Revival Through Repentance and Faithful Living

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound call for repentance and the necessity of aligning our lives with God's commandments. We began by reflecting on the story of the widow who gave her last cent, emphasizing the importance of putting God first in all aspects of our lives, including our finances. This act of faith and trust in God sets the stage for a life of generosity and gratitude, which is essential for spiritual revival.

We delved into the book of Ezra, examining the Israelites' return from exile and their mission to rebuild the temple. This historical context serves as a backdrop for understanding the need for spiritual renewal in our own lives and communities. The Israelites' journey back to their homeland symbolizes our own journey towards spiritual restoration and the rebuilding of our faith.

The sermon highlighted the pervasive issues in our society, such as poverty, addiction, and violence, which are all manifestations of sin. Despite the presence of numerous churches, these problems persist, underscoring the need for genuine repentance and a return to God's commandments. We discussed the Ten Commandments, emphasizing their relevance in our lives today and the importance of serving God as He instructs, not as we choose.

We also addressed the infiltration of sin within the church, urging believers to stop excusing sin and to uphold the sanctity of God's house. The call to repentance is not just for individuals but for the entire community, as revival requires collective prayer, confession, and responsibility.

Finally, we were reminded of the power of the Holy Spirit and the necessity of living a life of integrity and contentment. By prioritizing God's commandments and seeking His presence, we can experience true revival and transformation in our lives and communities.

Key Takeaways:

1. Prioritizing God in All Aspects of Life: The story of the widow who gave her last cent teaches us the importance of putting God first, even in our finances. When we prioritize God, He honors our faith and provides for our needs. This act of trust and generosity is foundational for spiritual revival. [03:46]

2. The Call for Genuine Repentance: The pervasive issues in society, such as poverty and addiction, are manifestations of sin. Despite the presence of many churches, these problems persist, highlighting the need for genuine repentance and a return to God's commandments. True repentance involves a heartfelt turning away from sin and a commitment to live according to God's will. [07:15]

3. The Relevance of the Ten Commandments: The Ten Commandments remain relevant today, guiding us in our relationship with God and others. They call us to serve God as He instructs, not as we choose, and to live lives of integrity and contentment. By aligning our lives with these commandments, we can experience spiritual renewal and transformation. [17:26]

4. Addressing Sin Within the Church: Sin has infiltrated the church, and believers must stop excusing it. Upholding the sanctity of God's house requires us to examine our hearts, repent, and live lives that reflect God's holiness. Revival begins with a community that prays, confesses, and takes responsibility for its actions. [25:06]

5. The Power of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit empowers us to live lives of integrity and contentment. By seeking His presence and prioritizing God's commandments, we can experience true revival and transformation. The Holy Spirit provides the strength and guidance needed to overcome sin and live according to God's will. [44:12]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [03:46] - Introduction to Ezra
- [06:04] - Prayer and Worship
- [07:15] - Societal Issues and Sin
- [17:26] - The Ten Commandments
- [22:12] - Sin Within the Church
- [25:06] - Call for Repentance
- [28:44] - Mission of Revival Bay
- [31:58] - Ezra's Confession
- [33:25] - God's Protection and Purpose
- [34:53] - Forsaking Commandments
- [36:30] - Integrity and Wealth
- [40:03] - Renewal and Revival
- [42:30] - Community Support
- [44:12] - Power of the Holy Spirit
- [51:02] - Final Prayer and Blessing

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Ezra 9:1-5: This passage highlights the Israelites' failure to separate themselves from the abominations of the surrounding nations, leading to a call for repentance and spiritual renewal.
- Exodus 20:3-17: The Ten Commandments, which serve as a guide for living a life aligned with God's will and are emphasized in the sermon as relevant for today's believers.
- Acts 2:38: Peter's call to repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers.

