In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the theme of real revival. He begins by discussing the results of the reproof given by the Prophet in the previous message. The reputation of the Prophet as the Lord's messenger and the reference to him as such are highlighted. The preacher then moves on to talk about the restoration of the people and the reassurance given to them by God. The sermon concludes with a discussion on the revival of the remnants and the restart of their work for God. The preacher emphasizes the importance of God touching hearts and stirring up the spirit of the people for true revival to take place.

540. A wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord, wonderful Saviour to me. He hides my soul in the cleft of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see. 540, please. A wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord, a wonderful Saviour to me. He hides my soul in the cleft of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see. He hides my soul in the cleft of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see. Over again. If the gentlemen like to take their coats off, you're free to do so. But I honestly think that the ladies dress far better than the gentlemen, I do honestly. In this weather, you know, the ladies really dress right. You old fellows with coats and jumpers on. I preached in a very fashionable church once. And there were about 2,000 people there. It was a night like this, and I took my coat off just like this. And two dear old ladies sitting at the front seat of my bed squinted and blinked for a minute or two. And I said at the end of the verse, I said, If I really thought that I was annoying some of you by taking my coat off, I would definitely take my shirt off. And I would be at sight with my shirt off, I can tell you. But if I thought it would annoy you, I would do it. I just want to feel free and easy. And if you want to be like that, you do it while we're singing this last verse again. And pull out all the stops and let's really sing to the Lord. O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Haggai, again this evening. And we're at the first chapter. Look after the prophets, Haggai. And we're at chapter one. I'm commencing at verse twelve this evening. And going on to the end of the chapter. Just four verses this evening, Mark it. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. And over this paragraph, I have written two words. Real revival. Because out of the preaching of the prophet Haggai, to the attendants who had come back from Babylon to Palestine, under Haggai's preaching, there had come a real revival. You see, we'll take time to study verse fourteen this evening. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Sheol to you, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Joseph, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. The Lord stirred up the spirit of the people. The Lord really touched their hearts through the preaching of Haggai. Because this is how revival comes, you know. It's not through banners in the street, nor through great announcements in the daily paper. It's our God coming through the preaching and touching the hearts of His people. It's God working in the hearts of His people. God touching hearts. This is how revival comes. Sometimes before God comes to touch our hearts, God has to rest or wake up in the midnight hour and touch our walk, like Jacob. You remember, He touched the hollow of Jacob's heart, and He changed Jacob's walk. Sometimes before He touches our hearts, He has to touch our walk. Sometimes He has to touch our eyes. You remember the laity scene in church. You remember how they could be so blinded with pride as to say, We have need of nothing. And the master had to look and say, Thou art poor and miserable and blind and wretched and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold fried in the fire and white raiment, and anoint thine eyes with eyes' salt. Sometimes God has to touch our eyes. Let us see our own misery. Let us see His glory. And let us see the depravity of the world around us. For where there is no vision, people perish. God has to touch our eyes and touch our walk. Sometimes God has to come and touch the preacher's lips. You remember the angel team and touch the lips of Isaiah the prophet with a live coal from off the altar. But it is only when God really touches hearts that revival comes. It is when God touches hearts. You remember when old Samuel the prophet anointed Saul the first king of Israel. You remember that day that this statement was found and there went out with him, went out with Saul, a band of men whose hearts the Lord had touched. And you know, when God touches your heart, you understand what I became. You are not following a far off anymore. You get up and say the Lord reminds us. And you are walking with the Lord. There went out with him a band of men whose hearts the Lord had touched. You remember the two on the road to Emmaus. They were down that road that morning, slowly, downcast, depressed, defeated. Why, they had lost everything it seems. They had believed that Jesus was the one who would have redeemed Israel, but all that seems to have gone. They don't know where they are. The fog has descended upon them. And they are going home. I think it was husband and wife. It was Cleopas and his wife. And they were going to their little home in Emmaus. In fact, both of them invited the stranger in at the end of the day. Abide with us, it was told this evening. It was their home. Friends, do you remember how he got in between these depressed, downcast, defeated disciples? And putting his arms around them, I think, walked slowly in the burning eastern sun. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And at the end of the journey, here is the testimony. Did not our heart burn within us while he talked to us, by the way, while he opened unto us the scriptures? You know, when God touches your heart, you don't go down that road anymore. You turn around and you get back up again. Although they had walked eight miles with the burning sun from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and the day was fast spent, and in the far east you don't start the journey over again, yet they were so scared. They turn around, they get back to the assembly, they get back to God's people, they get back with the news that he's really alive. It's revival, you know. When God touches hearts, you stand beside the king, you get into the assembly of God's people, and you get back to the house of God to work by God. This is what happened here. God stirred them. They began to work in the house of God. It's real revival, that's what it is. It's real revival. Now, we want to get down from it this evening, don't we? And out of these four verses in this paragraph, I have worked out for you five headings. You're going to look firstly at the result of the reproof that the prophet brought last week in the message. And you're going to have a look at the prophet himself, the reputation that he had, and the wonderful reference that's given here. He was the Lord's messenger, that's the reputation, and he was the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message. That's a great reference. And then we want to look at the reassurance and the restorance. God had brought a great word for these who were restored back to Jerusalem, and he assured them, reassured them, I am with thee. And then we come to the revival of the remnants. And the last word or two will be dealing with the restart by the revive they began to work for God. So, it's a very wonderful passage, although it's a very short one. I think we need to regather just a few of the threads of last week's message, just in case there should be one or two in the class who were not here last week, and to refresh our own minds. We know that Haggai is one of the post-exilic prophets. Some of the minor prophets were pre-exilic prophets. That is, they prophesied to Israel before Israel went into exile in Babylon. But Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi are three of the prophets that stood up to preach to the remnants that came back out of Babylon after the restoration. And so this is a post-exilic prophet preaching to the remnants that came back to their own land after those years of captivity down in Babylon. And, you know, he really started talking to the people. Last week we notice that his first word to the remnant was, verse 2, that speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say. That's how he started the message. No flowery introduction. Well, that's what they tell you to do in the college. And when the prophet didn't go to any college, you see, he was just instructed of the Lord. And there was no mumbly-crumbly talk about this. He just swept his eyes round them. And he said, Yes, this people, this people say. The time has not come to work for God. And so he really got about talking to them. No nonsense about it. My, the word of truth that came last week, it came like another come ago. The prophet was really talking. You remember how he cried for them to consider their ways. And he let them see that while they'd been looking after their own homes and their own interests, the whole way through they were losing out. They'd got their priorities all wrong. They were putting their home before God's house. And their comfort before God's service. Ah, but the whole thing was a loss. God had grown upon everything that they'd done. And there's a lot of assemblies around, you know. And they'd put so many things before God's work. They would rather have tennis than church now. They'd rather have balls than Bible. They would rather have praise than praise. And God has grown on them. And it's inevitable. You just go and find out. They've neither prayer meeting nor Bible class. And still they'll have nothing. Oh, the cats are there! Not stretching anything to help the vultures. They're a poor lot too. Friends, let's face it. When God grows upon a thing, you know, you can't put you first. And your interests first. And your carnal selfishness first. And take God's blessing, can you? Just work it out. If you've got any grey matter left. Let me tell you this. It doesn't even matter what you've got. Or what you're driving after. Or what you're aiming after. If you've missed God's blessing, you're a pauper. You're a pauper. Can't get on without God's blessing. I need the blessing of the Lord. Or I'm finished. Blessing of God. That's why we get on our knees in this place. And so the prophet really talked to them last week. And now this is the result of his reproof. This is what really happened. That's where we begin. Now we're just beginning now. Verse 12. Then, you know, I love that verse. And I love the way that comes in here. Just then, you know, the prophet appeared very suddenly among them. And they began to talk. And shouts of light came from the anointed lips of this very bold prophet. But, you know, the people of God were smitten by the word of the Lord. And just at that psychological second when he appeared and when he really talked to them. And when they were convicted of God. Then. Then things began to happen. Just then. The results were immediate. The way God wants us, you know. That's what God's looking for. And God comes and convicts you about the fair meeting tomorrow morning. May it be there. And we'll know God's work in this. We'll know God's work in this. Some of you old dead fellows that haven't been to a fair meeting in your life. Get out in the morning at seven and we'll know that God's talking to you. You hypocrite. Yes. Why just then? Just like that? He was not talking to you, you know. This is really getting you pulled out to the word of God. Then. Just then. All that God would come. All that God would touch every man, Jacobus. All the widow would be spreading the way down to their