Humility is the foundation upon which revival is built. It is more crucial than prayer because it aligns us with God's perspective, allowing us to see ourselves as we truly are. This self-awareness leads to repentance and restitution, which are essential for revival. When we humble ourselves, we open the door for God's presence to move powerfully among us. Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but about seeing ourselves rightly in relation to God and others. It is the key to aligning with God's will and experiencing His transformative power. [01:33]
"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:15, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to humble yourself before God today, and how can you take a step towards repentance and restitution?
Day 2: Unity as a Prerequisite for God's Presence
Unity within the body of Christ is essential for sustaining revival. It requires reconciliation and functioning together across all divides—gender, racial, denominational, and generational. Unity is not just a nice idea but a requirement for God's manifest presence. Only through humility can true unity be achieved, allowing God's presence to manifest fully. When believers come together in unity, they create an environment where God's Spirit can move freely and powerfully. [35:13]
"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5-6, ESV)
Reflection: Is there someone in your church community with whom you need to reconcile? How can you take a step towards unity today?
Day 3: Openness to the Unusual and Unexpected
Revival often involves the unusual and unexpected. Spiritual leaders and believers alike must be willing to relinquish control and allow the Holy Spirit to lead. This openness to God's ways, even when they are unpredictable, is crucial for experiencing a genuine move of God. Embracing the unexpected requires faith and trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom. It means being willing to step out of our comfort zones and follow where the Spirit leads, even when it challenges our preconceived notions. [09:14]
"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:19, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to let go of control and trust God to lead you in unexpected ways?
Day 4: The Role of Spiritual Leaders in Revival
Spiritual leaders must be prepared to be nothing so that God can be everything. This involves a willingness to be misunderstood and to identify with all of God's children, regardless of their spiritual maturity. Leaders must model humility and obedience to the Holy Spirit, setting an example for others to follow. They are called to be vessels through which God's power and presence can flow, prioritizing God's glory over their own recognition. [26:08]
"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV)
Reflection: As a leader or influencer in your community, how can you model humility and obedience to the Holy Spirit today?
Day 5: Prayer and Preparation for Revival
Prayer is vital in preparing for revival. It involves asking God to reveal personal sins, to give a burden for lost souls, and to prepare for the influx of new believers. This preparation requires a commitment to God's vision and a willingness to be used by Him. Prayer is not just about asking for revival but about aligning our hearts with God's desires and purposes. It is a time of seeking God's face and being open to His leading and direction. [29:58]
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison." (Colossians 4:2-3, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate a specific time of prayer into your daily routine to seek God's vision and burden for revival in your community?
Sermon Summary
In this message, the focus is on the preparation and price for revival and spiritual awakening, particularly in New Zealand. The central theme is the necessity of humility, unity, and obedience to the Holy Spirit as prerequisites for experiencing a genuine move of God. Humility is emphasized as a critical component, more important than prayer, as it aligns us with God's perspective and allows us to see ourselves as we truly are. This humility leads to repentance and restitution, which are essential for revival.
The message also highlights the importance of unity within the body of Christ. Unity is not just a nice idea but a requirement for God's manifest presence. Without unity, revival cannot be sustained. The speaker stresses that unity must be achieved across gender, racial, denominational, and generational lines, and only humility can bring about such unity.
Another key point is the need for spiritual leaders to be prepared for revival. This involves being willing to be nothing so that God can be everything, and being open to the unusual and unexpected moves of the Holy Spirit. The speaker shares personal experiences and historical examples to illustrate how God can work powerfully when leaders are obedient and humble.
The message concludes with a call to prayer, asking God to reveal any personal sins, to give a greater burden for lost souls, and to prepare for the influx of new believers that revival will bring. The speaker encourages the audience to seek God's vision and burden for revival and to commit to being used by God in this process.
Key Takeaways
1. Humility as a Foundation for Revival: Humility is more crucial than prayer in preparing for revival. It involves seeing ourselves as God sees us, leading to repentance and restitution. This humility allows us to align with God's will and opens the door for His presence to move powerfully among us. [01:33]
2. Unity in the Body of Christ: Unity is essential for sustaining revival. It requires reconciliation and functioning together across all divides—gender, racial, denominational, and generational. Only through humility can true unity be achieved, allowing God's presence to manifest fully. [35:13]
3. Embracing the Unusual and Unexpected: Revival often involves the unusual and unexpected. Spiritual leaders must be willing to relinquish control and allow the Holy Spirit to lead. This openness to God's ways, even when they are unpredictable, is crucial for experiencing a genuine move of God. [09:14]
4. The Role of Spiritual Leaders: Leaders must be prepared to be nothing so that God can be everything. This involves a willingness to be misunderstood and to identify with all of God's children, regardless of their spiritual maturity. Leaders must model humility and obedience to the Holy Spirit. [26:08]
5. Prayer and Preparation for Revival: Prayer is vital in preparing for revival. It involves asking God to reveal personal sins, to give a burden for lost souls, and to prepare for the influx of new believers. This preparation requires a commitment to God's vision and a willingness to be used by Him. [29:58] ** [29:58]
According to 2 Chronicles 7:14, what are the conditions God sets for healing a land? How does this relate to the emphasis on humility in the sermon? [01:33]
In 1 Corinthians 1:2, Paul speaks about unity among believers. How does this verse support the sermon's message about the necessity of unity for revival? [06:28]
Isaiah 6 describes a vision of God's holiness. How does this passage illustrate the sermon's point about the revelation of our unholiness in God's presence? [02:19]