#### Observation Questions
1. What actions did the Israelites take that led to Ezra's call for repentance in Ezra 9:1-5?
2. How does the story of the widow who gave her last cent illustrate the principle of prioritizing God in all aspects of life? [03:46]
3. What societal issues were mentioned in the sermon as manifestations of sin, and how do they relate to the need for genuine repentance? [07:15]
4. How does the sermon describe the infiltration of sin within the church, and what is the proposed solution? [22:12]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways do the Ten Commandments remain relevant for guiding believers' lives today, according to the sermon? [17:26]
2. How does the sermon suggest believers should address the presence of sin within the church community? [25:06]
3. What role does the Holy Spirit play in empowering believers to live lives of integrity and contentment, as discussed in the sermon? [44:12]
4. How does the sermon connect the Israelites' journey back to their homeland with our own journey towards spiritual restoration? [31:58]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you have not been putting God first? What steps can you take to prioritize Him more fully? [03:46]
2. Consider the societal issues mentioned in the sermon. How can you contribute to addressing these issues in your community through acts of service or advocacy? [07:15]
3. Examine your heart for any sin that you may be excusing. What practical steps can you take to repent and uphold the sanctity of God's house? [22:12]
4. How can you actively seek the presence of the Holy Spirit in your daily life to experience true revival and transformation? [44:12]
5. Identify one commandment from Exodus 20 that you struggle with. What specific actions can you take this week to align your life more closely with that commandment? [17:26]
6. Think about a time when you witnessed sin being excused within a church setting. How can you lovingly address such issues in your own church community? [25:06]
7. How can you support others in your community who are on their journey towards spiritual restoration and renewal? [31:58]

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God with Our Finances
When we prioritize God in all aspects of our lives, including our finances, we demonstrate a profound trust in His provision. The story of the widow who gave her last cent is a powerful example of this trust. Despite her poverty, she chose to put God first, believing that He would take care of her needs. This act of faith and generosity is foundational for spiritual revival, as it sets the stage for a life of gratitude and reliance on God. By putting God first, we open ourselves to His blessings and experience a deeper connection with Him. [03:46]

Mark 12:43-44 (ESV): "And he called his disciples to him and said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.'"

Reflection: Consider your current financial situation. How can you demonstrate trust in God by prioritizing Him in your financial decisions today?

Day 2: Genuine Repentance for Societal Healing
The issues of poverty, addiction, and violence in society are manifestations of sin that persist despite the presence of many churches. This highlights the need for genuine repentance and a return to God's commandments. True repentance involves a heartfelt turning away from sin and a commitment to live according to God's will. It is not enough to merely acknowledge sin; we must actively seek to change our ways and align our lives with God's teachings. By doing so, we can contribute to healing and transformation in our communities. [07:15]

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV): "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Reflection: Identify a specific sin or habit in your life that you need to repent of. What steps can you take today to turn away from it and seek God's forgiveness?

Day 3: Living by the Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments remain relevant today, guiding us in our relationship with God and others. They call us to serve God as He instructs, not as we choose, and to live lives of integrity and contentment. By aligning our lives with these commandments, we can experience spiritual renewal and transformation. The commandments are not just rules to follow but a pathway to a fulfilling and meaningful life in accordance with God's will. [17:26]

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (ESV): "You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess."

Reflection: Reflect on the Ten Commandments. Which commandment do you find most challenging to follow, and how can you work on aligning your life with it today?

Day 4: Purity and Accountability in the Church
Sin has infiltrated the church, and believers must stop excusing it. Upholding the sanctity of God's house requires us to examine our hearts, repent, and live lives that reflect God's holiness. Revival begins with a community that prays, confesses, and takes responsibility for its actions. By addressing sin within the church, we can create an environment where spiritual growth and transformation can flourish. [25:06]

1 Peter 4:17 (ESV): "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"

Reflection: Think about your role in your church community. How can you contribute to creating a culture of accountability and holiness within your church?

Day 5: Empowered by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit empowers us to live lives of integrity and contentment. By seeking His presence and prioritizing God's commandments, we can experience true revival and transformation. The Holy Spirit provides the strength and guidance needed to overcome sin and live according to God's will. Embracing the power of the Holy Spirit allows us to navigate life's challenges with grace and confidence, knowing that we are not alone in our journey. [44:12]

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need the Holy Spirit's guidance and strength today? How can you invite Him to lead you in that area?

