Be Ready for Revival: Look, Welcome, Invite God

And yet the good news of the gospel is this, that Jesus came, that Jesus, the son of God, left heaven that was perfect and came to our broken earth so that he could make right what was wrong, so that he could meet us in that place of sin and call us into something that was beautiful once again. Ephesians two says that while we were dead in sin, we found new life through Jesus. First John one says that when we confess our sin, God forgives us, he cleanses us, he restores us, he revives us. [00:08:55] (32 seconds)  #NewLifeInChrist

God had renewed Abraham's identity. He'd given him a new name. How many of you know you are a child of the most high king? You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are a son and a daughter of the living God. You have been given a new name. No matter what somebody called you in primary school or elementary school or at your workplace this week, God calls you his own. God was moving in Abraham's life and speaking blessing not just for his sake, but for the sake of the world to come. [00:12:36] (33 seconds)  #IdentityInGod

I'm responsible for the choices that I'm making, which leads to a hard but important question. The bible tells us that as followers of Jesus, God's spirit dwells within us. Yes? Amen? So is there anything that we might be saying or doing, posting or promoting, celebrating or excusing that would make his spirit feel uncomfortable there? It's a big one, isn't it? But as followers of Jesus, that's a wrestle that we need to be in daily to become more like him. Otherwise, we become more like this world, and that helps nobody. [00:26:21] (42 seconds)  #ExamineYourChoices

But God is with you wherever you go. He's with you when you leave this room or turn off this live livestream. There's nothing magical about it. He's with you in your car and in your home and in your workplace. God is with you. Are you aware that he's with you? Are you seeking him in that moment of dwelling together? God says through the prophet Jeremiah, you will seek me when and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. This all comes from the same posture as Abraham of choosing to look for God because expectation of God's presence prepares the way for him to move. And sometime, church, we can get so familiar with our routines of God that we actually stop looking for God in the midst of them. [00:15:47] (49 seconds)  #SeekGodDaily

And as I read about moves of revival this week, these words stood out to me. It said, during times of revival, God's people are restored from back sliding, carelessness, and inactivity. They become preoccupied with the things of God. The normal traits of ungodliness disappear. Blasphemy and filthy language, drunkenness and immorality, dishonesty and selfishness are all replaced by a sweet sense of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy spirit. These are the types of places that God loves to dwell, And there are choices that we can make that invite God to draw close, to speak, to move, to act, to stay. [00:23:01] (46 seconds)  #RevivalRestores

And our final action point this morning comes as an encouragement to be intentional about how you host his presence, which is not actually about the songs that we choose each Sunday morning, and it's not about how low or how high the lights are during worship. It's about who each of us are choosing to become. There are places that God loves to stay, and then there are times where we choose things that actually push him away. And if we say that we follow Jesus, we can't condone or celebrate the things that he went to the cross and died to heal and to break and to redeem. [00:23:47] (44 seconds)  #HostHisPresence

And I think the temptation is to hear this word revival and automatically think of big crowds and loud worship. And those are powerful moments. Absolutely. I've been part of them. But the moments that stay with me are the quiet, holy ones where God is present and I am aware enough not to miss that he's moving because God always loves to meet with us, to renew us, to breathe fresh life into us, whether it's at a church altar or whether it's standing at your kitchen counter, whether it's driving in your car or if it's sitting on a boat headed to Alaska. [00:09:27] (38 seconds)  #QuietRevivalMoments

But to be ready for revival, we must be thinking about these things, thinking about our conversations and our compromises and whether those things might affect whether God's spirit feels comfortable where we are. Revival is not simply a moment to be hosted. It's a presence for us to look for. It's a presence for us to welcome in and to carry into the places where God has given us influence. [00:27:32] (32 seconds)  #PrepareForRevival