Revival, What Is It All About? Part 1

Revival, What Is It All About? Part 1 - Requirements

What is not a requirement for revival? (12 things)

Good looks
Great wealth
Church membership
Special titles
Special programs
Earthly citizenship
Impeccable living
Godly appearances
Ecstatic outpourings
Group ties
Billy Graham-like preachers
Great sorrow So when we look at these, we can see that revival does NOT come because of…

Who we are, where we are (live), not really how we look, what we are planning, etc. but more because of our attitude.

I want take time this morning, and look at some…
Attitudes that help bring revival

First we need an attitude of…

Self examination that brings forth humbleness There is a saying, "The Lord helps those who help themselves." This is true in revival, we must have an attitude of self-examination, looking and probing into our heart. Lamentations 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. There was a woman at the well in Jn. 4 who had the means to draw from the well (water pot) - you have that means this morning - revival can come because you have an attitude of self-examination. John 4:4- 30 And he must needs go through Samaria.
⁵Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
⁶Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
⁷There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
⁸(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
⁹Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
¹¹The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
¹²Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
¹³Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
¹⁴But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
¹⁵The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
¹⁶Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
¹⁷The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
¹⁸For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
¹⁹The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
²⁰Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
²¹Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
²²Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
²³But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
²⁴God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
²⁵The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
²⁶Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
²⁷And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
²⁸The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
²⁹Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
³⁰Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

When we see an attitude of Self examination that brings forth humbleness we find an attitude of…
Humbleness that finds a sincere desire

Woman at the well knew she was unworthy, yet she had a thirst that had been with her for a long time. It was this thirst that became a great desire for the refreshing that Christ can bring. She had a desire to be rid of the sin in her life that had cause her so much unhappiness.

She had a desire to let go of selfish and questionable ideas and practices in her life

So her attitude of humbleness helped her bring forth a sincere desire, it is this attitude of…
Desire that moves us to action She asked Christ for the living water

When you want revival - you will ask Christ for it

We are often impatient, but we need an attitude of…
Action that continues in persistence

Luke 8:35-39 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
³⁶They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
³⁷Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.
³⁸Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
³⁹Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
The blind beggar kept asking - don't quit asking for revival!

We also need to have a
Persistence that is followed by faithful obedience - Luke 18:

Luke 18:40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
⁴¹Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
⁴²And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
⁴³And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

And we should know that an…
Obedient spirit gives way to the Holy Spirit's biding

⁴³And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Holy Spirit draws us closer to the Lord with revival

Zacchaeus was one that experienced a change - revival if you would. Luke 19:1-10 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
²And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
³And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
⁴And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
⁵And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
⁶And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
⁷And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
⁸And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
⁹And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
¹⁰For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Ephesians 2:8-22 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.
¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
¹¹Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
¹²That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
¹⁶And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
¹⁸For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
¹⁹Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Self examination that brings forth humbleness

Humbleness that finds a sincere desire

Desire that moves us to action

Action that continues in persistence

Persistence that is followed by faithful obedience

Obedient spirit gives way to the Holy Spirit's biding

Holy Spirit draws us closer to the Lord with revival

If we get revival it will change our lives.

The Holy Spirit will draw us closer to Him and it will renew us.

It will make us think different, act different, and be different.

We will want to be closer to Him, we will sound closer to Him, we will look closer to Him, we will be closer to Him.

Do you want revival?

Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist - 102101am