Revival Genuine Prayer to Prepare

Transcription

1 Sunday August 17, 2014 Phone: Pastor David Miklas Message Revival - #2 Text: I Kings 18:17-40 Revival Genuine Prayer to Prepare Introduction: Nowhere is the absence of God's presence more conspicuous and tragic than in the church. The world is unimpressed, and even repulsed, by "Christianity" that is lifeless and powerless. Someone said, "We have no right to be believed, so long as we can be explained!" I believe what we need more than anything else in this nation and in the families and ministry at the Green Street Baptist Chapel is the cry of the Psalmist in Psalms 63:2, "To see THY POWER AND THY GLORY, as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." This will only come when there is an outpouring of GENUINE REVIVAL. If we are going to have REVIVAL, it will require DEVINE INTERVENTION brought about through PRAYER! Again turn with me to the text we examined several weeks ago found in I Kings The nation of Israel was in a moral and religious backslidden condition. They were steeped in Idolatry. There god was not real. We read of the wicked King Ahab and his wicked activities in I Kings 16:30, And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. (32) And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. (33) And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. As a result God closed up the heavens of any rain for 31/2 years, as we read in 17:1, And Elijah... said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. Then in 18:1 we read, And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, God, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. Now again from I Kings 18:17-29 we read: And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? (18) And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. (19) Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. (20) So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. (21) And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. (22) Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. (23) Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: (24) And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. (25) And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire Page 1

2 under. (26) And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. (27) And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. (28) And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. (29) And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. As we learned, the 850 prophets of Baal could not produce fire from their god Baal. When Elijah came on the scene: He repaired the broken-down altar. He laid a bullock on the altar. He had 12 barrels of WATER poured on the sacrifice. Now notice again the 63 word prayer found in verses 36-37, And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. (37) Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. As a result, verse 38 "The fire of the Lord fell. And notice verse 39, and when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, He is the God... The great need of the church in this generation is to know that our God is real. This generation needs to experience the manifest Power and Glory of God. Far too long we have played at going to church. We have just gone through the motions of Christianity, singing a few songs, hearing a sermon, going to some church activity and then going back home again with no change in our lives. Most of our talk is HOT AIR, just religious talk, with no real substance. The price of playing Church has been costly: Costly to the world that is WATCHING, Costly to the teenagers who are SEARCHING, and Costly to the families that are CRUMBLING. Far too long we have been in a dry, barren, spiritual wilderness thinking this is what Christianity is all about and not knowing we are thirsty for the real things of God. In Psalms 62:1-2 we read, "O God, thou art my God,... my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee... To see THY POWER AND THY GLORY, as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary." My desire and challenge for the Green Street Baptist Church is for an oldfashioned REVIVAL: That results in GODLY families, and a REPENTANT membership. That results in a BAPTISM OF FIRE that sees sinners SAVED, and our church ALIVE. That results in our children HUNGRY to be in God s PRESENCE and SERVICE. Again in Psalms 85:6 "Will thou not REVIVE US AGAIN, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee." Page 2

