[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 14th of September, 2014.]
Today we conclude my short series leading up to our revival services tonight by focusing on the third and final “R” – revival. Again I’ll be working from the words of the Apostle Paul, who so spectacularly experienced renewal and revival, who was given a new life and a new mission in life, all by the resurrection power of Jesus.
Hear Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus, chapter 5 verses 6 through 14, where he speaks to us all, we who call ourselves Christians…
Hear Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus, chapter 5 verses 6 through 14, where he speaks to us all, we who call ourselves Christians…
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”
--Ephesians 5:6-14 (NASB)
Let us pray... Heavenly Father, we come before You this morning refreshed and renewed, eager to hear Your message for us. Please, Lord, use Your servant to give Your word voice this morning. Move Your Holy Spirit among us and touch each heart, those present and those missing from our family this morning. Fill us with Your breath of revival. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
One day when a father came home, he sat down to relax and read the paper. His young son had other ideas. The playful boy continually pestered his father. The frustrated farther tired of his son’s nagging and took a page of the paper with a picture of the world and tore it into pieces – many pieces. “Son,” the father said, “go into the other room and put the world back together.” A few moments later the boy returned. He had taped the world back together. The surprised father asked, “How did you do that so quickly?” “It was easy,” the boy replied. “You see, on the other side of the world was a picture of a man, and as soon as I got the man straightened out, the world was OK too!”
Perhaps the way to fix our broken world, a world that has been shattered into a million pieces by the deadly hammer of sin, is to put the broken man back together first.
[From 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, “Fix the World”, #795, p. 302.]
Does anyone know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. What if we tried fixing the world one person at a time, one lost soul at a time? We might not be able to fix the entire world, but I bet we can put one broken person back together. And then maybe another, and another, and another…
So we’ll pick a person to fix, but how do we fix them? What can we tell them to help put them back together?
Well, we can start with what James, the half-brother of Jesus, tells us all. In chapter 4 verse 8 of his letter, James gives us a promise…
One day when a father came home, he sat down to relax and read the paper. His young son had other ideas. The playful boy continually pestered his father. The frustrated farther tired of his son’s nagging and took a page of the paper with a picture of the world and tore it into pieces – many pieces. “Son,” the father said, “go into the other room and put the world back together.” A few moments later the boy returned. He had taped the world back together. The surprised father asked, “How did you do that so quickly?” “It was easy,” the boy replied. “You see, on the other side of the world was a picture of a man, and as soon as I got the man straightened out, the world was OK too!”
Perhaps the way to fix our broken world, a world that has been shattered into a million pieces by the deadly hammer of sin, is to put the broken man back together first.
[From 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, “Fix the World”, #795, p. 302.]
Does anyone know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. What if we tried fixing the world one person at a time, one lost soul at a time? We might not be able to fix the entire world, but I bet we can put one broken person back together. And then maybe another, and another, and another…
So we’ll pick a person to fix, but how do we fix them? What can we tell them to help put them back together?
Well, we can start with what James, the half-brother of Jesus, tells us all. In chapter 4 verse 8 of his letter, James gives us a promise…
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.--James 4:8 (NASB)
God never left us - we left Him. If we simply turn back to Him, truly wanting to be near Him, He will open up His arms and pull us into His embrace.
But James says there’s a little more to it than just drawing near to God. We must also get right by Him. James says to cleanse our hands, we sinners. We’re all sinners – we were born into sin, we’ll die in sin. We just can’t help it because we’re human. But we can help whether we continue behavior we know God hates. That’s what James tells us, to clean up our act.
He also calls us double-minded. Too often we do one thing while saying another. I’m sure you’ve heard, or even spoken, the command to “do what I say, not what I do”. We don’t often set very good examples for our kids, or for those we’re trying to help “fix”. We’re a little bit hypocritical in that regard. James tells us to remove that from our hearts.
So there are two more things we can share with our broken friend – to clean up their act and rid their hearts of any hypocritical nature.
But the first suggestion James provides may be the most important: to draw closer to God. Before James wrote these words, Jesus presented the same concept. In Matthew’s Gospel account, chapter 6 verse 33, Jesus instructs us…
But James says there’s a little more to it than just drawing near to God. We must also get right by Him. James says to cleanse our hands, we sinners. We’re all sinners – we were born into sin, we’ll die in sin. We just can’t help it because we’re human. But we can help whether we continue behavior we know God hates. That’s what James tells us, to clean up our act.
