1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,300 You're there in Psalm 85, the middle of 2 00:00:02,300 --> 00:00:04,440 your Bible, Psalm 85 and verse number 6. 3 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:06,700 As I mentioned a moment ago, this morning 4 00:00:06,700 --> 00:00:10,740 we're going to begin a simple, really short, 5 00:00:11,140 --> 00:00:12,680 but what I'm praying is going to be 6 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,020 a significant series of studies on what you 7 00:00:16,020 --> 00:00:19,100 might refer to as the biblical doctrine of 8 00:00:19,100 --> 00:00:19,900 revival. 9 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:21,500 And I know that when I mention the 10 00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:24,080 word revival that today there are a lot 11 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:27,080 of different connotations and even misconceptions about what 12 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,220 that really and truly is, especially here in 13 00:00:30,220 --> 00:00:30,680 the South. 14 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,160 There are cultural connotations and there are traditional 15 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:36,800 connotations and there are even social connotations that 16 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,780 sometimes can get in the way with us 17 00:00:38,780 --> 00:00:42,520 understanding what a real true biblical revival is. 18 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:43,520 It's kind of like the old lady I 19 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,200 heard about one time who was standing there 20 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,260 at the ticket agent trying to get a 21 00:00:47,260 --> 00:00:49,460 seat on an airplane and she told the 22 00:00:49,460 --> 00:00:51,140 ticket agent, she said, I don't want a 23 00:00:51,140 --> 00:00:51,840 window seat. 24 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,840 And the ticket agent was just kind of 25 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,980 caught off guard by that because everybody wants 26 00:00:55,980 --> 00:00:56,560 a window seat. 27 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:57,520 And she said, well why wouldn't you want 28 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:58,100 a window seat? 29 00:00:58,380 --> 00:00:59,740 She said, because I don't want my hair 30 00:00:59,740 --> 00:01:00,960 to get messed up. 31 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:04,060 And there are a lot of people today 32 00:01:04,060 --> 00:01:05,080 in the church that are kind of like 33 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,480 that lady being confused or having a misconception 34 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,600 about what it means to sit by a 35 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:09,760 window. 36 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:11,860 There are people in the church today who 37 00:01:11,860 --> 00:01:16,380 misunderstand the biblical concept of revival, what it 38 00:01:16,380 --> 00:01:19,600 is and why it is, and then how 39 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:20,860 it comes about. 40 00:01:20,900 --> 00:01:22,560 And so this morning we're gonna be learning 41 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,000 what real revival is. 42 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,740 Next week we're gonna be learning what are 43 00:01:25,740 --> 00:01:29,240 those things that hinder revival in our life. 44 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:31,400 And then lastly we're gonna see what real 45 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,420 revival looks like, what happens when Jesus shows 46 00:01:34,420 --> 00:01:34,660 up. 47 00:01:34,700 --> 00:01:37,080 Because a lot of times people, especially here 48 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:38,220 in the South, if you were raised in 49 00:01:38,220 --> 00:01:40,180 that real traditional country church, can I see 50 00:01:40,180 --> 00:01:41,680 your hands, especially if you were raised in 51 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:42,940 one of those ones where you had a 52 00:01:42,940 --> 00:01:45,840 spring revival and a fall revival, remember? 53 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:47,580 And we would put out the signs on 54 00:01:47,580 --> 00:01:48,600 the side of the road and we would 55 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,640 put placards in the windows and we would 56 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,480 have flyers printed up and we're gonna say 57 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,020 revival is every year the third week in 58 00:01:56,020 --> 00:01:56,680 November. 59 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,300 We just knew God showed up the third 60 00:01:58,300 --> 00:02:00,960 week in November every single year because we 61 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:01,700 called it revival. 62 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,080 No, that's not what revival is. 63 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:05,860 Revival is not people taking laps around the 64 00:02:05,860 --> 00:02:06,020 room. 65 00:02:06,180 --> 00:02:07,900 Revival is not people walking on tops of 66 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:08,699 the of the pews. 67 00:02:08,860 --> 00:02:11,440 Revival is not people acting like dogs and 68 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:12,180 those sorts of things. 69 00:02:12,580 --> 00:02:15,680 Revival is when Jesus shows up. 70 00:02:16,060 --> 00:02:17,460 And even though we're not gonna spend a 71 00:02:17,460 --> 00:02:19,540 whole lot of time here this morning, let 72 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:20,740 me just encourage you to be a part 73 00:02:20,740 --> 00:02:22,740 of every single one of these studies because 74 00:02:22,740 --> 00:02:24,320 I really do believe that they're gonna be 75 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,100 a real encouragement to your heart. 76 00:02:26,180 --> 00:02:27,900 They're gonna be a a real help in 77 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:28,660 your walk with the Lord. 78 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:34,420 And maybe, just maybe, you might be the 79 00:02:34,420 --> 00:02:38,960 person and this might be the place where 80 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,240 God chooses to show up and show out. 81 00:02:44,180 --> 00:02:46,540 When you think about revival, there's probably not 82 00:02:46,540 --> 00:02:49,920 a greater authority, if you will, in modern 83 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:51,320 times than a man by the name of 84 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:51,980 Dr. J. 85 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:53,920 Edwin Orr. 86 00:02:53,940 --> 00:02:54,200 J. 87 00:02:54,300 --> 00:02:55,900 Edwin Orr is considered to be the greatest 88 00:02:55,900 --> 00:02:59,120 authority on revival, really, in the modern day. 89 00:02:59,980 --> 00:03:01,980 And Dr. Orr was preaching and teaching a 90 00:03:01,980 --> 00:03:04,160 series of lectures over at the Columbia Bible 91 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,120 College and after, on revival, and after one 92 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,780 of the lectures there was a young college 93 00:03:08,780 --> 00:03:10,180 student that walked up and he asked Dr. 94 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,840 Orr, he said, Dr. Orr, besides praying for 95 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,260 revival, what can I do to help bring 96 00:03:16,260 --> 00:03:16,600 it about? 