Preparing for Revival - Message 4: Be Who You Are!

Last Sunday we made a decision. We want a revival from God to erupt in our lives, our families, our church, our community and our nation.

One of the chief reasons that revival does not happen is that many born again believers act like unbelievers. All too frequently, our lives don’t look any different than the decent non-Christian next door, except that we ‘go to church’. We live powerless. We live without confidence. We let worry rule our lives. We let the concerns of this world dominate our thinking and our time.

That’s called ‘worldliness’ and it is a sure sign that we are immature and need to grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Christian researcher and pollster George Barna issued a report in 2002 that identified the following things about the North American Christian: (source: barna.org)
• 44% of born again Christians between 18-34 will co-habitate outside the sanctity of marriage.
• Amongst those who have been married, 33% of all American Christians have been divorced. Amongst the general population, it is 34% who have been divorced. Absolutely no difference.
• Only 7% of born again Christians identify spiritual wholeness and growth as a primary factor that produces a successful life.
• Less than 10% of regular church attenders give 10% or more to their churches.
• Fully two-thirds of born again Christians believe that truth is relative not absolute.
• The average church attender spends more time watching TV in one day than he does in all spiritual pursuits combined for an entire week.

Is it any wonder that revival in America tarries?
A major reason for this is that we have yet to buy in to the reality of who we are in Christ. We really don’t grasp the significance of what it means to be ‘born-again’ – or to be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ – or to ‘belong to Christ’. We may be ‘believer’s’ but we aren’t yet people of faith.

We are a nation of immature believers. We are called by God to be SPIRITUAL, and we choose instead to be WORLDLY. It’s time to become who we really are – people of the Spirit of God! For revival to happen – we must BE who we really ARE!

The church in the city of Corinth was a mixed bag – it was active, it was alive, it was a passionate group of people – but it was also fleshly, sexually immoral, and worldly in thinking. Yet, God still loved the people of the Corinthian church, and when we get to Heaven, we will meet them.

Paul writes a rather stern letter to them – and I want to focus in on three verses of what he said to them:
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

This is a pretty strong statement from Paul.
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.” Vs. 1

1. What’s The Problem? They Are ‘Worldly’ Instead Of Spiritual.
Worldly means ‘carnal’ or ‘fleshly’ – literally it means that these Christians were being controlled not by the Spirit of God, but by their own human nature!

What’s the point of being a Christian if you are going to live like someone who isn’t?

I want you to look at Romans 8:5ff
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
Romans 8:5-9

Living life in a carnal – fleshly – worldly manner is directly opposite what God intends for us! Look again at the contrast between the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit:

FLESH = death, hostile to God, rebellious to God’s ways, completely unable to please God.
SPIRIT = life, peace, joyful agreement with God’s ways, evidence of belonging to Christ.

Paul says: Hey, Christians – stop living as if you still belonged to the world – and start living as a growing, maturing, faith walking believer! BE who you are!

When Christ came into your life it was for the purpose of changing the entirety of who you are. Being a Christian isn’t simply window dressing on your life, being a Christian is to be the definition of who you are! Paul says: “I cannot address you as SPIRITUAL – because you are acting like SPIRITUAL BABIES!”

Now, it’s okay to be a spiritual baby when you are first born again – but listen to me: You must grow up in Christ!

Ephesians 4:11 says…
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-15

The goal of being a Christian is to become like Christ!

Revival comes when people become like Jesus!
Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 13:11…
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

Childish things are appropriate for children – they serve them well. But there comes a point when in order to move on in your walk with Christ – you have to put those things aside and become mature.

Now look back at our main text – focus in on verse 2:
“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.” Vs. 2

2. It’s Time To Move Up to Solid Food!
When a baby comes into the world – it needs milk. It cannot handle solid food. But as the baby develops, it needs different nourishment, solid food.

