A NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION

At the turn of the new year people make all kind of new year’s resolutions… Maybe give up smoking, start a new diet? …have you done that? Have you broken any of them yet? Julie heard one – My new year’s resolution is to get rid of all the unhealthy food in the house – That’s what I did – and it was delicious. New year’s resolutions. Sometimes it is quite a vain thing to do. For some of us it’s already too late. They have broken them already! When it comes to making changes that are healthier for us, some people have will- power but they don’t have WON’T - power. Of course any time is always a good time to ask God to help us give up some things that are bad for us, and ask Him to help

us take up some good habits into our lives. You don’t have to wait till the next 1st of January. Now’s a good time to decide to decide to make this new year count – for God. I’m not talking to you about New Year resolutions today. But about a new year’s revolution. That is my prayer for this church. This people here today. In case you didn’t realise it. We need one. A revolution. The Bible speaks of THE LAST DAYS. These are PERILOUS TIMES. Truly these are eventful days that we are living in. The Lord is coming soon. We live in a chaotic world bent on self destruction. As a people we have forgotten God.

This pagan nation called Australia is in trouble today. Why? Why is this so? The fault lies at the feet of the professing churches of our nation. Australia is in trouble - because our churches are in trouble. Apostasy prevails. There is a widespread spiritual darkness. We are a nation ripe for destruction. Something is terribly wrong. The Bible says God is sick of it. Literally. He rebukes the lukewarm church of Laodicea. The Lord expresses His disgust with the so-called solemn assembly and their efforts at worship which He calls vain and noise. What is going on in churches these days? Sometimes it is a spectacle, a circus show, an effort at blending worldly entertainment with the atmosphere of a nightclub. I saw one disturbing video clip last night about a new trend becoming popular in some mega church youth groups. It’s called gross-out games. It is sick. And it literally makes people sick.

All in the name of pulling a crowd, yet it drags the name of Jesus in the mud. I won’t even elaborate on what it is all about because it is unworthy of the Saviour’s precious name. We have forsaken God as a people. Judgment is at the doors. In this hour of crisis we need to shake ourselves from our spiritual slumber. Christianity is in a sickly state. It’s a good time to reflect on the state of the church. What it is now. And, what it COULD be. What is the condition of the church? There is an indifference to spiritual things… Apathy Unconcern

A spiritual slumber A paralysis.

The church is asleep. Drifting. Led by blind leaders of the blind. There is an appalling neglect of meetings, a neglect of spiritual things. No wonder there is evident Biblical illiteracy. People don’t know their Bibles because they are absent from Bible study. There is a sham pretense of Christianity. There is a prevailing prayerlessness, a carelessness, a coldness, a worldliness… I ask you to be honest. And consider where you stand. Australia, we have settled for a complacent, cozy Christianity. A she’ll be right mate kind of Christianity. THAT is the condition of the church, by and large. No wonder our nation is in trouble. What is our condition MEANT to be? As the church we have a high and holy

calling. We, the church of God, are meant to be a separated people, holy and undefiled. This is classic Christianity, historic Christianity, whenever in the past the church was where it was meant to be. That is what we need to go back to. That is why I put to you that we need a new year’s revolution. Our nation is in trouble. The church is meant to be God’s great instrument for the evangelisation of the world. It is meant to be a centre of blessing the world. Yet, sadly, how we have fallen! God’s wrath is about to fall. We need to plead for mercy. How can we RESTORE the sacredness of the church?

Hab 3:2 O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION. A radical change A fresh consecration to God A refreshing of zeal, of passion, of

action. REVIVAL is our greatest need A Holy Ghost revival True Bible revival. Through Bible times there have been revivals – such as in the days of Jonah, Josiah, and Nehemiah. Each revival rested on the Word of God, and its

proclamation with power. Each time there was a destruction of idols and a restoration of true worship and gladness and joy. I’ve been encouraged by reading some of the classics – some books from yesteryear – about what Christianity CAN look like. Where God worked in REVIVAL. Real REVIVAL. Down through church history we have likewise seen some mighty awakenings of churches and communities where many people have been saved. Whole nations have experienced such waves of God’s blessing and His amazing saving work in people’s lives. O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION. Andrew Murray said: "A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of

worldliness and selfishness, and making God and His love triumph in the heart and life." Revival means nothing less than a revolution. I looked up a definition of revolution. An overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed. A radical and pervasive change in society… A sudden, complete or marked change in something. We need a revolution. We need a revival in the church. In us. Revival is an awakening… A restoration A refreshing A visitation It is a people saturated with God.

