Who would like to be able to say that they were part of something
big in the Christian church? That they were there when revival came to
Sydney. To be able to say 'I was there when they cancelled a football game
because of Church'. Where Churches open every night of the week, and not
just this church, but every church. Who would like to live in a time when
God was very very real.
Every generation needs a revival, but not every generation gets a revival. We are meant to have it to. We're not meant to fight with other churches. We are to be different, but work together for Christ in this city.
We are to pray that 'heaven is opened'. That's one of the phrases used to describe revivals - that there is an open heaven.
Isaiah 64.1
'that you o lord would open the heavens'
Some older Bibles translate this as 'rent the heavens'. This doesn't
mean sell a whole lot of advertising up there, cause there's a lot of space.
It means 'tear the heavens apart so that they may be open over us.' This
should be our prayer.
There are 4 ways to work towards an open heaven - we can apply this
individually or as a church, or as a nation.
- Cynicism 'I've heard that revival stuff all before, I don't expect anything'. You can be cynical or negative, but I say, start believing God for it. I would rather die/ leave believing for revival and not seeing it, than moving on not believing that God was ever going to do anything, being cynical and hard hearted. Believe God. We'll do it together
Hebrews 11:1 'Faith is the evidence of things not seen'
If you want to see things happen in your life, in your school, in your
work, in your relationships, you first of all got to believe it.
That's how we make deposits out of the unseen world into the seen world.
It's how we make the transfer, through believing.
'I'm just hoping and praying' It not just a hoping prayer, its a believing
prayer. What's the difference? Hoping prayer is just 'one day I hope it
will happen, and when it does, I'll believe it'. Believing prayer believes
now before it happens.
Mark 11:24 'Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe
that you have received it, and it shall be yours.
Notice you have to believe when? When you pray - Believe and
you shall have. 'Shall have' is future tense, but the presence tense, when
we don't have what we want, is presence tense - that's the believing now
Jesus said, that 'You have what you say.' The trouble with a lot of Christians is that thay 'say what they have'. You got to say what you're believing for. Some people 'well the jobs going really bad, and the family's a mess and I can't stand my friends . . . Lord HELP' Well, is that a prayer full of faith? Start praying prayers full of faith. . 'Lord I believe that I'll have a great family life, and that the business will go well etc. Believe stuff before you see it, and then you will start to see it
'Faith is the evidence of things NOT SEEN. If you could see it, you wouldn't have to believe it. If you could see it, why would you have to believe it? You only have to believe if you can't see it. It doesn't say 'faith is the evidence of things seen', but 'not seen'. It's those things in the kingdom that we can't see that we have to believe for. If you've already got it, you don't have to believe that you've got it, cause you've already got it. If you haven't got it, you gotta believe for it. Get it?
You've got to believe you've got it before you get it.
How many of you here believe that you have a right leg? (It's
a trick question)
Why do you have to believe that you have a right leg? Don't you know
you have a right leg? Can't you use it, touch it. The only person who could
legitimately say that they believe they have a right leg, are those who
don't have one at the moment. 'I don't have a right leg, but I'm believing
God for one.
How many of you believe you're listening to me right now? (Another trick question)
Faith is the evidence of things not seen. 'So I don't see revival' Correct. . but lets believe it, lets expect it; in our bones
Expect a miracle every day. What do you get out of church? You get out what you expect.. 'Didn't get anything out of church tonight' That's not necessarily my fault!! It's yours (doesn't give me permission to be lazy or slack) Come expecting, and despite how bad the preaching may be, or the worship may be, God will work through it, if you come expecting. You expect God to speak to you, to minister to your spirit today, chances are he will.
Faith is trusting in God that he is going to move in your life.
Do you expect a good day tomorrow? No, it's Monday
Parents, what do you expect from your kids? Yuk . . no expect
them to be great
Kids, what do you expect from your parents? Nags . . no, expect a growing
relationship
You need to say, I'm going to believe God, but I'm also going to back
it up with actions.
What an exciting word - sacrifice.
When people have a sacrificial attitude in life, towards other people,
God moves in their world quicker than anything else. People who are quick
to sacrifice are quick to receive.
When Stephen is stoned in acts 7, he stands and preaches, and he knows
they're going to stone him, and in the act of stoning him he says 'look,
I see the heavens open'. (7.56) You want to see heaven open, you got to
sacrifice. It's going to cost you something
We talk about giving, sometimes financial sacrifice.
Malachi 3:10 'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse . . . .test
me in this' says the lord almighty 'and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates (or windows) of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you
will not have room enough for it.'
If you want to have heaven opened over your world, you'll have to sacrifice
something in your world. Sacrifice is important before God.
Christianity is not some legalistic, condemning type of structure. But the bible has a lot about doing the right thing. If it didn't, it wouldn't have that much in it. Practical stuff - don't lie, don't cheat, don't sleep with people who aren't your spouse etc. He doesn't say this to be a spoil sport, he says it because it makes good sense. God's not frowning on us all the time.
If you want to see revival in your life, you've got to pay the price.
Be disciplined, be proactive - lets go for it. Thank God for his forgiveness,
cause we still make mistakes.
You may say 'God made me the way I am, so he loves me the way I am'
Yea, God made you this way, but he didn't make you this way so you would
stay this way. He wants to change you from glory to glory. I want to see
you all change. Nothing would make me sadder, if I was to come back here
and see you here just like you are now. How you are now isn't bad, but
I don't want you to stop here.
I want to hassle you to change in that loving special pastoral type
of way that I do things.
You can do better than this. You won't be condemned if you can't do
certain things, but when you change from glory to glory, you life will
be enriched, and you will experience revival in your life.
There's a balance here, between legalism, and doing whatever we like.
Great revivals happen
In Boston USA, 1 person started a prayer meeting at lunch time. 1/2
hour no one turned up. Then 2 people turned up. They prayed for 1/2 hour.
Next week 5 people turned up,
A year later, there were 10,000 people praying in various parts
of the town during lunchtime
Sometimes we want all the things that God wants to do without doing
any of the things God calls us to do. The definition of a fanatic is one
who wants the end without following through the means They want god to
do it all without them doing nothing. God bless me, but I'm not going to
work or do anything to bring it on. The bible says you got another thing
coming
'If you don't work, you won't eat' You may say 'That's not very nice
. . . I don't have a job' Well make looking for a job, your job. Apply
yourself to it. Just don't lie around expecting it all to be done for you'
It gets down to attitude, not your situation
If you want revival, its not going to happen if you tip toe through the tulips and wait for it to happen, you've got to do something
List the somethings . . . .
Normal type stuff is what is required.
Then heaven will be opened
When we do it God will open his blessing more and more.
We've sown in tears we deserve to reap in joy
Make you mind up to be alive when revival comes