Spiritually speaking that is also true – when you first come to Christ you need to hear the basic Gospel message. God loves you. He sent His Son into the World. Jesus became the Perfect Sacrifice and died on the Cross for your Sins, and then on the 3rd day, He rose from the Grave. When you place your faith in Him, confess your sins, repent of your sins, get baptized in water and with the Holy Spirit – you are saved and will go to Heaven. That’s all milk. It’s pure and it’s good – but it cannot be the totality of your spiritual diet. You need to grow up and for growing up you need SOLID FOOD.

• SOLID FOOD prepares you to make a difference in this world for the cause of Christ!
• SOLID FOOD trains you in righteousness, in ministry, in spiritual gifts, and in the power of the Holy Spirit!
• SOLID FOOD enables you to get into the field of battle fighting for the Kingdom of God and for those who are perishing!

And for revival to come – you need to receive a diet of SOLID FOOD. Paul says that the people of Corinth were not ready for SOLID FOOD – and do you know why? Look at verse 3…
“Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?”

3. Worldliness doesn’t reflect who you really are!
They were worldly. They were living in the flesh. Their worldliness was manifested in petty jealousies and quarrelling. Jealousy and quarrelling are clear signs of spiritual immaturity! But, those aren’t the only two evidences of worldliness – how about these…

Galatians 5:19-21 lists some of the actions that are associated with worldly living:
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

That’s a pretty nasty list. Revival comes when – by the power of the Holy Spirit – I put those childish things behind me and move forward into maturity.

What does maturity look like? Paul continues on in Galatians 5 with these words…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25

All of these are the evidences that God’s Spirit is working in our lives – and that we are becoming mature in Christ!

Revival comes when we stop living as if we were like everyone else around us, and begin to truly be who we are.

Look back at 1 Corinthians 3 – verse 3: “Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:3

You see – if you are a Christian – you are not merely human!
4. In Christ I Am A New Kind Of Person.
You are familiar with 2 Corinthians 5:17…
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17

This speaks to your truest identity. It’s not just that your sins have been forgiven you, given you a chance to start over – it’s far more. When you came to Christ – He came to you and completely restructured WHO you are.

In Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17, He says of us…
“…for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” John 17:14-16

‘not of the world any more than I am of the world.’ – He says it twice! Why? Because He wants you to get it: You may live in this world, but you no longer belong to this world!

Listen to Paul’s explanation of this in Ephesians 2:17ff…
“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:17-22

Through the Gospel – you have been adopted into God’s Kingdom and Family!

And as members of God’s family – we are to live DIFFERENTLY – Peter wrote:
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11

Why should we live differently than the world? Two reasons:
1. We don’t belong to this world! ‘aliens and strangers in the world…’
2. Sin battles against who we really are! ‘sinful desires which war against your soul…’

I am never more myself than when I live according to God’s plans!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we are members of God’s very own family!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we are empowered to live in the power of the Holy Spirit!
• We are not ‘mere men’ – we belong to something that has eternal quality, value and meaning!

Worldliness stops you from being who you really are!
Worldliness stops you from experiencing the solid food of God!
Worldliness stops you from tasting the goodness of God and seeing His power at work in your life!
Worldliness leads to death.

HOW DO WE MOVE INTO OUR TRUE IDENTITY?

1. Remember that Christ has already overcome the world!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

The victory is assured – so long as you keep focused on Christ! What Christ has done – you can benefit from!

2. Remember God gave you the faith that overcomes the world!
“…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:4, 5

Active faith is faith that overcomes. Faith must move out of the intellect and into the core of your heart and passion – as you take this overcoming faith and walk in obedience to God’s way of living, the world will be overcome!

3. Remember that Christ’s power in you overcomes the world!
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

I ask again – do you earnestly desire for God to send a wave of revival our way? Than it is time for you to rise up and to overcome the world by BEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE! It is time for you to put aside the lesser in order to gain the greater!

Wouldn’t it be great if in 5 years, Barna did another survey of American Christians and all off those negative statistics would be turned around? If can happen as we live according to who we really are.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6

Today is a day to fan the fires of revival – let’s make the choice of the will to live according to our true nature. Let’s choose to abandon being ‘mere men’ and to fully embrace and pursue our identity as God’s sons and daughters!

