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Did Someone Say Revival?
I have heard a lot of people saying that want to experience a real revival and renewal of the things of God in the US. Well, we definitely need to experience a revival, since the American church is half-dead, it needs to be renewed; but how shall this come to pass??
2 Chron 29:1-11
In order for the Israelites to experience revival and renewal, a few things had to transpire-
- The priests had to be sanctified. vs. 5
In the OT he priesthood was restricted to the qualified descendants of Aaron alone. Their distinctive activity was to offer sacrifices and intercession to God on behalf of His people and to communicate with God.
These priests had followed the course of the previous King of Judah Ahaz, who did evil in the sight of the Lord, therefore they had to be sanctified again.
Sanctified means to be set apart for God’s purposes. They needed to confess and be cleansed of their sins in order to lead God’s people into holiness.
In Christ, we have been made a priest before God. YOU ARE A PRIEST! Say, “I am a holy priesthood”
1 Peter 2:5New King James Version (NKJV)
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9New King James Version (NKJV)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
If we as the church are going to experience revival and renewal, we have to sanctify ourselves before the Lord.
Although this was an Old Testament command for a particular occasion, it can well be applied also to the New Testament Christian’s whole life in Christ. The words “sanctify” and “make holy” are the same. In both Testaments, the meaning is essentially to “set apart” unto God.
In one sense, the process of sanctification is a work that God does in us, for Christ “is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification” (I Corinthians 1:30). “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
Yet in another (though similar) sense, we must sanctify ourselves, for the Scripture commands: “As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (I Peter 1:15). This command to be sanctified, holy, set apart, has many very practical and physical implications. For example: “This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (I Thessalonians 4:3).
Just how can we sanctify ourselves? In the upper room, Jesus prayed for His followers thus: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). In the same vein, Paul reminds us that Christ “loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25,26). It is Christ who sanctifies us-positionally by His sacrificial death, then day-by-day through application of His word (the Holy Scriptures) to our lives. Our part in this sanctification process is simply to read, believe, and obey His word.
- The Cleansing of the house of the Lord vs.5,18
The church is the Body and house of the Lord.
We must remove those things in the church that are clearly contrary to God’s will as revealed in scripture. Notice to experience a revival- it must be an individual as well as a COLLECTIVE effort.
The church is a BODY, singular parts working together as a whole
What affect a part- affects the WHOLE.
Did you know that if you cut off your pinky toe that you cannot run, walk or skip? Your pinky toes give you balance.
What you do effects others in the BODY.
THE CHURCH BODY must be cleansed of anything false.
Ex: our belief system, do you believe the Bible is God-breathed?
Do you believe Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father?
What do you believe about your lifestyle that is contrary to the Word of God?
What are we worshiping? God or something else? money? our stuff? job?
These things MUST BE cleansed from God’s house if we are going to experience any form of a great revival.
It must be cleansed of all unrighteousness!
Jeremiah 7:8-11New King James Version (NKJV)
“Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.
I am not saying you have to be perfect, NO! You just have to be submitted to the Word of God.
Psalm 138:2New King James Version (NKJV)
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
You are different. You are peculiar.
You are supposed to be showing your brothers and sisters in the right path, not sitting back and letting them think and act contrary to the Word of God.
Always, in love, correct those who oppose themselves. EX: Grace took me under her wings
Give people time to grow, but LEAD them in the right path!
- Renewal of the Covenant vs. 10-11
We must renew our dedication to God, His kingdom and His righteous cause on earth-
It’s about HIM and His ways, not about me and my ways. It’s about His kingdom, not my kingdom
You have to remember why you are here as a holy priesthood. IT’S ABOUT HIM.
THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PRIEST ARE AS FOLLOWS:
- to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God including being a living sacrifice
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
- offer up the sacrifice of praise
Want to experience revival in your personal life? GIVE HIM PRAISE
Hebrews 13:15New King James Version (NKJV)
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
When things are good, give Him praise
When things are bad, give Him praise. EX: It is Well with my Soul
What is the fruit of your mouth? Life or death? Belief or doubt? Trust or fear?
- serve Him with whole hearts and willing hands
Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Philippians 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all
- perform good deeds
Hebrews 13:16New King James Version (NKJV)
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
- giving of our material possessions
Romans 12:10-13New King James Version (NKJV)
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
God owns a 100%- we tithe and think we get to do whatever we want with that 90%
- presenting our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness
Romans 6:13New King James Version (NKJV)
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
- intercede and pray for all people, especially of the house of God
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
Pray for your enemies- when I am feeling bitterness, “LORD bless them”
- declare God’s Word and pray for its success
2 Thessalonians 3:1New King James Version (NKJV)
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,
- proclaim the gospel of salvation to His glory and praise
Not everyone is an evangelist, but we are all called to evangelize
I as witnessing to a friend and he replied to me, “My faith is personal”
Your salvation is personal, your faith supposed to be on display for all to see
THESE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PRIEST!
- Proclaim a blood sacrifice for atonement vs. 20-24
We must appropriate by faith the blood atonement of Jesus, who suffered on the cross to save, sanctify and heal His people.
Hebrews 9:11-14New King James Version (NKJV)
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come,[a] with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Apply the blood over your lives and your children’s lives- you are set free from Satan’s power by the blood!
Rely on His blood to COVER your sins and do away with your shame, once and for all
We overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony