26/11/2017
THE TRUE MEANING OF REVIVAL
Introduction:
When most people pray for revival, they’re probably asking for a wonderful experience at church next Sunday at 11:00 A.M. But revival is more than a Sunday morning experience. When you pray for revival, you’re asking God for life-shaking experiences that will cost you plenty.
Usually when we pray for revival, we’re thinking about the bad guys. Little do we realize that revival begins with us, the people of God?
As a matter of fact, we’ve got a suggestion for those who want revival: Don’t pray for revival. Just repent of all known sin, do everything you’re supposed to do, give God all—not part, but all—your time, and you’ll experience revival.
While revivals often begin in a small group, congregation, or single denomination, every great revival spills over its natural boundaries.
Revival is God’s answer to prayer and only prevailing prayer. Psalm 85
The whole history of the Christian Church from its foundation until now is the history of revivals. It should always be borne in mind that real revival is something infinitely higher than a mere gale of religious excitement sweeping over the churches. A genuine revival is a manifestation of supernatural and Divine power.
Definition:
Revival is agonizing: It so terrorizes you over your sin that you repent deeply.
Revival is consuming: It leaves you no time for hobbies, for chores around the house, for work, for sleep.
Revival wrecks your appointment calendar, interrupts TV times, demands your full attention ... and wears you out.
An evangelical revival is an extraordinary work of God in which Christians repent of their sins as they become intensely aware of his presence in their midst, and they manifest a positive response to God in renewed obedience to the known will of God, resulting in both a deepening of their individual and corporate experience with God, and an increased concern to win others to Christ.
• An extraordinary work of God should be distinguished from the more ordinary work of God in the life of the believer.
• The realization of the unique presence of God during times of revival is consistently reported in the testimonies of the revived.
• Revivals naturally lead to a significant evangelistic outreach and harvest of souls in the community touched by the revived church.
Revival formulae:
Revival is born out of intense prayer.
God shows himself very much alive when his people humble themselves, pray, repent their sins, seek his face, and turn from their wicked ways.
2Chroncles 7:14
Psalm 85:6
• True confession of sins, humility and brokenness before God
• Feeling ashamed of one’s sins
Note:
The real impact of a revival is realized in the ministry of a revived church in an awakened community.
The Reality of Revival:
But there have been certain seasons called revivals—when God has “poured His Spirit out on His people.” These times—also called awakenings— occurred when the presence of God is experienced in powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
Joel 2:28-30
Acts 2:1
Acts 2:17
Acts 3:19
Hosea 6:3
Nine faces/types of revivals:
• The repentance revival emphasizes a moral cleansing of individual lives and of society as a whole.
• The evangelism revival focuses on winning souls to Christ.
• The worship revival centers on magnifying God.
• The deeper life revival emphasizes the experience of God’s indwelling.
• The spiritual warfare revival devotes its energies to battling Satan and the other demons.
• The Holy Spirit revival is characterized by extensive manifestations of the Spirit.
• The reconciliation revival leads to the removal of barriers to racial and ethnic harmony.
• The liberation revival focuses on gaining freedom from corporate and personal bo***ge to sin.
• The prayer revival displays considerable efforts at intercession and other forms of prayer.
Note:
Measure a revival by God himself. Is God present? Focus on what He’s doing, not on what people are doing. What has God accomplished?
Marks of a true revival:
• Faithful preaching & teaching of God’s word.
• Extraordinary prayer
• Conviction of sin
• Confession and repentance of sin
• Lasting conversions (Many turning to Christ)
• Many answering God’s call upon their lives (many taking on ministry roles)
Results or Impact of revival:
As the churches are being revived, they are gripped by a burning passion to reach the lost in their community. Everywhere, revived churches will begin to see “drunkards, gamblers, adulterers, murderers, thieves, self-righteous, idolaters and others” transformed into new creatures in Christ.
Many Christians will sense God’s call upon their lives as evangelists and they will carry the revival into other town and village churches throughout their nation and beyond.
• The unity and cooperation which prevails among Christians,
• The remarkable numerical growth of the churches
• The wonderful spiritual awakening which brings about new converts
• The noteworthy interest in the Word of God
• The dedication of Christians to service, including generous giving
• The wonderful prayer life of the local Church.
• As people are being converted, they develop an intense passion for God.
Love Lives Predestined Ministries (LLPM) is a non -denominational end time glory carriers apostolic & evangelistic ministry whose purpose is to win SOULS