Revival means to restore lost power. To revitalise. "Revival is simply New Testament Christianity, the saints going back to normal." - Vance Havner. Revival means new life from God. It is His outpouring Revival is a quickening of life God’s people get revitalised With a divine visitation. Evan Roberts had a WATCHWORD – BEND THE CHURCH AND SAVE THE WORLD. He prayed eleven years for revival. And he saw a mighty visitation of God in Wales. That was 1904. God bent the church back into shape. We are in desperate need of revival. Let us rise to our own responsibility. We are the church. Seek Him with all of our hearts.

Lord, bend the church. There are some FEATURES OF REVIVAL we have seen evident in the scriptures and in church history, when revival came. WE can seek the same God for the same work in us… The first feature of revival I note is this…

1. PRAYER We must get back to the Upper Room. We must have a praying church. Many churches have replaced the Upper Room with the Supper Room. We try and attract sinners with hot food instead of red hot sermons. We try to engineer things by human effort. We neglect to pray.

O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION. Of PRAYER… Of… Believing prayer Prevailing prayer Fervent prayer Agonising prayer A travail of soul Prayer is the heart cry of revival. Prayer acknowledges our helplessness and dependence and faith that God is in control. Prayer says we rely on God. Isn’t that what we must do? It’s been truly said that ‘THE GREATEST POWER ENTRUSTED TO MAN IS PRAYER POWER. But how many of us are untrue to the trust, while this strangely omnipotent power put into our hands lies so largely UNUSED? ‘ – S. D. Gordon.

We need as a church to have the spirit of prayer and for the Spirit of God to make intercession through us. We need a fresh communion with God. How we must pray! Be in prayer for God to do a work in you… When we join in prayer God will do His work… Let us learn to pray Biblically… Pray with urgency Pray with desperation. A man called Whitfield prayed that the Lord would make him an extraordinary Christian. And He did. What a prayer! That’s a prayer we can pray! Whitfield was an extraordinary man. He preached an average of ten sermons a week. God mightily used him. God answered his prayer. Another good prayer someone prayed is: “O Lord teach us how to humble ourselves and to get out of Thy way!” In other words, may we not be an obstacle to revival. It’s been said that some people

are just like barnacles on the old Gospel ship, and it were better that some leave. Let’s not be a barnacle. Let’s get on board. Let’s be in prayer. How we need to pray – and get out of God’s way, so that He can do His work… When we pray we tap into God’s strength. Why are so many weakly Christians? They have not tapped into the power of prayer. It’s been truly said that: “Prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotence.” -- W. S. Bowden. When we come to pray we rely on God and we show our dependence on Him. That’s where God can start to move in our lives. Another quote, from Jonathan Edwards – another who was mightily used of God in revivals: “Nothing

sets a person so much out of the devil's reach as HUMILITY”. O LORD, revive thy work Pride is a barrier to God’s work. We must remove it. Crucify it. Let go and let God. Prayer helps us to find God’s will. It’s been said, “Prayer is designed to adjust you to God's will, not to adjust God to your will” (Henry Blackaby). We need to find God’s will, and do it. And so wait on the Lord. Seek after God, and you will find Him. We need to tarry, wrestle, and travail in prayer. Our heart cry is for revival. It may take a sacrifice on your part to pray. Don’t be put off. It’s been said: “When the sacrifice is complete the fire will fall.” (S. F. Moore)

Maybe we don’t see the fire fall in our lives because we fail to pray. So, it is clear that we need PRAYER. The next feature of revival that stands out to me, is this…

2. POWER We are often too man-centred in how we act as a church. We have a lot of machinery but not a lot of true Heaven sent power. O LORD, revive thy work God needs to do the work. We need a divine takeover.

