and deep. Joy abounded. When revival came more people were born again than in any previous year in North China. One missionary estimated that 3,000 people came to Christ in his town. Pastors, missionaries, and Bible women experienced a deeper Christian life than they had ever known before.
A spirit of prayer was poured out on the church. People loved to pray. Many times prayer meetings lasted two or three hours. The prayers were short, fervent, and sometimes tearful. Children's prayers led to the salvation of their parents and teachers.
