1 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,540 I want you, if you will, to find, 2 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,320 if it's not too difficult for you, the 3 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:25,220 book of Habakkuk. 4 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,020 Now that's not so easy. 5 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:30,360 As a matter of fact, I'm not at 6 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,500 my best in finding my way around the 7 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:36,540 mind of prophets, but they're very important, and 8 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:39,020 the book of Habakkuk, well, I can only 9 00:00:39,020 --> 00:00:41,900 assist you by saying it's the fifth book 10 00:00:41,900 --> 00:00:44,200 from the end of the New Testament backwards. 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,200 Go back five books, and there is Habakkuk. 12 00:00:47,820 --> 00:00:50,600 On the other hand, do not be ashamed 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,820 to consult the index. 14 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:54,380 That's what it's for. 15 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,880 Of course, today we have overcome this difficulty, 16 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,060 especially in the Anglican Church. 17 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,680 Apparently the Anglican Church are credited with not 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,820 knowing their Bibles too well, because even in 19 00:01:07,820 --> 00:01:11,180 the most evangelical church, they're told the page 20 00:01:11,180 --> 00:01:16,900 number of the scripture in the pews in 21 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:17,500 the Bible. 22 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:18,900 Well, we never used to have that. 23 00:01:19,860 --> 00:01:22,620 You just had to find your way, and 24 00:01:22,620 --> 00:01:24,900 you didn't want to betray your ignorance to 25 00:01:24,900 --> 00:01:26,400 your next door neighbour who used to look 26 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,300 at the index very surreptitiously. 27 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,120 But now, from the front, we're told what 28 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:32,680 the page is. 29 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,840 Well, we've all got different Bibles, and they 30 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:35,580 all aren't the pages. 31 00:01:35,580 --> 00:01:37,440 But I must say, I have a little 32 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,860 chuckle every time we're told the page number 33 00:01:40,860 --> 00:01:43,080 of the passage. 34 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,000 But I do have my difficulties, right up 35 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:46,840 to this present hour. 36 00:01:47,180 --> 00:01:48,760 You see, I never went to Sunday school, 37 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,300 and I was never taught the order of 38 00:01:52,300 --> 00:01:53,040 the books of the Bible. 39 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:56,680 And any Sunday school teachers, whatever you do, 40 00:01:57,780 --> 00:01:59,860 teach the children the order of the Bible. 41 00:01:59,860 --> 00:02:01,380 If you've got some little rhyme you can 42 00:02:01,380 --> 00:02:05,900 teach them, because it's going to be a 43 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:06,660 blessing to them. 44 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,400 I'd still have to keep on turning till 45 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,520 I come to the Minor Prophets. 46 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,760 And you know, you would be embarrassed if 47 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:14,580 when you got to heaven, the one, the 48 00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:15,860 first you met was Habakkuk. 49 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:18,940 And he said, how do you like my 50 00:02:18,940 --> 00:02:19,360 book? 51 00:02:20,380 --> 00:02:23,180 And you might have to confess you hadn't 52 00:02:23,180 --> 00:02:23,580 read it. 53 00:02:23,980 --> 00:02:25,520 Well, you're going to have one text of 54 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,060 his book before you today, and it's going 55 00:02:28,060 --> 00:02:30,200 to come pretty often in our Bible readings. 56 00:02:30,940 --> 00:02:35,400 Habakkuk, chapter three, verse three. 57 00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:40,000 Here beginneth the lesson, and it's one text. 58 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,160 That's our reading for this morning. 59 00:02:44,140 --> 00:02:47,120 It's not the whole of verse two, just 60 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:48,060 a portion of it. 61 00:02:50,060 --> 00:02:54,620 O Lord, revive thy work in the midst 62 00:02:54,620 --> 00:02:55,580 of the years. 63 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,280 In the midst of the years, make it 64 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:04,020 known, in wrath remember mercy. 65 00:03:05,220 --> 00:03:08,560 Now that is one of the great revival 66 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,600 texts of the Bible, and it's rather interesting. 67 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,300 There is more teaching about revival among the 68 00:03:17,300 --> 00:03:20,740 people of God in the Old Testament than 69 00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:21,480 there is in the New. 70 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,780 Because Israel of old, their earthly people, are 71 00:03:27,780 --> 00:03:30,740 a picture to us of his spiritual people 72 00:03:30,740 --> 00:03:31,160 today. 73 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,160 And God's dealings with his earthly people, their 74 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,380 declensions, their revivals that had to take place 75 00:03:40,380 --> 00:03:44,080 in their midst, are a picture of God's 76 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,980 work among his spiritual people today. 77 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,900 And here then, is one of the great 78 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:56,830 revival texts in the Bible. 79 00:03:58,710 --> 00:04:00,990 Revive thy work, O Lord, in the midst 80 00:04:00,990 --> 00:04:01,810 of the years. 81 00:04:02,390 --> 00:04:04,970 In the midst of the years, make it 82 00:04:04,970 --> 00:04:10,490 known, in wrath remember mercy. 83 00:04:10,990 --> 00:04:13,530 And this is going to be the anchor 84 00:04:13,530 --> 00:04:17,610 text of our Bible readings this morning. 85 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:25,270 Now we're not told anything really about Habakkuk, 86 00:04:26,090 --> 00:04:31,810 his lineage, but, referring to the few books 87 00:04:31,810 --> 00:04:36,580 of reference I've brought with me, he apparently 88 00:04:36,580 --> 00:04:41,700 is assumed to be one of the several 89 00:04:41,700 --> 00:04:45,360 prophets whom God raised up in the southern 90 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:46,960 kingdom of Judah. 91 00:04:49,460 --> 00:04:54,620 He was a contemporary of Jeremiah, which means 92 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:58,780 he lived in those last sad days in 93 00:04:58,780 --> 00:05:03,440 which Judah was a kingdom, when her enemies, 94 00:05:04,060 --> 00:05:06,860 the Assyrians, were invading her. 95 00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:11,160 And it would seem that Habakkuk was living 96 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,700 there amongst them on the very eve of 97 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:19,180 that terrible thing that happened, their deportation as 98 00:05:19,180 --> 00:05:22,140 a nation to Babylon. 99 00:05:23,340 --> 00:05:26,220 The last days of Judah. 100 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:30,100 The book, famous book, The Last Days of 101 00:05:30,100 --> 00:05:30,960 Pompeii. 102 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:36,000 I've been studying lately the last days of 103 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,620 Jerusalem, when that which the prophets had prophesied 104 00:05:39,620 --> 00:05:41,840 came to pass. 105 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,700 God only prophesied that judgment. 106 00:05:48,220 --> 00:05:50,380 In order that it might not come to 107 00:05:50,380 --> 00:05:52,680 pass, that was his motive, and always is, 108 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,340 in the solemn judgment passages of the prophets. 109 00:05:57,060 --> 00:05:59,920 It may be, God said to Jeremiah, they 110 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:02,520 will heed this word, and repent of their 111 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,240 sin, and now forgive their sin, and I 112 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,300 will not do, that's what I intended to 113 00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:08,440 do. 114 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:09,960 But alas, we all know they never did 115 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:10,300 repent. 116 00:06:11,700 --> 00:06:14,860 And the solemn judgment of complete, or virtual 117 00:06:14,860 --> 00:06:18,240 complete, deportation to Babylon took place. 118 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,720 And Habakkuk was living, and the time when 119 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,840 he saw his nation disintegrating, facing certain defeat 120 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:29,520 and yet persisting in his old way, and 121 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:31,780 as he saw the work of God falling 122 00:06:31,780 --> 00:06:37,440 down around him, he prayed this prayer, Revive, 123 00:06:37,580 --> 00:06:40,880 O Lord, thy work in the midst of 124 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,020 the years, in the midst of the years, 125 00:06:44,380 --> 00:06:47,860 make it known in all, and we're in 126 00:06:47,860 --> 00:06:48,940 the middle of it, Lord. 127 00:06:51,170 --> 00:06:52,370 Remember mercy. 