97 00:03:16,660 --> 00:03:17,620 And he didn't even hesitate. 98 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:18,640 He looked back at that young man. 99 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:20,780 He said, you can let it begin with 100 00:03:20,780 --> 00:03:21,240 you. 101 00:03:23,020 --> 00:03:24,360 You know, we used to sing a song 102 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:24,960 like that, right? 103 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:27,680 Lord, send a revival. 104 00:03:28,940 --> 00:03:30,780 Lord, send a revival. 105 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,840 Lord, send a revival and let it begin 106 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:36,460 in me. 107 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,540 You know, a generation ago, those who longed 108 00:03:40,540 --> 00:03:42,780 for revival and lived to see revival in 109 00:03:42,780 --> 00:03:46,240 their time, that little slogan like that, that 110 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,380 they had, a motto, if you will, and 111 00:03:48,380 --> 00:03:49,760 it hadn't been developed by a team of 112 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:50,120 marketers. 113 00:03:50,340 --> 00:03:52,020 It certainly hadn't been put together and designed 114 00:03:52,020 --> 00:03:53,900 to be packaged neatly on t-shirts and 115 00:03:53,900 --> 00:03:55,960 hats and on wristbands, those sorts of things. 116 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:57,480 No, it was just a simple, straightforward little 117 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,340 model that said this right here, revival in 118 00:03:59,340 --> 00:03:59,940 our time. 119 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,120 Revival in our time. 120 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:05,840 Because you see, they had heard and they 121 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,460 had read about how God had moved before 122 00:04:08,460 --> 00:04:11,760 and the amazing transformation that his manifest presence 123 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,920 had had on cities and communities and counties 124 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,220 and even entire nations. 125 00:04:15,579 --> 00:04:17,140 And so they pleaded and they prayed for 126 00:04:17,140 --> 00:04:20,240 God to send revival to their generation. 127 00:04:20,260 --> 00:04:22,360 And as they cried out and as they 128 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,260 prayed for revival, they were simply echoing what 129 00:04:25,260 --> 00:04:28,040 the psalmist says here in Psalm 85 verse 130 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:28,380 6. 131 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,180 As he penned these words, this powerful personal 132 00:04:31,180 --> 00:04:33,620 prayer, watch what he says, will you not 133 00:04:33,620 --> 00:04:37,700 revive us again that your people may rejoice 134 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:38,420 in you. 135 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:39,980 That really is an amazing verse, right? 136 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:43,080 Because in that one little verse, we have 137 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,380 the author of revival and we have the 138 00:04:45,380 --> 00:04:48,000 action of revival and we even have the 139 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,200 aim of revival. 140 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,260 Now again, the word revival, people misunderstand it. 141 00:04:52,300 --> 00:04:55,700 They really don't understand what revival is. 142 00:04:56,220 --> 00:04:57,460 And so let me just kind of help 143 00:04:57,460 --> 00:04:58,160 you understand. 144 00:04:58,300 --> 00:04:59,520 It comes right, it's found right there in 145 00:04:59,520 --> 00:04:59,860 the word. 146 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:04,040 The word revival literally means to renew, to 147 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,620 restore, to repair, to refresh, literally re-life 148 00:05:08,620 --> 00:05:10,120 or life again. 149 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,660 And it's talking about what God does supernaturally 150 00:05:12,660 --> 00:05:13,940 in the lives of believers. 151 00:05:14,500 --> 00:05:19,660 This is not evangelism for the saint or 152 00:05:19,660 --> 00:05:20,340 rather for the sinner. 153 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,160 This is not evangelism for the sinner, but 154 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,300 rather this is empowerment and encouragement for the 155 00:05:25,300 --> 00:05:25,640 saint. 156 00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:29,540 Paul Rees, well-known Bible Conference preacher from 157 00:05:29,540 --> 00:05:31,460 Canada, he wrote this. 158 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,740 He said, revival and evangelism, although closely linked, 159 00:05:34,820 --> 00:05:36,220 are not to be confused. 160 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,100 Revival is an experience in the church. 161 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,820 Evangelism is an expression of the church. 162 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:43,900 So I've got a buddy of mine by 163 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:45,060 the name of Bradley Graves. 164 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,000 He pastors out in Oklahoma. 165 00:05:47,340 --> 00:05:48,220 And about a week and a half, two 166 00:05:48,220 --> 00:05:49,720 weeks ago, he and another friend of mine 167 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,160 named Malachi O'Brien. 168 00:05:51,380 --> 00:05:52,080 I love Malachi. 169 00:05:52,260 --> 00:05:53,520 Malachi's a squirrely little dude. 170 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,900 Today he just ran his 150th consecutive days 171 00:05:57,900 --> 00:05:58,880 of marathons. 172 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,820 He's run a marathon a day for over 173 00:06:01,820 --> 00:06:03,900 150 days. 174 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:05,980 I told you he's squirrely. 175 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,060 I love Malachi. 176 00:06:08,380 --> 00:06:10,060 And so Malachi and Bradley decided to go 177 00:06:10,060 --> 00:06:10,560 to Asbury. 178 00:06:10,660 --> 00:06:11,780 We've been hearing a lot about Asbury. 179 00:06:11,980 --> 00:06:12,840 They want to see, is it real? 180 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:13,260 Is it genuine? 181 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:14,280 What can they tell by being there? 