He also calls us double-minded. Too often we do one thing while saying another. I’m sure you’ve heard, or even spoken, the command to “do what I say, not what I do”. We don’t often set very good examples for our kids, or for those we’re trying to help “fix”. We’re a little bit hypocritical in that regard. James tells us to remove that from our hearts.
So there are two more things we can share with our broken friend – to clean up their act and rid their hearts of any hypocritical nature.
But the first suggestion James provides may be the most important: to draw closer to God. Before James wrote these words, Jesus presented the same concept. In Matthew’s Gospel account, chapter 6 verse 33, Jesus instructs us…
33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
--Matthew 6:33 (NASB)
Tell that broken person that the first thing they need to do is to put their focus on God, on God’s kingdom and His righteousness. And then everything else they might need will be provided. Seek God’s face, and in doing so draw closer to Him. Then stop doing the things God hates and quit thinking the thoughts that would pull you away from Him again.
That almost sounds too easy, doesn’t it? I think we all know it’s not quite that simple.
In our message text today, Paul warns us not to be deceived. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul cautions that a time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will fill their churches and their pulpits with those who will tell them only what they want to hear.
Family, if a preacher isn’t preaching Jesus and the Gospel, if they don’t set the Bible as the first and foremost guide for Christians to live by, then they’re trying to deceive you with empty words. And this kind of disobedience will invoke the wrath of God. We’ve seen Paul use this phrase before: the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience. So, broken person, don’t even associate with people of this sort. Because if you want to change, to truly be revived, then you will not want to continue walking in darkness like they are.
And then Paul gives us another of those wonderful little gems we’ve been so blessed with. He calls us “Light in the Lord” – he says we are Light in the Lord. That “L” in “Light” is capitalized – something reserved for designating the Lord, for God, Jesus. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, God is in us, the Light is in us and we are the Light just as Jesus is! We can light the way for others! Broken person, you can be the Light too!
Things that crawl around in the darkness hate the light. They scatter before it like cockroaches in the kitchen when you turn on the overhead late at night to get a snack. And like cockroaches, those who still walk in darkness can’t hide because the Light exposes them. They can’t hide from God, because Jesus knows their heart. Don’t be like them, broken person, but instead keep trying to learn what pleases the Lord.
If our friend still has doubts, we can show them that even the psalmist sought to be renewed and had questions about revival. We can read Psalm 85, verses 4 and 6…
Sure He does. We get our answer in what Jesus reveals to John, in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 5…
“I am making all things new”. “These words are faithful and true.” When Jesus fills us with the Holy Spirit, we are made new. Not only are we revived, we are made new. We are allowed to start all over again. We’re given another chance to get things right. We can’t fix our broken friend, but Jesus can, because He can make them new again.
Now we know what to tell that broken person so we can begin to fix the world. All we have to do is find one, find ourselves a broken, sinful person and get to work on them.
Have you already guessed where I think we should look first? In the mirror.
We are all broken, to one degree or another. If we are honest in our longing for revival, then we need to take these words God gives us to heart. We need to seek God and His kingdom. We need to clean up our act and work on making our hearts pure. We need to practice what we preach and think right thoughts. We need to get right with God. And if we do, He will breathe life into us once again, will fill us yet again with His Holy Spirit. Just like we can refill that balloon and make it fly again just by blowing more air into it, God can refill us and make us soar. He can make us new.
But we have to take the first steps. Just like Paul says, we have to awaken from our sleep of apathy and start caring again. Caring for our own future and for that of our brothers and sisters. We need to arise from the death that is our sin, casting it off, turning from it, cleansing ourselves of it.
And then Christ will shine on us and we will become the Light, for the Light will be in us. And we will truly be alive!
Amen
Let us pray… O gracious God in heaven, we desperately seek Your face. Father, we acknowledge we have sinned against You, and we are so sorry for having done so. Help us, please Lord, to turn from our sinful ways, to repent fully from our behavior that You hate, to place Your kingdom and Your righteousness first in our lives.
Breathe life back into us, Lord. Fill us once more with Your Holy Spirit that we might shine with the Light that is Jesus. Help us leave behind the old self so we can be made new. Revive us, O Lord we pray!
