Revival: Remembering God's Mighty Acts and Presence

 

Summary

In the fourth chapter of the book of Joshua, we find a profound lesson about the importance of remembering God's mighty acts. The Israelites were instructed to set up twelve stones as a memorial of their crossing the Jordan River on dry land, a miraculous event orchestrated by God. This act of remembrance was not just for the Israelites but for future generations to ask, "What mean these stones?" and to be reminded of God's power and faithfulness. This story serves as a powerful metaphor for the Christian Church today, emphasizing the urgent need for revival. Revival is not merely a historical curiosity but a vital necessity for the Church's spiritual vitality.

The greatest challenge facing the Church is the lack of conviction among Christians about the reality and desirability of revivals. Many are so engrossed in their activities and organizations that they fail to see the need for a divine intervention that only God can provide. The story of past revivals, like the one in 1859, serves as a reminder of what God can do when His people seek Him earnestly. These historical events are not just to be admired but to be studied and learned from, so we can understand the principles that underlie them and apply them to our current context.

Revival begins within the Church, among believers, and then extends outward. It is a period of unusual blessing and activity, characterized by a profound awareness of God's presence, a deep conviction of sin, and a renewed passion for prayer and evangelism. It is not something that can be manufactured by human effort but is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. The Church must differentiate between revival and evangelistic campaigns, understanding that revival is a divine visitation that transforms the Church from within.

The essence of revival is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading to a heightened awareness of spiritual realities, a deep sense of God's holiness, and a corresponding awareness of personal sinfulness. This results in genuine repentance, a renewed love for God, and a fervent desire to share the gospel with others. Revival brings about a divine disorder, where time seems to stand still, and the presence of God is palpable. It is a foretaste of heaven, a time when the Church experiences the fullness of God's presence and power.

Key Takeaways:

- Revival is a divine intervention that begins within the Church, bringing about a renewed awareness of God's presence and a deep conviction of sin. It is not something that can be orchestrated by human effort but is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. [27:48]

- The story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering God's mighty acts. These acts are not just historical events but are meant to inspire faith and trust in God's power and faithfulness. [08:56]

- The greatest challenge facing the Church today is the lack of conviction among Christians about the reality and desirability of revivals. Many are so engrossed in their activities that they fail to see the need for a divine intervention. [04:23]

- Revival brings about a profound awareness of spiritual realities, leading to genuine repentance and a renewed love for God. It is characterized by a deep sense of God's holiness and a corresponding awareness of personal sinfulness. [35:04]

- The essence of revival is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading to a divine disorder where time seems to stand still, and the presence of God is palpable. It is a foretaste of heaven, a time when the Church experiences the fullness of God's presence and power. [42:28]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to Joshua 4
- [01:16] - The Need for Revival
- [03:28] - Albert Burns on Revival
- [05:14] - Learning from Past Revivals
- [06:54] - The Significance of the Twelve Stones
- [09:26] - Human Tendency to Forget
- [13:43] - Causes of Forgetfulness
- [16:04] - Subjective Bible Reading
- [18:27] - Communion as a Memorial
- [20:01] - The Importance of Asking "What Mean These Stones?"
- [22:02] - Revival as Historical Fact
- [24:14] - Examples of Past Revivals
- [27:23] - Defining Revival
- [31:35] - Characteristics of Revival
- [35:04] - Awareness of God's Holiness
- [38:10] - Personal Experience of Revival
- [42:28] - Days of Heaven on Earth