128 00:06:53,030 --> 00:06:55,390 My goodness, we're going to see that's one 129 00:06:55,390 --> 00:06:58,650 of the greatest, deepest prayers a man can 130 00:06:58,650 --> 00:06:59,110 ever pray. 131 00:06:59,710 --> 00:07:03,510 This is the prayer for revival that I 132 00:07:03,510 --> 00:07:05,070 don't think God can resist. 133 00:07:07,090 --> 00:07:08,970 And it's very seldom prayed. 134 00:07:09,030 --> 00:07:09,990 We can pray for revival. 135 00:07:11,530 --> 00:07:13,590 Anybody, you haven't got to be spiritual to 136 00:07:13,590 --> 00:07:16,010 pray for revival, depends what your conception of 137 00:07:16,010 --> 00:07:18,770 revival is, but it needs something special, you 138 00:07:18,770 --> 00:07:21,130 need to be a broken, convicted man to 139 00:07:21,130 --> 00:07:25,770 say, in wrath, remember mercy. 140 00:07:30,870 --> 00:07:33,230 As I say, this is going to be 141 00:07:33,230 --> 00:07:37,090 our anchor text, and I'm happy to note 142 00:07:37,090 --> 00:07:39,270 and referring as I have this morning to 143 00:07:39,270 --> 00:07:43,150 the Revised Standard Version and the New International 144 00:07:43,150 --> 00:07:43,450 Version. 145 00:07:43,530 --> 00:07:45,490 By the way, I'd never a day but 146 00:07:45,490 --> 00:07:50,210 refer to those other versions, just to see 147 00:07:50,210 --> 00:07:52,690 if they've got any light to throw upon 148 00:07:52,690 --> 00:07:53,610 the Authorised Version. 149 00:07:53,750 --> 00:07:55,350 That's my way, but you have another way, 150 00:07:55,810 --> 00:07:58,230 and I don't despise them, but I like 151 00:07:58,230 --> 00:07:59,970 to sort of put any new light I 152 00:07:59,970 --> 00:08:03,090 have on the familiar Authorised Version. 153 00:08:03,790 --> 00:08:07,350 But there isn't much variation here, but there 154 00:08:07,350 --> 00:08:07,770 is some. 155 00:08:08,270 --> 00:08:09,850 And as this is going to be our 156 00:08:09,850 --> 00:08:12,370 anchor text, I want us all to really 157 00:08:12,370 --> 00:08:13,070 know it. 158 00:08:13,590 --> 00:08:14,890 And so I want you, if you will, 159 00:08:15,190 --> 00:08:18,590 to repeat it aloud after me. 160 00:08:19,510 --> 00:08:21,290 I'll say the phrase and I want you 161 00:08:21,290 --> 00:08:23,570 to say it, and then so on, just 162 00:08:23,570 --> 00:08:25,850 that you will really get the beautiful cadence 163 00:08:25,850 --> 00:08:28,010 of the Old Version. 164 00:08:29,730 --> 00:08:33,250 O Lord, revive thy work in the midst 165 00:08:33,250 --> 00:08:34,070 of the years. 166 00:08:34,409 --> 00:08:38,370 O Lord, revive thy work in the midst 167 00:08:38,370 --> 00:08:39,409 of the years. 168 00:08:40,030 --> 00:08:42,490 In the midst of the years, make it 169 00:08:42,490 --> 00:08:43,070 known. 170 00:08:43,690 --> 00:08:49,270 In wrath, remember mercy. 171 00:08:49,270 --> 00:08:52,150 In wrath, remember mercy. 172 00:08:52,710 --> 00:08:54,570 Now we're going to stay with this text, 173 00:08:54,790 --> 00:08:57,410 quite literally, right the way through. 174 00:08:58,350 --> 00:09:00,410 And we're going to look at its constituent 175 00:09:00,410 --> 00:09:03,290 phrases, and we're going to go through the 176 00:09:03,290 --> 00:09:06,310 Bible this way and that way, to see 177 00:09:06,310 --> 00:09:10,630 what those phrases really mean as interpreted by 178 00:09:10,630 --> 00:09:12,010 so many other scriptures. 179 00:09:12,730 --> 00:09:14,550 This morning we're going to look at that 180 00:09:14,550 --> 00:09:18,310 first phrase, revive thy work, O Lord, in 181 00:09:18,310 --> 00:09:19,410 the midst of the years. 182 00:09:20,310 --> 00:09:23,970 We're going to think of this great subject 183 00:09:23,970 --> 00:09:25,050 of revival. 184 00:09:26,150 --> 00:09:28,470 Tomorrow we shall move on to that deep, 185 00:09:28,630 --> 00:09:31,890 deep prayer in wrath, remember mercy, and we 186 00:09:31,890 --> 00:09:34,290 will spend a whole morning on a very 187 00:09:34,290 --> 00:09:38,270 tender, delicate subject, the anger of the Lord, 188 00:09:39,150 --> 00:09:42,650 as it applies not to the world at 189 00:09:42,650 --> 00:09:44,810 large only, but to the people of God. 190 00:09:45,690 --> 00:09:48,410 I'm amazed how much there is in our 191 00:09:48,410 --> 00:09:53,310 Bibles about this great, great important theme, the 192 00:09:53,310 --> 00:09:55,710 anger of the Lord. 193 00:09:56,390 --> 00:09:59,370 And yes, we read in the Old Testament 194 00:09:59,370 --> 00:10:02,770 about God's anger with the rebellious nations of 195 00:10:02,770 --> 00:10:06,330 the world, but more particularly there are special 196 00:10:06,330 --> 00:10:10,390 occasions with the anger of the Lord, with 197 00:10:10,390 --> 00:10:14,210 kin against Israel, his own people redeemed from 198 00:10:14,210 --> 00:10:18,380 Egypt, but it's a tender word as we 199 00:10:18,380 --> 00:10:18,820 shall see. 200 00:10:19,140 --> 00:10:23,090 It's a domestic word, and maybe you haven't 201 00:10:23,090 --> 00:10:25,990 used that phrase to describe some of your 202 00:10:25,990 --> 00:10:28,730 experiences of that, what it really is, but 203 00:10:28,730 --> 00:10:32,470 it's always the anger of one who loves 204 00:10:32,470 --> 00:10:39,110 and who intends great restorations and great goodbyes. 205 00:10:39,550 --> 00:10:41,850 And then, we shall then move on to 206 00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:45,890 that with which it's contrasted, which utterly excels 207 00:10:45,890 --> 00:10:49,350 and exceeds the anger of the Lord, the 208 00:10:49,350 --> 00:10:53,770 mercy of the Lord, in wrath, remember mercy. 209 00:10:55,940 --> 00:10:59,400 And then I want us to think what 210 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,620 it means for a man really to pray 211 00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:06,100 that prayer, it's about the most humbling prayer 212 00:11:06,100 --> 00:11:10,480 you could pray, in wrath, remember mercy. 213 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:12,980 And then we shall look at some of 214 00:11:12,980 --> 00:11:16,360 the men who humbled themselves to pray that 215 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,400 prayer, and of the great results that were 216 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,020 brought to them by the mercy of God, 217 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,960 how he did indeed for them revive his 218 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:27,720 work. 219 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,460 And so this morning, oh no, before I 220 00:11:32,460 --> 00:11:34,940 come to that, I want to mention there's 221 00:11:34,940 --> 00:11:37,840 a very similar verse elsewhere to this one. 222 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:40,640 Keeping your finger in Habakkuk 3, turn to 223 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:47,420 Psalm 85 verse 6, Psalm 85 verse 6, 224 00:11:52,110 --> 00:12:02,020 85 verse 5, wilt 225 00:12:02,020 --> 00:12:04,160 thou be angry with us forever? 226 00:12:06,180 --> 00:12:08,680 Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all 227 00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:09,320 generations? 228 00:12:10,780 --> 00:12:14,020 Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy 229 00:12:14,020 --> 00:12:15,700 people may rejoice in thee? 230 00:12:16,540 --> 00:12:20,980 The same juxtaposition of the anger of the 231 00:12:20,980 --> 00:12:25,020 Lord with revival, as you find in Habakkuk. 232 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:29,240 To get the real meaning, I would take 233 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,140 the liberty of adding one little word to 234 00:12:32,140 --> 00:12:32,440 that. 235 00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:34,440 Let me read it this way. 236 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:37,020 Wilt thou be angry with us forever? 237 00:12:38,420 --> 00:12:41,960 Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all 238 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:42,620 generations? 239 00:12:44,140 --> 00:12:48,920 Wilt thou not rather revive us again, that 240 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:50,720 thy people may rejoice in thee? 241 00:12:51,620 --> 00:12:52,880 Which do you think, which do you think 242 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:53,660 he'd rather do? 243 00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:59,020 You know, of course, he would much rather 244 00:12:59,020 --> 00:13:02,640 revive his people again, that they may rejoice 245 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,560 in him, than persist in necessary disciplines and 246 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:10,840 humblings and convictions in his anger. 247 00:13:12,350 --> 00:13:13,930 I think it's a beautiful verse. 248 00:13:14,050 --> 00:13:14,910 Wilt thou not rather? 249 00:13:15,130 --> 00:13:16,950 Of course he would, if he'd only let 250 00:13:16,950 --> 00:13:17,050 it. 251 00:13:17,930 --> 00:13:19,130 Why must you persist? 252 00:13:20,430 --> 00:13:23,770 The whole head is smitten, says Isaiah, from 253 00:13:23,770 --> 00:13:25,590 toe of the foot to the feet. 254 00:13:26,030 --> 00:13:28,630 There's no wound, soundness in it, but wounds 255 00:13:28,630 --> 00:13:30,590 and bruises and putrefying sores. 256 00:13:30,770 --> 00:13:32,550 Why will you go on rebelling more and 257 00:13:32,550 --> 00:13:32,910 more? 258 00:13:34,590 --> 00:13:35,750 And they could well say, oh Lord, you're 259 00:13:35,750 --> 00:13:37,030 going to be angry with us, it's always 260 00:13:37,030 --> 00:13:37,810 going to be like this. 261 00:13:38,870 --> 00:13:39,730 Wouldn't you rather? 262 00:13:40,030 --> 00:13:40,990 Yes, I would. 263 00:13:40,990 --> 00:13:46,810 A hundred times rather revive my dear people 264 00:13:46,810 --> 00:13:51,870 again, that they may rejoice in me. 265 00:13:52,190 --> 00:13:56,530 So that's just an interesting parallel verse to 266 00:13:56,530 --> 00:13:58,690 the one we're looking at in Habakkuk. 267 00:13:59,670 --> 00:14:01,490 And so we do turn to Habakkuk, we 268 00:14:01,490 --> 00:14:07,010 turn to this first phrase, oh Lord, revive 269 00:14:07,010 --> 00:14:10,330 thy work in the midst of the years, 270 00:14:10,770 --> 00:14:13,650 in the midst of the years, make it 271 00:14:13,650 --> 00:14:14,030 known. 272 00:14:14,730 --> 00:14:16,070 And the first thing I want to say 273 00:14:16,070 --> 00:14:18,450 about revival is something that's already been mentioned, 274 00:14:18,830 --> 00:14:20,770 certainly previous weeks, and I think yesterday. 275 00:14:21,270 --> 00:14:25,310 That word, much thought about today, begins with 276 00:14:25,310 --> 00:14:28,890 a little prefix, R-E, Latin, and it 277 00:14:28,890 --> 00:14:30,030 means again. 