REVIVAL NEEDED, WHAT KIND?

                             PSALMS  85:1-6

INTRO:   I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IN HERE WOULD AGREE THAT  WHAT :

1-OUR CHURCHES NEED IS REVIVAL

2-WHAT AMERICA NEEDS IS REVIVAL

3-WHAT OUR HOMES NEDD IS REVIVAL…….AN OLD FASHION , DEVIL HATEING, SIN KILLING, SAINT REVIVING, HOLY GHOST REVIVAL.

   ---THE QUESTION IS DO WE NEED REVIVAL?    ARE THEY SIGNS THAT INDICATE THAT WE NEED REVIVAL?

   A-WHEN WE HAVE LEFT OUR FIRST LOVE. (WHEN WE DON’T LOVE HIM LIKE WE ONCE DID.)

   B-WHEN CHURCH IS NOT FIRST PRIORITY IN OUR LIVES ANYMORE.

   C-WHEN  PEOPLE CAN  GO ON LIVING IN SIN AND THINK THEIR ALL RIGHT.

   D-WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES DOING THINGS NOW,  THAT WE USE NOT TO DO.

   E-WHEN CHURCH ACTIVITIES AND MINISTRIES ARE NO CONCERN FOR YOU TO ATTEND.

   F-WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES TALKING ABOUT OR AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. (CRITICIZING)

   G-WHEN OUR HEARTS ARE NOT HUNGERING AND THIRSTING AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS.

          THESE ARE A FEW SIGNS  THAT WE ARE IN NEED OF A REVIVAL.

   ---WHAT KIND OF REVIVAL DOES OUR CHURCH NEED?

WE NEED A REVIVAL THAT WILL…..

1-REVIVE OUR CHURCHES     REV.3:1-4

   ---REVIVE—MEANS TO BRING BACK TO LIFE SOMETHING THAT WAS DEAD.   SARDIS HAD A NAME OR REPUTATION OF BEING A LIVE CHURCH BUT IN REALIITY WAS DEAD.

   ---THIS CHURCH HAS A SPRITITUAL REPUTATION OF BEING ALIVE.   BUT I DON’T WANT TO JUST HAVE THE NAME AMONGST  PEOPLE.   BUT THE POWER OF GOD.

A-      A REVIVAL THAT WILL WAKE UP THE SLEEPING SAINTS

B-      A REVIVAL THAT WILL GET THE SAINTS OF GOD OFF THE SEAT OF DO NOTHING.

C-      A REVIVAL THAT WILL GIVE US A VISION OF THE LOST, DIEING AND GOING TO HELL.

D-      A REVIVAL THAT WILL  BE NOTICED AND WANTED BY OTHERS.

E-       A REVIVAL THAT WILL CAUSE YOU TO REMEMBER WHERE GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU FROM.

2-CAUSE US TO RETURN TO GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART        

1 SAM.  7:1-4

   ---ISREAL NEEDED REVIVAL IN THEIR DAY..

   ---IN JUDGES 17:6b  SAYS  “BUT EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.”

   ---AND BECAUSE OF THE SELF-RULE OF ISRAEL, THE NATION SLIPPED MORE AND MORE INTO  MORAL DECAY AND SPIRITUAL CORRUPTION.

   ---1 SAM. 7:1-3--- 

   1-WE SEE THE ARK TAKEN AND BROUGHT TO THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB

   2-ELEAZAR WAS COMMISSIONED TO KEEP THE ARK

   3-AND THE ARK REMAINED THERE FOR 20 YEARS

   ---BUT IN VERSE 3b,   SAMUEL SPAKE UNTO ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND SAID” IF YE   DO  RETURN UNTO THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEARTS”.

   ---NOTICE THE WORD “IF”--- THERES A CONDITION

   ---IF THEY WOULD FOLLOW AND  DO THESE THINGS (DELIVERANCE WOULD COME)   BUT IF  THEY DIDN’T DO THESE THINGS (DELIVERANCE WOULD NOT COME.)

   ---BUT ONLY IF THEY RETURNED WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS.

   ---NOT HALF- HEARTEDLY         ( EPHRAIM WAS AS  A CAKE NOT TURNED )

   ---WE NEED A REVIVAL THAT WILL TURN US BACK TO GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS.

   ---WE ARE LIVING WHEN PEOPLES HEARTS ARE NOT TOTALLY SURRENDERED TO  GOD.

   ---THEIR HEARTS ON EVERYTHING  BUT GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.    THEIR HEARTS ARE NOT IN SERVING THE LORD.    PEOPLES HEARTS ARE FILLED WITH WORLDLY, LUSTFUL, EVIL THINGS.