The sermon mentions the Welsh Revival as an example of humility and repentance. What specific actions did the people take to prepare for revival, according to the sermon? [03:05]
Interpretation Questions:
How does the sermon interpret the role of humility in preparing for revival, and why is it considered more important than prayer? [01:33]
The sermon emphasizes unity across various divides. What might be some practical challenges in achieving this unity within a church community? [35:13]
The speaker shares personal experiences of unexpected moves of the Holy Spirit. How does this openness to the unusual challenge traditional views of church leadership? [09:14]
The sermon calls for spiritual leaders to be prepared to be "nothing" so that God can be "everything." What does this mean in the context of church leadership and personal faith? [26:08]
Application Questions:
Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where pride might be hindering your spiritual growth? How can you practice humility this week to align more closely with God's will? [01:33]
Think about your church community. Are there divisions that need to be addressed to foster unity? What steps can you take to promote reconciliation and unity across different groups? [35:13]
Have you ever experienced an unexpected move of the Holy Spirit in your life? How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience to be more open to God's leading in the future? [09:14]
As a leader or member of your church, how can you model humility and obedience to the Holy Spirit in your daily interactions? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate this? [26:08]
The sermon calls for prayer and preparation for revival. What specific prayer or action can you commit to this week to prepare your heart and community for a potential move of God? [29:58]
Identify one personal sin that you feel God is calling you to address. What steps will you take to repent and seek restitution, if necessary? [01:33]
How can you cultivate a greater burden for lost souls in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to reach out to those who do not yet know Christ? [29:58]
Sermon Clips
"Humility is much more important to God than prayer, as important as prayer is, the humility that wants to be known as we are in the sight of God and after all Second Chronicles 6 30 says God is the only one who knows the motives of our heart no one else." [00:01:37]
"It means asking God to bless us by bringing a conviction of sin where needed on a daily basis so that we can repent of it, it means making restitution to those with wronged did you notice last night I said that most one of the to me the most crucial thing and it was to God too in the Welsh Revival which was the only Revival that affected all the rest of the globe remember was those 70 people who took what seven days of their lives." [00:02:33]
"Inevitably in Revival God will test us I didn't say he will test Us in Revival I said inevitably in Revival God will test Us in relation to Pride inevitably because pride is our greatest sin and humility is our greatest need so of course he will test us." [00:04:43]
"Unity among God's people is of such priority to God as evidenced in Jesus' prayer in John 17 that they be United now listen to the weight of this that at times God will actually hold back the answers to desperate presidents praying for a Revival to break out until they've become United because they'd wreck what he what you prayed for in five minutes." [00:45:57]
"Without unity in the body of Christ, Revival cannot be contained or restrained or sustained cannot be contained or sustained if we don't have unity in the body of Christ and God pours out Revival the very disunity amongst the leaders will dissipate the Revival in five minutes therefore it is an essential Preparatory component for the Deluge of the reign of the holy spirit for which we pray to pray unite the body but unite the spiritual leaders first." [00:35:04]
"Only those who really fear the lord and understand that his character and his ways who long to be part of the genuine moves of the spirit are the ones who don't fear the unusual or the unexpected I'll read it again only those who really fear the lord and understand his character in ways who long to be part of the genuine deep moves of the spirit are the ones who don't fear the unusual and the unexpected like so what." [00:08:01]
"Are we willing to be misunderstood because we will be misjudged and we will be maligned by other Christians who choose not to be identified with the genuine moves of God's spirit when unusual manifestations occur in the first great Revival in the early Church in the book of Acts we read that the people who witnessed it said these people must be drunk this proves the truth of First Corinthians 2 14 the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God." [00:30:13]
"God is well able to look after his own reputation he doesn't need us he wants us to work where he works when he works how he works who he works with and how he works and he works with a whole bunch of difficult People Like Us he's been working with people like us all our lifetime what a God why because his main attribute is humility it's the basis of everything else that he is he's only as loving as he symbol." [00:21:30]
"God not only desires to bring Revival but he needs spiritual leaders who have had the Deep heart preparation P to be used of him when he sends it therefore we should prioritize our prayers toward that section of the body of Christ the spiritual leaders in judges 5 2 we are our assured that the people will follow when the appropriately prepare prepared leaders Take the Lead when when the leaders Take the Lead the people will follow." [01:15:51]
"God will not be able to trust his people with a rival in New Zealand and spiritual awakening among the lost until we are reconciled with one another and functioning in unity in gender where are you at mate okay until we are reconciled and functioning in unity are you there okay engender racially denominationally and generationally you got it what did he say oh spell check oh and only humility will bring that about there's no other way." [00:48:08]
"God's manifest Holiness which in turn produces terrible conviction agonized cries and groans wailing and uncontrollable sobbing shaking and shouting confessions repentance and restitutions much fervent prayer exuberant Joy praise and singing Dynamic testimonies powerful preaching from the word of God a passionate love for the Lord Jesus a great increase in the fear of the Lord the clock doesn't dictate the agenda a display of God's judgment to those who repeatedly resist the holy spirit's presence and Power." [00:44:47]
"God's Supernatural enabling power and grace are always available to any one of the servants who who is doing his will in his way in his time there was a school teacher in the outpouring of the holy spirit in the Hebrides Islands the islands off the coast of Scotland when when Revival hit there at the height of the Revival who who only had three hours sleep regularly for three weeks on end and was totally charged and supernaturally sustained by the spirit of God it's written in the history books of the Revival there don't try and do it out of God's Supernatural anointing on you that's called presumption and you'll be a mess." [00:58:19]