182 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:15,940 And so they went there and they came 183 00:06:15,940 --> 00:06:16,380 out of it. 184 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:18,360 And we were talking back and forth on 185 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:18,720 text. 186 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,560 And Bradley Graves made an amazing statement and 187 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:22,780 it's absolutely true. 188 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:24,100 And don't you think about this. 189 00:06:24,140 --> 00:06:27,940 He said revival is the work that God 190 00:06:27,940 --> 00:06:30,380 does for and in the church. 191 00:06:31,420 --> 00:06:33,560 Evangelism is the work that the church does 192 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:34,200 for God. 193 00:06:34,580 --> 00:06:37,140 That's a great way of understanding the difference 194 00:06:37,140 --> 00:06:38,560 between revival and evangelism. 195 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:39,440 Dr. Stephen Oldford. 196 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:40,720 I love Dr. Oldford. 197 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,360 And I love my time getting to be 198 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,500 around him there at the Oldford Institute when 199 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:46,280 I was first starting my first doctorate. 200 00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:49,180 And Dr. Oldford had that heavy British accent. 201 00:06:49,580 --> 00:06:51,800 And Dr. Oldford, he wrote a little classic 202 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,600 book called The Heartcry for Revival. 203 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,020 And he wrote that the term revival is 204 00:06:56,020 --> 00:06:57,660 one which is grossly misunderstood. 205 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,340 In many quarters today, primarily in the United 206 00:07:00,340 --> 00:07:03,720 States, it is employed to describe evangelistic meetings. 207 00:07:04,060 --> 00:07:06,160 Now while the salvation of sinners and the 208 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,480 restoration of backsliders are both byproducts of revival, 209 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,980 these spiritual experiences cannot be said to define 210 00:07:12,980 --> 00:07:13,880 revival. 211 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,000 So what is revival? 212 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:17,160 You've heard a lot about it lately. 213 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:18,480 You've been watching it online. 214 00:07:18,660 --> 00:07:20,760 Tucker Carlson had an episode on it. 215 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:22,140 It's been on Fox News, so you know 216 00:07:22,140 --> 00:07:22,840 it's got to be real, right? 217 00:07:23,140 --> 00:07:23,600 Just kidding. 218 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:25,960 And so what is revival? 219 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:28,460 Well, I've got a definition for you. 220 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:29,140 I want you to look up here. 221 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:30,460 So this is the definition. 222 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:31,760 As far as I know, this is mine. 223 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:33,360 I went back and checked it last night 224 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,640 and some dude had lifted like 95% 225 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,000 of one of my sermons and posted it 226 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:37,240 as his. 227 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:38,340 But I'm not bitter about it, okay? 228 00:07:38,580 --> 00:07:39,800 As long as the truth being preached, I'm 229 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:40,260 fine with that. 230 00:07:40,540 --> 00:07:41,480 But I want you to look right here. 231 00:07:41,540 --> 00:07:43,140 Don't you see what this is? 232 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,680 It's a pretty good definition of revival. 233 00:07:46,140 --> 00:07:46,700 Watch what it is. 234 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,280 So revival is the sovereign, that means it's 235 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:50,800 all of God. 236 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,360 Revival is the sovereign supernatural, which means you 237 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:55,800 can't market it, you can't make it up. 238 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,780 The sovereign supernatural movement of God among His 239 00:07:59,780 --> 00:08:02,560 people, so it's for Christians, that comes as 240 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,100 a direct result of repentance and prayer and 241 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:05,560 holiness. 242 00:08:05,980 --> 00:08:08,880 It results in a fresh Christian walk in 243 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,260 believers and the drawing of the lost of 244 00:08:11,260 --> 00:08:11,500 Christ. 245 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:12,440 So we're going to leave that up there 246 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,000 for just a second in case you want 247 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:14,900 to write it down. 248 00:08:14,940 --> 00:08:16,920 But it's a pretty good definition, if I 249 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,080 do say so myself, of what revival is 250 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:20,200 and what revival does. 251 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,360 Now sometimes it is referred to as spiritual 252 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:23,820 awakening. 253 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,360 Sometimes it's called spiritual renewal. 254 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,600 Other times it's referred to as the outpouring 255 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:29,500 of the Spirit of God. 256 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,780 But the simplest, most straightforward, time-honored term 257 00:08:32,780 --> 00:08:34,140 is simply revival. 258 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:35,380 And that's what we're gonna be looking at 259 00:08:35,380 --> 00:08:37,620 and learning about over the next few weeks. 260 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,240 So if you're taking notes here this morning, 261 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,059 just jot down a few little simple things. 262 00:08:41,419 --> 00:08:43,880 Number one, as we're taking some notes and 263 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,700 learning about what revival is and what revival 264 00:08:46,700 --> 00:08:48,240 does and why do we need revival, number 265 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,340 one, notice the special prompting for revival here 266 00:08:51,340 --> 00:08:53,780 in Psalm 85, because we need to ask 267 00:08:53,780 --> 00:08:55,760 ourselves the question, why do we need revival? 268 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:58,040 Why are we even talking about this this 269 00:08:58,040 --> 00:08:59,580 morning other than the fact that there seems 270 00:08:59,580 --> 00:09:01,620 to be little pockets of revival breaking out 271 00:09:01,620 --> 00:09:02,520 around our nation? 