O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION. Of the Old-Time POWER… Not just any power – but the power of Almighty God. In revolution there is a change of government. We need to come under God’s rule over our lives, that God may truly reign as king over His people… We NEED THE SPIRIT OF GOD. The power of Pentecost. For God to flood us with His power. For an inrush of the divine life. The Breath of Heaven The indwelling Holy Spirit The Spirit-filled life God works as we yield. God moves by OUR WILLINGNESS – combined with HIS POWER. They work in tandem, together. And so let us resign and let God take charge. That’s what happens when we get saved. We confess Jesus as LORD.

We must have… The Power from on high... God’s power A fresh outpouring. It’s been said that EVERY BELIEVER NEEDS A PERSONAL PENTECOST. Pentecost brought the church its real witnessing power, and its purification. God is omnipotent – all powerful. And the wonderful reality is that we can draw on His omnipotence

Micah 3:8 in part it says: But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD…

Our Lord said “Go ye,” but He also said, “Tarry ye,” and the tarrying had to come before the going. – so said Tozer. Another preacher said: “There is nothing the Church of today needs so much as Spiritual Power; and there is nothing which we can have so easily, if only we are prepared to pay the price.” - F.B. Meyer. Charles Spurgeon was one who knew about revival. It’s been said that his church experienced a constant revival. He said this:"Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless." We need to mobilise the church. A great man of prayer, E. M. Bounds, said this: “What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not

come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of prayer.” So, we need prayer. And we need… The Old Time Power Holy Ghost Power Power to witness. And, another feature of REVIVAL is:

3. PASSION One of the biggest problems in Christians today is “cooling off”. In these last days as we see sin abounding, we see saints slacking…

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Have we grown cold? General William Booth said that he was not satisfied to see men converted, he longed to see them soldiers of the cross; warriors for God. There’s a coldness, a deadness… Let us not be idle Christians, let us join the war effort and actively enlist under the command of our great Commander in Chief. Let us hearken His command and enter into this cosmic battle for souls, to realise the spiritual warfare that we are engaged in and to fight the fight of the faith. For this we need a renewed passion.

We need Revival. O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION. Of God-given PASSION… O LORD, revive thy work Our highest aim should be God’s glory. To Advance His Kingdom May we come to know… A holy desperation A Christlike compassion A divine imperative. Our Lord says that He has come to seek and to save the lost. And His mission is now our commission. How we need to rekindle that passion. A passion in prayer A holy passion for souls… As we

consider Hellbound men and women.

I read a gripping truth lately – “Holiness – IS ABOUT MORE THAN WHAT WE DON’T DO”…’’ In other words, holiness impacts us, in what we DO do… True holiness is not so much a list of what we don’t do. Holiness is about what we DO do…

Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? The church has grown cold. When we get this burning, red hot passion for God wild horses will not be able to drag us away from fellowship each and every time we can make it. When we get this zeal, this constraining love, we will be urged from within, not from without, to be with God’s people, in active soul winning efforts. This

passion will change us, will move us, will drive us… We have much need of regaining our spiritual freshness… Seek God… Get the passion back Lay hold on God. O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION. Of PRAYER… Of Holy Ghost POWER Of a God-Given PASSION… And another feature of Revival is… the…

4. PRESENCE OF GOD

As God enlivens us and refreshes us, one by one, with His spiritual life we can know a foretaste of Heaven. His presence with us… Revival has been defined as “God in the midst of His people.” In revival there is an overwhelming sense of His manifest presence.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; How is our awareness of God? Do we know the sweet wonder of His

presence? Do we sense God’s presence?

Times of refreshing will come from His presence. As one preacher (Richard Owen Roberts) has said: The most awful aspect of Hell is that God is never there. After a billion years in Hell the sinner has no hope that God will ever come, even for a moment. We want the opposite of Hell. Sometimes we are just going through the motions as a church. We neglect God, even as we worship and fellowship. We must have the reality. God is here. Now. This should shake us, shape us… Is the presence of God in your life? One of the big problems that Samson had was that he lost the presence of God in his life, and he did not even realise it.