Preparing for Revival - Message 3: The Priority of Prayer

On February 18th of this year, the Lord spoke to me and said:
“Revival comes when My people finally get sick and tired of self and are willing to let go of all selfish desires and die, that my life might flow in them. Revival comes when there is a cry and a calling that leads to brokenness, repentance and absolute willingness to do what I require. Revival comes when my people turn away from all things temporal and become only satisfied with My Presence and My very Being. Revival is coming. Revival is on the way – prepare now for the coming of revival. Challenge your people to cry out and to call upon My Name. Seek Me above all else. I will bring the winds of renewal that create a revival of righteousness, healing, signs and wonders, increased faith and the outpouring of My miraculous nature. You will see this, cry out to me.”

As your pastor and friend am seeking to provide a spiritual framework that will enable you to experience revival in your walk with Christ.

Personally, I’ve never heard more clearly from God than I am in this season of my life. I’ve never felt more empowered to live as a member of God’s Kingdom than I do right now, and I’ve never hungered to fellowship with other believers who want the same thing like I do right now.

Praise God, I am having revival. But, I won’t be satisfied until you are too.

What does revival look like – and where does it lead to?
• Revival looks like brokenness – but it leads to healing!
• Revival looks like tears – but it leads to joy!
• Revival looks like sleepless nights of prayer – but it leads to peace and rest!
• Revival looks like anguish and sorrow – but it leads to comfort and rejoicing!
• Revival looks like a searchlight shining revealing every sin – but it leads to the righteousness of God!
• Revival looks like death – but it leads to abundant life!

When revival is happening…
• People weep over their sin.
• People grieve over their families.
• People hunger for the Word of God and the Hope it contains.
• People put aside lesser things and pursue that which is truly invaluable.
• People abandon selfish pride in pursuit of the humility that leads back to Christ.

When revival is breaking out…
• Sin is being freely confessed.
• Forgiveness is flowing like a river of mercy.
• Wounds are healing.
• Old bitterness peals away in favor of a new covering of the blood of Christ.
• Men turn away from lusts and return to their brides.
• Wives let go of the need to control and willingly follow their husbands towards Christ.
• Children find the security of two parents in love with one another and with Christ.
• Single people find that Christ is their mate!
• The church becomes a dynamic, living, flowing people where even the most mundane preaching is receiving with joy!
• The world is drawn to people in revival – and come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord!
• Christ is exalted to the Highest place.
• The enemy is tied up and cast out.

Revival sounds good to me. How about you?

I’ve never experienced this kind of revival with a group of people – but I’d sure like to. How about you?

I’ve never been amongst a church that is more primed for revival than this one. So, what do you say? Shall we have a revival? Shall we enter into the flow? Shall we let go of the old in favor of the new life that Christ offers?

God has always used the people of Israel to accomplish His purposes. As you know, they – like us – frequently walked away from the Lord to serve lesser gods – but, He, being faithful, kept drawing them back to Himself. When David’s son Solomon became King of Israel, God gave Solomon the assignment to build the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. And build it he did.

After years of preparation, the day finally arrived when the Temple of the Lord would be dedicated. And at that dedication service – the Lord spoke through Solomon these instructions:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

This is a recipe for revival. This is God’s way to insure that we will have His favor in our lives.

“My people – called by my name” – that’s us.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:16:
“For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

That’s us. We have been called into a special relationship with the Creator of the Universe – and given that we are now the people of God – we ought to live like it!

God says - “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways…”

• Revival comes with the people of God get humble before Him.
• Revival comes when the people of God pray.
• Revival comes when the people of God seek His face.
• Revival comes when the people of God turn from their wicked ways.

There has never been a revival of God without a spirit of prayer from His people.

Famed evangelist R.A. Torrey said…
“Every real revival in the Church has been the child of prayer. There have been revivals without much preaching; there have been revivals with absolutely no organization; but there has never been a mighty revival without mighty praying. What we need more than anything else today in our own land and in all lands, is a real, mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God. The most fundamental trouble with most of our present-day so-called revivals is, that they are man-made and not God-sent. They are worked up by man's cunningly devised machinery-not prayed down. Oh, for an old-time revival, a revival that is really and not spuriously of the Pentecostal pattern, for that revival was born of a fourteen days' prayer-meeting. But let us not merely sigh for it. Let us cry for it, cry to God, cry long and cry loud if need be, and then it will surely come!...” R.A Torrey

If we are going to experience revival – personally and as a church family – it will be the result of our crying out to God in fervent prayer.