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Joshua 4:21-24

Observation Questions:
1. What specific instructions did God give to the Israelites regarding the twelve stones, and what was their purpose? [00:35]
2. How does the sermon describe the Israelites' crossing of the Jordan River, and what significance does this event hold for future generations? [08:56]
3. According to the sermon, what is the greatest challenge facing the Church today concerning revivals? [04:23]
4. What are some characteristics of revival as described in the sermon? [31:51]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the act of setting up the twelve stones serve as a metaphor for the Church's need for revival today? [09:26]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that past revivals can inform and inspire the Church's current spiritual practices? [06:05]
3. How does the sermon differentiate between revival and evangelistic campaigns, and why is this distinction important? [28:48]
4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in the process of revival, according to the sermon? [31:51]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced a profound awareness of God's presence. How did it impact your faith journey, and how can you seek such experiences more intentionally? [32:45]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of remembering God's mighty acts. What are some personal "stones" or memorials you can set up in your life to remind you of God's faithfulness? [08:56]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper conviction about the reality and desirability of revival in your own life and within your church community? [04:23]
4. Consider the distinction between revival and evangelistic campaigns. How can you contribute to fostering a genuine revival within your church? [28:48]
5. The sermon describes revival as a time when spiritual realities become more vivid. What steps can you take to enhance your awareness of spiritual truths in your daily life? [33:34]
6. How can you actively participate in creating an environment that invites the Holy Spirit's outpouring in your church or small group? [31:51]
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel a need for revival. What practical steps can you take this week to invite God's transformative work in that area? [36:40]

Devotional

Day 1: Revival as Divine Intervention
Revival is a divine intervention that begins within the Church, bringing about a renewed awareness of God's presence and a deep conviction of sin. It is not something that can be orchestrated by human effort but is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. [27:48]

"And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." (Isaiah 58:11, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area in your spiritual life where you feel dry or distant from God? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring revival to that area today?


Day 2: Remembering God's Mighty Acts
The story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering God's mighty acts. These acts are not just historical events but are meant to inspire faith and trust in God's power and faithfulness. [08:56]

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children." (Deuteronomy 4:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific act of God in your life that you can share with someone today to inspire their faith?


Day 3: The Church's Greatest Challenge
The greatest challenge facing the Church today is the lack of conviction among Christians about the reality and desirability of revivals. Many are so engrossed in their activities that they fail to see the need for a divine intervention. [04:23]

"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you become complacent in your spiritual journey? What steps can you take to awaken your desire for a deeper relationship with God?


Day 4: Profound Awareness of Spiritual Realities
Revival brings about a profound awareness of spiritual realities, leading to genuine repentance and a renewed love for God. It is characterized by a deep sense of God's holiness and a corresponding awareness of personal sinfulness. [35:04]

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of sin in your life that you need to bring before God in repentance today? How can you experience His forgiveness and renewal?


Day 5: The Essence of Revival
The essence of revival is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading to a divine disorder where time seems to stand still, and the presence of God is palpable. It is a foretaste of heaven, a time when the Church experiences the fullness of God's presence and power. [42:28]

"And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." (Acts 2:17, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to be more aware of and open to the Holy Spirit's presence and work in your life?

Quotes



The greatest problem confronting us in the church today is that the vast majority of professing Christians are not convinced of the reality and the desirable nests of revivals, as I have been frequently pointing out. This is a subject that has scarcely been mentioned. Men and women have been so busy in other directions they not even don't even think of it still less do they pray urgently for it. [00:04:11]

I know of no method which is so sure directly to focus our attention upon this than just to be reading and considering what has happened in past centuries and therefore very fortunately for us this particular year 1959 is a very great help to us in that respect. There is a year which makes us think of 1859 100 years ago and therefore we are reminded of what happened in that wonderful year in the history of God's people here on earth. [00:05:01]

Our interest must never be a merely an antiquarian interest there is no point in reading the Bible's just for the sake of reading the history in the stories now know our motive and our interest must be to read and to study and to consider what has happened in the past in order that we may discover the great principles that underlie this matter in order in other words that we may discover what it is that we should be seeking and praying for in our own day and generation. [00:06:02]