Hear us now, gracious Father, as we speak to You silently from our hearts, as we beseech Your favor…
Heavenly Father, You revive us. You make us new. You breathe into us and we can fly. You touch us and we become alive. Strengthen us, O Lord, to share this revival spirit with others so that they too might be made new. In the holiest of all names, the precious name of Jesus Christ our Master and our Lord we pray. Amen.
That almost sounds too easy, doesn’t it? I think we all know it’s not quite that simple.
In our message text today, Paul warns us not to be deceived. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul cautions that a time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will fill their churches and their pulpits with those who will tell them only what they want to hear.
Family, if a preacher isn’t preaching Jesus and the Gospel, if they don’t set the Bible as the first and foremost guide for Christians to live by, then they’re trying to deceive you with empty words. And this kind of disobedience will invoke the wrath of God. We’ve seen Paul use this phrase before: the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience. So, broken person, don’t even associate with people of this sort. Because if you want to change, to truly be revived, then you will not want to continue walking in darkness like they are.
And then Paul gives us another of those wonderful little gems we’ve been so blessed with. He calls us “Light in the Lord” – he says we are Light in the Lord. That “L” in “Light” is capitalized – something reserved for designating the Lord, for God, Jesus. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, God is in us, the Light is in us and we are the Light just as Jesus is! We can light the way for others! Broken person, you can be the Light too!
Things that crawl around in the darkness hate the light. They scatter before it like cockroaches in the kitchen when you turn on the overhead late at night to get a snack. And like cockroaches, those who still walk in darkness can’t hide because the Light exposes them. They can’t hide from God, because Jesus knows their heart. Don’t be like them, broken person, but instead keep trying to learn what pleases the Lord.
If our friend still has doubts, we can show them that even the psalmist sought to be renewed and had questions about revival. We can read Psalm 85, verses 4 and 6…
4 Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
6 Will You not Yourself revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
That is a legitimate question, isn’t it? Maybe one we ask God ourselves? I mean isn’t that why we’re having a revival service? O God, we want to be restored! Won’t You please revive us? Breathe into us Your breath of life and fill us anew with Your Holy Spirit. Revive us, please Father! When we ask this, when we plead with God to be remade, refreshed, restored, does He answer?--Psalm 85:4,6 (NASB)
Sure He does. We get our answer in what Jesus reveals to John, in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 5…
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
--Revelation 21:5 (NASB)
“I am making all things new”. “These words are faithful and true.” When Jesus fills us with the Holy Spirit, we are made new. Not only are we revived, we are made new. We are allowed to start all over again. We’re given another chance to get things right. We can’t fix our broken friend, but Jesus can, because He can make them new again.
Now we know what to tell that broken person so we can begin to fix the world. All we have to do is find one, find ourselves a broken, sinful person and get to work on them.
Have you already guessed where I think we should look first? In the mirror.
We are all broken, to one degree or another. If we are honest in our longing for revival, then we need to take these words God gives us to heart. We need to seek God and His kingdom. We need to clean up our act and work on making our hearts pure. We need to practice what we preach and think right thoughts. We need to get right with God. And if we do, He will breathe life into us once again, will fill us yet again with His Holy Spirit. Just like we can refill that balloon and make it fly again just by blowing more air into it, God can refill us and make us soar. He can make us new.
But we have to take the first steps. Just like Paul says, we have to awaken from our sleep of apathy and start caring again. Caring for our own future and for that of our brothers and sisters. We need to arise from the death that is our sin, casting it off, turning from it, cleansing ourselves of it.
And then Christ will shine on us and we will become the Light, for the Light will be in us. And we will truly be alive!
Amen
Let us pray… O gracious God in heaven, we desperately seek Your face. Father, we acknowledge we have sinned against You, and we are so sorry for having done so. Help us, please Lord, to turn from our sinful ways, to repent fully from our behavior that You hate, to place Your kingdom and Your righteousness first in our lives.
Breathe life back into us, Lord. Fill us once more with Your Holy Spirit that we might shine with the Light that is Jesus. Help us leave behind the old self so we can be made new. Revive us, O Lord we pray!
Hear us now, gracious Father, as we speak to You silently from our hearts, as we beseech Your favor…
Heavenly Father, You revive us. You make us new. You breathe into us and we can fly. You touch us and we become alive. Strengthen us, O Lord, to share this revival spirit with others so that they too might be made new. In the holiest of all names, the precious name of Jesus Christ our Master and our Lord we pray. Amen.
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