Listen to the Word of the Lord:

“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:8-10

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” Isaiah 55:6, 7

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

What is God saying to us?

He is saying that He responds positively to people who cry out to Him with their need!

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2

In fact, look again at 2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

When we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our sin – He responds.

He hears our prayers and our cries. Every parent knows the unique voice of their child. When you hear YOUR child call out “Mom” – or “Dad” – you instantly recognize their voice. And you respond. How much more will God respond to us? There is nothing more pleasant to Him that when our voices cry out to Him in humility, repentance and hunger!

And do you see what His response is? “I will forgive their sin and will heal their land…”

Forgive – to pardon. Pardon is defined: “To pronounce the official release of somebody who has committed a crime or other wrongdoing from punishment, or the official forgiving of a crime or wrongdoing.”

God says – “I forgive. I will not hold your wrongdoing against you. You are free from the punishment that is due you.”

What right does God have to forgive? The right was established when His Son died for the very purpose of forgiveness of sin. Sin is punishable by death, and death has been paid.

God says – “Forgiveness is yours by faith in my Son. Trust Him and what He did on the Cross. And you’ll have forgiveness.”

But, God doesn’t just forgive – 2Chronicles 7:14 also says…

“I will heal their land…”

God not only forgives, He heals. He comes back and does restorative work. He heals the land that has been ravaged by sin.

Many of your lives have been ravaged by sin – your relationships, your families, your health, your finances – have all been negatively impacted by your sin choices. And God says: “I will heal that land.”

That’s what revival does. It heals the land of our lives. God will heal your marriage. He will heal your family. He will heal your finances. He will heal your health.

I say that with confidence because it is God’s Will to Heal!

“Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me…” Jeremiah 15:19

This is His nature. He restores what is broken back to original condition!

Revival comes when GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY.

Do you want revival? Do you want God’s restorative powers to work on your behalf? Doesn’t your family need this? Doesn’t your marriage need this? Doesn’t your soul need this?

Instinctively you know that I am right. Instinctively there is something welling up within you right now as I speak these words – you are saying: “Yes! This is exactly what I long for!”

That’s the Holy Spirit within speaking to your innermost spirit.

Listen to the Word of the Lord in Galatians 4:6…
“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”” Galatians 4:6

God put His Spirit in your spirit to enable you to call out to God! You don’t have to know how to pray – you don’t have to know what to say – you don’t have to be able to string lovely sentences together – just pray and trust the Holy Spirit to pray for you!

Romans 8:26 says…
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26

Right now – trust God that His indwelling Holy Spirit will help you to pray properly! Trust God that His indwelling Holy Spirit will enable you to pray effectively! Trust God that His indwelling Holy Spirit will empower you to pray in such a way that revival will occur in your life!

Close your eyes – get quiet before God – SILENCE – do you want revival? Do you want to move in close to God? Do you want to live differently? To live right with Him? Is the answer to my questions “Yes!”

Now – simply open your mouth and begin to pray aloud – it doesn’t have loud – but begin to cry out verbally to God.

God says to you in this moment: “I am the LORD your God... Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” Psalms 81:10

Now, cry out to God in faith. Cry out to God in repentance. Cry out to God for revival.

Revival is coming. Revival is happening. Revival is mine. Revival is yours. Now, let’s continue to cry out to Him – individually and as a church family.

Praise the Lord!

Preparing for Revival - Message 2: Dealing With Sin

We live in an unusual era. Did you know that there is no such thing as sin? That’s right. Sin is no longer real. Instead we replaced sin with…
• Alternative Lifestyle choices
• Addictions & compulsions
• Genetic predisposition

And you know what – that would be just fine IF man was the final judge of all things. However. We aren’t.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

We can redefine sin if we want to, but we cannot undo the end result of sin: death.

