Why We Need
Revival Now
            
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn
from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 
(II Chronicles 7:14)  
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
      A. The lost need quickening.  Ephesians 2:1
            • You can’t revive something that never has been vived.
 
      B. The Christian needs revival.  II Chronicles 7:14
            • Again life
 
      C. Revival is an urgent need. - Psalm 85:6
           
      • God says to the seven churches, “Repent or else.”
      1. Revelation 2:5 - Ephesus  - lost first love
      2. Revelation 2:16 - Pergamos - compromising
      3. Revelation 2:20-23 - Thyatira  - lax church
      4. Revelation 3:1,3 - Sardis  -  dead church
      5. Revelation 3:14-19 - Laodicea  -  apostate church
      • No rebuke: Smyrna  - suffering church
                                  Philadelphia  - church of brotherly love
I.  BECAUSE WE HAVE LOST OUR
     SENSITIVITY TO SIN
     
      “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”
      (Romans 7:13)
      Isaiah 1:5-6
 
     • We’ve gotten used to it.  Psalm 101:3
              We’ve been programmed.  ( T.V. and Internet)
 
     • Colossians 2:8,9 - We have been “spoiled” meaning that they have taken something precious from us.
    
     • We tolerate atrocities and do nothing.
 
     • Sin does not seem so sinful anymore.  It is accepted as the norm and given an excuse or a dignified name.
 
     A. Taking God’s name in vain is accepted  -  taught in schools.
 
     B. Pornography is now fine art.
 
     C. Drunkard is an alcoholic - viewed as a helpless victim.
 
      D. Sodomy is now a preferred lifestyle.  But God says it is an abomination.
 
     E. Murdering the unborn is now an abortion.
     F. Immorality is the ‘new morality’.
 
     G. Nudity is a seasonal attire of harlots.
   
     H. Rock music and dance have come into the church.
 
     I. Divorce is a common place thing.
 
     J. Communism is now accepted as an equal with our Democratic Republic by naive Americans
 
     K. The law now regulates the good, rather than punishing the evil. - I Timothy 1:8-10
 
     • God still hates sin.  Proverbs 6:16-19; Psalm 97:10
 
II.  BECAUSE WE HAVE LOST OUR  AWARENESS OF THE HOLINESS AND WRATH OF GOD   
      Habakkuk 1:12,13 
      Revelation 4:8; 6:10
     I Peter 1:15,16
 
     • Your body is God’s holy temple.  I Corinthians 6:19, 20
 
     A. We’ve forgotten that He is angry at wickedness. 
            Psalm 7:11
            Romans 1:18
 
                        • Read: I Corinthians 10:1-11
 
     B. The cross  -  Isaiah 53:10
 
     C. Proverbs 11:7 -  Not only is the fear of the Lord the beginning of knowledge; It’s the end of rejecting      
 
           Christ for the lost and the end of backsliding for the Christian.
 
            • Jonah forgot and fled the presence of the Lord
 
 
III.  BECAUSE WE’VE LEFT OUR FIRST             LOVE
 
      “And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.” (Revelation 2:3)
    
      • Love for Jesus - How do you know?                 
            John 14:15; I John 5:3
     
     A. Lost our zeal in service 
            Matthew 24:12 compare John 14:15 - When our love waxes cold our obedience fails.
 
     B. We’re satisfied to follow Jesus afar off.
                        • Peter - Matthew 26:58
            • Do you remember how excited you were the day you got saved? What happened to that excitement.
 
IV.  BECAUSE WE’VE LOST OUR BURDEN FOR LOST SOULS
 
      Many can say with the Psalmist “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would
      know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.”  (Psalm 142:4)           
 
      A. There is a Hell. - How can we do nothing?
 
                        1. Psalm 126:6 - weepeth - Jesus weeping over Jerusalem - Luke 13:34
                                  
                        2. Matthew 9:36-38 - compassion for the lost
 
                        3. Paul’s burden is well documented
                Romans 9:1-4; 10:1
 
      B. Why be burdened?
       
            1. They are going to Hell!  Luke 16:19-31
 
                        2. They are worth it.  Everybody is somebody’s son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister.
 
      C. Lot needed revival.  He didn’t have 10 converts in all those years in Sodom.
     
                        • How about you?
 
                        • Sword Conference - red light  Seven per second
 
CONCLUSION:
 
      A. Revival means to regain something we’ve lost.
 
      B. The need is very evident:
 
            1. We’ve lost our sensitivity to sin.
            2. We’ve lost our fear and realization of God’s
                holiness.
            3. We’ve lost our first love.
            4. We’ve lost our burden for souls.
 
      C. We can have a revival   
            The key:  II Chronicles 7:14
 
      Example:  I drove Brother Boyd’s Volkswagen from Florence, Kentucky, and didn’t know how to turn the heat on.  It was winter time.  I wanted to be warm, but I didn’t know how to turn it on.
 
      • Maybe that’s why we haven’t had as much revival as needed in the past.  But we have no excuses now.