Reviving the Church: Rediscovering Living Water

Devotional

Day 1: Understanding Our Past for Spiritual Renewal

Understanding the history of the church is vital for spiritual renewal. By learning from past revivals, we can ignite a renewed zeal for prayer and seek God's intervention in our time. The cycles of spiritual vitality and decline are not new, and recognizing them can provide comfort and guidance. [21:21]

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a period of spiritual decline in your own life. How can understanding the church's history of revival inspire you to seek renewal today?

Day 2: Clearing Away Modern Debris

The analogy of Isaac re-digging the wells of his father Abraham illustrates the need to clear away modern distractions and misconceptions that obscure essential truths. Just as the Philistines filled the wells with debris, so too have irrelevant debates clouded the core doctrines of our faith. [25:26]

"And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them." (Genesis 26:18, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a modern distraction or misconception that has clouded your understanding of faith. What steps can you take today to clear this debris and focus on essential truths?

Day 3: Rediscovering Foundational Doctrines

Rediscovering foundational doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, the reality of sin, the centrality of Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit is crucial for revival. These truths are not just theological concepts but are life-giving and transformative. [32:14]

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: Which foundational doctrine do you feel most disconnected from? How can you begin to rediscover its significance in your life today?

Day 4: Embracing the Holy Spirit's Role

The Holy Spirit's role is essential for true revival. Often forgotten or minimized, the Spirit's presence and power are vital for transformation. We must make room for the Spirit's work, expecting and praying for His outpouring. [50:10]

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (John 14:26, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you minimized the role of the Holy Spirit in your life? How can you actively make room for His work today?

Day 5: Returning to the Wells of Living Water

The church must clear away the debris of modern misconceptions and return to the wells of living water. This involves recognizing the timeless nature of human need and God's truth, and seeking a divine visitation that transforms lives and communities. [56:16]

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:3, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to return to the 'wells of living water'? How can you seek God's truth and transformation in this area today?

Sermon Summary

In reflecting on the history of the church, it becomes evident that understanding our past is crucial for revitalizing our present spiritual condition. The church has experienced cycles of spiritual vitality and decline throughout history, much like the ebb and flow of a tide. This pattern is not new, and recognizing it can provide comfort and guidance. By examining the past, we can learn from the periods of revival and renewal, understanding that God has intervened time and again to restore His church. This historical perspective is not just for scholars or clergy but is essential for every believer. It is through this understanding that we can ignite a renewed zeal for prayer and supplication, seeking God's intervention in our time.

The analogy of Isaac re-digging the wells of his father Abraham serves as a powerful metaphor for our current spiritual state. Just as the Philistines filled the wells with debris, obscuring the life-giving water, so too have modern distractions and misconceptions clouded the essential truths of our faith. The church today is often caught up in irrelevant debates and superficial unity, neglecting the core doctrines that have historically led to revival. The world may seem different, but the fundamental human condition and the need for God's truth remain unchanged.

To experience revival, we must rediscover and reclaim these vital truths. The sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, the reality of sin, the centrality of Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit are foundational doctrines that have been obscured. These truths are not just theological concepts but are life-giving and transformative. The church must clear away the debris of modern misconceptions and return to these wells of living water.

The Holy Spirit's role is particularly crucial. Often forgotten or minimized, the Spirit's presence and power are essential for true revival. We must make room for the Spirit's work, expecting and praying for His outpouring. This is not about human effort or organization but about a divine visitation that transforms lives and communities.

Key Takeaways

1. Understanding the history of the church is vital for spiritual renewal. By learning from past revivals, we can ignite a renewed zeal for prayer and seek God's intervention in our time. The cycles of spiritual vitality and decline are not new, and recognizing them can provide comfort and guidance. [21:21]
2. The analogy of Isaac re-digging the wells of his father Abraham illustrates the need to clear away modern distractions and misconceptions that obscure essential truths. Just as the Philistines filled the wells with debris, so too have irrelevant debates clouded the core doctrines of our faith. [25:26]
3. Rediscovering foundational doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, the reality of sin, the centrality of Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit is crucial for revival. These truths are not just theological concepts but are life-giving and transformative. [32:14]
4. The Holy Spirit's role is essential for true revival. Often forgotten or minimized, the Spirit's presence and power are vital for transformation. We must make room for the Spirit's work, expecting and praying for His outpouring. [50:10]
5. The church must clear away the debris of modern misconceptions and return to the wells of living water. This involves recognizing the timeless nature of human need and God's truth, and seeking a divine visitation that transforms lives and communities. [56:16]
** [56:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:51] - Misconceptions of Evangelical History
[21:21] - Importance of Church History
[22:13] - Cycles of Revival and Decline
[23:35] - The Power of Revival
[24:21] - Rediscovering Old Wells
[25:26] - The Philistines' Debris
[27:23] - Irrelevance of Modern Knowledge
[28:56] - Misguided Unity
[31:40] - Concealed Truths
[35:52] - Rediscovery Leads to Revival
[38:17] - The Sovereign God
[44:00] - Doctrine of Sin and Wrath
[46:17] - Centrality of Christ
[50:10] - Role of the Holy Spirit
[56:16] - Returning to Living Water

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does the analogy of Isaac re-digging the wells of his father Abraham symbolize in the context of the church's spiritual state today? [24:21]
How does the sermon describe the cycles of spiritual vitality and decline in the history of the church? [23:03]
What are some of the modern distractions and misconceptions that the sermon suggests have obscured essential truths of the faith? [25:26]
According to the sermon, what role does the Holy Spirit play in true revival, and how is this often overlooked in contemporary church practices? [50:10]

