What is Revival?
A MESSAGE BY PASTOR KENT MUNSEY
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Revival is “the sovereign activity of God whereby He renews his people individually and corporately in vigor, affecting both sincerity of belief and quality of behavior.”
A personal revival must happen before a corporate revival can happen.
What’s the difference between evangelism and revival?
Evangelism is an expression of the church; Revival is experienced in the church. Evangelism is for the sinner; Revival is for the saints. Evangelism is the sinner being charged with change; Revival is when the saints quit watching church from their safe seats and take up the work of the Kingdom. Evangelism is the sinner falling in love with Jesus for the first time; Revival is the saints falling in love with Jesus all over again.
To be much for God you have to be much with God.
Revival is about the church repenting. Repent means to change the direction. Repentance does not imply a scandal; the scandal is that we do not repent openly more often or humble ourselves until it is too late and the damage is done. Repentance leads to Humbling leads to Supernatural Obedience. Is there any change that needs to happen in your life? Revival means bringing back to life.
What should be our first instinct is often our last resort to turn to God. If we just turn to him, He is able, He is sovereign, and He will do it all. When we go our own way and seek our own interest, we only will bring death and destruction. Repent just means to turn.
Repentance does not imply a scandal; the scandal is that we do not repent openly more often
Let’s turn our hearts and our eyes back to God. Let’s seek first his Kingdom. Where there are worshippers seeking Him in Spirit and in truth, Jesus is there because He is seeking worshippers. A sinning man will turn from God; a seeking man will turn to God and stop sinning. When we just look to God, our hearts will naturally turn away from sin.
To be much for God you have to be much with God. In order to have a corporate revival, we each have to have our own personal revivals. Revival starts with me. The greatest enemy we will ever have as a church is a dead and lifeless religion. Let’s ask God to revive us individually so that we can experience new life and new passion in the church..
The greatest enemy we will ever have as a church is a dead and lifeless religion.
There are 3 types of prayers for Revival in the bible:
Revive Me. In Psalm 119 David asks the Lord to, “Revive me,” nine times.
Revive Us. (Psalm 80, Psalm 85)
Revive your Work. (Habakkuk 3:2)
When the individual is revived, then the body can be revived. When the body is revived, then God’s work can be revived. Let’s ask God to revive his work through us--because this city, this country, and this world need revival.
Prayer:
God, we boldly pray that you would revive your work. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us with fresh fire! Fan the flame of the Church. Lord, wake us up afresh to you and your glory, so that the Body of Christ might be refreshed, and so that your work will be REVIVED all over the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.