Introduction: We have found that our hearts do play an important role in revival, for it is the contrite heart that God will revive (Isaiah 57:15). Revival is not just a feeling in one's heart. Revival is evidenced by what we do after God sends it.
Often, a church will have a "great revival." Everyone's heart seems in tune with the whole program. Joy returns for a short time, but there are no physical changes. The pastor looks around and sees no one new working. He has no new volunteers. He has no one else passing out tracts and no one else going soulwinning. He doesn't see a greater number of people at the altar, nor does he hear any praise reports concerning witnessing. The offerings do not go up, and everyone seems to be self-satisfied.
It is not just our hearts that need reviving. It is also our feet. Habakkuk said, "...revive thy WORK in the midst of the years..." (Habakkuk 3:2) This is the practical part of revival. Revival should move us to put actions to our attitudes. Something ought to change when revival comes. Yet, there are many of God's people who have become so self-righteous and complacent that they think they are living in revival when, in reality, they are living in the same rut they were before. There ought to be a revival in our feet.
1. The revival at Nineveh.
- This is perhaps the greatest revival ever recorded in history. Certainly, it was the greatest revival that Nineveh ever had. It even lasted for a good number of years before complacency and backsliddenness set in, and God finally judged the city for the people's sins 150 years later.
- The evidence of their revival is found in Jonah 3:5-10, "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."
- The Bible says that God saw their works after their revival came. Does God ever see a change in your works after a great revival?
2. The woman at the well.
- Jesus met a woman drawing water at a well and took some time to tell her about salvation.
- Her life was so completely changed by this one encounter with Christ that she wasted no time running back to town telling her friends about this One Who had changed her life.
3. The demon-possessed man from Gadara.
- What happened to this man does not apply to this message as much as what happened to those whom he touched.
- This man, formerly demon-possessed, put his clothes on and was finally in his right mind. He desired to stay with Jesus as Jesus entered into a ship, but the Lord told him not to come with Him but to go back home and tell others what Jesus had done.
- The context of this story is found in Mark 5:18-20, "And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel."
- The point is, when Jesus changed this man, it not only changed his mind but also his feet.
4. Many who believed had a revival with their feet. - Acts 19:18-20
"And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed."
- Wherever Jesus preached, lives were changed. Such is the case in Acts 19 where many people had come to Christ.
- Apparently, there was a great deal of demonic influence in this city. When the people believed on Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit immediately began to make changes in their lives.
- One such evidence of their salvation was the burning of their former libraries and collections of Satanic things. They brought them to the center of town and piled them up in a pile and burned them for all to see.
- This caused a stir, not only in the hearts of God's people, but also in the hearts of unbelievers.
- Feet were put to beliefs and produced actions no one could deny.
Conclusion: It is my belief that God wants to send a revival to Timberline Baptist Church. If you're honest, you'll admit that you need revival too. Before revival can take place, God's people must:
- Humble their spirits before the Lord.
- Have broken and contrite hearts over their sins.
- Have feet that are willing to obey.
Do you want revival in Timberline Baptist Church? It will never come here until you have it first inside yourself. The songwriter said, "Do you really want revival? Do you really want God's power? Do you really want His Spirit to control your life this hour? Oh, repent and turn to Jesus. Seek His face and humbly pray. Do you really want revival? Are you willing to obey?"