Intro. Over the past few months I, along with others, have been talking about the coming revival.   Today and next Sunday I want to minister on “Revival”.   I pray  your hearts will be stirred to hunger for this extraordinary move of God.  

Text:  Psalms 85:6, “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?”

Revive=to return to consciousness or life : become active or flourishing again: 1 : to restore to consciousness or life. 2 : to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state : bring back. 3 : to renew in the mind or memory.

Romans 8:18-19,  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

 “We are standing on the threshold of global revival” are some words the Spirit spoke into my spirit 4:30 AM at a quaint little hotel in Santa Paula, CA.

I believe there are many within the church that are tired of the uninspired, lifeless meetings that are being replicated across the country that we call having church.  There is being birthed in many a desire for something that gives substance to the time that men are giving on Sunday morning to their God.  Something that will help them have faith in God…faith in themselves…faith in others…faith that they will be able to overcome the obstacles that inevitable come their way every day.     The church is not producing it!   We have ended up with misdirected pursuits…pursuits that are depleting, diluting and destroying the church instead of reviving it.  

History bears out there are people who have made a mark on their generation because of a great move of God but through time they became so caught up in their own organizations.  They ceased to function as an organism that God could work through to bring life and light to a spiritually darkened world.  I pray today that we, the church of this hour that God is raising up, will not allow itself to follow the paths of self-destruction that so many have followed. 

  Note what some are saying “ Revival “ is….  

*Revival is an infusion of new spiritual life imparted by the Holy Spirit to existing parts of Christ’s body.”  Richard Lovelace

*Real revival does not begin with joyous singing. It begins with conviction and repentance on the part of Christians.” Vance Havner

*Revival is not just an emotional touch; it’s a complete takeover!” Nancy Leigh Demoss

*Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God’s near presence and holiness. Thence springs a vivid sense of sin and a profound exercise of heart in repentance, praise, and love, with an evangelistic outflow.” J.I. Packer

*Revival is a divinely initiated work in which God’s people pray, repent of their sin, and return to a holy, Spirit-filled, obedient, love-relationship with God.” Henry Blackaby

*“Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one’s will to God in deep humility.” Charles Finney

*In revival, God is not concerned about filling empty churches, He is concerned about filling empty hearts.” Leonard Ravenhill

I.   The Steps To Revival (Process):   Ps. 85:6, “Will You not revive us again, That          

     Your people may rejoice in You?” (A Request.)  In this we see the ‘first steps’ for     

     Revival.

    

    Step One – The Need:  The desire itself is the admission of need.  There must be   

    an admission of need to see revival.  In this verse we see that David has looked 

    around and determined they needed something they had experienced in the 

    past…they needed a  ”God to do it again” moment.

  

    I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that if we look around we see 

    evidence that we need re-viving. We need a God do it again moment!!

  The Evidence…We live in the time of the “Cultural Christian”… someone born into    

  a Christian family, raised going to church, but without any personal relationship with  

 Jesus.  

A main stay for the Christian, and must still be, is knowledge of the Word of God but the “Cultural Christians” rarely if ever reads the Bible.  This has resulted in gross Biblical illiteracy and the un-doing of doctrine plus producing a powerless, purposeless, person who has the title Christian but doesn’t manifest the lifestyle.

Acts 1:8 said “you will receive power after the Holy Ghost has came upon you and you will begin to produce!!!”  My prayer is for God to raise up a generation that sees the need of that power in their live today…a power that will help them storm the gates of hell and take back what the devil has stolen!!

Step Two: Desire, “Will you not re-vive (Latin re=again or again and again) us again (another time; once more)”.

Step Three: The Purpose.….. “that Your people may rejoice (feel or show great joy) in You.

Conc.  In my opinion REVIVAL is not something that may happen…it is something that is going to happen.   If you are ready to experience what God has destined us to be part of…if you are willing to take the steps I have shared today…then get ready it is coming and can and will be the beginning of something that God has destined us to be a part of…this is your time.