278 00:14:30,030 --> 00:14:36,730 And revival means God, in grace, doing something 279 00:14:36,730 --> 00:14:37,350 again. 280 00:14:38,170 --> 00:14:40,950 When things have gone wrong, when the tide 281 00:14:40,950 --> 00:14:43,490 has gone out, when the horrid rocks appear 282 00:14:43,490 --> 00:14:45,930 which were before hidden by the full tide, 283 00:14:47,690 --> 00:14:51,670 when they become cold, and our circumstances all 284 00:14:51,670 --> 00:14:54,490 messed up because of our folly, it's God 285 00:14:54,490 --> 00:14:57,050 stooping to do something again. 286 00:14:57,710 --> 00:14:59,490 And I think that little word again is 287 00:14:59,490 --> 00:15:00,170 a wonderful word. 288 00:15:00,310 --> 00:15:02,110 I try and spot it every time I 289 00:15:02,110 --> 00:15:04,510 see it in my Bible and underline it. 290 00:15:06,130 --> 00:15:09,530 It's the great word of grace. 291 00:15:09,890 --> 00:15:11,010 He doesn't give up on us. 292 00:15:12,490 --> 00:15:15,050 He doesn't say you've had it, we'll call 293 00:15:15,050 --> 00:15:15,750 it a day. 294 00:15:16,130 --> 00:15:18,770 But in infinite patience he goes to work 295 00:15:18,770 --> 00:15:22,250 to do that thing which has been spoiled 296 00:15:22,250 --> 00:15:24,170 again. 297 00:15:25,430 --> 00:15:27,670 And if anything later happens, he'll do that 298 00:15:27,670 --> 00:15:28,350 again. 299 00:15:28,910 --> 00:15:30,930 This great word again. 300 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,740 There are all sorts of lovely agains. 301 00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:39,320 In 1 Samuel 3.21, you needn't turn 302 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,100 to it if you don't want to, but 303 00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:42,240 you're listening. 304 00:15:42,340 --> 00:15:44,120 In any case, our versions aren't always the 305 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:44,460 same. 306 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,460 And there's a lovely again there, 1 Samuel 307 00:15:48,460 --> 00:15:53,040 3.21, telling of how Samuel arose as 308 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:58,480 the new prophet, and the Lord appeared again 309 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,180 in Shiloh. 310 00:16:02,780 --> 00:16:06,080 There'd be no voice from heaven in the 311 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:07,400 temple at Shiloh. 312 00:16:08,420 --> 00:16:11,160 No word from God, no prophet had arisen. 313 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,900 But with the coming of Samuel, the Lord 314 00:16:15,900 --> 00:16:18,500 appeared again in Shiloh. 315 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,180 Man, that could happen to your church. 316 00:16:22,460 --> 00:16:27,060 The Lord appearing again in that church, in 317 00:16:27,060 --> 00:16:29,240 that prayer meeting, in that parish. 318 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,040 There used to be great days, but they're 319 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:32,800 only a memory. 320 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,380 But God's the God of again, and revival 321 00:16:36,380 --> 00:16:39,060 for you and your church would be simply 322 00:16:39,060 --> 00:16:39,500 this. 323 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:45,460 The Lord appearing again in Shiloh. 324 00:16:45,460 --> 00:16:48,840 And the word of the Lord coming again 325 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:49,600 from heaven. 326 00:16:51,460 --> 00:16:53,360 And the prayer meeting, I don't know, everything's 327 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:54,040 sort of different. 328 00:16:54,780 --> 00:16:56,620 The Lord's appeared again, that's revival. 329 00:16:58,780 --> 00:17:00,380 And then of course there's a, well there's 330 00:17:00,380 --> 00:17:01,520 all sorts of other ones. 331 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,839 I spotted one in Acts 15.16, which 332 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:09,800 is really a quotation from Amos. 333 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,740 After this, Acts 15.16, you must have 334 00:17:14,740 --> 00:17:16,079 it, pop it down on the paper if 335 00:17:16,079 --> 00:17:16,540 you want to. 336 00:17:17,220 --> 00:17:19,400 We don't want to spend too much time 337 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:23,440 looking up every last verse because, well I've 338 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:24,920 looked them up, and I think I can 339 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:26,380 get them quick, but you might not be. 340 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:30,180 After this, this is a prophecy from Amos 341 00:17:30,180 --> 00:17:30,740 being quoted. 342 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,160 I will return, says Jehovah, and build again 343 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,660 the tabernacle of David which has fallen down, 344 00:17:38,660 --> 00:17:42,420 and I will build again the ruins thereof. 345 00:17:43,020 --> 00:17:44,780 It seems as if this Jehovah, God of 346 00:17:44,780 --> 00:17:47,000 grace, is at home in ruins. 347 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,080 He's at home in declension. 348 00:17:50,260 --> 00:17:51,260 He knows what to do. 349 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,100 He's the God of the again. 350 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:55,240 Not only is he grace enough to do 351 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:56,720 it, but power enough to do it too. 352 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,140 Could that not be a wonderful description of 353 00:18:00,140 --> 00:18:02,600 what could happen in your sphere? 354 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:10,680 God building again the tabernacle of David which 355 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:11,660 has fallen down. 356 00:18:13,060 --> 00:18:15,040 I want to encourage your faith to expect 357 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:16,840 him to do it again. 358 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:18,780 He is in many places. 359 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:20,600 Why not with you? 360 00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:24,720 And then thinking of things more personally, you've 361 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,120 got another great again in the parable of 362 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:30,860 the potter and the clay in Jeremiah 18. 363 00:18:31,420 --> 00:18:36,360 So, he made it again, another vessel, as 364 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:38,480 seemed good to the potter to make it. 365 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:41,760 The clay had turned out wrong. 366 00:18:42,660 --> 00:18:44,420 It was marred in the hand of the 367 00:18:44,420 --> 00:18:44,840 potter. 368 00:18:45,540 --> 00:18:46,600 He didn't give up on it. 369 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:48,820 He didn't take it off the wheel and 370 00:18:48,820 --> 00:18:51,960 let it harden in its misshapen form, and 371 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,020 then in the next day smash it in 372 00:18:54,020 --> 00:18:54,340 pieces. 373 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,660 No, he went to work again on that 374 00:18:56,660 --> 00:18:58,980 misshapen piece of clay, and he made it 375 00:18:58,980 --> 00:18:59,480 again. 376 00:19:00,380 --> 00:19:04,100 And that applies to individual life, or a 377 00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:07,100 particular situation that's gone wrong, or a relationship 378 00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:07,960 that's gone wrong. 379 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:09,500 This is where he moves. 380 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,280 This is Jesus in his great work in 381 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:17,300 which he specialises, is making, as marred vessels, 382 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:20,640 again another vessel. 383 00:19:23,270 --> 00:19:25,370 And then there's another one you wouldn't think 384 00:19:25,370 --> 00:19:27,670 of, this one perhaps, it's in the last 385 00:19:27,670 --> 00:19:31,070 chapter of John, after these things, chapter 21 386 00:19:31,070 --> 00:19:37,950 -1, after these things, Jesus appeared again to 387 00:19:37,950 --> 00:19:44,220 his disciples, wonderful text, after these things of 388 00:19:44,220 --> 00:19:49,020 failure, disappointment, giving up their hopes, Jesus had 389 00:19:49,020 --> 00:19:51,240 no need, and he appeared again. 390 00:19:52,580 --> 00:19:54,880 And for you, after all you've been through, 391 00:19:54,940 --> 00:19:57,440 I want to tell you, can you expect 392 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:03,380 him to appear again to you, that sad, 393 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,840 discouraged, defeated disciple? 394 00:20:07,940 --> 00:20:10,700 Revival is God giving life again where that 395 00:20:10,700 --> 00:20:19,150 life has ended, making again that warped vessel, 396 00:20:20,030 --> 00:20:25,110 appearing again, inshallah, he's the God of the 397 00:20:25,110 --> 00:20:25,450 again. 398 00:20:26,150 --> 00:20:32,150 But finish it, revival always presupposes a declension, 399 00:20:32,970 --> 00:20:33,810 and it does. 400 00:20:37,420 --> 00:20:40,880 If he appears again, inshallah, it's only because 401 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,400 for years there had been no open vision. 402 00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:47,420 The word of the Lord was rare in 403 00:20:47,420 --> 00:20:49,100 those days, it presupposed. 404 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:54,020 They were just left with routine, religious chores, 405 00:20:54,740 --> 00:21:01,530 a pure set of ceremonies, and it presupposes 406 00:21:01,530 --> 00:21:01,830 that. 407 00:21:03,070 --> 00:21:05,610 If he builds again the tabernacle of David, 408 00:21:05,750 --> 00:21:08,650 it presupposes it's fallen down. 409 00:21:09,370 --> 00:21:10,970 He's not doing what doesn't need to be 410 00:21:10,970 --> 00:21:11,250 done. 411 00:21:13,740 --> 00:21:16,960 And if he revives you, and if we 412 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,740 talk about revival, it means it presupposes there's 413 00:21:20,740 --> 00:21:23,620 been a declension in our hearts, and only 414 00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:25,460 those who are prepared to admit that fact 415 00:21:25,460 --> 00:21:28,500 are going to be candidates for this grace 416 00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:30,560 that makes everything again. 