272 00:09:02,620 --> 00:09:04,380 Well look there at the word the psalmist 273 00:09:04,380 --> 00:09:04,800 uses. 274 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:06,280 If you look at the word the psalmist 275 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:07,580 uses, you're going to get just a little 276 00:09:07,580 --> 00:09:08,060 bit of a hint. 277 00:09:08,300 --> 00:09:10,900 He says, will you not revive us again? 278 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:17,380 So revive, re-life, life again. 279 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,100 In other words, something has happened, something's gone 280 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:24,040 wrong, something has happened in the life of 281 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:25,960 the believer, something has happened in the life 282 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:27,760 of the church, something has happened in the 283 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:28,960 walk and the witness of those of us 284 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:30,420 who have received the gift of eternal life. 285 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:32,680 Now the question that everybody always wants to 286 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:35,320 ask and have answered is, does this mean 287 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:36,720 that we've lost our salvation? 288 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:37,340 Look right here. 289 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,020 No, you cannot lose your salvation. 290 00:09:41,300 --> 00:09:44,160 Once a person is really, truly, genuinely, actually 291 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,840 saved, you can never become unsafe. 292 00:09:47,300 --> 00:09:49,180 That's why it's called eternal life. 293 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:50,320 It is forever. 294 00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:51,500 It is eternal. 295 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,140 So a Christian can never lose their salvation, 296 00:09:54,340 --> 00:09:56,940 but the Bible does teach that a Christian 297 00:09:56,940 --> 00:09:59,600 can lose the joy of their salvation, or 298 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,960 the power, or the vitality in their salvation. 299 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,140 For example, remember David, Bathsheba? 300 00:10:05,220 --> 00:10:06,060 He sinned with Bathsheba. 301 00:10:06,140 --> 00:10:07,560 He did what he shouldn't have done, and 302 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:08,840 then on top of that he had her 303 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:10,060 husband Uriah murdered. 304 00:10:10,460 --> 00:10:13,000 And this is a guy who's a man 305 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,540 after God's own heart, right? 306 00:10:15,260 --> 00:10:17,280 And then David, as a result of all 307 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,420 of that, he cries out, Oh God, restore 308 00:10:21,420 --> 00:10:25,020 to me the joy of your salvation. 309 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:27,680 He didn't say restore my salvation. 310 00:10:28,620 --> 00:10:31,940 He said restore to me the joy of 311 00:10:31,940 --> 00:10:33,060 your salvation. 312 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,820 He hadn't lost his salvation. 313 00:10:35,980 --> 00:10:36,720 He lost the joy. 314 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,800 And as a result, now there was a 315 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,800 chore, now it was a challenge to even 316 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,400 live the Christian life. 317 00:10:46,740 --> 00:10:48,680 And that's kind of where we are today. 318 00:10:49,860 --> 00:10:53,440 We no longer pray like we should, if 319 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:54,000 we're being honest. 320 00:10:56,220 --> 00:10:58,480 We no longer live like we should. 321 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,880 We certainly no longer witness like we should. 322 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,680 We are not being sought and light in 323 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:08,180 a dark and corrupt world. 324 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,920 And as a result, we see all the 325 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:17,020 degradation, all the depravity, all the degeneration in 326 00:11:17,020 --> 00:11:19,680 our community, in our nation. 327 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,580 Something has to take place. 328 00:11:25,060 --> 00:11:26,640 If you looked up there at the beginning 329 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,400 of Psalm 85, that very first verse, he 330 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:33,260 says, Lord, you've been favorable to your land. 331 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,360 You've brought back the captivity of Jacob. 332 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:37,920 You've forgiven the iniquity of your people. 333 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:39,260 You have conquered all their sin. 334 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:39,900 Selah. 335 00:11:39,940 --> 00:11:41,200 In other words, what do you think about 336 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:41,420 that? 337 00:11:43,580 --> 00:11:45,320 You have taken away all of your wrath. 338 00:11:45,420 --> 00:11:47,080 You have turned from the fierceness of your 339 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:47,300 anger. 340 00:11:47,380 --> 00:11:48,460 So that's salvation. 341 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:49,260 They've been forgiven. 342 00:11:49,340 --> 00:11:50,080 They've been set free. 343 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:51,520 They're no longer at war with God. 344 00:11:51,580 --> 00:11:52,120 But now watch this. 345 00:11:52,380 --> 00:11:53,940 Something happens in between these two verses. 346 00:11:54,060 --> 00:11:56,840 Verse 4, Restore us, O God, of our 347 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:57,280 salvation. 348 00:11:57,380 --> 00:11:58,640 So he's still the God of their salvation. 349 00:11:59,060 --> 00:12:00,900 Restore us, O God, of our salvation and 350 00:12:00,900 --> 00:12:02,580 cause your anger toward us to cease. 351 00:12:02,660 --> 00:12:04,320 Will you be angry with us forever? 352 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,640 Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 353 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:07,380 Now, time out. 354 00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:07,860 Wait a minute. 355 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:08,540 Time out. 356 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:09,120 Wait a minute. 357 00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:13,560 He just wrote in one verse that God's 358 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:16,320 anger had been turned away, and in the 359 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,100 next verse, he's praying for God's anger to 360 00:12:19,100 --> 00:12:21,160 cease and even asking that it not proceed 361 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:22,980 to be passed down upon the generations. 