3 Revive Thy Church, O living Lord, And may Thy Spirit be outpoured Upon all those who long to see Revival blessing come from Thee. Oh, hear us, Lord, in this dark hour, And fill us with Thy Spirit's power! Revive Thy Church, O Lamb divine, And cause Thy face on us to shine, Hast thou not died our love to win, And freed us from the power of sin? Oh, break our hearts that we may see Revival spread abundantly. Heaven sent REVIVAL will require divine intervention. By Revival I do not mean scheduled meetings. One frequently sees signs reading: REVIVAL - ONE WEEK ONLY or REVIVAL EVERY NIGHT EXCEPT SATURDAY. These signs indicate that special meetings are being held. By Revival I do not mean a series of evangelistic meetings. As significant and important as evangelism is, such labors cannot be called revival. Evangelism is work people do for Christ in reaching the lost. Revival is work Christ does for people. By Revival I do not mean an emotional religious service where there is special music and hell-fire preaching. Revival is NOT the ORDINARY results of ORDINARY work. Revival is always EXTRAORDINARY. The term revive suggests a return to "consciousness of life." Someone said, "Despite the tremendous amount of activity found in religious circles today, there is a very real sense in which the church itself is like a sleeping giant. All the good that the church is accomplishing throughout the world is nothing in comparison with the good that needs to be accomplished. The flurry of religious activity, has yet to awaken the church. We have a lot of good works, but what we need is something only God can produce and that is REVIVAL." Revivals are not explosions; they are spiritual awakenings. In Habakkuk 3:2 we read, "O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, REVIVE thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." In using the term REVIVAL, we are speaking of, "An extra ordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results." Notice Revival is extraordinary. There is a sense in which revival is like a prairie fire ignited by a bolt of lightning. It comes from the heavens. Without organization, advertising, or even sometimes human leadership, revivals have altered the hearts of men. Revivals can do what nothing else can do. Notice Revival is the work of God. No amount of human effort can produce true revival. "THERE IS MUCH THAT PEOPLE CAN DO, AND EVERYTHING GOD HAS TOLD US TO DO WE OUGHT TO DO, WITH ALL OUR MIGHT." But having done it all, we must still wait upon Him to do what He alone can do. Notice Revival produces extraordinary results. Page 3

4 When REVIVAL comes, our spirits will be overwhelmed by conviction of sin. Confession of sin will be the order of the day. Conduct that has always seemed acceptable will appear unbelievably wicked. When REVIVAL comes, agony over sin will be so great that the thought of prolonging life in the midst of such wickedness will be intolerable. From the depths of a person will come the cry, "O God, save me from myself and sin, from my wickedness and depravity." When REVIVAL comes, long-forgotten sins against members of the Body of Christ will be remembered with great grief. Those who have sinned in private will make their confession before God whom they have wronged. Individuals who have sinned against other individuals will go to those persons and make their peace. A watching world will stand in astonishment as Christians who have lived like heathens now begin to manifest the love of Christ for one another. When REVIVAL comes, prideful self-centeredness will no longer be excused. Longlived habits of self- indulgence will be broken. When REVIVAL comes, we will re-focus upon the Cross of Christ. When REVIVAL comes, people may expect to have their well-laid plans and ambitions changed. God's timing, God's purpose, God's plan will rule the day. When REVIVAL comes, there will be an intense interest in the Word of God. The principles of the Word of God will no longer be relegated to discussion on Sunday, but lived on a daily basis. When REVIVAL comes, agony of souls will inflame us. Prayer for the eternal welfare of others will become a passion. The results of Revival will be a reaping of a great evangelistic harvest. Souls will be saved, the church will grow, and the fruit will remain. When REVIVAL comes, holiness will become a prime object of Life. "To be like Jesus" will become the theme song of the revived. When REVIVAL comes, prayer will become pure delight. It will be the "sweet hour of prayer." The most wonderful aspect of true revival is that GOD DOES IT ALL! If men could produce revival, they would stand back and glory in their handiwork. When God, who is dependent upon no man or church, does it every single revived individual will have cause to praise Him without ceasing. Isn't this why the psalmist prays, "Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?" Revival involves a PROCESS. Revival takes TIME. Elijah had been in the process of PREPARATION and PURIFICATION for 31/2 years, before God sent the FIRE. The people of Israel had suffered the consequences of their sin for the same period before they got desperate enough for God to SEND THE FIRE. If we are going to have REVIVAL, it will require divine intervention. As someone said, We may build the altar and prepare the sacrifice, but God alone can send the fire." For Revival to come there must be PRAYER. Revival always begins with prayer. God only answers the prayers of desperate Christians. Someone said, "When the church is aroused to their duty, men will be swept into the Page 4