And before we can enter into revival as believers – we’ve got to deal decisively with sin.

“Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”
Hosea 10:12

God speaks to us today through this passage of His Word. He tells us how to deal decisively with our sin.

Here’s the crux of the matter: If I will chose to live right before God, I will reap the benefits of love, mercy and blessing!

How do I deal decisively with my sin?

God says: ‘break up the unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord…”

When I walk in sin, my heart gets hard and crusty. And in order for me to move into revival, I’ve got to invite the Holy Spirit to break up that hard ground and make my heart soft before the Lord!

How do I do this? Through intensive Holy Spirit guided self-evaluation, followed by repentance that leads to right action.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5…
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-- unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

So, where do we begin? We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Do you desire to live right before God? Then take a moment right now and ask that the Holy Spirit would guide you to see your sin. Right now. SILENT PRAYER
Now, let’s do some evaluation. As I thought about sin, I realized that there are categories of sin – types of sins that fit together – that might be helpful to help us see the truth about ourselves.

Here’s three categories: Sins of Neglect. Sins of Attitude, and Sins of Commission.
1. Sins of Neglect: These are sins that result from NOT DOING what is right.
2. Sins of Attitude: These are sins that result from NOT THINKING what is right.
3. Sins of Commission: These are sins that result from DOING what is wrong.

Let’s do some evaluation regarding the first…
1. SINS OF NEGLECT: These are sins that result from NOT DOING what is right.

Lack of gratitude
Think about the number of times that you’ve experienced the favor of God and you’ve never taken the time to express gratitude. The times when He came through for you – providing jobs, money, protection, guidance, reconciliation, healing – and in your busyness, you just kept going without stopping to express thankfulness.

Colossians 3:16 says… “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

Gratitude is to be a continual and obvious description of the Christian.

Where the Spirit leads, simply confess – and be restored.

Lack of love for God
It is easy to get a divided heart and start to love the things of this world more than God. But God deserves your undivided love and attention. Exodus 34 says…
“Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14

God is jealous in the sense that He is deserving our absolute fidelity – just like the sanctity of marriage requires fidelity – God requires our fidelity.

So, things like money, popularity, success, entertainment – etc. must take a back seat to the supremacy of God!

Neglecting God’s Word
One of the largest problems that I see in the Body of Christ is ignorance of God’s Word. Why are we ignorant – because we neglect God’s Word. You will not have awareness of something that you ignore.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says… “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

Do you want revival? Repent of your biblical ignorance – and open the book. Turn off the TV. Read. Study. Gain understanding. Get prepared.

The Holy Spirit has revealed to me that I am in a major season of spiritual preparation. And it has caused me to hunger for God’s Word like never before. I pray you’ll do the same.

Now, ignorance of God’s Word leads to this next sin of neglect…

Unbelief in the Promises of God
How can you believe what you don’t know? So, we end up revealing in our speech and habits what is true in our hearts – we speak unfaith.

Hebrews 11:1 says…
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

It’s time to be sure – confident – in God’s promises!

2 Peter 3:9 says…
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

If you’ve lost heart in the promises of God – you are in danger. Get back into the Word.

And, another issue that is all too frequently neglected…

Neglected prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says… “pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
but, instead of praying, we worry, we fret, we get anxious, we get depressed. We rage and we sulk.

But, the peace that comes when the believer simply goes to his knees and gets alone with God.

How’s you life of prayer?

Lack of self-denial
Self-denial is a condition of following Jesus. You cannot have Jesus and have YOUR WAY. Jesus is LORD, not your co-pilot. We follow Him, He doesn’t follow you.

Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Now, let’s move on to a different set of sins. Sins of Attitude.

2. SINS OF ATTITUDE: These are sins that result from NOT THINKING what is right.

Service without passion
Going through the motions of life. Doing what is required but without a sense of purpose, a sense of passion and sense that God is in the details of your life. Sure, you go to work – but you complain and curse. Sure, you clean your house and feed your kids – but you gripe about it. Sure you come to church, but you dispassionately sit back and expect very little.