hearts. All that you wouldn't be able to throw it off and say. Not him again. He's always hammering. It's the Lord that talks through his words. It's the Lord that desires to see at the prayer meeting. It's the Lord that made the way into the holiest of all. It's the blood of Jesus that paved the way to the throne of grace. And it's the Lord's word that encourages you to come to pray. Don't quit throwing it off. Throw the blankets off and get out in the morning. Let it really happen to you, see. We'll be on our way to revival. And I'll tell you once more. If we respond just like that. It's through the word of the Lord. The reproof of the Lord. This result of sin. Then. Then the Lord will come and do. There's a whole lot of places where we have then on the Lord's side. As well as on the people's side. Let me show you one or two of those. Have a look at this one. This is 1 Kings. And it's chapter 18. Don't want to take too much time here. But I think it's better that you see it. 1 Kings 18. And Elijah is away upon Mount Carmel. And you remember the scene without me reading too much. He's got all the prophets of Baal around him. And he's standing alone ranger. And the people of God have got away from God. And they've gone a-holding after Balaam. And the prophets of Baal are smiling. And Elijah is all alone. And here's what happened at verse 30. 1 Kings 18 verse 30. And Elijah said unto all the people. Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. That was the first thing he did. Set the altar up again. You know I can preach for a long time about altars of dedication that we have in our lives. And altars of confession that we used to go to. And altars of sanctification. But you know somehow down through the years they've got broken down. You don't go and tell God that you're ashamed of your carelessness anymore. He's drifting along with the crowd now. You don't go and tell God the dreadful things you're saying. And the horrible things that you're writing doesn't worry him. Some of you can stand with old modernists that deny the Lord and his glory. And you give them your money and you're not ashamed of it. God's mighty. God's mighty. Some of you support the devil and give the Lord's children. It's time you know that we've got things fixed up a wee bit. We've got things we'd like to make our own from. He finally did that. That's where he began. He repaired the altar of the Lord. And then what's this? It says, Well of course they've never been on Mount Carmel, that's the trouble. When you stand on the side of Mount Carmel you're looking dead into the Mediterranean Sea that's not many yards away. It didn't go dry you know. Any months of water there, any time. Look at this. This was the face that the prophet was professing. Now he was going to trust his God in spite of darkness and everything that darkness could do. And verse 36, And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel and that I am thy servant and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Listen to the next word. Then. Then. Then the fire fell. At the minute before it. You know if we really respond to the Lord if there's a man in our sight if the word of the Lord makes him recognize and then we're beginning to get like with God then on God's side will happen the fire will fall. Not before it either. You know what God said to Solomon? He said, if my people, Solomon that are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then then if the word is in there then I'll hear. If there's a response from you you can beg on it there'll be a response from him if you draw nigh to God he'll draw nigh to you the force on our side if the Lamb is valiant and if the victory is not daring it's not God's fault it's God's people's fault they couldn't move you with the word of the Lord you know you're only set ways with some of you you'll never come to the pyramid and if you live as long as the people you'll never come you have no notion to come with you're just an old Baptist and you were baptized and your name's on the road and you have a faith in Christ and you're born again and you're washed in the blood and you know you'll go to heaven and you don't care two hoots about the glory of the Lord or the salvation of men you're as dead as heck you couldn't move you you get annoyed at me but I'm not worried about you I'm neither afraid of your frown nor do I seek your smile because I'm God's man and I preach like this as long as I'm here I'm not asking what to say from any of you works well sir doesn't it place is full tonight you had your way it will be empty how you wouldn't have a Bible class I told you to dig in spuds now yes there was a response wasn't there let's get back to it again have a look at this it went a little bit further than this it says then just at that psychological moment when the reproof had borne a result then as Heruber will the son of Sheol till and Joshua the son of God the dead the high priest with all the remnant of the people now watch this word obeyed the word of the Lord our God what a word isn't there you know the result was not only immediate they but the word of the Lord brought them to dedicate their lives you know they began to obey the word of the Lord oh brothers and sisters I shall never be able to emphasize no matter how I get about it or what way I put my feelings into it I'll never be able to emphasize what it really means to obey the word of the Lord my dear God speaks to some things God speaks to us about our parents God spoke the other week about our giving and I could tell you all the ugly facts about it since then the offering of the Lord nearly doubled some of you have been stealing a lot for a long time friends we need to obey the word of God this is what I'm preaching, this is God's word we need to obey the word of God some folks talk to me about holiness you know and higher rights and sanctification and if you talk to them about obeying the word of the Lord and believing in