The cost of revival

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SUNDAY 23 MARCH 2025 am – MR KEITH WILSON

PSALM 85

“There is no revival possible in any fellowship without a price being paid”

Pastor Kilpatrick was pastor in the United States of America. His congregation was 2000 in size. He wanted more so he spent time every Saturday night crying out for more, sometimes into the early hours of the morning. After a number of years preaching on revival and having weekly prayer meetings on revival, some people began to oppose him and his vision for revival. That hurt him a lot. One Saturday night he placed the keys of the church on the altar at the front of the church and he said to God he wanted to pastor  a church that wanted revival. If this meant he was sent to a small unknown church anywhere in the world so be it. Hence Kilpatrick was willing to give up his position in a large expanding church and see revival. He humbled himself before the Lord and paid the price – revival broke out 2 years after him humbling himself before God.

Psalm 85 verse 6 is often quoted when preaching about revival. “Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee?” I want us to consider 3 simple points – “wilt thou not revive us again?” Firstly revival is of God. “There we see God’s power in revival. The Psalmist is talking to God’s saved people, the children of God. Secondly we see God’s people – “that thy people may rejoice in thee.” Thirdly we see God’s praise in revival.

Context is very important when we read the scriptures.  It is important not to take a verse out of context and come up with doctrine and hold to it. That is what cults do and many people have been led down a religious path by such methods. Revival is 100% God. We clearly see that in Psalm 85 verse 6. There is a difference between personal revival and national revival. I want to ask you a question – “did you spend time with God this morning?” If the answer is no, I believe you need revival. The children of God should be spending time with God. I believe that. I believe it is important. Revival is of God. I believe we should be living in a constant state of revival. For that to happen there is a cost in our lives. Many fall into this trap, they think if I do this or that then God is obligated to send revival. He will send it in his own time.  The Psalmist is asking “will you do not it God?” but he recognises it is from God and God alone whether or not he will do it. It should not stop us from living in a state of personal revival. That is where the cost comes in. We must deny ourselves and count the cost. There are many godly men and woman who have prayed and lived righteous, holy lives before God but have never seen national revival – but they saw it in their own lives. They were in touch with God and God blessed them with the desire of prayer. Campbell Morgan said “we ought to so living that when God begins his triumphant march we should be able to fall in the first battalion part of the first victories.” Stephen Olford said “waiting for general revival is no excuse for not living for personal revival. We should be living in the place of revival. There are so many mighty quotes on godly men and women pinpointing it. A W Tozer said “it is useless for large companies of people begging for God to send revival. Unless we are prepared to reform ourselves, we might as well not pray.” W P Nicholson, the last one to see revival in this land, when he conducted a mission he spoke for the first week to the church, he didn’t mention the unsaved but spoke on the importance of living right before God. Living for love to God and not allowing things to creep into our lives that our hearts desire. What is your relationship to sin? Are you living with it? Flirting with it? The bible tells me sin shall not have dominion over the believer. Paul said that in Romans. No longer under the law of death but the Spirit of life. We should be living in the newness of life. We should be living in the power of the risen Christ. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. If you are a child of God go and try to raise someone from the dead – it is impossible. We should be living in a state of life under the Spirit of God not the law of sin. If we are not living this life of newness of life in Christ then we need revival. The nation of Israel recognised this because here we see a prayer of reconciliation and revival in verse 1. The Psalmist is recalling God’s restoration from captivity. God took them from the land of Babylon. 70 years after their captivity they returned again. The Psalmist recalls God’s restoration. In verse 2 he reminds God what he did for them – he forgave their sin. The Psalmist is saying God is saying something important to his children. The child of God is forgiven and covered in God’s righteousness. He sees his Son in and through them. He sees them as forgiven. He has traded their filthy garments for his robes of righteousness. That person is justified, just as if they had never sinned. The Psalmist makes an admission – if true revival comes God’s people would be a rejoicing people. They should be happy and rejoicing. They have been brought into the family of God. Translated from the kingdom of darkness into light. Why wouldn’t they be happy? What happens when a person turns from God – they turn to freedom in God. When we turn form righteous holy God and turn to sin what happens? They lose their joy. Something is robbing them of their relationship with God. They lose their joy. Can you imagine what it was like for the people returning from Babylon? The city walls were destroyed and the temple was torn down. All because of sin. When something loses its appeal it becomes worn, it needs revival. That is what the psalmist wanted for Israel. A revival from God. The Psalmist here is desperate for God to revive his people.  We will never be revived until we are desperate for God. God turns our eyes to him that we would seek him again, to be desperate from him. Are you desperate for God? For your loved ones? For your church? Are we like Haggai in chapter 1 verse 4 “is it time for you to dwell in your ceiled houses while God’s house lies in waste?” Haggai was saying “we are in these fancy houses but God’s house lies in waste.” Is that the sixth century or is that 2025?  It is as important today as it was then in Haggai’s day. Luke 9 verse 23 “If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  So much for easy believeism. There are a lot of people preaching that to make a decision for Christ you simply have to say “I believe” but Christ was not interested in huge crowds gathering. Many times it says Jesus retreated from crowds. He was interested in making disciples but you have to deny yourself and take up his cross to follow him. Many people don’t accept it – the preaching of the cross, the holiness of God, sin, the wrath of God, repentance. Maybe we live in a generation hearing little of denying ourselves and taking up our cross to follow him. God is holy and those who worship him do so in holiness and truth. William Booth wanted to take his workers and dangle them for 24 hours over the jaws of hell. There is very little preaching of the cross of Christ. If people preach a social gospel why would they deny themselves? Why did Jesus die on a cross? The Lord Jesus died on the cross because man cannot save himself. There had to be a cross. He died to take away our sins, to bridge the gulf between God and you. It is only possible through the cross. C T Studd was a man who gave up a sporting career to pursue a missionary career. He knew nothing would last that was as worthwhile living for the world to come. Are you living for this world today? Are you living for the world to come? Do you see the necessity of the cross? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” He came as the lion of Judah, he went to the cross to die for your sin. If you want to claim that you need to deny yourself and seek to follow Christ. How’s your prayer life? How’s your light before God? Are you seeking God? Are you wanting him to move in your life? There is only one way.