3. REVIVAL: What is it?
- “to return to consciousness or life”
- “Revival is a return to spiritual health after a
period of decline into sin and broken fellowship
with God.”
- “Revival is that sovereign work of God in which
He visits His own people, restoring and
releasing them into the fullness of His blessings.”
4. “REVIVE”
• Psalm 119:156: “Great are Thy mercies, o Lord;
Revive me according to Thine ordinances.”
• Psalm 119:37: “Turn away my eyes from looking
at vanity, and revive me in thy ways.”
• Psalm 119:88: “Revive me according to Thy
lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony
of thy mouth.”
• Psalm 85:6: “Wilt Thou not thyself revive us
again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee.”
5. REVIVAL: Who gives it?
• Revival is what God sends.
• In revival, God does a fresh work in those
who have life, yet who have grown weak
through sin or neglect.
• Revival is an extraordinary work of the
Holy Spirit producing extraordinary
results.
6. REVIVAL: Who needs it?
• Revival is what God sends, not to the lost,
but to His own people, the church (body
of believers). The “dead” can not be
revived; they require resurrection.
• Revival is for God’s people when they
need to be forgiven and restored to life,
spiritual healthy and vitality.
• I, you, us
7. REVIVAL: When is it needed?
• When they have left their first love.
• God’s people need revival when they are
neglecting their relationship with
Christ.
• Revival is needed when we are low on
zeal and have grown lukewarm.
8. REVIVAL is not…
• Revival is not a meeting, not an event –
it is an encounter with the living, loving
God.
• Revival is not a completed event but a
continuing experience.
• Revival is not an unexpected accident –
it comes to the seeking heart.
9. Intentional and Intense
• Seeking God with all of our being demands that
we be intentional and intense.
• Often times it’s only when we are in a crisis that
we become semi-sincere about seeking the “face
of God,” …after the pressure subsides or the
need is meet, we return to casually seeking God,
thinking that there is no urgent need for Him at
the moment.
• This is because some only seek God for the
blessings in His hands and not His face which is
symbolic of His presence.
10. Intentional and Intense
• In God’s presence there is peace, joy and rest for our souls.
When we seek the “face of God,” we are seeking His counsel,
guidance, strength, correction and wisdom regarding
every aspect of our lives.
• This must be done intentionally and with intensity because
every decision we make, big or small, affects our daily
affairs and destiny.
• So often many of us have become consumed with the cares
of this world. We are intentional about building our
careers, building homes, building our image and building
unhealthy relationships that pull us away from God.
• We have allowed all these things to turn us away from the
source and strength of our lives, and before you know it
God becomes an afterthought in our everyday affairs.
11. REVIVAL
• Revival is the work of God.
• We pray for it because we are
dependent upon Him to send it.
• We are not to seek revival –
• We are to seek the Reviver!