417 00:21:33,510 --> 00:21:36,470 If he's going to make again that vessel, 418 00:21:36,990 --> 00:21:40,070 it presupposes it's got marred, and you're no 419 00:21:40,070 --> 00:21:44,810 candidate for those wonderful remaking hands of his, 420 00:21:45,110 --> 00:21:47,670 unless you and I are prepared to confess 421 00:21:47,670 --> 00:21:50,110 the vessel that he made of clay has 422 00:21:50,110 --> 00:21:52,030 become marred, there was part of that clay 423 00:21:52,030 --> 00:21:53,450 that was stubborn and wouldn't give in to 424 00:21:53,450 --> 00:21:55,490 his fingers, and the whole thing's gone wrong, 425 00:21:56,370 --> 00:21:57,490 at various levels. 426 00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:03,740 And if he appears again to his disciples, 427 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,880 it implies he hadn't been appearing to them 428 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:08,200 lately. 429 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,680 They'd been left in their discouragement. 430 00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:15,980 You know that text, after these things, Jesus 431 00:22:15,980 --> 00:22:20,660 appeared again to his disciples, is one of 432 00:22:20,660 --> 00:22:23,220 the favourite texts of my dear friend and 433 00:22:23,220 --> 00:22:25,300 father in God, Dr. Joe Church. 434 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,400 I was brought to the Lord in the 435 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,760 camp, in the house party that he ran 436 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,060 before he ever went to East Africa, here 437 00:22:33,060 --> 00:22:33,640 in Southwell. 438 00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:36,420 He was with us last week, or was 439 00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:39,500 it the week before, in his eighties and 440 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:40,800 getting a bit frail. 441 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,380 But this has been one of his great 442 00:22:43,380 --> 00:22:43,900 texts. 443 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,280 You wouldn't have thought it was a great 444 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:45,560 text. 445 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:49,560 After these things, Jesus appeared again to his 446 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:49,920 disciples. 447 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,800 He told me on one occasion, he was 448 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:57,140 taking that much-loved text in Africa, and 449 00:22:57,140 --> 00:23:01,220 as he preached by interpretation, his interpreter began 450 00:23:01,220 --> 00:23:01,920 to weep. 451 00:23:02,700 --> 00:23:05,580 He hadn't been seeing Jesus for so long, 452 00:23:05,940 --> 00:23:08,560 he'd gotten away, and he saw there was 453 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,680 hope in him after these things, and they 454 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,740 were shameful things, no problem to Jesus. 455 00:23:15,860 --> 00:23:21,500 Didn't put Jesus on, after these things, Jesus 456 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:23,660 appeared again, he did to that interpreter, and 457 00:23:23,660 --> 00:23:25,340 apparently a lot of other people in that 458 00:23:25,340 --> 00:23:26,200 great gathering. 459 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:32,360 Yes, it presupposes a detention, and the one 460 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:36,200 condition of Jesus reviving his work in your 461 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,960 heart and life is that you admit there 462 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:41,020 has been detention. 463 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,540 You have got cold, you have gotten away, 464 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:46,620 the word isn't living to you as it 465 00:23:46,620 --> 00:23:50,600 once was, you've lost your desire to share 466 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,480 him with others, you've got immersed in other 467 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:58,380 things, all sorts of things, and you know 468 00:23:58,380 --> 00:24:01,560 it is not with you as it once 469 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,500 was, and it's the man who's the most 470 00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:08,240 ready to confess to detention who's going to 471 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,760 be the most ready candidate for that marvellous 472 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:16,960 grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds 473 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,000 our sin and our guilt. 474 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:26,940 Revival then is not a good Christian becoming 475 00:24:26,940 --> 00:24:31,700 a better one, it's a Christian whose valley 476 00:24:31,700 --> 00:24:33,740 has become a valley of dry bones. 477 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:39,700 We were thinking yesterday of Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel 478 00:24:39,700 --> 00:24:42,860 37 is another passage full of meaning, it's 479 00:24:42,860 --> 00:24:45,480 that vision that Ezekiel had when he was 480 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:47,380 taken up and put down by the Spirit 481 00:24:47,380 --> 00:24:49,100 of God in the middle of a valley 482 00:24:49,100 --> 00:24:51,060 that was full of dead bones. 483 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,080 There'd been a massacre, a whole army has 484 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,760 been slain and been left unburied and all 485 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,640 that was left were dead bones, and God 486 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,860 said to Ezekiel, can these bones live? 487 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,060 Teddo, had he the faith to expect it, 488 00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:07,560 he said, Lord you know, that's a good 489 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:12,980 answer, he said, Ezekiel prophesied, preach to those 490 00:25:12,980 --> 00:25:16,160 bones, and if he preaches, preach to bones, 491 00:25:16,380 --> 00:25:19,540 some of our congregations, a little more sometimes, 492 00:25:19,980 --> 00:25:21,120 than dead bones, but now I'm going to 493 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:22,900 preach the word of grace to them, and 494 00:25:22,900 --> 00:25:24,920 nothing's going to reach it, not by a 495 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,760 censorious message, but a word of message of 496 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:29,340 hope and grace, and do you know as 497 00:25:29,340 --> 00:25:31,200 he preached, a bone came to his bed, 498 00:25:32,060 --> 00:25:33,920 and they were complete skeletons, but there was 499 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,080 no life of them, then the Lord said 500 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:40,040 prophesy to the winds, Ezekiel, and he did, 501 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,060 come from the four winds, O wind, and 502 00:25:44,060 --> 00:25:47,940 breathe upon these slain, they're still dead, they 503 00:25:47,940 --> 00:25:50,120 understand a bit, they've become a bit more 504 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:54,540 orthodox, but they're still dead, and the answer 505 00:25:54,540 --> 00:25:57,620 came, the Holy Spirit came upon those still 506 00:25:57,620 --> 00:26:02,800 dead corpses, and they stood up, a mighty 507 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:04,320 army, and God says, that's what I'm going 508 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,380 to do to Israel, and so I would 509 00:26:08,380 --> 00:26:11,900 say revival isn't a green valley getting greener, 510 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,380 it's a valley full of dry bones, and 511 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:17,000 if your valley isn't full of dry bones, 512 00:26:17,140 --> 00:26:22,940 I'm sorry, you're no candidate for revival, but 513 00:26:22,940 --> 00:26:25,800 perhaps it is, or parts of it, there 514 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,740 never used to be, in one of the 515 00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:32,720 letters to the churches in Revelation, the Lord 516 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,940 talks about how fast that thou hast, and 517 00:26:35,940 --> 00:26:40,420 the things that are ready to die, and 518 00:26:40,420 --> 00:26:42,360 things have been dying perhaps in your spiritual 519 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:46,280 life, prayer, the love of the word, your 520 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:50,380 witness, many things, one thing after another, and 521 00:26:50,380 --> 00:26:53,720 the truth is, for some of us, our 522 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,980 valley is a valley full of dry bones, 523 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,140 our Christian life, oh what good hope, those 524 00:27:01,140 --> 00:27:02,960 are the very sort of valleys that Jesus 525 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,600 likes to do this miracle in, and revival 526 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:08,460 is not a good Christian becoming a better 527 00:27:08,460 --> 00:27:11,600 Christian, it's a Christian who knows things are 528 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,940 wrong, there are areas in which there are 529 00:27:13,940 --> 00:27:18,680 dead bones, and being freely willing to admit 530 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:20,880 that fact to Jesus. 