But God says:
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24

There are no ‘do-over’s’ in life. You’ve got to seize the day and squeeze every last drop of life and enjoyment, and purpose and passion out of it.

I believe that this passionless living leads to the next sin of attitude:

Indifference towards the lost
People in your family are going to Hell. And while you cannot MAKE a person love Jesus – you certainly can rise up and INTERCEDE for them with a heart of compassion.

Jesus saw the city of God – Jerusalem – as it really was and it broke His heart. When is the last time your heart broke of the condition of people around you?

And now, a third kind of sin:
3. SINS OF COMMISSION: These are sins that result from DOING what is wrong.

Worldly thinking
You know what worldly thinking is? It’s defining your life by what the world says is important. So, possessions and position become incredibly important.

But God has the only perspective that matters.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Col. 3:1-5

Pride
Here’s a simple way of knowing if pride is a problem for you. Did you spend more time this morning worrying and concerning yourself with how you looked on the outside than you did preparing your heart to meet with God in worship?

Envy
Envy happens when you look around and see others functioning in their giftings – and rather than praising God for it – you found reasons to put them down.

Critical Spirit
Speaking or thinking about other believers in a way that tears down rather than builds up.

1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us that love always hopes for the best about others! Critical spirits always hopes for the worst!

Slander
Did you know that you don’t have to LIE to be guilty of slander. You can tell the truth about a person, group, or thing – with the intention to injure and be guilty of slander.

One of the hallmarks of the growing Christian is that we intentionally ‘put off slander’!

Lack of seriousness before God
God is Holy and Higher than anything in all of the universe, but there are times we treat him with less respect and honor than we do the clerk at the fast food restaurant.

When Moses encountered God in the Burning Bush – God told him to take off his shoes because he was standing on ‘holy ground’.

Right now in Heaven a worship service is happening:
“Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:8-11

If that is what is happening in Heaven – our attitudes and action should reflect it as well.
Being in the Presence of God is an awesome thing. Don’t take it lightly.

Another sin to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal is..
Lying
Do you know what lying is: It’s designed deception. It’s doing and saying – or not doing and saying – things that are intentional in their design to deceive.

Following lying is…
Cheating
When you cheat another person, you are devaluing them as a human being made in the image of God. Do we not remember what Jesus taught?

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Hypocrisy
We all know what hypocrisy is: Pretending to be something on the outside that you aren’t on the inside. Jesus warned against this in Matthew 23:

“Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:26-28

Another sin that needs the light of God’s love shone on it:
Robbing God
By robbing God I mean taking the investment God has made in your life – talents, abilities, time, money, gifts – and using them for purposes that don’t bring a return.

All of us will give an accounting of our lives to the Lord. We need to make sure that we are living fully to His glory.

Bad Temper
Bad temper means that you lack self-control. We all get angry about things. But, our anger must be kept in its proper place – or – it will become like an out of control fire – destroying everything it touches!

I could probably list dozens and dozens of sins in which we need to be aware of – and if we are doing – we need to repent of. But here’s the point of today:

If we are going to have revival, we have to deal decisively with our sin.

God says…
“Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”
Hosea 10:12

So, here’s the plan. This week, get alone with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to begin to reveal the sins in your life. The sins of neglect. The sins of attitude. The sins of commission.

Write down what He speaks. CONFESS and Repent. And as we do this… look at the end of Hosea 10:12 – “…he comes and showers righteousness on you.”

He brings JOY, CONFIDENCE, INTIMACY, PASSION AND PURPOSE!

Charles Finney wrote: “If you do not start working on your heart immediately, one can say you have no intention of being revived; and you have forsaken your minister, letting him fight the battle alone.”

Revival will come, when God’s people prepare their hearts.

Preparing for Revival: Message 1: Returning to our first love

In the Tom Hanks move CASTAWAY, the biggest challenge Hanks' character has is to get a fire started. He knows that his life depends upon his getting a fire started. So, day after day he works trying to get a fire going. But once that tiny flame begins – he is able to ignite a giant fire!