362 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,300 So what's going on here? 363 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,980 Well, to put it in Bible terms, they've 364 00:12:26,980 --> 00:12:28,140 left their first love. 365 00:12:30,260 --> 00:12:31,680 They've left their first love. 366 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,780 They've gotten cold and comfortable in their salvation. 367 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,000 They've gotten cold and comfortable in their walk 368 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,560 with the Lord, and as a result, they've 369 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:43,300 drifted into sin and rebellion. 370 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,240 And so in order to make them realize 371 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:46,860 what's going on and what they had done, 372 00:12:47,060 --> 00:12:48,720 God begins to judge them. 373 00:12:48,980 --> 00:12:50,780 In West Tennessee, we would say God takes 374 00:12:50,780 --> 00:12:51,640 them to the woodshed. 375 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,060 Anybody here raised in a family that believed 376 00:12:55,060 --> 00:12:56,460 and practiced corporal punishment? 377 00:12:56,560 --> 00:12:57,260 Can I see your hands? 378 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:58,760 In other words, you got spanked when you 379 00:12:58,760 --> 00:12:59,040 were growing up. 380 00:12:59,100 --> 00:12:59,460 Can I see your hands? 381 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:01,380 My daddy could jerk a belt so fast, 382 00:13:01,580 --> 00:13:02,500 it's like starting a weed eater. 383 00:13:03,020 --> 00:13:10,360 And so you get disciplined. 384 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:12,040 That's what God is saying. 385 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:14,060 God is gonna judge them. 386 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,800 In other words, this is always what perceives 387 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,220 in prompts of moving of the Spirit of 388 00:13:18,220 --> 00:13:18,420 God. 389 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:20,800 This is what happens before a real revival 390 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:21,380 breaks out. 391 00:13:21,540 --> 00:13:23,600 In the church, there is coldness and apathy. 392 00:13:23,860 --> 00:13:26,420 In the culture, there is corruption and anarchy, 393 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,820 and into that setting, in direct response to 394 00:13:29,820 --> 00:13:33,320 the prayers and petitions of usually a small 395 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,480 handful of believers, a small group, that then 396 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,100 begins to pray and ask God to move. 397 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:41,860 And God begins to stir in that little 398 00:13:41,860 --> 00:13:43,820 group, and they begin to tell others within 399 00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:45,820 the church, and God begins to stir and 400 00:13:45,820 --> 00:13:46,400 strengthen them. 401 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:48,200 And then they begin to tell others outside 402 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,060 of church, and God begins to save and 403 00:13:50,060 --> 00:13:50,660 sanctify them. 404 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:52,700 And it grows and spreads and moves and 405 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:56,680 manifests itself until the entire area is embraced 406 00:13:56,680 --> 00:14:00,080 with the power and the presence of God. 407 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,080 And you say, Pastor, I don't know. 408 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:06,020 Pastor, I just don't know. 409 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,600 I think the days are too dark. 410 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:12,760 I think we're too far gone in order 411 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,960 for God to do anything like that today. 412 00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:16,680 Look right here. 413 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:21,780 It's on the darkest night that you need 414 00:14:21,780 --> 00:14:22,360 a flashlight. 415 00:14:24,860 --> 00:14:26,560 It's on the darkest night that you need 416 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:27,100 a flashlight. 417 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:30,560 D.M. Patton said, it is a foolish 418 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:32,900 blunder to suppose that any age can be 419 00:14:32,900 --> 00:14:34,540 too evil for revival. 420 00:14:36,180 --> 00:14:38,560 And so the prompting for revival is a 421 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:46,200 sin-soaked society and a cold, complacent, comfortable, 422 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,080 even carnal church. 423 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:50,860 Let me ask you a question. 424 00:14:52,380 --> 00:14:54,240 Do you think that we're living in a 425 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:55,060 sinful society? 426 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,260 Do you think that we're living in a 427 00:14:57,260 --> 00:14:57,780 wicked world? 428 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,600 We got people who don't even know what 429 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:01,600 a woman is. 430 00:15:02,820 --> 00:15:03,620 Good Lord. 431 00:15:04,820 --> 00:15:06,100 I mean, if they just lived on a 432 00:15:06,100 --> 00:15:07,140 farm, they would know the difference between boys 433 00:15:07,140 --> 00:15:07,600 and girls. 434 00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:10,380 I mean, you can go on—I mean, any 435 00:15:10,380 --> 00:15:12,380 farm boy knows the difference between boys and 436 00:15:12,380 --> 00:15:12,560 girls. 437 00:15:12,700 --> 00:15:13,940 I mean, you learn that really, really quickly. 438 00:15:14,140 --> 00:15:15,420 We live in a sinful society. 439 00:15:15,460 --> 00:15:16,500 We live in a wicked world. 440 00:15:16,820 --> 00:15:18,840 And so, let me get a little more 441 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:19,140 personal. 442 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,200 Do you think that we as a church 443 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:28,340 and as individual believers have gotten a little 444 00:15:28,340 --> 00:15:37,800 comfortable, a little complacent, a little cold, 445 00:15:38,620 --> 00:15:42,000 maybe even a little carnal? 446 00:15:46,570 --> 00:15:48,350 I can pray when I want to pray, 447 00:15:48,950 --> 00:15:51,890 and I can watch what I want to 448 00:15:51,890 --> 00:15:54,930 watch, and I can go where I want 449 00:15:54,930 --> 00:15:56,210 to go, and I can drink what I 450 00:15:56,210 --> 00:15:57,590 want to drink, and I can do what 451 00:15:57,590 --> 00:15:58,830 I want to do. 452 00:16:02,180 --> 00:16:03,820 If I want to witness, I'll witness. 453 00:16:03,980 --> 00:16:05,300 If I want to tithe, I'll tithe. 454 00:16:05,380 --> 00:16:06,520 If I want to come to church, I'll 455 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:07,400 come to church when I want to come 456 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:07,860 to church and preach. 