You May Need a Revival

The message was brought by Rev. Donnie White.

II Peter 1: Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, ³ According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. ¹⁰ Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: ¹¹ For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ¹² Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. ¹³ Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; ¹⁴ Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

Apostle Peter lists several things we need in our Christian life—faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance….  We need to remember that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith.  That’s our part.  As time went on we found ourselves in need of revival of a few things.

We need a revival of trust in the Lord.  We don’t trust him as we once did.  When we were first saved it was new and we trusted the Lord more.  In time we fell into self-sufficiency.  Peter tells of the precious promises we can claim when we trust the Lord.  We’re an instant society.  We hurry to get up, hurry to get ready for work, hurry at work, hurry home and do our things and hurry and go to bed so we can start it all over the next day.  Then we expect God to be on that kind of time table.  We want him to answer us now.  God has his own time table and sometimes it seems excruciatingly slow.  We need a revival of our trust in God.

We need a revival of tears for sinners.  There is no humbleness in society today.  We need to be broken for the lost.  They that sow in tears will reap in joy.  It used to be important to pray for our lost loved ones. We need a burden to get families into the house of God.  He is still in the saving business and we need some tears.

We need a revival of a testimony of salvation.  Your testimony may not be like someone else’s but it is yours.  Stand up.  Tell it.  We had a desire when we were first saved to tell others about it.  Don’t dwell on what you used to be.  Just tell what God did for you.  Now, we don’t do it as much as we used to.  We need a revival of our testimony.

We need a revival of our tithe.  Material blessings are standing between many people and God.  Material things don’t always mean God is blessing.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t let them get in the way.  They sometimes pull people away from God.  But if we would all give as we should, there would be more to do God’s work.  Consider how God has blessed and do what he says when it comes to giving.

We need a revival of our time with God.  Our time with God is not just when we come to church.  If we tithed our time it would mean giving God 2.4 hours a day.  We fall way short of that.  Ephesians 5 tells us see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  That means to look at where God would have us go.  Be faithful and live for God.  Too many claim to be Christians but live as they choose during the week.  We’ll answer to God.  We tend to give God our “spare change.”  Many say “if I have time I’ll go to church” or “I’ll study the Bible and pray.”  That’s a dangerous way to be.

We need a revival of talent.  There’s a lot of good Christian music out there; unfortunately, many are in it for money or entertainment.  Where is the Spirit?  There was a time when people liked anointed preaching, teaching and singing.  Now they want their ears tickled, a smile not a pointed finger warning them.  The thrill of fellowship with God, with Jesus Christ, and with our brothers and sisters is a blessing to our soul.  Not wanting these things indicates a waning of the spiritual things.

Nobody wants to admit they’re wrong.  Even God’s people don’t admit it anymore.  People will say they need to make changes but not admit any wrong.  We must repent to have revival.  Second Chronicles 7:14 says if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  If we want to see revival, we have to be willing to repent.

Peter said he was bringing these things to their remembrance.  We know them.  I’m just here to remind you.  Are you a hearer only or are you a doer of the Word?  That’s when revival comes.