The Apostle Paul write to his young disciples Timothy and says…
“I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6

God wants the flame of His life to burn bright in our lives! That flame, however small it may be, needs to be nurtured to burn brightly! We must fan it so that it becomes a major flame – burning brightly in our lives and affecting all those around us.

That is revival. Revival is allowing the flame of God to burn brightly in our lives.

In April 1906 in a broken down warehouse on Bonnie Brae Street in Los Angeles, REVIVAL broke out. What happened? This small group of people put aside everything in order to return to their first love. And they – passionately pursued God. And God was found. And the flame burns brightly to this day! Now known as the ‘Azusa Street Revival’, this revival amongst poor, multi-ethnic people became the birthplace of the modern Pentecostal movement that now affects some 700 million Spirit-filled believers around the world! THE FLAME WAS FANNED!

On February 6th, 2006 in Wilmore, Kentucky at Asbury College – a small, liberal arts Christian college, several hundred students and faculty met at 10AM for their weekly chapel service. And REVIVAL broke out! The students and faculty broke down and cried out to God with unrestrained passion and God showed up. Classes were cancelled and the chapel service continued – uninterrupted for 5 days. Local people heard about what was happening and spontaneously came to the auditorium and joined in. Repentance, renewal and reconciliation happened. THE FLAME WAS FANNED!

According to Campus Church Networks, a ministry that starts church planting movements on American campuses, there are reports from over 40 universities across the nation that have started 24-hour prayer rooms. On these campuses there is a spirit of repentance, confession and salvation. And divine healings are taking place. The flame is starting to burn.

We are by far the wealthiest nation in history. We have everything that we need – and far more. We can be entertained, fed, comforted and kept occupied 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But, There is a growing hunger across America for something more.

You feel it. You know that there has to be ‘something more’. And as this hunger grows – people are looking for a spiritual connection that is based upon Truth. At the same time, we hunger for a PERSONAL CONNECTION – no longer does ‘believing the right things’ satisfy – we need to experience God personally. We want His touch. We hunger to hear His voice. We hunger to see His power. We want to meet God personally. We want to be touched by the flame of God!

And I believe that this hunger is exactly what God wants to see!

Jesus said:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Revival is coming. Now is the time to prepare. Get ready.

Turn to Revelation 2
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:1-7

Look again – this church in Ephesians has a lot to going for it:
• They’ve worked hard for the Kingdom
• They’ve persevered during difficult times
• They’ve refused to compromise to the culture and false teachers
• They’ve not grown weary in doing good

But they have a problem – and you already know what it is: “You have forsaken your first love”

WHAT KEEPS THE FLAME BURNING? Following the Greatest Commandment:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
Matthew 22:37

God wants you to love Him, more than He wants you to serve Him. Devotion always precedes duty. Yes, duty is important. In fact it is vital. But it is secondary to the primary. The first and foremost thing we are called by God to do is to love Him.

To be prepared for revival means that we make sure that first things are indeed first.

So, here’s the question: How’s your love life with God?

Which words apply to your relationship with God?

Numb Alive Defeated Passionate Disinterested
Increasing Stuck Hungry Glorious Tedious
Moving Mundane Better Lesser Hopeful
Failing Flying Intimate Distant Outrageous

• Are you measurably closer to God now than a year ago?
• How’s your worship – both private and public?
• How’s your life of prayer?

Revival comes to those who make sure to keep first things first! Nothing is more important than your love relationship with God!

So – what are we to do? What do we do to move from compromise to commitment? What do we do to move from failing to flying? What do we do to light the fire of our love for Christ?

Fortunately, God gives us matches to get the fire burning brightly again:

Look at Revelation 2:5
5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
He tells us to:
1. Remember
2. Repent
3. Redo

What are we to REMEMBER?

FIRST THINGS FIRST: REMEMBER!

1. Remember who Jesus is! – Philippians 2:5-11

When you came to Jesus it was because you saw at some level how special He is! It’s time to remember that reality.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

Specifically we need to…
• Remember that Christ is the God Who Serves! – v. 5-7
• Remember that Christ is the God Who Saves! – v. 8
• Remember that Christ is the God Who Reigns! – v. 9-11

How could you not love a God like this?

2. Remember who YOU are! – Romans 6:1-4

Because of who Jesus is – we are changed. Look at Romans 6 –

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:1-4

• Remember that I am dead to sin! – v. 1-2
• Remember that I am alive forever in Christ! – v. 3-4
• Remember that I am empowered to live like Christ! – v. 4

How could you not love a God who changes you like this?

2. Remember what awaits you! – John 5:24-25

• Remember that eternal life is mine in Christ! – John 5:24-25
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” John 5:24, 25, NIV.

Though you will one day physically die, you will live forever. Period.

How can you not love a God who makes this possible?

Revelation tells us to REMEMBER, but it also tells us that making first things first requires that we…

“Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” V. 5

FIRST THINGS FIRST: REPENT! – 1 John 1:5-9

One of the biggest hindrances to revival is when God’s people refuse to repent of their sin. To refuse to repent of sin is like refusing to call ‘cancer’ a disease! Do it long enough and it will kill you.

Look at 1 John 1:5
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:5-9

This passage tells a great deal about our need to repent:

1. God’s character is HOLY and cannot coexist with SIN.
Just like light and darkness cannot coexist, holiness and sin cannot.
2. Our sin violates the character of God and keeps us separate from Him
3. We must confess our sin to God to be forgiven our sin.
4. When we confess, God cleanses!

One of the biggest problems that we have as American Christians is something that C.S. Lewis called “Contented worldliness” – our lives get going fairly well, and we think that all is well between us and God.

But you weren’t called to be contented in the things of this world! You were meant to live for so much more! You are members of the Kingdom of God – and this world is not your home! It’s time for us to repent of our compromise and contentment and to rise up and truly to become citizen’s of the Kingdom of God!
The truly beautiful thing about repentance is that when I repent, God restores! When I cast off lesser loves, He restores us to first things first!

Don’t be afraid of repentance – seek it out!

And then, Revelation 2:5 says… “Repent and do the things you did at first.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST: REDO!
God wants you to REDO what you used to do! HE WANTS YOU TO BE OBEDIENT!

If we want revival – if we want to return to our first love – you go back and do the things you did at first!
1. Redo your thinking – Colossians 3:2

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2

Why do we need to think about ‘things above’? Because that’s where Christ is! And He is worthy of your very best thinking!

I love my wife. And I love my kids. As a result, I think about them, a lot. What kind of husband and father would I be if I didn’t think about my family?

If you are going to return to your first love – you got to think about your first love!

2. Redo your priorities – Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

The words ‘store up’ refers to things you treasure – and you cannot treasure the things of this temporary world and the things of the eternal kingdom of God at the same time! Jesus says: Get your priorities right! Because your priorities ultimately determine the condition of your heart!

Do you want revival? Get your priorities right!

3. Redo your allegiances – Matthew 6:24

“No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24

The NIV has an unfortunate choice of words here in the word ‘money’ – actually it would be better like the KJV which says: “Mammon” – which means ‘treasures apart from God’. So, Christ is saying: Make your choice. Me or the world.

Can you imagine a woman who would put up with a husband who cheats on her? That’s sick. Good marriages require fidelity. God anticipates, expects and demands the same from us. He wants us to make sure we are absolutely in complete allegiance to Him.

Returning to your first love, requires turning away from all other loves. Plain and simple.

CONCLUSION:
Remember – Repent – Redo. And then – your first love will be restored to you.

Revelation 2:7 concludes with these words…
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The Spirit of God is calling you – His people – to Himself. He desires a passionate, burning, intimate love relationship. Sin, compromise, adultery must be turned away from!

Do you desire a revival in your walk with Christ?

Today is the beginning. Fan into flame the gift of God!

PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE
Who Christ is
Who I am because of Christ
What awaits me
PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind specific sin that needs to be confessed
Confess your sin
Praise God for forgiveness and cleansing
PRAYER OF OBEDIENCE
Where there has been disobedience – now commit to full obedience. No compromise.
PRAYER FOR REVIVAL
Cry out to God for first love renewal!