531 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,300 Sometimes, not often, people come to say Mr. 532 00:27:28,380 --> 00:27:32,230 Heston, how can I be filled with the 533 00:27:32,230 --> 00:27:34,030 Holy Spirit, there's a great blessing isn't there, 534 00:27:34,430 --> 00:27:37,570 being filled with the Holy Spirit, yes, how 535 00:27:37,570 --> 00:27:38,970 can I be filled, well I said what's 536 00:27:38,970 --> 00:27:43,610 wrong, no nothing's wrong, everything's just fine, but 537 00:27:43,610 --> 00:27:44,470 I want to be filled with the Spirit, 538 00:27:44,550 --> 00:27:45,410 then I've got nothing for you. 539 00:27:48,370 --> 00:27:49,970 God is not out to make a good 540 00:27:49,970 --> 00:27:52,170 Christian a better Christian, he wants that Christian 541 00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:54,690 to see the extent to which he's a 542 00:27:54,690 --> 00:27:58,430 bag of bones, and there, into that situation, 543 00:27:58,590 --> 00:28:01,710 grace comes, someone has said the Holy Spirit 544 00:28:01,710 --> 00:28:05,690 is not the reward of your faithfulness, but 545 00:28:05,690 --> 00:28:09,770 God's gift to your weakness and your failure, 546 00:28:10,450 --> 00:28:14,270 and if you aren't weak, if you don't 547 00:28:14,270 --> 00:28:15,950 know the experience that's in you, that's in 548 00:28:15,950 --> 00:28:17,570 your flesh, well there's no good thing here, 549 00:28:17,690 --> 00:28:18,590 no candidate. 550 00:28:19,990 --> 00:28:21,490 I used to have an eye for neat 551 00:28:21,490 --> 00:28:23,170 form, how to be filled with the Spirit, 552 00:28:23,550 --> 00:28:28,200 1, 2, 3, 4, I don't, when a 553 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:29,180 man comes with a problem. 554 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:31,620 A man came to me a few years 555 00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:35,100 ago in a Bible college, and confessed to 556 00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:43,440 the sin of homosexuality, well, I helped, tried 557 00:28:43,440 --> 00:33:26,460 to help him, Jesus. 558 00:33:27,460 --> 00:33:29,620 And to the blood of sprinkling that speak 559 00:33:29,620 --> 00:33:31,380 is better things than that of Abel. 560 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,260 He was washed and made clean, he knew 561 00:33:34,260 --> 00:33:37,620 the utter forgiveness of God, and the cleansing 562 00:33:37,620 --> 00:33:39,300 from even the shamest stain of it. 563 00:33:41,060 --> 00:33:44,300 And I said, wait a minute, in Leviticus, 564 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:47,760 there's a bit of ritual for the cleansing 565 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,140 of the leper, and they put the blood 566 00:33:50,140 --> 00:33:54,000 on his ear, the blood of a sacrificial 567 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,640 victim, his right thumb and his right toe, 568 00:33:58,120 --> 00:33:59,780 and then they took the holy anointing oil, 569 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,440 and where they put the blood, they put 570 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:05,880 the oil. 571 00:34:06,020 --> 00:34:07,460 First the blood, then the oil. 572 00:34:07,679 --> 00:34:09,780 And then there was still something over, so 573 00:34:09,780 --> 00:34:11,980 they clapped it on his head, as an 574 00:34:11,980 --> 00:34:13,179 extra bonus anointing. 575 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:15,620 And you know, normally there are only three 576 00:34:15,620 --> 00:34:18,380 people anointed, Christed, that's what it means. 577 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:20,320 Where were they? 578 00:34:20,620 --> 00:34:21,100 Prophets? 579 00:34:21,420 --> 00:34:23,300 They were anointed on the head. 580 00:34:23,860 --> 00:34:24,260 Kings? 581 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:24,860 They were. 582 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:25,639 Priests? 583 00:34:26,980 --> 00:34:27,739 And lepers. 584 00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:30,860 And you can class yourself as one of 585 00:34:30,860 --> 00:34:31,179 those. 586 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,580 And that dear man went away, not only 587 00:34:34,580 --> 00:34:37,500 forgiven and cleansed, but rejoicing, daring to believe 588 00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:39,420 the Spirit had come into his life, and 589 00:34:39,420 --> 00:34:42,280 he was anointed with life and power from 590 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:42,699 on high. 591 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:46,360 What did he do with the Spirit? 592 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:47,179 What's wrong? 593 00:34:47,739 --> 00:34:48,739 Nothing wrong, Sergeant. 594 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:51,400 Well, I mean to say, you haven't got 595 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:53,860 to rake up something, but you've got to 596 00:34:53,860 --> 00:34:55,380 come with need of some sort. 597 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,500 This isn't a special luxury, to give you 598 00:34:58,500 --> 00:35:00,440 a leg up, one above other people. 599 00:35:01,980 --> 00:35:07,200 Not the reward of our faithfulness, but God's 600 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:13,460 sweet lovely gift to our weakness, and much 601 00:35:13,460 --> 00:35:13,880 of it. 602 00:35:14,660 --> 00:35:16,060 Then I want to go on to say, 603 00:35:17,060 --> 00:35:20,040 I know this word revival is a confusing 604 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,460 word, because it is used by different people 605 00:35:22,460 --> 00:35:23,700 with different connotations. 606 00:35:23,820 --> 00:35:24,400 I know that. 607 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,140 And because so often, as we read the 608 00:35:29,140 --> 00:35:31,380 books of God's great doings in former days, 609 00:35:31,820 --> 00:35:34,460 we read the story of great movements of 610 00:35:34,460 --> 00:35:35,800 the Spirit, quite ostensible. 611 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,760 When, well even in Rwanda, as you will 612 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,000 read in that book, what is it, the 613 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:48,740 quest for the highest, in the early days 614 00:35:48,740 --> 00:35:51,520 of that revival, they didn't do very much, 615 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:53,500 they just gave us a little something of 616 00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:56,980 a message, and the people broke down, they 617 00:35:56,980 --> 00:35:59,700 trembled, they fell off their seats. 618 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,460 And some of them had to be revived, 619 00:36:02,580 --> 00:36:05,620 they almost passed out under conviction of sin. 620 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:08,580 And we said, now that's revival. 621 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,480 And then this movement of the Spirit went 622 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:12,840 over the hills and the valleys. 623 00:36:13,380 --> 00:36:14,920 And not only there, but this has happened 624 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:16,380 again and again in history. 625 00:36:16,740 --> 00:36:18,380 And we long that it may happen again, 626 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,520 it's not wrong so to long for it. 627 00:36:21,140 --> 00:36:24,600 But I don't think that is really revival 628 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:26,100 in its essence. 629 00:36:26,860 --> 00:36:29,840 I think revival is something that must surely 630 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:32,160 happen among those who've got some life. 631 00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:36,960 If there's no life, there's nothing to revive. 632 00:36:37,980 --> 00:36:40,760 If those flowers have gone completely dead, they're 633 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:41,080 finished. 634 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:42,300 But if they've still got a bit of 635 00:36:42,300 --> 00:36:43,840 life in, you can put them in a 636 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:45,400 vase and they'll revive. 637 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,060 What some people need is revival. 638 00:36:48,980 --> 00:36:51,060 For others of us, we need revival. 639 00:36:52,820 --> 00:36:55,120 And this isn't necessarily something that has got 640 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:56,100 to be spectacular. 641 00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:06,030 When Dr. Church, in 1947, was coming back 642 00:37:06,030 --> 00:37:09,710 to England in order to share with us 643 00:37:09,710 --> 00:37:11,930 what he'd been learning and others of them 644 00:37:11,930 --> 00:37:16,050 out there in revival, they had a session 645 00:37:16,050 --> 00:37:19,450 with that old prophet of the revival, recently 646 00:37:19,450 --> 00:37:22,110 gone to heaven, Simeone Sebambi. 647 00:37:23,210 --> 00:37:25,830 He said, go to England, you need it. 648 00:37:25,870 --> 00:37:26,770 They'd had a rough time. 649 00:37:26,850 --> 00:37:28,010 They'd had some discouragement. 650 00:37:28,590 --> 00:37:29,650 God will encourage you. 651 00:37:29,950 --> 00:37:33,610 But Joe, he said, just look for one 652 00:37:33,610 --> 00:37:33,970 man. 653 00:37:35,610 --> 00:37:36,390 One man. 654 00:37:37,510 --> 00:37:40,010 And if revival comes to one man, you 655 00:37:40,010 --> 00:37:41,070 can say it's come to the country. 656 00:37:42,530 --> 00:37:44,990 And so that early team, back in 47, 657 00:37:46,010 --> 00:37:48,230 came with a vision, only one man. 658 00:37:48,650 --> 00:37:49,950 They didn't have to have big meetings. 659 00:37:50,370 --> 00:37:51,590 And they didn't have big meetings. 660 00:37:54,490 --> 00:37:56,610 God gave them a number of one man. 661 00:37:56,610 --> 00:37:57,310 One man. 662 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:03,020 And some of us who were helped and 663 00:38:03,020 --> 00:38:05,880 touched by them, got together. 664 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:09,760 Peter Marrow invited us to his vicarage for 665 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:10,360 two days. 666 00:38:12,660 --> 00:38:14,580 I didn't know the others who had been 667 00:38:14,580 --> 00:38:18,020 helped and touched by this message of revival. 668 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:20,680 But we got to know one another. 669 00:38:21,140 --> 00:38:22,520 That's where the team, if you can call 670 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:26,020 it such, began in 47. 