457 00:16:07,900 --> 00:16:08,880 You can't say nothing to me about it, 458 00:16:09,060 --> 00:16:09,960 or I'll get mad at you, and I'll 459 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:10,900 go somewhere else where they won't say anything 460 00:16:10,900 --> 00:16:11,400 to me about it. 461 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,780 Those things are not opportunities for the Christian. 462 00:16:17,900 --> 00:16:18,680 They're obligations. 463 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,300 Reading your Bible, and praying, and witnessing, and 464 00:16:24,300 --> 00:16:28,580 giving, and serving, and attending, and worshiping—those are 465 00:16:28,580 --> 00:16:29,740 the SOP. 466 00:16:29,820 --> 00:16:32,280 Those are the standard operating procedures for a 467 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:32,800 Christian. 468 00:16:33,460 --> 00:16:35,260 We've got far too many Christians today who 469 00:16:35,260 --> 00:16:37,560 are playing church, not being the church. 470 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:39,660 And there may be those of you here 471 00:16:39,660 --> 00:16:41,460 this morning, and you've gotten a little cold 472 00:16:41,460 --> 00:16:42,540 and comfortable in your Christianity. 473 00:16:42,660 --> 00:16:43,640 You've gotten complacent. 474 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,220 Maybe you've got a little bit carnal, and 475 00:16:45,220 --> 00:16:46,820 you've fallen into sin, and as a result 476 00:16:46,820 --> 00:16:48,860 of that, you've severed your fellowship with God, 477 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,380 and you're not watching what you ought to 478 00:16:51,380 --> 00:16:52,540 watch, and you're not going where you want 479 00:16:52,540 --> 00:16:53,480 to go, and you're not doing what you 480 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:54,240 ought to do. 481 00:16:54,420 --> 00:16:55,640 And as a result of that, when you 482 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:57,020 go to bed at night, and you lay 483 00:16:57,020 --> 00:16:58,920 your head on your pillow, there is no 484 00:16:58,920 --> 00:16:59,640 joy. 485 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:01,400 There's no peace in your life. 486 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,160 There's no joy in your heart. 487 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:04,680 And as a result of that, when you 488 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,619 pray, your prayers feel like boulders, and heaven 489 00:17:07,619 --> 00:17:09,300 seems as hard as concrete. 490 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,300 What you need more than anything else is 491 00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:13,960 repentance and revival. 492 00:17:16,819 --> 00:17:19,339 Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, the good doctor, as 493 00:17:19,339 --> 00:17:22,520 they called him, he said, I am profoundly 494 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,079 convinced that the greatest need in the world 495 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:27,300 today is a real heaven-sent revival in 496 00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:28,060 the church. 497 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:33,840 And again, this isn't people acting crazy. 498 00:17:38,930 --> 00:17:41,190 It's simply God showing up. 499 00:17:44,130 --> 00:17:45,830 So you've got this special prompting for the 500 00:17:45,830 --> 00:17:46,010 revival. 501 00:17:46,110 --> 00:17:48,210 Then number two, you have the scriptural picture 502 00:17:48,210 --> 00:17:49,130 of revival. 503 00:17:49,990 --> 00:17:50,770 Look back in verse 6. 504 00:17:50,850 --> 00:17:53,130 He says, will you not revive us again? 505 00:17:53,210 --> 00:17:54,670 And as you study your Bible, what you're 506 00:17:54,670 --> 00:17:55,870 going to notice is that there are many 507 00:17:55,870 --> 00:17:58,650 pictures and illustrations that God uses to describe 508 00:17:58,650 --> 00:18:00,090 revival or spiritual awakening. 509 00:18:00,450 --> 00:18:02,630 Sometimes it's referred to as fire, like in 510 00:18:02,630 --> 00:18:03,650 Acts chapter 2 verse 3. 511 00:18:03,890 --> 00:18:06,370 Sometimes it's referred to as a fresh wind, 512 00:18:06,490 --> 00:18:07,270 Acts 2 verse 2. 513 00:18:07,490 --> 00:18:09,230 Sometimes it's described as refreshing rain. 514 00:18:09,310 --> 00:18:11,370 Hosea 6 verse 3 says, he will come 515 00:18:11,370 --> 00:18:12,830 to us like the rain, like the latter 516 00:18:12,830 --> 00:18:14,230 and former rain, to the earth. 517 00:18:14,430 --> 00:18:16,070 And those are great illustrations. 518 00:18:16,250 --> 00:18:16,910 I love them. 519 00:18:18,070 --> 00:18:19,890 But my favorite, and I really think the 520 00:18:19,890 --> 00:18:22,510 best illustration in all the Bible about what 521 00:18:22,510 --> 00:18:25,690 God does in revival, is found in Ezekiel 522 00:18:25,690 --> 00:18:26,150 37. 523 00:18:27,370 --> 00:18:28,630 And you don't have to turn there, because 524 00:18:28,630 --> 00:18:29,370 you know the story. 525 00:18:29,990 --> 00:18:32,310 In Ezekiel 37, you've got the prophet who's 526 00:18:32,310 --> 00:18:33,590 standing before a valley that is full of 527 00:18:33,590 --> 00:18:34,290 dusty dry bones. 528 00:18:34,530 --> 00:18:35,550 And I bet we could all sing that 529 00:18:35,550 --> 00:18:36,130 little song. 530 00:18:37,110 --> 00:18:37,510 I bet we could. 531 00:18:37,550 --> 00:18:38,090 Matter of fact, we're going to. 532 00:18:40,150 --> 00:18:41,510 I bet we could all sing that little 533 00:18:41,510 --> 00:18:41,970 song. 534 00:18:42,090 --> 00:18:44,750 It goes something like this, them bones, them 535 00:18:44,750 --> 00:18:48,070 bones, them dry bones, them bones, them bones, 536 00:18:48,190 --> 00:18:51,170 them dry bones, them bones, them bones, them 537 00:18:51,170 --> 00:18:52,250 dry bones. 538 00:18:52,330 --> 00:18:55,370 Now hear the word of the Lord, the 539 00:18:55,370 --> 00:18:57,350 toe bones connected to the foot bone. 540 00:18:57,390 --> 00:18:57,850 You're not singing. 541 00:18:57,970 --> 00:19:00,070 The toe bones connected to the foot bone, 542 00:19:00,290 --> 00:19:02,510 the toe bones connected to the foot bone. 543 00:19:02,650 --> 00:19:04,510 Now hear the word of the Lord. 544 00:19:04,530 --> 00:19:05,250 And it goes up from there. 545 00:19:05,350 --> 00:19:08,350 The toe bones connected to the foot bone, 546 00:19:08,450 --> 00:19:11,830 the foot bones connected to the ankle bones, 547 00:19:11,850 --> 00:19:14,630 connected to the shin bone, the shin bones 548 00:19:14,630 --> 00:19:17,230 connected to the knee bone, the knee bones 549 00:19:17,230 --> 00:19:19,730 connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bones 550 00:19:19,730 --> 00:19:22,130 connected to the hip bone, the hip bones 551 00:19:22,130 --> 00:19:25,050 connected to the back bone, the back Connected 552 00:19:25,050 --> 00:19:27,530 to the neck bone the neck bones connected 553 00:19:27,530 --> 00:19:30,290 to the Yeah, y'all didn't get that 554 00:19:30,290 --> 00:19:30,570 too good. 555 00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:30,810 Did you? 556 00:19:32,630 --> 00:19:35,330 But them bones them bones gonna walk around 557 00:19:35,330 --> 00:19:38,170 them bones them bones gonna walk around them 558 00:19:38,170 --> 00:19:40,690 bones them bones gonna Walk around and guess 559 00:19:40,690 --> 00:19:46,330 what they did The Lord the Lord Arranged 560 00:19:46,330 --> 00:19:48,430 it the prophet Proclaimed it and all of 561 00:19:48,430 --> 00:19:50,330 a sudden them old bones began to rustle 562 00:19:50,330 --> 00:19:52,110 and rattle and come back together and as 563 00:19:52,110 --> 00:19:54,130 they did that they began to come back 564 00:19:54,130 --> 00:19:55,810 together and the sinews began to stretch out 565 00:19:55,810 --> 00:19:57,450 and muscles began to build up and the 566 00:19:57,450 --> 00:19:59,850 skin began to Stretch out and cover all 567 00:19:59,850 --> 00:20:02,470 those dried dusty dead bones, but there's still 568 00:20:02,470 --> 00:20:05,610 a problem because Ezekiel is standing there and 569 00:20:05,610 --> 00:20:06,970 there's this bunch of bones that have been 570 00:20:06,970 --> 00:20:08,890 brought back together They're standing up. 571 00:20:09,010 --> 00:20:10,770 But all he has now is a bunch 572 00:20:10,770 --> 00:20:12,330 of bodies standing there. 