"Revival"

A timely message ministered Sunday morning, Feb. 17, 2013 @ MWC.  You can listen to this sermon @ www.messengerwc.com. in the media section.

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J. Rhodes Sermon                                            2/17/13

Title:  “Revival“

Text: Ps. 85:6, “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?” (A Request.)

Intro.   I believe there are many within the church that are tired of the uninspired, lifeless meetings that are being replicated across the country that we call having church.  There is being birthed in many a desire for something that gives substance to the time that men are giving on Sunday morning to their God.  Something that will help them have faith in God...faith in themselves...faith in others...that they will be able to overcome the obstacle that inevitable come their way every day.

The church is not producing it!   We have ended up with misdirected pursuits…pursuits that are depleting, diluting and destroying the church instead of reviving it.  

History bears out that there are people who have made a mark on their generation because of a great move of God but through time became so caught up in their own organizations they ceased to be an organism that God could work through to bring light to a darkened world.  I pray today that we here at MWC, and the church of today that God is raising up, will not allow itself to follow the paths of self-destruction that so many have followed. 

Today I want to talk to you about  “ Revival “.  We will note I. What Revival Is & The Promise of Revival

  

 What Is Revival?  Is it a church full of shouting saints?  Is it an evangelist who knows how to entice people to get involved in the latest religious fad that has swept into the church?  Is it getting sinners saved? is it turning Washington and everyone there around and heading them in the right direction? Or is it all of these combined?  Though each of these have their place in revival  neither one nor all together constitute revival.    

    We are surrounded by a harvest field of humanity that needs to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ but there is a difference in harvest and revival.  This has been an area of misunderstanding that has hindered revival in the past.  

    Revival defined is “the process (there are no over-night successes) of....

     

     1. Bringing somebody back to life...  Jn. 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and 

        destroy; I have come that they may have life (zoe-spiritual life), and have it to the full.” NIV   

     2. Consciousness, = is the quality or state of being aware of an external object or 

         something within oneself”

     3.  Full strength“.  Ps. 29:11, “The Lord will give strength to His people;”

    This, in my opinion, defines the need of the church today.   We need to see life and strength brought back into the church.

Conc. Are you hungry for revival?  Is there a burning desire to walk in His presence on a daily,  

            consistent  basis?  Do you long for your family and acquaintances to come the knowledge of  

            Who He is?   If your answer is yes.........then let us purpose this day to “ Pray and seek His 

            face ”  then we will hear from heaven!

"Don't Give Up"

Preached Sunday, 2/3/13.  You can hear this message at messengerwc.com. in Media link.

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Text:  Mk. 5:21-34 Amp.

Intro.  Five stand out examples this woman exhibited as she pursued her miracle....

I.  She did not let where Jesus was going or who He was going too see keep her from pursuing Him where He was.

II.  Obstacles were not allowed to be a deterrent in her pursuit for a miracle.

1. She was weak after 12 years of losing blood and had suffering at hands of physicians as well as spending every dime she had but did not get any better.  She had every excuse in the world to give up BUT she kept looking for a better way.

        b. There was no room made for her to get her miracle....she had to press her way through the crowd.

III. She had determination,  v. 28, “ For she kept saying, If I only can touch His garments...

IV.   She had faith/hope,  “I shall be restored to health...”   

     Note:  No doubt the faith was the fruit of the the reports (testimonies) she had heard of Jesus and  

     what He had done for others, v. 27. 

     Those reports (testimonies) birthed hope in her.    Hope: “a strong and confident expectation.”   

     

     Ps. 38:15“For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.”

     Ps. 146:2,  “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his    

     God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

    Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.”

V.  Her aloneness didn’t cause her to give up and get bitter.  For 12 years she had been, as the law demanded, “put a  
      part” from her community because of her condition.  She knew that when she reached out and touched just the hem of 
    Jesus clothes she was breaking the law...He would become unclean...but she also knew this was her last hope.  

Note Jesus reaction:  Mk. 5:34, “And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your [a]trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in [b](into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [[c]distressing bodily] disease.”

In truth He, the Word, brought to light that the Law, the Word of God, should never be used to keep us from Him but to bring us to Him.  The Word will produce the miracle not stop it!!

Notice John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. ⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”