5 kingdom. A WHOLE CHURCH ON ITS KNEES IS IRRESISTIBLE.' E.M. Bounds said, "What the church needs today is not more machinery or new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use, men of PRAYER, men mighty in PRAYER. The Holy Spirit does not anoint plans but men, men of PRAYER." A PRAYING CHRISTIAN will be a REVIVED CHRISTIAN and a church that seeks the face of God will be one that knows the POWER AND GLORY OF GOD. Another said, "The church must recapture her distinction. She is not built upon organization and money. She is built upon the might of God. If the church is to be a light in this perverse generation, she must humble herself and PRAY. SHE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT VICTORY COMES FROM HER KNEES." REVIVAL begins and is sustained by a movement of PRAYER. This was illustrated by Elijah in I Kings Elijah was a man of prayer. You say, How do we know? Turn with me to James 5:16b-18, and follow me as I read. the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (17) Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Notice please in verse 16 the words, "effectual fervent." We could read this verse, "The prayer that is energized by God though a righteous man will get results." This word in the New Testament always speaks of God doing the work. You say, "Elijah was an extra-ordinary man." That's not what the scripture says. It says he was a man of like passions as we are, no different than any man in this auditorium. Now in verses 17 and 18 notice the word, "Prayed." Elijah simply prayed, "Lord, these people are not obeying you, they are worshipping other gods. Stop the rain until they are desperate enough to turn to you." Now I know I added some words to this sentence, but I am not stretching the point. It was a specific prayer, not a repeated prayer. Elijah had to have known the will of God, because he said "Lord, do your will, and stop the rain. Three and a-half years later, he said Lord they are desperate. Let it rain now." How many of us realize that we are in desperate need of God s blessing? Amazingly, the very heart of God desires to send showers of blessings to each of us. It is his will to show us his GLORY AND POWER. But we have to desperately want it. And then we must be willing to put our lives on the altar and come before him in repentance to acknowledge our sin and acknowledge Him as the REAL GOD. REVIVAL begins and is sustained by a movement of PRAYER. This was illustrated by the coming of PENTECOST in Acts 1, 2. Before Jesus went back to Heaven he said to the church in Jerusalem in Acts 1:4, 8, and 14 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. (8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (14) These all continued Page 5

6 with one accord in prayer and supplication, Ten days they were in effectual, fervent prayer and then it came. What came? POWER came by the filling of the Holy Spirit. As a result of the disciples preaching, 3000 souls were saved. REVIVAL begins and is sustained by a movement of PRAYER. This was illustrated by the prayer life of the early Church. In Acts 3 Peter and John were on their way to a PRAYER MEETING and five thousand were converted before they arrived. In Acts 4:31 they continued in prayer with the results of their boldness proclaiming the gospel. The motto of the early church was "PRAY AND PROCLAIM." REVIVAL begins and is sustained by a movement of PRAYER. This is illustrated by every great awakening of revival in history. Revivals have all begun in prayer, and then came the awakening of souls to repentance of sin. The great 1904 Welsh revival that swept around the world began with Evan Roberts. When he began to pray, "Oh God, bend me." All of these events began with PRAYER MEETINGS and soon there came the great time of harvest. So what's the lesson we can learn? It's very simple - PRAY. PRAY for Revival. We are reminded in II Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and PRAY, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land." When God's people call on God out of a pure heart, the answer comes. REVIVAL FIRES FALL and the church begins to burn with the GLORY AND POWER OF GOD. Listen to a quote from the great preacher of yesteryear, Jonathan Edwards, who said "We must not forget the importance of the visible union of God's people in extraordinary prayer." What did he mean by "extraordinary prayer." When people get up at 5:00 in the morning to pray, or spend half the night in prayer, THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER. When God's people spend time in prayer for revival in their lives and in the lives of their family members, THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER. I encourage you and your family to join this ministry in DAILY PRAYER FOR REVIVAL. What no effort of men can accomplish, the Lord God Almighty will accomplish in the wake of REVIVAL. "Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?" Psalms 85:6 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, Thine the glory; Revive us again! Page 6

7 *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon Revival Genuine Prayer Prepares right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, let me know. Please send an to, pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA Privacy policy: your address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at Page 7