An Un-Revival

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

An un-revival? Don’t get me wrong. We need revival. All of us. When you put “un” as a prefix to a word it means to do the opposite. If you undo, you take apart that which has been done. However, don’t consider un-revival as doing what you can in order to not have revival. There is already enough of that. We all need to have revival but we need an un-revival of the snares we find ourselves in that keep us from it. What about feelings of the heart? Are you not where you used to be? Something has to come undone for revival to happen.

The world is in the shape as described here in Isaiah. The people had to realize what was wrong with them. If Isaiah, with God’s help, reached the backslidden nation of Israel he can use these words to help us. The time is as wicked as it’s ever been. It is evil. The condition of souls and how people think and act is evil continually. That can rub off on us and cloud our judgment if we’re not careful. What used to be wrong is not anymore. Things aren’t black and white; they are now gray, not clear as they once were. Satan wants to get the unsaved further away from the truth and being saved while at the same time getting those who are saved in a confused condition so that they become ineffective for God. If we can’t help ourselves, we cannot help others.

We have to draw a line. Israel was dead set on going from God. Verse 10 says their heart was fat. It was full with no room for God. Don’t we see that now. We’re told to use this product. Do this thing. Be associated with this group. Get in better shape. Be your own kind of person. Believe whatever you want and you’ll find the peace you seek. Jesus said that he gives peace and it is NOT peace as the world gives. You can put anything in a blender and with enough sugar you can drink it. We’re too full of material things and self; there is no room for God. In order to be filled with God, there must be an emptying out. That’s un-revivaling!  You will not be revived until you do that.

Isaiah said their ears were heavy. Have you lost your hearing for God? I have ringing in my ears and it makes it hard to hear others. There are more Bibles and churches in America than anywhere else but they are hardly ever opened and read. The preaching falls on heavy ears. Tune the other stuff out. Quit listening to that and listen to God. We have to un-revive the hearing. If a doctor finds your ears stopped up with wax he will clean them out. We need our ears cleaned out so we can hear the Word and hear God. None of us has to be deaf to God.

Our eyes are blinded. It’s so easy to see how bad the world is or the sin in someone else’s life. Take a good look at yourself. Get the heart cleaned out. Clean the ears. Get the vision uncloudy. Start looking at yourself and asking the Lord to show you what shape you’re truly in. Then have the courage and humility to do what he says. Revival comes when some un-reviving goes on: unstuff the heart; clean out the ears; clear up the vision.

Is your spiritual life so tied up that you can’t pray? That you can’t study the Word of God? That you don’t come to church? Ask the Lord this:  “undo me.” You can tighten your shoelaces so tight that your feet swell. If you want God’s revival, you gotta untie and loosen some things you shouldn’t have in your life.

Isaiah saw God and said Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. When you see God as he is, not as we imagine him to be, we can see our condition and what needs to be done. Do you need to undo some things? How’s your hearing? The devil should not have our tongue. God should. If all you use your tongue for is gossip and carnality, something is wrong. Get right with God. What do others think when they drive by here and see you enter this church? Are you bringing a reproach to God by how you act outside the church with your neighbors and friends and family? There is enough carnality. Has it been eons since you let God look at what you need to do in your life to have revival?

We have to say as Isaiah did “here am I.” Unloose what needs to be. Bind what needs to be bound. Undo what needs it. Have an un-revival and then we can have a revival!