573 00:20:12,430 --> 00:20:16,530 No doubt in formation, but they're dead No 574 00:20:16,530 --> 00:20:19,790 life in them They had eyes but they 575 00:20:19,790 --> 00:20:21,290 could not see they had hands but they 576 00:20:21,290 --> 00:20:23,110 couldn't fight they had feet but they couldn't 577 00:20:23,110 --> 00:20:26,670 walk and by the way That's a pretty 578 00:20:26,670 --> 00:20:30,350 apt description of the modern-day church Organized 579 00:20:30,350 --> 00:20:36,610 formalized pasteurized but no life No breath No 580 00:20:36,610 --> 00:20:40,730 spirit And so in verse 9 I can 581 00:20:40,730 --> 00:20:45,660 tell y'all really like that Was my 582 00:20:45,660 --> 00:20:51,380 singing that bad And so the Lord said 583 00:20:51,380 --> 00:20:54,800 to Ezekiel prophesied to the breath prophesies on 584 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,040 a man and say to the breath Thus 585 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,040 says the Lord God come from the four 586 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,100 winds Oh breath and breathe on these slain 587 00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:02,980 that they may live so I prophesied as 588 00:21:02,980 --> 00:21:04,540 he commanded me and breath came in to 589 00:21:04,540 --> 00:21:06,040 them and they lived and stood up on 590 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,020 their feet an Exceedingly great army the psalmist 591 00:21:09,020 --> 00:21:10,060 put it this way all the way through 592 00:21:10,060 --> 00:21:10,400 the book. 593 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:13,140 He says revive us Oh Lord, will you 594 00:21:13,140 --> 00:21:14,400 not revive us again? 595 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,620 Revive me in your way Revive me according 596 00:21:17,620 --> 00:21:19,940 to your loving-kindness Revive me according to 597 00:21:19,940 --> 00:21:22,380 your justice revive me according to your judgment. 598 00:21:22,580 --> 00:21:25,320 Revive me according to your Revive me O 599 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,200 Lord for your name's sake and so it 600 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:29,140 is personal. 601 00:21:29,140 --> 00:21:30,020 It's intimate. 602 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:32,600 This is the Christian This is the church 603 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,820 crying out for God to bring them together 604 00:21:34,820 --> 00:21:36,740 and bind them together and to breathe a 605 00:21:36,740 --> 00:21:38,660 friend's life into them again So that they 606 00:21:38,660 --> 00:21:40,580 can be the church militant and not the 607 00:21:40,580 --> 00:21:45,040 church impotent for his name's sake She got 608 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:46,940 the scriptural picture in the special prompting then 609 00:21:46,940 --> 00:21:51,860 lastly There's a special purpose of revival look 610 00:21:51,860 --> 00:21:53,580 back one last time somebody somebody five he 611 00:21:53,580 --> 00:21:56,240 tells there's no uncertain terms What the purpose 612 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:57,680 of revival is he says in verse 6 613 00:21:58,740 --> 00:22:02,300 That your people may rejoice in you Show 614 00:22:02,300 --> 00:22:03,860 us your mercy Lord and grant us your 615 00:22:03,860 --> 00:22:04,320 salvation. 616 00:22:04,380 --> 00:22:05,920 I will hear what what God the Lord 617 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,600 will speak For he will speak peace to 618 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,700 his people and to his Saints But let 619 00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:13,240 them not turn back to follow it's a 620 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:14,680 word of warning let them not turn back 621 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,100 to following Surely his salvation is near to 622 00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:20,540 those who fear him that glory may dwell 623 00:22:20,540 --> 00:22:22,640 in our land Mercy and truth have met 624 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,280 together righteousness and peace have kissed truth shall 625 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,360 spring out of the earth and righteousness We 626 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:29,000 shall look down from heaven. 627 00:22:29,140 --> 00:22:31,320 Yes, Lord Let's just Lord will give what 628 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,040 is good and our land will yield its 629 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,500 increase Righteousness will go before him and shall 630 00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:37,120 make his footsteps our pathway. 631 00:22:37,540 --> 00:22:44,260 That is The purpose of revival It's not 632 00:22:44,260 --> 00:22:45,720 the excesses that you see. 633 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:49,480 I Mean even in some of our Baptist 634 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,900 subculture, it's not the excess that's not revival 635 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,720 Revival he says here He says that your 636 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:02,360 people may rejoice in you that your glory 637 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:09,630 may dwell in our land So if you're 638 00:23:09,630 --> 00:23:11,290 like me the last several weeks, I mean 639 00:23:11,290 --> 00:23:15,750 you got my attention All of a sudden 640 00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:20,370 you got a Wednesday Morning chapel service at 641 00:23:20,370 --> 00:23:22,670 a Christian University Anybody here go to a 642 00:23:22,670 --> 00:23:24,490 Christian University that you had chapel that you 643 00:23:24,490 --> 00:23:25,610 had to go to require Can I see 644 00:23:25,610 --> 00:23:28,090 your hands anybody so, you know as well 645 00:23:28,090 --> 00:23:32,430 as I do They not that day black 646 00:23:32,430 --> 00:23:36,110 came from Tennessee, right All those degrees didn't 647 00:23:36,110 --> 00:23:42,200 help me on that one Those are not 648 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,540 normally spiritual things you have to show up 649 00:23:46,540 --> 00:23:51,380 check in or you'll fail And it on 650 00:23:51,380 --> 00:23:55,220 a Wednesday morning just in a regular service 651 00:23:58,290 --> 00:24:02,030 