Judges 16:20 And she (Delilah – who had tricked him to reveal the secret of his strength – and had shorn him of his hair which represented his separation unto God – Delilah…) said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. Samson did not know that God had departed from him. There are churches operating today that have lost the presence of God, and they carry on in their emptiness and form – or in their empty noise and entertainment – completely oblivious to the fact that God never shows up there anymore. The King has left the building.

There are churches that were once great tabernacles where the people of God used to gather, in holiness and fervour, and where the Lord once moved in great earth-shaking power and they saw a great harvest of souls – as many were swept into the kingdom of God. Now they are spiritually empty places from where the glory of God has departed. There may be still be activity and form and noise and a circus show or a disco beat. But God is not there. He left them long ago. Let us not settle for the shallow and the superficial. May God refresh that passion. That love… May God give us a burden May God give us the reality of His

Presence.

Let us regain a sense of God – an awful sense of the majesty and holiness of God. Let’s be an active part of the church fellowship, where God truly shows up, and works amongst His own people. God has designed for us to fly in formation, rather than fly solo. It’s been said that Canadian geese who fly in V-formation fly 70- percent further than the individual goose would on its own. God has established His church for us to support each other. Now I’m not saying that you’re a goose. But I am saying it’s good to act like geese and fly in formation. Get in fellowship and support each other. May we as a people get serious about longing for God’s presence. Make it a habit to enter into God’s presence. God’s presence is here. It is here tonight at 6pm. Here Monday night at 7pm.

Do you want God’s presence in your life? Enter in. Into the Holiest. Boldly so. Recognise the shortness of time… And the importance of eternity. Recognise Christ is present and

actively in charge. We truly encounter the presence of God as we open the Word of God and we open our hearts, our souls unto it… We live in a time where TRUTH IS NEGLECTED. It is fallen in the streets. Seducing spirits are at work. I am staggered as I see what some churches and preachers across our nation are falling for.

I am shocked to see churches limping along, and a slackness that seems to prevail. Good churches and good preachers are dying. We need revival. When God worked in times of reformation it was as the people of God returned to the scriptures. To sound Bible teaching and preaching. To Bible-led living. O LORD, revive thy work For us to truly know and experience our Lord we must open up the pages of His letter to us. The Word of God must be given its rightful place. Ask yourself: Does the Bible have its rightful place in

my life? Or is it a neglected book? Do we truly believe the Bible to be the

inspired Word of God?

No wonder we have lost the presence of God. Because we have lost the Word of God. It was when King Josiah heard the words of the Book and acted on them that God moved him and the nation…

2 Kings 22:11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. We have lost our responsiveness to God’s Word. We must hear the Voice of our Shepherd. We have a trustworthy Bible. God’s Book. May we truly value the Word!

It is Divine wisdom. I exhort you, as the people of God… Love your Bible. We must bring our lives under the authority of the scriptures… We need to be WOUNDED by the Spirit’s

sword Live in your Bible Read it through. A preacher said this: Let us return to the basic things of the Word of God and prayer and soul winning and revival. Let us pray, "O God, send a revival. Let it begin in me." (Dr. Lee Roberson) There is a famine in the Land. We must have the faithful word. Revival is not just something historic – from the past. It is Biblical. If it is Biblical that means it is timeless.

What is Biblical IS what is “RELEVANT”. THAT is what we need to hear and act upon. What is it that is stopping revival? A preacher (Roy Hession) said: “Sin is the only thing that hinders the revival of his church.” - In closing – Let me present you with– a… CHALLENGE Consider… these timeless truths. Consider The tragedy of a powerless church Our Lord says unto us: Without Me you can do nothing. We need the Spirit’s work. O LORD, revive thy work What is the time?

It is time to seek the Lord. Say that with me: It is time to seek the Lord.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Sometimes our hearts can get hardened towards God, and they need to be broken up. God needs to break pride in us. To break our hard heartedness. It’s time to break up your fallow ground. When fallow ground gets broken up it can then be fruitful.