671 00:38:28,660 --> 00:38:31,660 And, well, I'd had some new experiences of 672 00:38:31,660 --> 00:38:33,020 the Lord, and I was full up with 673 00:38:33,020 --> 00:38:34,680 some all sorts of insights I wanted to 674 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:35,260 share and so on. 675 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:38,460 And the first words of Peter as our 676 00:38:38,460 --> 00:38:40,480 host, we sat down with this. 677 00:38:40,740 --> 00:38:42,660 There were about 10 of us, that's all. 678 00:38:44,740 --> 00:38:47,320 He said, we've not come here to talk 679 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,120 about revival, but to be revived. 680 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:53,280 I had come to talk about revival. 681 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:55,680 But the moment we got on that, to 682 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:58,880 be revived, anew and afresh, I can't remember 683 00:38:58,880 --> 00:38:59,380 what it was. 684 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:01,100 Immediately I knew there was something in my 685 00:39:01,100 --> 00:39:02,580 heart that I had to take care of, 686 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:03,760 I had to bring to Jesus. 687 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:06,440 I thought I contributed with a new testimony 688 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:07,160 along that line. 689 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,520 And at bottom, it's this one man vision. 690 00:39:12,740 --> 00:39:14,600 It can be many others, but one man. 691 00:39:14,980 --> 00:39:18,080 I remember when later, I went to the 692 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,220 United States for the first time with my 693 00:39:20,220 --> 00:39:22,220 first wife, Revel, and I went, what a 694 00:39:22,220 --> 00:39:26,360 privilege, with William Lagenda and Joe Church. 695 00:39:26,540 --> 00:39:28,920 Quite a team, four of us traveled around 696 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:31,280 for a number of weeks or a month 697 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:31,720 or so. 698 00:39:32,500 --> 00:39:34,740 And again and again, Joe used to pray, 699 00:39:34,900 --> 00:39:37,440 Lord, we've come to this huge land of 700 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:37,840 America. 701 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,840 Just look at the advertisements on the church 702 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:43,980 page in the Saturday papers. 703 00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:44,960 It was stunning. 704 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,000 You've never met, seen anything more spectacular than 705 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,100 all the advertisements for all the things the 706 00:39:50,100 --> 00:39:51,840 churches were doing in any big city. 707 00:39:53,970 --> 00:39:55,810 He said, Lord, we don't know what's happening 708 00:39:55,810 --> 00:39:59,550 here, but Lord, we ask, give us one 709 00:39:59,550 --> 00:39:59,810 man. 710 00:40:01,050 --> 00:40:03,290 We went to America for one man. 711 00:40:04,470 --> 00:40:06,370 That was a vision that dear Sir Bambi 712 00:40:06,370 --> 00:40:07,070 said to Joe. 713 00:40:07,450 --> 00:40:08,410 It was so restful. 714 00:40:10,570 --> 00:40:12,810 We were on the lookout for the one 715 00:40:12,810 --> 00:40:14,190 man, where of course the minister, he was 716 00:40:14,190 --> 00:40:20,430 a or it might not be, someone quite 717 00:40:20,430 --> 00:40:21,170 unimportant. 718 00:40:22,450 --> 00:40:32,260 God gave us quite a number, one, but 719 00:40:32,260 --> 00:40:33,420 it doesn't stop at one man. 720 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:37,600 The life of the Lord Jesus, experienced in 721 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:41,080 fuller measure, is so infectious, that testimony touches 722 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:42,700 other spots in other people's lives. 723 00:40:42,980 --> 00:40:43,680 There'll be others. 724 00:40:45,060 --> 00:40:47,740 But at bottom, and this was a thing 725 00:40:47,740 --> 00:40:49,380 that really no one could quite understand. 726 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,800 Joe used to say, if God will give 727 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:53,540 us one man who gets broken at the 728 00:40:53,540 --> 00:40:55,160 cross, and sees the blood, and gets into 729 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,200 liberty, gets filled with the Spirit again, we 730 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:02,080 can go home and say, the Bible has 731 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:03,200 come to America. 732 00:41:05,390 --> 00:41:06,890 There was the foothold. 733 00:41:07,450 --> 00:41:08,770 There was the bridgehead. 734 00:41:09,450 --> 00:41:09,870 Who knows? 735 00:41:09,930 --> 00:41:12,350 Well, you understand that or agree with it, 736 00:41:12,390 --> 00:41:13,430 that's what Joe said. 737 00:41:14,350 --> 00:41:15,930 And I don't know, I find it so 738 00:41:15,930 --> 00:41:16,330 restful. 739 00:41:17,370 --> 00:41:19,390 When Pam and I go around, we're really 740 00:41:19,390 --> 00:41:20,710 at bottom looking for one man. 741 00:41:21,170 --> 00:41:22,790 I'm afraid we're not so much on our 742 00:41:22,790 --> 00:41:27,170 toes, as perhaps Joe was, or William. 743 00:41:30,050 --> 00:41:33,250 Nobody was quite safe, when William in his 744 00:41:33,250 --> 00:41:35,190 artless way would get to know him. 745 00:41:35,610 --> 00:41:38,850 There'd be a few questions, and he longed 746 00:41:38,850 --> 00:41:41,230 to help that man into liberty. 747 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:47,300 As I say, it is a difficult word, 748 00:41:47,420 --> 00:41:49,060 because of the other connotation. 749 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:51,440 Some people have used the other word renewal, 750 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,620 and one understands why, because you get away 751 00:41:54,620 --> 00:41:57,160 from that picture of the big dramatic thing. 752 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:00,000 For myself, I prefer to use the word 753 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,860 revival, but always reminding myself what I really 754 00:42:02,860 --> 00:42:03,140 mean. 755 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:07,860 And more than that, this one man, personal, 756 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:10,400 immediate experience of grace that's available to you 757 00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:14,900 for all your needs, is linked to that 758 00:42:14,900 --> 00:42:17,980 larger work of the Spirit, that some people 759 00:42:17,980 --> 00:42:20,020 are praying so much for. 760 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:22,000 We all ought to be. 761 00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:23,200 Why not? 762 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:24,260 God's able. 763 00:42:25,620 --> 00:42:27,680 But maybe it's through the one man vision. 764 00:42:28,260 --> 00:42:32,660 And I remember some years ago, William Lagenda 765 00:42:32,660 --> 00:42:36,400 and I, just the two of us, went 766 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:37,040 to Indonesia. 767 00:42:40,170 --> 00:42:42,690 There was a German missionary whom we'd had 768 00:42:42,690 --> 00:42:44,350 touch with, and he asked us to go 769 00:42:44,350 --> 00:42:48,290 to that Bible school in Batu, where later 770 00:42:48,290 --> 00:42:52,210 that very, very spectacular revival began, but there 771 00:42:52,210 --> 00:42:53,170 was no such time as it. 772 00:42:53,570 --> 00:42:55,110 But we had a beautiful time on this 773 00:42:55,110 --> 00:42:56,910 one and that one, finding the way to 774 00:42:56,910 --> 00:42:58,590 the cross and into peace and liberty. 775 00:42:59,590 --> 00:43:00,650 And we went and rejoined. 776 00:43:00,770 --> 00:43:03,230 It was a year or two later that 777 00:43:03,230 --> 00:43:06,990 that very unusual outpouring of the Spirit and 778 00:43:06,990 --> 00:43:08,090 awakening took place. 779 00:43:12,770 --> 00:43:17,510 You've always said it was a trace to 780 00:43:17,510 --> 00:43:20,450 that other visit where they just saw Jesus, 781 00:43:21,610 --> 00:43:24,610 where they confessed themselves balanced, full of dry 782 00:43:24,610 --> 00:43:27,770 bones, where Jesus came in and they stood 783 00:43:27,770 --> 00:43:28,790 up altogether new. 784 00:43:29,330 --> 00:43:31,410 But that was a personal thing. 785 00:43:32,030 --> 00:43:33,510 You wouldn't say the top blew off or 786 00:43:33,510 --> 00:43:34,370 something like that, no. 787 00:43:34,370 --> 00:43:40,090 But it led ultimately to something that was 788 00:43:40,090 --> 00:43:41,930 indeed an awakening. 789 00:43:42,390 --> 00:43:45,510 I think perhaps we ought to call that 790 00:43:45,510 --> 00:43:47,210 other thing an awakening. 791 00:43:48,510 --> 00:43:50,130 The Banner of Truth got a wonderful book 792 00:43:50,130 --> 00:43:53,690 called The Great Awakening, telling the story of 793 00:43:53,690 --> 00:43:57,350 George Whitfield's ministry in America. 794 00:43:58,050 --> 00:43:59,250 That was an awakening. 795 00:43:59,810 --> 00:44:01,510 No one could account for it. 796 00:44:02,470 --> 00:44:03,790 Well, may God do it again. 797 00:44:03,950 --> 00:44:08,810 But I am responsible for only one man's 798 00:44:08,810 --> 00:44:10,690 revival ultimately, and that's my own. 799 00:44:11,190 --> 00:44:13,250 And that's the best contribution I can make 800 00:44:13,250 --> 00:44:17,730 to any wider work that God purposes and 801 00:44:17,730 --> 00:44:18,390 wishes to do. 802 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:24,220 I've only been to East Africa twice and 803 00:44:24,220 --> 00:44:28,960 then on little visits, preaching visits, but no 804 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:29,420 more so. 805 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:31,500 I can't claim to have been a missionary, 806 00:44:32,340 --> 00:44:33,920 although Pam was up there for nine years. 807 00:44:36,010 --> 00:44:37,570 And I remember once on one of those 808 00:44:37,570 --> 00:44:40,310 visits I was at Joe Church's station, Gahini. 809 00:44:41,130 --> 00:44:42,530 And can you believe it? 810 00:44:43,050 --> 00:44:45,930 There was a station and there were 350 811 00:44:45,930 --> 00:44:49,830 village churches linked with that one station. 