Evidently God just showed up And then you 652 00:24:02,030 --> 00:24:06,570 hear reports Samford University Other universe Cedarville up 653 00:24:06,570 --> 00:24:10,130 in Ohio Years ago when it happened the 654 00:24:10,130 --> 00:24:11,530 first not the first time but the last 655 00:24:11,530 --> 00:24:15,550 time 1970s what 73 75 I think at 656 00:24:15,550 --> 00:24:19,550 Asbury It started at Asbury But the greatest 657 00:24:19,550 --> 00:24:21,710 beneficiaries if you will quote-unquote of that 658 00:24:21,710 --> 00:24:24,030 revival were Southern Baptist because it sat down 659 00:24:24,030 --> 00:24:28,430 on the campus at Southwestern Seminary And you 660 00:24:28,430 --> 00:24:30,690 had a generation of pastors that were sent 661 00:24:30,690 --> 00:24:35,460 out as a result of that and so 662 00:24:35,460 --> 00:24:37,680 if you're like me, I love studying revivals 663 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,740 and so the revivals of the 20th century 664 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,720 revivals of the 19th century going back into 665 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:49,240 the 1800s and 1700s you've got The first 666 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,280 and second great awakenings you heard Jonathan Edwards. 667 00:24:51,340 --> 00:24:53,520 You're familiar with that name You get the 668 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:58,840 haystack revival the Sandy Creek revival, but there's 669 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:00,380 there's one that maybe you hadn't heard of 670 00:25:01,260 --> 00:25:05,830 It's called the Shantung revival and it took 671 00:25:05,830 --> 00:25:15,990 place in northern China 1930s Charlie Culpepper Who 672 00:25:15,990 --> 00:25:17,970 ended up being a professor at MidAmerica, dr. 673 00:25:18,030 --> 00:25:21,200 Charlie Culpepper, dr. 674 00:25:21,300 --> 00:25:25,140 Culpepper served In that area of China for 675 00:25:25,140 --> 00:25:29,980 something like 42 years Served alongside miss Bertha 676 00:25:29,980 --> 00:25:35,130 Smith from Calpin, South Carolina and you say 677 00:25:35,130 --> 00:25:36,310 well what kind of revival was it? 678 00:25:36,330 --> 00:25:39,470 Well, he described it as Revival that was 679 00:25:39,470 --> 00:25:45,570 marked by prayer repentance confession Are you Baptist 680 00:25:45,570 --> 00:25:46,390 holding on to your seat? 681 00:25:47,330 --> 00:25:52,800 Healing Renewing life in the churches and boldness 682 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:53,360 and witnessing. 683 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:56,760 Dr. Culpepper. 684 00:25:57,340 --> 00:25:57,780 Thanks. 685 00:25:57,860 --> 00:25:58,780 I'll see his face in my mouth. 686 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:03,440 Dr. Culpepper He said they were having a 687 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,400 prayer meeting one night during that revival and 688 00:26:08,350 --> 00:26:10,310 they were meeting with dr Culpepper's wife who 689 00:26:10,310 --> 00:26:13,210 had had some issue with her eyes for 690 00:26:13,210 --> 00:26:16,650 a year I don't think she was totally 691 00:26:16,650 --> 00:26:18,310 blind but but an issue with her sight 692 00:26:18,310 --> 00:26:21,700 with her eyes And he said in the 693 00:26:21,700 --> 00:26:23,340 middle of all that God touched her eyes 694 00:26:23,340 --> 00:26:26,640 and healed her He said well, I just 695 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:27,880 don't know whether God still does that or 696 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:28,160 not. 697 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:29,060 Well, he ain't gonna do it in your 698 00:26:29,060 --> 00:26:33,770 life then He still Jehovah Rapha the Lord 699 00:26:33,770 --> 00:26:37,950 who healed by the way, but then he 700 00:26:37,950 --> 00:26:42,490 wrote this He said it was though God 701 00:26:42,490 --> 00:26:47,350 had walked into the room Everybody prayed aloud 702 00:26:47,350 --> 00:26:51,750 and We felt that heaven had come down 703 00:26:56,580 --> 00:26:59,940 how about you but man, I I won't 704 00:26:59,940 --> 00:27:04,040 revival in our time I'd love for revival 705 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:08,580 to break out right here this morning I 706 00:27:08,580 --> 00:27:10,800 mean where people are praying and confessing their 707 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:12,380 sins are getting right with God. 708 00:27:12,460 --> 00:27:16,590 They're getting right with each other They're energized 709 00:27:16,590 --> 00:27:18,590 by the Spirit of God. 710 00:27:18,710 --> 00:27:20,670 They're out witnessing and sharing the goodness the 711 00:27:20,670 --> 00:27:25,980 gospel people are being saved You say that's 712 00:27:25,980 --> 00:27:26,400 right preacher. 713 00:27:26,580 --> 00:27:27,200 That's right. 714 00:27:27,380 --> 00:27:29,580 I won't I won't God to do that 715 00:27:29,580 --> 00:27:30,920 Well, you know, the only thing stand between 716 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:35,190 you and revival is you it's just you 717 00:27:37,210 --> 00:27:40,790 Lord send revival And let it begin in 718 00:27:40,790 --> 00:27:45,310 me I Think it was Gypsy Smith Romania 719 00:27:45,310 --> 00:27:45,970 Gypsy Smith. 720 00:27:47,590 --> 00:27:48,690 I Think it was Gypsy Smith. 721 00:27:48,770 --> 00:27:51,230 I think it's that's right So he was 722 00:27:51,230 --> 00:27:54,010 an evangelist Served in Romania for many years. 723 00:27:54,070 --> 00:27:56,610 I think it was Gypsy Smith who said 724 00:27:58,330 --> 00:28:00,210 They was praying for revival and he went 725 00:28:00,210 --> 00:28:01,890 into his room he took a piece of 726 00:28:01,890 --> 00:28:05,590 chalk and And he drew a circle on 727 00:28:05,590 --> 00:28:08,450 the floor and then he stood in the 728 00:28:08,450 --> 00:28:12,450 middle of the circle and he prayed for 729 00:28:12,450 --> 00:28:19,940 God to send revival To the circle you 730 00:28:19,940 --> 00:28:21,620 can experience revival in your life. 731 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:22,800 If you'll just get right with God. 732 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:23,380 Did you know that? 733 00:28:25,020 --> 00:28:27,900 and then when a group of folks get 734 00:28:27,900 --> 00:28:30,480 right with God and then They begin to 735 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:31,760 pray and confess and they begin to say 736 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:32,520 it begins to spread. 737 00:28:32,620 --> 00:28:36,550 It's got like wildfire And so what I 738 00:28:36,550 --> 00:28:37,850 want to do this morning number one if 739 00:28:37,850 --> 00:28:39,350 you're here this morning and you've never been 740 00:28:39,350 --> 00:28:41,470 saved You don't need to be revived. 741 00:28:41,610 --> 00:28:48,070 You need to be vibed You need to 742 00:28:48,070 --> 00:28:52,070 be saved and you can be saved like 743 00:28:52,070 --> 00:28:53,830 that grown man was in the first service 744 00:28:53,830 --> 00:28:55,750 You can just simply repent of your sins 745 00:28:56,510 --> 00:28:59,290 Surrender your life to Jesus Ask him to 746 00:28:59,290 --> 00:29:00,830 forgive you of your sin and he will 747 00:29:00,830 --> 00:29:02,230 do just that give you the greatest gift 748 00:29:02,230 --> 00:29:03,430 You could ever receive the gift of eternal 749 00:29:03,430 --> 00:29:05,690 life And oh, it's eternal