Quotes

"was a woman who gave one cent but she gave more than everyone else she gave everything that she had in our giving we have to trust god the bible says we should always count the cost so you should budget but just remember to put him first in everything don't put him last if you put him first he will always honor you as we studied last week the excavation of our hearts sometimes many people have problems with money but are constantly asking god for something we we get saved real quick when we need something but we should have a heart to always give always give so during our time of generosity we just want to say thank you we're in expectation for god to do something we were blessed we were blessed today we went to a church church abide i don't recognize pastor geo from abide church and we were blessed to give give him a hand clap abide church and and not only abide church actually truth center church pastor vago light and also arise church pastor brent simpson they have all sold into revival bay and we are so grateful to partner with other churches in the area who have the same mission as us to bring revival today to tampa bay for lives to be changed through the word of god and we're going to get into our word we're going to get into our word first i just i really want to say thank you this is our second service this is our second service at revival bay and i'm so grateful first and foremost for my wife i know it's a lot so thank you thank you my love my love my best friend my best friend my best friend i know it's a lot so thank you and pleaseлы give my kids love and shining hope for these kids so thank you for reminding me i really appreciate you and i want to say thank you and i want to say thank you for also for my family my daughters are helping on working my son cameron and my baby boy he's evangelizing and last but not least i want to thank you to our launch team for those who are on our lunchtime key lunch team can you just stand up for me real quick i just want to say thank you so much thank you so much for helping let's get this thing off the ground it takes a lot to put outside the box right now lot of faith. God told me to do this. He told me I would pastor about almost eight years ago now and I was fighting it for about seven. Uh so I just wanna say thank you so much." [00:00:00]

"Every word that comes out of my mouth and every word that we teach. I want us to be a a very sensitive biblical church. Biblically centered church. Because in the power the power to change not only just you and your family but the power to change everything is right here in this word." [00:03:23]

"focus was the foundations for spiritual revival in the book of Ezra and just to give you a quick recap and overview of Ezra the book of Ezra was written by the priest Ezra and the purpose of Ezra was the second exile coming the Israelites coming back we call it the second exodus the Israel Israelites coming back to their home they had been displaced okay so the Israelites have been displaced and Ezra by by King Cyrus which was prophesied 150 years prior to it actually happened in the book of Isaiah and also there was prophesied in the book of Jeremiah that the Israelites would come back home the process of them coming back to their homeland and also rebuilding their temple they were given a place to live and they were given a place to live and they were given a place to live commands to rebuild the temple and also eventually to rebuild the walls we'll get to that in Nehemiah at a later time and what we got from that was there were three things that that we talked about that was critical in excavating of our hearts number one was digging in worship number one digging in worship number two checking our hearts because as soon as we go on worship the enemy comes for that and then some mess starts checking our heart number three what we have to do is make a sacrifice so those so that was a quick recap of some of the things we talked about last week and we're going to continue to lay the foundation of revival bay and topic of our message today is a call for repentance call for repentance in global society today you look on the news what do you see talking to my daughter about this is a global pandemic of sex workers now is a global pandemic of into sex workers are doing that because of porn addicts is a global pandemic racism sexism human trafficking mental illness political unrest suicide depression homelessness gang violence sexual violence kidnapping hunger disease outbreaks the breakdown of our society is isn't nothing new but the Bible says men are to wax worse and worse but when we think about when you look at the news and we see what's happening globally you also have to think about what's happening in our city you have to think about what's actually happening in our city so I want you to understand the reason all this is is the result of sin all of it is a result of sin the addiction the racism all of it is a result of sin these are the results of sin but what's happening in our city I have some statistics of some things that's actually happening in this area that many people don't know of" [00:07:15]

"these are the effects of sin even though right now we have about it's about 1 .5 million people in this area we have about 1 ,800 churches in this area even though we have 1 ,800 churches and about 1 .5 million say they're saved and about almost over 350 thousand are active in their churches even though that's the case we still have over a hundred thousand children that are living in poverty we still have about 5 ,000 kids in foster care we still have over 4 ,000 people who only are only living off of minimum wage we still have over about almost 60 ,000 people that are unemployed we still have almost 30 ,000 overdose calls in one year we still have over 12 ,000 abortions a year we still have about over 500 suicides a year we still have over 6 ,000 children that are being abused we still have almost 20 % of the people in this area are homeless or barely making it so although we have all these churches we still have all these problems why is that we have that the reason for that is sin the reason for that is sin excuse me the reason for that is sin it is sin so I ask Lord what is the solution what do we do and it's funny how God told me this and it was I thought it was y 'all gonna like this God said we must follow his commandment but not just follow his commandment to understand what they mean what do they mean in your lives today" [00:10:39]