fascism they'd fall out with you oh but it's in the book you know and then Prince Franklin's not in the book not a minister in Morgan or any other where can find one phrase in this book for him from Franklin the world oh but believers baptisms in this book but some of you never obey the word of the Lord sure you don't oh you're stuck in under potpourri yet it's only hardly taught to you oh but I'll preach the word of the Lord to you friends there's a whole lot of things the Lord talks to us about my let our remembrance feast spread every Lord's day and the Lord Jesus instituted it too with his own hands break the bread extend to his disciples, he his people this meat this is my body it's a symbol of my body and this wine is a symbol of the blood that I shall shed now I want you to do this in remembrance of me it was his almost last request before he went to the cross ah but some of you can wipe your feet and that you know that doesn't matter now that's a sort of brethren thing to some of you, is it? happens to be it's a bible thing faith God for the brethren keeping friend in this book on the first day of the week the early disciples gathered together to break bread that's our example, isn't it? why are we not following? you're not obeying, are you? you know this obeying is a tremendous thing it costs you something to obey sometimes you remember Saul the first king of Israel you remember the Lord coming to him through Samuel the prophet and saying you're going out against the Amalekites and when you get a gag I want you to spray me nor the sheep, nor the oxen and of course he got a gag and he spared a gag he didn't kill them at all he saved the best of the sheep and the oxen and then the Lord came to Samuel in the night and said you know, this king that's on the throne he openly disobeys my word I don't have a word of so and you know Samuel came along and said to him hast thou obeyed the word of the Lord? and of course he bowed himself to the ground and said oh yes, I've kept the word of the Lord just as you gave it to me and oh Samuel said what meaneth then the bleating of the sheep that are here? and what meaneth the looing of the cattle in my ears? and then you know he started to get all frustrated about it and he said you know I'll tell you a thing he's working his head now it's all human reasoning it's all to get out of doing what God wants of course this is human reasoning you always have your reasons for not doing what God wants you to do he said you know I'll tell you a thing we're going to sacrifice the sheep so that would please the prophet and the old prophet said now I'll tell you this obedience is better than sacrifice you know Samuel if we could only see it practical obedience to the word of God is better than all the appeasing obstacles sacrifice that you can muster up to disobey it there'll never be revival dear until all of us are prepared to bow before the word of God and some of you who are saved you're not prepared for that it would cost you something some of you'd have to leave old dead churches that you ought to have been out of thirty years ago you're fiddling around with it yet obey to obey the Lord you know such not the unclean thing is God's word obey it have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness is God's word then obey it where there's a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away is God's word obey it that's what God's asking it's obedience it's why we have an assembly here we can't put up with pooper and we're not going to either and we're not having any fellowship with them either not a bit of us we're just obeying God's word not trying to be awkward we're just obeying the word of the Lord that's what happens here why they began to dedicate their lives to do exactly as God would tell them and then here's something else that's very nice it says the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of he guy the prophet of the Lord their God hath sent him you know the result of the reproof that came it was not only immediate and it was not only to bring them to a place of dedication to obey the Lord but they began to appreciate the man of God still some of them didn't like him when he started and I assure you young fellows coming up you just stand behind the book and be a faithful man of God and you'll find you're not popular but you'll get through son with the blessing of God in your head you'll be able to swim it alright no weapon that's strong against thee can pass through you'll go through alright so the revival came because there was an immediate response because they dedicated their lives to obey the word of the Lord because they recognized the man of God and here's another little thing in this 12 verse and the people did fear before the Lord you know they got down frostbite in the dust now this is how it begins you know you just respond to the word you just obey the book you just recognize what that man is saying is the word of the Lord he must be the servant of the Lord and you begin to fear the Lord you know in the early days of the church it said a great fear fell upon all the people okay let's forget the move and the early meetings you know we could learn a whole lot from the old Quakers yet you know although they've gone modernistic yet you know they used to come in on their tiptoes because the Lord was there sometimes I watch our assembly here you know if our Queen, our noble Queen was here she wouldn't come here but if she came oh all the old brothers built half an hour before the meeting start their good clothes on sitting up like dummies yes oh but when it's only the Lord that's here they come troubling at all times never think that the Lord's here you know it's very important that the Lord's here the Lord's over here we can't go missing when the hour would come he's not down on the trail he's always here on time you know yes you want to watch it of course we have lost the fear you know lost it we don't