Thoughts on Revival 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 7-2-06

Sermon 7-2-06 2Chronicles7:14-16

Revival in context of scripture
Solomons Temple

Revivals in american History

1st great awakening 1730-1740
needed after colonists had forgotten their original intent
johnathan Edwards [congregational]
Edward Fyling Housen [Dutch reformed]

George Whitfield...contemp of Wesley [Methodist]
1740 preached to thousands

second great awakening 1800s camp meeting
1820-30 or so
Charles Finney [Presbyterian]
alter calls, immediate decisions, mourners bench

1850s Jeremiah Lanphier...prayer meetings [dutch reformed]
spread all over the country
city missionary in the Dutch Reformed Church in New York. He decided to hold a noon-day prayer meeting and distributed a few handbills inviting others to join him during the lunch hour every Wednesday. At the first meeting six people were present. The second week there were twenty and the third week over forty. it was then decided to hold the prayer meeting every day. Within months 10,000 people were gathering in the city every day to pray. Thus began in New York the spiritual awakening which eventually spread through america

1880's
DL Moody - businessman called to preach
at the age of twenty-three Moody was led by Christ to minister to the poor Scandinavian and Gernman immigrants in the inner city. Soon he left business completely to devote his like to Christ's service
He used lecture halls and theaters as his pulpits, crossing over stubborn denominational lines. he was able to reach the masses who otherwise would not visit a church or listen to the claims of the gospel. His popularity grew quickly.
It is estimated that during Moody's lifetime, he traveled more than one million miles, spoke to more than 100 million people, and led hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to Jesus Christ.
President Lincolm and Grant both attended Moody's revival services in a single day.

Billy Sunday

Billy Graham

Characterizations of revival

• simple preaching
• justification by faith in Christ alone
• the convincing power of the holy spirit
• not based on what men are doing, bu God acts sovereignly
• God grips the hearts of people outside of the worship service, walking down the road, driving in a car

So what does this mean for us?
I cannot control America, I cannot say is God will bring a revival.
That is up to God

But I can apply all of this information to myself and so can you.

• have you fulfilled your potential as a Christian
• are you satisfied with your level of spiritually
• would you like to be closer to God
• more aware of him--more desirous to please him
• more fulfilled in your daily living

Would you be open to a personal revival of your soul today
I would ask you to consider doing three things

1. Pray - focus in prayer that God's purpose will become greater than your natural human selfishness...don't pray for everything under the sun, simply pray for this - "not my will but thine be done"
   
2. welcome brokenness - when we truly pray brokenness will ensue

• Julie last week...God found me in the brokenness
• In brokenness - a repentant heart will begin to grow
• You will feel clean

3. act out your faith...act out of that brokenness

• apologize to those in your family, work harder on relationships
• husbands will go to wives and try to make it right...wives will go to husbands and [that would be a revival]
• give self away as never before
• make yourself available for the purposes of God

I grew up thinking that Good Christians had all of the merit badges...Worship, Sunday School, several devotional books, lots of scripture reading and memorization.

Today, I think this. If you can find one real thing to think about. And you can focus on that one thing for several months, you will change, and you will change the woruld around you.

Change renewal revival, begins with you.
Do you want more from God. Be willing to change. Do you want to impact your world, your country, make a deeper walk with Jesus the business of your life.

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my own town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tired to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize that the only thing that I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nationa and I could indeed have changed the world.

Are you tired of life in the status quo? I invite you today to choose Jesus Christ.