"follow his commandment people do not talk about God's commandment yes we love God but the truth is if if somebody really loves you that's going to be a some sort of obedience there the way you know if somebody's your child not just because they look at you is use it because they look like you meaning they act like you they do things like you if you are like your father you begin to look like him do some things like him but guess what these problems are in the world they've migrated to the church but let's go into what God says the solution is the solution is Exodus 20 and 3 Exodus 20 and 3 says you shall have no other gods before me you should have no other guys before that means him first and him only no idolatry what does this look like let" [00:14:32]

"or under the earth you shall not bow down to them or serve them for i the lord your god am a jealous god i'm a jealous god what does that mean now this is very very very detailed this commandment is about serving god the way he instructs you to not the way you want to this scripture is about serving god the way he says to serve him not the way you want to are you putting god on the end of your priorities but you're always expecting him to stick what he says but you put him on the very end of your list are you placing him on your heart" [00:15:30]

"the israelites during that time and what that looks like for us is the church but the problem is satan has infiltrated the house of the lord satan has infiltrated our churches the church has changed what was happening during the time of ezra we see that last week we talked about one of the reasons why why jesus gave them over is because they were looking at those persian women and warning them and and what happened they married them what and what was the purpose of" [00:21:28]

"that it was so they could worship the other gods the purpose of that was idolatry the purpose of that was when we move you to a place where you are always looking at something that you shouldn't have you bring into what is holy in your home and and you bring and you defile it because now it's another god what does that look like i want to explain to you what that looks like in the house of the lord here are some sins of the church people of god people in the church have to stop playing with sin not only just playing with excusing it stop playing with sin and stop excusing it god has called you the greater ezekiel 44 6 through 8 i'm going to read this" [00:22:12]

"it reads and thou shalt say to the rebellious even the house of israel thus saith the lord oh god ye house of israel let it suffice you all in all your abominations in that you have brought brought into the sanctuary strangers strangers you brought into the sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart there are people in the church that aren't with god that don't want god there are people in the church that are just there to pass the time what is he saying you brought in people in my sanctuary strangers with uncircumcised in heart uncircumcised in flesh to be to be in my sanctuary and to pollute it even my house you brought into the sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart uncircumcised in flesh Would you offer my bread and the fat and the blood and they that have broken my commandment because of all your abominations is saying in verse 8, and ye have not kept the charge of my holy things that you set the keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for themselves. We are letting people serve, preach, pray who literally are living lives that are opposite from the word of God." [00:23:18]

"Church today has become more of a show. That's why I said this is not about a platform. Don't get wrapped up in the show of church. Don't get wrapped up in church. People can do church, but they don't do God. They don't love God. I love what Francis Chan said. He said, entertainment church is only about attendance." [00:26:34]

"and Acts 2 and 38 says then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost you need power you're going back and forth you need power you're going back to the same sin one day you're good one day you're not one week you're good one week you're good one week you're not one month you're okay one month you're worse the next month you're worse you need power Holy Spirit has power for you and just how you accepted Christ by faith you can receive the gift of Holy Spirit you can receive even the endowment of tongues by faith but as you can see revival only happens it doesn't happen with one person revival only happens with one person revival happens when a community prays revival happens when a community confesses revival happens when a community takes responsibility for themselves it happens when the community renounces not doing that same foolish" [00:44:35]

"we magnify you i ask you to touch these people this week give them opportunities to talk about you give them opportunities to share their testimony give them opportunities to decree the love of christ to decree the mercy of god give them opportunities this week to pray for people give them opportunities to repent so we thank you we praise you we lift you up and we magnify you and we go forth this week in power with the goal to revive one soul at a time we thank you for coming to revival bay god bless you in jesus name we all say amen have a good week god bless you thank you for" [00:53:53]

Chatbot

Transcript

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