   ---WE NEED GOD TO GET A HOLD OF OUR HEARTS   AND SHOW US WERE WE NEED TO BE,  AND WHEN HE DOES THEN WE NEED TO LISTEN.

   ---LETS GIVE GOD OUR WHOLE HEART IN HIS SERVICE AND THIS REVIVAL.

3-CAUSE US TO PUT AWAY STRANGE GODS        1 SAM. 7:3

   ---SOME ONE SAID     “PUT AWAY”  MEANS TO   “TURN ASIDE FROM”,  TO  “WITHDRAW” OR  “PLUCK AWAY”

   ---ISRAEL WAS WORSHIPING,  BUT NOT GOD.  

   ---GOD HAD BEEN REPLACED BY FALSE GODS

   ---THE SAME TODAY, PEOPLE  WOULD RATHER   LAY IN BED THAN COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING, NIGHT, OR WEDNESDAY.     THEY WOULD RATHER THEY  HAVE A COLD AND THEN THEY THINK  THEY  WOULD HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR NOT COMEING TO CHURCH.       

   ---WHAT IS YOUR GOD?    TV, SPORTS, MONEY.        WHAT CONTROLS AND POSSESSES YOUR MIND, SOUL AND SPIRIT.

   ---WHAT KEEPS YOU FROM  DOING GODS WILL.

   ---WE NEED A REVIVAL THAT WILL CLEAN OUT THE CLOSETS, ATTICS , BASEMENTS OF OUR LIVES  WHERE WE CAN EXPERIENCE REVIVAL IN OUR HEARTS.

4-PREPARE OUR HEARTS UNTO THE LORD    1 SAM. 7:3

   ---I KNOW WHEN WE CAME TO THE LORD IN REPENTANCE AND ACCEPTED SALVATION FULL AND FREE,  WE HAD TO PREPARE OUR HEARTS UNTO THE  LORD BEFORE WE COULD FORGIVEN FOR OUR SINS.

   ---THE BIBLE SAYS TO MAKE FULL PROOF OF THY MINISTRY… TO CHECK UP!

   ---IF WE WANT REVIVAL WE ARE GOING TO HAVE  TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR HEARTS ARE WHERE GOD CAN  USE AND  BLESS US IN  THIS LIFE.

   ---THERES PROBABLY AREAS IN OUR LIVES THAT WE DESIRE  TO BE  BETTER  BUT WE ARE NOT  WILLING  TO  PREPARE OR  GIVE  THINGS UP ,  TO  LIVE AND ACT ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD.     FOR EXAMPLE:    UNFAITHFULNESS ---- TO NAME ONE.

   ---I BELIEVE ITS TIME TO COME CLEAN BEFORE GOD AND PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO BE TOTALLY HIS WITHOUT RESERVATIONS OR COMPROMISE.

   ---WE NEED A REVIVAL THAT WILL  TRULY  PREPARE OUR  HEARTS UNTO THE LORD.

5-CAUSE US TO BE IN COMPLETE SERVICE TO GOD  1SAM 7:3

   ---WHAT IS SERVICE TO GOD?   (MATT.  4:10)

    1-IT IS DOING WHAT HE SAYS IN  HIS WORD ----  YOU KNOW ITS NOT ENOUGH TO ATTEND CHURCH.  GOD WANTS YOU TO SERVE HIM.   GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE OUT HIS LIVING WORD  THROUGH YOUR LIFE,   YOUR WORK PLACE,  YOUR HOME,  AT SCHOOL.

    ---REVIVAL COMES WHEN WE SET OUR LIVES APART TO  COMPLETELY SERVE HIM.  (NOT HALF- HEARTEDLY)

   ---HOW  DO WE SERVE GOD?    (JOSHUA 24:14)

    1-SERVE HIM WITH FEAR

    2-SERVE HIM WITH SINCERITY

    3-SERVE HIM  IN TRUTH

    4-DON’T LET NOTHING HINDER YOU FROM SERVING HIM.

CONCLUSION:             

             WHAT KIND OF REVIVAL DO WE NEED?   (LUKE 24:32)     ONE THAT WILL  REKINDLE THE FIRE OF EXCITEMENT  V.31),   THE FIRE OF JOY V.34),    THE FIRE OF SHARING THE WORD  V.35 ).

   ---ONE THAT WILL CAUSE US TO BE WHAT HE WANTS US TO BE.

   ---DO YOU REALLY WANT A REVIVAL IN YOU PERSONALLY.