Here God did something unusual something strange marvelous myth reckless as I shall be indicating he delivered the children of Israel first of all from their enemies the Egyptians we divided the Red Sea and they went through on dry land and here they are now they've been in the wilderness forty years and they're the other side of the river of Jordan lies the promised land of Canaan the place they were looking for and longing for the land of blessing the land flowing with milk and honey. [00:07:25]

What does he know about as well what he knows about us is this that it is simply amazing and astonishing to notice how easily we can forget even a memorable event like this I say would soon be forgotten would drop right out of the minds and the consciousness of subsequent generations of the children of Israel so put up the stones as God so that they'll be reminded they'll be arrested they'll say what what are these stones about what does this mean and then the answer will be given to them. [00:11:04]

We are so dull and so stupid as the result of sin that we'd even forget thus the death of the Son of God for us and his agony in the shame and all that he endured on the cross and his eternal lovers we'd even forget that so the Lord Himself ordained and commanded that we should meet together and break bread and drink wine it's the same principle, though this as after he do it in remembrance of me it's the setting up of the stones in Gilgal once more. [00:18:31]

It is a simple actual fact of history that something amazing and wonderful happened 100 years ago something literally took place in 1857 - 1859 which was so much fact that it even began to be reported in the newspapers and they very rarely report anything unless it's political, the only sermons they're interested in as sermons that introduced politics in some shape or form they're not interested in spiritual matters but they were actually reporting what happened in 1859 1859 it became front-page news a phenomena that acts something that belongs solidly to the realm of history. [00:22:38]

What happened in 1859 is only one in a great series it's but one example but one illustration of something that has been happening periodically in the history of the Christian Church right through the running centuries it's one example of what we call revivals revivals of religion and it's only one example there have been many other let me just give you a few illustrations in passing you know long before even the Protestant Reformation there was quite a religious revival in this country associated with the name of John Wickliffe and the Lollards that was a revival as definitely as what happened in 1859. [00:24:02]

The essence of revival is that the Holy Spirit comes down upon a number of people together upon a whole church upon a number of church is a district or perhaps a whole country that's what is meant by revival it is if you like a visitation of the Holy Spirit or another term that has often been used is this and I'll touring of the Holy Spirit and the terms are interesting because you see what the people are conscious of is just that as if something had suddenly come down upon them the Spirit of God has descended into their midst God has come down and is amongst them a baptism an outpouring a visitation. [00:31:46]

The Holy Spirit literally seems to be presiding over the meeting and taking charge of it and many Festing his power and guiding them and leading them and directing that's the essence of revival and what is that leader well here are the general characteristics that you'll find in every revival that you can have a read about the immediate effect is this that the people present begin to have an awareness of spiritual things such as they never had before now I'm talking about believers about Christian people members of the Christian Church when they suddenly become conscious of this presence in this power the first effect I say is that spiritual things become reality still they have an awareness of them and clear views of them such as they'd never had before. [00:32:47]

The glory and the holiness of God have you ever read your Bibles and notice these people suddenly realizing the presence of God like go put their hands upon their mouths or like an Isaiah say were we son to me for I am a man of unclean lips what's the matter with them Oh they've just had a realization of the holiness and the majesty and the glory of God that always happens in a revival doesn't always happen in evangelistic campaigns does it there can be a lot of laughing and joking and the obvious organization in evangelistic campaigns never in a revival this all this reverence this holy fear the consciousness of God in His Majesty is glory His Holiness is not of purity. [00:34:46]

There is what somebody once called a divine disorder always in a revival some groaning and agonizing and the conviction others praising God for the great salvation and all this leads to crowded and prolonged meeting time seems to be forgotten people seem to have entered into eternity a meeting may start at 6:30 in the evening it may not end until daybreak the next morning and nobody was aware of the passing of the hours they didn't have to provide coffee once or twice halfway through no no people have forgotten the body ah you may laugh my friends but you see that is what happening when men organizes these things not when the Holy Ghost organizes them time the body in the needs of the flesh they're all forgotten. [00:41:18]

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Transcript
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