812 00:44:49,990 --> 00:44:53,210 Each one with a teacher whom they'd thank. 813 00:44:53,710 --> 00:44:55,510 And that was true of all those stations. 814 00:44:56,290 --> 00:44:59,110 I don't know if that is special, how 815 00:44:59,110 --> 00:45:00,030 it compares with other places. 816 00:45:00,330 --> 00:45:02,070 Well, I said, Joe, how in the world 817 00:45:02,070 --> 00:45:06,010 do you take care of 350 churches from 818 00:45:06,010 --> 00:45:06,970 this centre? 819 00:45:07,410 --> 00:45:08,050 He said, I don't. 820 00:45:09,210 --> 00:45:11,590 He said, I could go round and see 821 00:45:11,590 --> 00:45:13,430 if the churches were falling down and get 822 00:45:13,430 --> 00:45:15,290 the poor teacher to do this and that 823 00:45:15,290 --> 00:45:17,090 and get him rattled. 824 00:45:17,830 --> 00:45:21,770 We've discovered if my brother, my colleague here 825 00:45:21,770 --> 00:45:23,550 in the central station, you see a canuka, 826 00:45:23,850 --> 00:45:27,330 he's recently gone to heaven now, are walking 827 00:45:27,330 --> 00:45:29,950 with Jesus and were one with one another, 828 00:45:30,730 --> 00:45:33,250 God will take care of the wider field. 829 00:45:34,070 --> 00:45:35,510 And so I went off to some other 830 00:45:35,510 --> 00:45:38,790 parts and that was a three weeks, four 831 00:45:38,790 --> 00:45:40,350 weeks later I came back to Gahini. 832 00:45:40,450 --> 00:45:44,530 I said, Joe, how's God taking care of 833 00:45:44,530 --> 00:45:45,330 the wider field? 834 00:45:45,870 --> 00:45:47,050 He said, it's wonderful. 835 00:45:47,950 --> 00:45:49,650 Letting a new wind of the Spirit blowing 836 00:45:49,650 --> 00:45:50,330 out there. 837 00:45:50,790 --> 00:45:53,410 But in the centre everything was, because there 838 00:45:53,410 --> 00:45:56,250 was a group going on in the grand 839 00:45:56,250 --> 00:45:58,970 old way of the blood of Jesus Christ 840 00:45:58,970 --> 00:46:01,370 and the grace of God and walking in 841 00:46:01,370 --> 00:46:01,970 his light. 842 00:46:02,470 --> 00:46:05,170 And there was the song of praise there. 843 00:46:05,890 --> 00:46:07,190 And so I just want to make that 844 00:46:07,190 --> 00:46:07,470 point. 845 00:46:10,460 --> 00:46:13,600 I want to make that point away. 846 00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:16,320 Revive thy work, O Lord, in the midst 847 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:16,960 of the earth. 848 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,900 Let's not think too much about that big 849 00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:21,360 awakening. 850 00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:23,720 Much of that's in the sovereignty of God. 851 00:46:23,740 --> 00:46:25,020 It's happening here and there. 852 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:27,980 And I don't believe he's going to forget 853 00:46:27,980 --> 00:46:28,300 Britain. 854 00:46:31,300 --> 00:46:32,900 And I can pray toward that end that 855 00:46:32,900 --> 00:46:35,240 the thing for which I'm responsible is to 856 00:46:35,240 --> 00:46:36,840 get into the blessing of God. 857 00:46:37,260 --> 00:46:39,500 To get my valley full of dry bones 858 00:46:39,500 --> 00:46:41,320 revived by the grace of God. 859 00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,140 Because the moment you confess it's dry, it's 860 00:46:44,140 --> 00:46:46,460 only to find there's a beautiful provision of 861 00:46:46,460 --> 00:46:46,720 grace. 862 00:46:47,540 --> 00:46:50,180 It's been anticipated, every need, everything that's gone 863 00:46:50,180 --> 00:46:52,880 wrong, by Jesus on the cross, before he 864 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:53,520 ever went wrong. 865 00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:55,400 The provision's there. 866 00:46:55,500 --> 00:46:56,440 The fountain's open. 867 00:46:57,880 --> 00:46:59,840 So it doesn't take God by surprise. 868 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:02,380 And the Holy Spirit's there to fill what 869 00:47:02,380 --> 00:47:03,200 he cleansed. 870 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:10,100 That's what we've got in mind. 871 00:47:10,260 --> 00:47:11,340 Revive thy work. 872 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:12,200 Thy work in me. 873 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:15,760 Thy work in my ministry. 874 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:18,240 Thy work in our fellowship. 875 00:47:18,680 --> 00:47:19,840 Thy work in my home. 876 00:47:20,900 --> 00:47:23,680 Revive it, Lord, because frankly it's gone a 877 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:24,180 bit dead. 878 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:25,820 I've got a bit cold. 879 00:47:25,940 --> 00:47:28,440 I've got struggling and striving and snatting. 880 00:47:29,940 --> 00:47:31,440 Oh what a lovely thing it is. 881 00:47:31,860 --> 00:47:33,780 Knowing he's the God of grace, you can 882 00:47:33,780 --> 00:47:36,520 afford to let your hair down and admit. 883 00:47:37,380 --> 00:47:42,020 Yes, in some areas there's been indeed declension. 884 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:43,980 But I see that that makes me all 885 00:47:43,980 --> 00:47:47,780 the more the candidate for thy reviving grace, 886 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:48,540 Lord Jesus. 887 00:47:49,500 --> 00:47:53,730 I'm asking you to say, to comment on 888 00:47:53,730 --> 00:47:55,450 the phrase, in the midst of the years. 889 00:47:55,710 --> 00:47:57,750 Revive thy work in the midst of the 890 00:47:57,750 --> 00:47:58,330 years. 891 00:47:58,570 --> 00:48:00,830 In the midst of the years, make it 892 00:48:00,830 --> 00:48:01,150 known. 893 00:48:02,110 --> 00:48:04,630 And maybe middle years, the dangerous years. 894 00:48:07,790 --> 00:48:09,510 We have young people here, bless your heart. 895 00:48:10,350 --> 00:48:11,290 You have your need. 896 00:48:11,610 --> 00:48:13,530 Things can go dead in your heart, even 897 00:48:13,530 --> 00:48:14,810 though you've only known the Lord a year 898 00:48:14,810 --> 00:48:15,110 or two. 899 00:48:16,510 --> 00:48:18,270 But the middle years, in the midst of 900 00:48:18,270 --> 00:48:20,370 the years, where you've been a Christian for 901 00:48:20,370 --> 00:48:22,710 some time, where you know your stuff, you 902 00:48:22,710 --> 00:48:23,990 know your distancation. 903 00:48:25,110 --> 00:48:25,810 Oh it's wonderful. 904 00:48:26,010 --> 00:48:29,290 You know I'm amazed how quickly, as a 905 00:48:29,290 --> 00:48:31,950 young Christian, I got my displacement straightened. 906 00:48:32,670 --> 00:48:34,210 And I thought, well I mastered this old 907 00:48:34,210 --> 00:48:34,510 book. 908 00:48:34,750 --> 00:48:35,770 I knew when the Lord was going to 909 00:48:35,770 --> 00:48:35,950 come. 910 00:48:36,050 --> 00:48:37,130 I knew what was going to happen about 911 00:48:37,130 --> 00:48:38,750 the tribulation and all those things. 912 00:48:40,530 --> 00:48:42,510 My dear friends, that's chicken seeds. 913 00:48:48,220 --> 00:48:49,800 But those middle years, when we think we 914 00:48:49,800 --> 00:48:54,680 know it, this is the time, when you 915 00:48:54,680 --> 00:48:57,060 can leave your first love. 916 00:48:57,760 --> 00:49:00,280 Then perhaps you can get very busy, but 917 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:01,040 miss Jesus. 918 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:05,020 Revive thy work, O Lord, in the midst 919 00:49:05,020 --> 00:49:05,720 of the years. 920 00:49:06,220 --> 00:49:13,160 But I noticed that the NIV has a 921 00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:14,020 little alteration. 922 00:49:15,420 --> 00:49:20,200 Revive thy work in our time. 923 00:49:22,100 --> 00:49:23,340 That's what we want. 924 00:49:23,420 --> 00:49:24,300 In our time. 925 00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:29,040 When Billy Graham first began his Hour of 926 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:31,320 Decision broadcast, he had Jerry Devon with him, 927 00:49:31,700 --> 00:49:33,800 who was, well I forget what his particular 928 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:36,820 sphere was, except that he always had some 929 00:49:36,820 --> 00:49:39,640 minutes on that program in which he reported 930 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:41,400 on how the crusades were going. 931 00:49:41,900 --> 00:49:44,760 And he always contrived to end his report, 932 00:49:45,140 --> 00:49:48,020 the last sentence always sort of slipped into 933 00:49:48,020 --> 00:49:51,680 the phrase, revival in our time. 934 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:54,760 Revival in our time. 935 00:49:55,500 --> 00:49:57,140 And that's what you ought to be out 936 00:49:57,140 --> 00:50:00,580 for, in your life, in your circle, in 937 00:50:00,580 --> 00:50:06,740 any wider circle, beginning with yourself, in our 938 00:50:06,740 --> 00:50:07,520 time. 939 00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:09,020 And it can be. 940 00:50:09,740 --> 00:50:13,360 If revival is a stunning, unusual happening that 941 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:16,120 happened there, you put it almost beyond your 942 00:50:16,120 --> 00:50:17,900 reach, but it has got to begin with 943 00:50:17,900 --> 00:50:18,200 you. 944 00:50:18,560 --> 00:50:21,020 And if all that is needed is an 945 00:50:21,020 --> 00:50:23,440 honest confession of admission and coming to Jesus, 946 00:50:23,700 --> 00:50:25,840 if it is indeed a work of grace, 947 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:27,780 then you don't have to wait. 948 00:50:27,860 --> 00:50:31,520 It can be in our time, as far 949 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:33,760 as you and your circle is concerned. 950 00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:36,760 Dr. Martin Lord Jones, beloved by so many 951 00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:38,760 of us, has recently passed away. 952 00:50:39,980 --> 00:50:42,600 And I don't want to say a thing 953 00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:46,220 that would indicate that I don't appreciate him 954 00:50:46,220 --> 00:50:47,280 and his ministry tremendously. 955 00:50:47,760 --> 00:50:50,540 But years ago, I was asked if I 956 00:50:50,540 --> 00:50:54,060 would meet with a group of, I don't 957 00:50:54,060 --> 00:50:55,500 know what we would call ourselves, some were 958 00:50:55,500 --> 00:50:56,320 ministers, some were not. 959 00:50:56,600 --> 00:50:59,900 I was just a crab preacher and evangelist. 