Interpretation Questions

How does understanding the history of the church help believers today in seeking spiritual renewal and revival? [21:21]
In what ways can the analogy of Isaac re-digging the wells be applied to the church's need to return to foundational doctrines? [24:21]
What are the implications of neglecting the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and the centrality of Christ in the life of the church? [32:14]
How can believers make room for the Holy Spirit's work in their lives and communities, according to the sermon? [50:10]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually dry. How might revisiting the foundational truths of your faith help you find renewal? [24:21]
What are some modern distractions in your life that might be obscuring your understanding of essential Christian doctrines? How can you address these distractions? [25:26]
How can you actively seek to understand the history of the church to better appreciate God's work in the past and present? [21:21]
In what ways can you prioritize the role of the Holy Spirit in your daily life and in your church community? [50:10]
Identify one core doctrine of the faith that you feel has been neglected in your spiritual journey. What steps can you take to rediscover and embrace this truth? [32:14]
How can you encourage your church community to focus on the centrality of Christ in all aspects of worship and teaching? [46:17]
Consider the role of prayer and supplication in seeking God's intervention. How can you incorporate more intentional prayer into your routine to invite spiritual revival? [21:56]

Sermon Clips

There is nothing to me that is more urgently important than that we should acquaint ourselves with the history of the church in the past. This is not merely something for preachers or for professors; it is something for every church member. And indeed, I could produce evidence to show that more than once in the history of revivals, this mere becoming acquainted with what God had done in times past had been the thing that seemed to spark off a new interest and a new concern and a new zeal in prayer and supplication to God to intervene and to do something amongst them. [00:21:21]

Isaac sent his men back to those old wells. What did he find? And here again is the instructive thing. He found that these wells that had been dug by his father had been stopped by the Philistines. There was the place; the well had obviously been, but when they looked into it, they couldn't see any water. The Philistines had been there, and they'd thrown in a lot of rubbish and of mud and of mire and of sticks and all sorts of things. They'd filled them up. They poured the rubbish in so that though the well is still there, there was no water visible and no water available. [00:25:26]

The world has always been opposed to the truth of God. It was the world that crucified the Messiah. The world has never been on the side of the church, and this idea that there's anything new is quite wrong. I agree, as I've said, that it's more desperate, perhaps more militant, more open, but the opposition has always been there. And then we are told about all this new knowledge, and the simple answer to that is that it makes not the slightest difference at all. [00:27:23]

The rediscovery, the rediscovery—Isaac again, the wells of water—rediscovery leads to revival. The rediscovery of the great doctrines and the vital truths and principles of the Christian faith is almost invariably the preliminary work that leads to revival. Now, I've got to modify this just slightly. There have been times when God, as it were, has sent the revival before the reformation. But speaking generally, the reformation and the renewal have preceded the revival. [00:35:52]

The condition of the church today is due surely to the fact that certain vital doctrines are hidden out of sight, have been concealed by all this rubbish that has characterized the life of the church during this present century. Someone may think this is dogmatic and too drastic. I suggest to you that it doesn't, and that so much time and energy have been wasted. What have all these movements and fashions in theology and in methods and everything else led to? They've led to nothing. [00:38:17]

The Sovereign Transcendent God who acts and who intervenes in the life of the church and of individuals. What do I mean? Well, let me put it like this: I have in my mind here that great experience of that genius Blaise Pascal, possibly one of the greatest mathematicians of all times. He had an amazing Christian experience after he had been a Christian for some time. He describes this, and this is what he says about it: the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, not the God of the philosophers. [00:44:00]

The God of the Bible is the God who is, the God who acts, is the Living God. Not only the true God, he is the Living God. He is the God who acts, and the great record of the Bible is the record of the activity of God. It's God who does things as he creates at the beginning. He makes a nation out of this man Abraham, and he deals with this nation. He isn't outside them; he's amongst them. They're his people, and he comes down amongst them and he acts in their midst. [00:46:17]

The whole authority of the scriptures. I need keep you with this. Revelation is denied; inspiration is denied; propositional truth is being denied. Human reason and understanding and speculation are being exalted. It is man's search for God that is talked about, not the Hound of Heaven and God tracking us down and looking upon us and searching us and judging us and revealing his truth to us. The supernatural element has been colorable. It's not there. [00:50:10]

Do we believe as we should in the wrath of God? It isn't polite to preach on this now, is it? It's not mentioned; it's not heard. How many people have trembled with fear of God? What do we know about the fear of God, that God is a consuming fire? And do we approach him with reverence and with godly fear? This notion has gone. We talk about our weaknesses; we're ready to admit our deficiencies, but have we any notion of the plague of our hearts? [00:56:16]

The person of the Lord Jesus Christ, crucial, central, the message of the whole Bible. Old Testament looking forward to him, the New Testament telling us about him and looking back to him and his glorious work. His centrality in every period of revival is quite unmistakable. The very hymns that have come out of these revivals demonstrate this to us, if we had nothing else at all. It is out of this saying of him that these great hymns have been born. [01:01:40]

The Holy Spirit is often forgotten; he's often ignored. We're all right about these other doctrines, but he somehow falls into the background, obscured, hidden, indeed even quenched. Now, you can't read the New Testament without seeing the vital influence of the Spirit, the communion of the Holy Spirit, and the way he worked in the church. I'm not contending that we should expect it to be exactly the same today, but I am contending for this: that his presence and his power should be evident at all times. [01:05:10]

There is nothing that is more outstanding in a revival than the presence and the power of the Spirit. He comes, as I said, suddenly or gradually, individual or a group, it doesn't matter. But the great thing is that he comes. And the thing that I feel we need to ask ourselves is this: do we, in our thinking and in our doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit and his work, do we leave any room for revival, for a visitation of the Spirit, for a coming of the Spirit upon us and a reviving of us? [01:07:56]

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