The unploughed ground needs to be worked over and cultivated. I had to work on my lawn, spiking it, turning the soil over. The ground was hard. Now it is enriched. I broke up the fallow ground. That’s what God wants to do in us… How is the state of our heart before God? Our hearts need to be softened and made sensitive to God. And then we can be fruitful for God. It is His will that we bear fruit. A big problem these days is sleeping Christians. Inactive Christians. Where are we at? Spiritual inertia What’s the time?

It is time to seek the Lord. It is time to seek the Lord. Isn’t it about time? It’s time we meant business with God. A preacher (Vance Havner) said this: “It is a desperate hour. The trouble is the situation is desperate, but the saints are not. It is too late in the day for half measures. The need is too urgent and the time is too short.” We have much need of watchfulness. These darkening days call for action. It is a desperate hour. The need is urgent. There is no better time now than to get right with God. We have been sleeping long enough. It is high time to awake. It’s time for a reality check.

It’s time for personal self examination. How about you? Dare we believe God for revival? Let me repeat that quote I gave you earlier: “There is nothing the Church of today needs so much as Spiritual Power; and there is nothing which we can have so easily, if only we are prepared to pay the price.” - F.B. Meyer. Are we willing to pay the price? Are YOU willing to pay the price? The revival we need is a revival of holiness. It is time to seek the Lord. Break up your fallow ground.

Thankfully one of the gracious activities of the Lord as our Shepherds is that of RESTORATION. He is our great reviver.

Psalms 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. What is the time? It is time to seek the Lord. We are at the beginning of a new year. I want to urge you to a new year revolution. A REVOLUTION…. A revival A restoration A re-enlistment

A renewal of your devotion, of your zeal, of your love of the Saviour.

A new year’s revolution calls for revolutionary measures. A change of government. A change of society. A heart change. I heard someone say – God wants TOTAL COMMITMENT not TOKEN COMMITMENT. God CAN revive us – one soul at a time, one by one – and ultimately His whole church, locally, right here – and beyond… One soul, one heart, on spirit at a time. These truths are timeless. These truths are relevant. We cannot have CORPORATE revival without INDIVIDUAL revival. Where does revival begin?

It starts with the person walking in your shoes. It starts with the person who looks at you in the mirror in the morning. I’m talking to you. It’s time to go to work for Christ. Are you ready for God to work in your life? You can be revived. You can restore your first love for Christ. You can regain your zeal. You can get back the fire. O for a mighty move of the Spirit! Christian brother, Christian sister… We have need of courage… Do not faint Do not lose heart.

You might say, preacher, you’re talking to someone else here. Not to me. I’m not ready.

Maybe you will say – maybe next year… You may say to me today, “I want TOKEN commitment, NOT TOTAL COMMITMENT.” I urge you… Quit playing games Quit playing church Get real today. I pray, may there be a new year’s revolution on the inside of you today. You might say, well even if I wanted to I am not worthy. I am not able.

I am not strong enough. Maybe next year… God sent revival in the past – but I just don’t measure up. God uses people. And often we see – through the Word – and through history – that the Lord uses the humble, the untrained, the inadequate, the unlikely, the ordinary, the average… And these humble ones who simply make themselves available to God… He does use… mightily, for His glory… To become channels of blessing Pray as Whitfield did: Make me an extraordinary Christian… Revival happened, and still happens… as we see God still works. O LORD, revive thy work WE NEED A REVOLUTION.

A revolution in… PRAYER POWER PASSION And we will see the PRESENCE of the Lord with us… It is time to seek the Lord. It is time to trust God with your life. The rest of your life, from tis day forward. Trust God with your life. For Him to use it and fill it and show you the way. Trust this Good Shepherd. He will restore your soul… It is time now… For God to set hearts aflame How we need an awesome conviction and a brokenness over sin… May we ask ourselves this: What do I lack?

What do I need to get rid of? I issue to you an urgent appeal: Set yourself to seek after God. It’s time to toss out our idols. Repair the broken altar Plead the promises of God. Put yourself at God’s disposal. Enlist today. Tread the pathway of the cross. May we plead for His grace. Turn and run to Jesus.