960 00:51:00,360 --> 00:51:02,700 But there was various ministers. 961 00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:05,120 John Stott was to have been there, but 962 00:51:05,120 --> 00:51:06,980 he couldn't, but there were people of equal 963 00:51:07,380 --> 00:51:09,240 prominence, and we gathered in his study. 964 00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:12,700 And I said, well, look, can I bring 965 00:51:12,700 --> 00:51:14,740 a friend, Bishop Lawrence Barton? 966 00:51:14,860 --> 00:51:16,240 Yes, go on, bring him here for me. 967 00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:18,720 And our subject was to think about revival. 968 00:51:19,360 --> 00:51:21,800 It was a unique meeting, yes, about seven 969 00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:23,280 of us, these men. 970 00:51:23,900 --> 00:51:25,340 I wish we'd had a tape recorder. 971 00:51:26,020 --> 00:51:28,460 Actually, Dr. Martin did most of the speaking, 972 00:51:28,580 --> 00:51:30,860 but he was always worth listening to. 973 00:51:33,710 --> 00:51:37,190 We didn't find any nuances, but it was 974 00:51:37,190 --> 00:51:39,370 certainly extraordinarily interesting. 975 00:51:40,250 --> 00:51:42,190 We each make some sort of contribution. 976 00:51:42,350 --> 00:51:44,610 He said, I know there's different conceptions of 977 00:51:44,610 --> 00:51:47,850 what revival is in this room alone, how 978 00:51:47,850 --> 00:51:49,350 much more so in a wider circle. 979 00:51:50,130 --> 00:51:52,290 But he said one thing that I shall 980 00:51:52,290 --> 00:51:52,810 not forget. 981 00:51:53,990 --> 00:51:56,990 I knew that he'd been in process of 982 00:51:56,990 --> 00:52:00,350 giving a series of Sunday mornings on revival. 983 00:52:01,090 --> 00:52:02,230 And I'd heard some of them. 984 00:52:02,270 --> 00:52:02,850 I'd been there. 985 00:52:02,850 --> 00:52:05,710 I heard his great message on, oh, that 986 00:52:05,710 --> 00:52:08,910 thou would bend the heavens and come down, 987 00:52:09,310 --> 00:52:12,130 that the mountains might flow down at thy 988 00:52:12,130 --> 00:52:12,490 presence. 989 00:52:12,630 --> 00:52:15,570 He was a Welshman, and a Welsh Christian 990 00:52:15,570 --> 00:52:17,490 never forgets the Welsh revival. 991 00:52:18,790 --> 00:52:22,610 That's the norm for him when God visited 992 00:52:22,610 --> 00:52:29,160 his native land back in 1904 and 5. 993 00:52:31,230 --> 00:52:32,150 And then he said this. 994 00:52:32,690 --> 00:52:35,550 He said, I don't know, I've been preaching 995 00:52:35,550 --> 00:52:36,810 this series on revival. 996 00:52:38,390 --> 00:52:41,110 And in our church prayer meeting, no one 997 00:52:41,110 --> 00:52:43,350 ever prayed for it to happen here. 998 00:52:44,170 --> 00:52:47,930 Until about the seventh sermon, someone did give 999 00:52:47,930 --> 00:52:48,790 something of a prayer. 1000 00:52:50,650 --> 00:52:53,450 And then the discussion went on. 1001 00:52:53,650 --> 00:52:54,790 And I thought about that. 1002 00:52:55,410 --> 00:52:57,050 And I remember what I'd heard. 1003 00:52:57,670 --> 00:53:00,130 Revival for him was so terrific, I hadn't 1004 00:53:00,130 --> 00:53:01,310 got the faith to pray for him. 1005 00:53:02,710 --> 00:53:04,350 And apparently nobody else had. 1006 00:53:04,590 --> 00:53:06,150 It was something big, a power-off. 1007 00:53:07,230 --> 00:53:09,470 I'm not saying God hasn't got all sorts 1008 00:53:09,470 --> 00:53:10,470 of wonderful things in store. 1009 00:53:10,750 --> 00:53:11,470 But if it's for me. 1010 00:53:12,610 --> 00:53:14,970 If a valley full of dry bones can 1011 00:53:14,970 --> 00:53:17,690 be made to live again by the grace 1012 00:53:17,690 --> 00:53:19,290 of God and by the power of the 1013 00:53:19,290 --> 00:53:21,110 blood of Jesus, then that's in Egypt. 1014 00:53:21,890 --> 00:53:24,170 And whatever revival's going, it can begin in 1015 00:53:24,170 --> 00:53:24,430 me. 1016 00:53:24,930 --> 00:53:26,830 And if it begins in me, it needs 1017 00:53:26,830 --> 00:53:27,770 end in me. 1018 00:53:28,570 --> 00:53:29,410 And that's important. 1019 00:53:32,020 --> 00:53:34,860 And I want to say that this revival 1020 00:53:34,860 --> 00:53:38,440 can, is linked, as I've already said, with 1021 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:41,100 the larger awakenings when God wills it. 1022 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:48,460 And by the way, may I suggest, say 1023 00:53:48,460 --> 00:53:50,120 one word before I'm closing. 1024 00:53:53,700 --> 00:53:55,680 I believe we've got to see that link. 1025 00:53:57,280 --> 00:54:01,300 We here in this conference, I would say 1026 00:54:01,300 --> 00:54:03,120 I very much include myself in this. 1027 00:54:03,200 --> 00:54:05,340 We've made a big emphasis on the need 1028 00:54:05,340 --> 00:54:05,760 of fellowship. 1029 00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:08,460 And there's all too little fellowship of an 1030 00:54:08,460 --> 00:54:10,300 open sort, where people are frank and open 1031 00:54:10,300 --> 00:54:12,260 and can really praise the Lord for what 1032 00:54:12,260 --> 00:54:13,840 he's doing in their lives. 1033 00:54:14,260 --> 00:54:15,880 And are really through with the sense of 1034 00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:17,500 shame that they can share. 1035 00:54:20,420 --> 00:54:23,620 Perhaps we've made too much of that. 1036 00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:26,920 And we haven't seen the lost. 1037 00:54:29,180 --> 00:54:32,580 Jesus blessed you only through you to reach 1038 00:54:32,580 --> 00:54:33,100 the others. 1039 00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:35,980 And I include myself in this. 1040 00:54:38,310 --> 00:54:41,390 And it could be that this new experience 1041 00:54:41,390 --> 00:54:44,070 of grace that you've been coming into hasn't 1042 00:54:44,070 --> 00:54:47,210 yet, I think I'll include myself in this, 1043 00:54:47,550 --> 00:54:52,650 eventuated in a greater vision for the lost 1044 00:54:52,650 --> 00:54:53,850 around me. 1045 00:54:54,590 --> 00:54:56,710 I'm not on my toes as I was. 1046 00:54:59,100 --> 00:55:01,000 I don't think I've seen so many people 1047 00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:02,940 converted as I once did. 1048 00:55:04,220 --> 00:55:08,260 There is a link between this personal being 1049 00:55:08,260 --> 00:55:13,700 revived and God moving us out and perhaps 1050 00:55:13,700 --> 00:55:17,360 doing a wider work among those that are 1051 00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:17,620 lost. 1052 00:55:17,800 --> 00:55:19,220 By the way, I use the word lost 1053 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:21,200 and not unconverted. 1054 00:55:21,660 --> 00:55:24,660 I was astonished in the southern states. 1055 00:55:25,320 --> 00:55:26,880 They don't talk about the unconverted. 1056 00:55:27,780 --> 00:55:29,320 They only talk about the lost. 1057 00:55:30,260 --> 00:55:32,260 And many say, oh I've got some lost 1058 00:55:32,260 --> 00:55:34,260 deacons in Manchester. 1059 00:55:35,860 --> 00:55:38,080 So many of my members are still lost. 1060 00:55:39,560 --> 00:55:40,460 That's it, they're lost. 1061 00:55:41,220 --> 00:55:44,140 But if they're lost, there's someone looking for 1062 00:55:44,140 --> 00:55:44,380 them. 1063 00:55:46,580 --> 00:55:48,100 I want to do it through us. 1064 00:55:50,540 --> 00:55:53,800 Let's seek to have a renewed vision of 1065 00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:54,380 the lost. 1066 00:55:55,000 --> 00:55:58,460 Not doomed, sort of as if, it isn't 1067 00:55:58,460 --> 00:55:59,160 ultimate yet. 1068 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:02,080 That won't happen until there's a final rejection 1069 00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:03,140 at the end. 1070 00:56:03,460 --> 00:56:06,260 Right now, the lost are being looked for. 1071 00:56:07,260 --> 00:56:09,260 And he wants you in on this lovely 1072 00:56:09,260 --> 00:56:11,080 act along with himself. 1073 00:56:11,940 --> 00:56:13,500 And so we praise the Lord. 1074 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:17,200 This is a possibility of Revive, O Lord, 1075 00:56:17,340 --> 00:56:19,460 thy work in the midst of the earth, 1076 00:56:20,140 --> 00:56:21,080 in our time. 1077 00:56:22,460 --> 00:56:25,240 And begin it, Lord, with me, I know. 1078 00:56:27,400 --> 00:56:30,540 I am something of a valley full of 1079 00:56:30,540 --> 00:56:31,080 dry bones. 1080 00:56:31,940 --> 00:56:33,260 I'll be honest with you, Lord. 1081 00:56:34,180 --> 00:56:35,880 All right, you're a candidate. 1082 00:56:36,420 --> 00:56:37,200 What's wrong with that? 1083 00:56:37,900 --> 00:56:40,440 And he's not going to turn away your 1084 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:41,220 candidature. 1085 00:56:42,500 --> 00:56:43,500 Let us pray. 1086 00:57:14,700 --> 00:57:16,520 And Lord, we want to thank thee. 1087 00:57:19,130 --> 00:57:24,740 You find no problem in beating our knee. 1088 00:57:25,760 --> 00:57:29,540 You're not shocked at the sight of valleys 1089 00:57:29,540 --> 00:57:30,800 full of dry bones. 1090 00:57:32,810 --> 00:57:34,150 You can make them green valleys. 1091 00:57:35,270 --> 00:57:37,270 You can breathe life into us afresh. 1092 00:57:41,420 --> 00:57:43,020 And O Lord, we ask that that shall 1093 00:57:43,020 --> 00:57:43,300 happen. 1094 00:57:44,160 --> 00:57:51,020 Come from the four windows, O, and breathe 1095 00:57:51,020 --> 00:57:52,100 upon these things. 1096 00:57:52,140 --> 00:57:52,800 On us, Lord. 1097 00:57:53,720 --> 00:57:55,400 Show us wherein we've declined. 1098 00:57:55,560 --> 00:57:56,720 Show us what's caused it. 1099 00:57:57,260 --> 00:58:00,780 And may we come into that experience of 1100 00:58:00,780 --> 00:58:02,000 freshness with thee. 1101 00:58:02,820 --> 00:58:04,180 May we welcome you perhaps, Buddha. 1102 00:58:06,290 --> 00:58:11,720 And Lord, we do confess we've been a 1103 00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:15,060 little more intent on having fellowship at a 1104 00:58:15,060 --> 00:58:16,360 deep level with others. 1105 00:58:16,460 --> 00:58:17,540 That's a wonderful thing, Lord. 1106 00:58:17,600 --> 00:58:23,060 But forgive us where we've lost our vision, 1107 00:58:24,120 --> 00:58:26,220 thy vision for the lost. 1108 00:58:27,220 --> 00:58:32,260 We ask it in thy dear name. 1109 00:58:32,520 --> 00:58:36,520 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and 1110 00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:37,600 the love of God. 1111 00:58:43,640 --> 00:58:44,200 Amen.