fear the Lord the way we should oh but it'll have to come back again if there's going to be revival there'll have to be a response have to be obedience have to recognise the servants of God have to fear the Lord what a change it would make yes that was the result of the reproof that they got last week and then I want you to notice in this 13th verse this is a very lovely one then speaking by the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people you know this is one of the most beautiful phrases in the entire Old Testament regarding a servant of God you know this is the reputation he has he's the Lord's messenger it's a very wonderful thing you know just to be the messenger of the Lord yes you know Paul said in one occasion we are ambassadors for Christ you know how Dr. Ireland tried to use that once in one of the little sightings in America he came onto the platform and said to the old stationmaster when does the next train stop here he said about eight or ten sir but if you were a very important person you know I've got the authority to stop the train well said the doctor I'm an ambassador you're an ambassador I said I'll stop the train and as the old fellow went to go to the phone he turned round and he said off what land sir he said off Emmanuel's land oh I said that's well said yes but the old doctor wouldn't pull any bluff you know he walked on behind him into the office and said I don't think you're getting this right I'm a teacher I'm an ambassador of the King of Kings oh said the old fellow sure that's better than ever let me ring the thing and never get stopped in the train so he stopped the train all to realize that God's servant is the messenger of the Lord it's very important you know the Lord's messenger I see it like this he's just the telegram boy that brings the messages sometimes he brings you good news sometimes it's not so good but he's just got to bring what the Lord gives him as if he listens hard enough because he ought to be the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message or as it could be with the Lord's message you know Dr. Ironside was very good to me in my early days for what reason I wouldn't know but when he was in this country he talked to the two of us every morning and he'd get interested in me and he'd always come into the class like this and say something one morning he came in and he said you looking at me I was the softest looking he said do you know the difference between God's message and God's truth I said no sir I don't know he said if I came to your assembly next Sunday morning and I pitched on the Lord's coming again to be there for his people would that be the Lord's truth I said yes sir it would be the Lord's truth he said would it be the Lord's message for that meeting I said I don't know sir then he said you're admitting that the Lord's truth is not always the Lord's message I said I can see that sir he said well if you ever get in the assembly of your own young fellow you make sure that you take time all week with the Lord and listen in all the time and stay in the secret place of the Most High and make sure you have the Lord's message and I'll tell you this you'll find in life that the Lord's truth is not always the Lord's message but once you get the Lord's message you'll find it's the Lord's truth then you puzzle it out but you know I have had a great experience over the last few weeks here God has come into our Sunday morning meetings I suppose in a more ritual way than we've ever known over these past 12 years and so many come to me in Sunday evening or Monday or even Tuesday and say you know pastor last Sunday morning word it was just for me it was just for me may have only been a simple phrase you know but I'd waited on the Lord and the Lord had come through clear and this was his message and I'd put it into order for the people and carried it forth like a wee fellow serving dinner and it worked ah the Lord messenger you saw the Lord's message and sometimes he hadn't oh I've heard people say you know I've gone to so and so often ah there's no message there oh they had a meeting I know no message nothing for the folk so it's very important that the Lord's messenger has the Lord's message and I'll tell you a wee thing that's needed of course if you're the Lord's messenger you must be saint with a man saint from God you can't preach except you're saint of course you know that and of course you need gifts don't you university degrees won't work here I know Chinese that get degrees at the university and they go back to China and bow down to sticks and stones it doesn't do anything spiritual for them they're still as blind as bats talk to me about academic standards because I just really start on you I had old fellows talking about academic standards one day and I just slid the Bible over the table I can just find the academy that Peter James and John went to and their academic standards and their D.D.'s and M.A.'s and all the rest of it nobody proved to me what you want at your scholarship God bless you but don't be trying to bring it in here to rule a meeting because we'll heave you out oh you're not allowed to do that you'll be kept to minister among God's people and we don't even recognize you you're preaching at the university that will rule this meeting you know God rules it you need to be sent from God we have got a sample all over the country of their D.D.'s would you like me to really start on them boy I could really go to town now I won't take my breath friends the Lord's messenger must be sent he must have gifts if you haven't gifts to teach you shouldn't be teaching if you haven't gifts to preach the gospel you should leave it alone if you haven't gifts to minister among God's people then keep your seat because we don't believe in a one man ministry nor do we believe in an all man ministry we believe in gifts and gifts is allowed to minister here's the weird thing about gifts now I want you to get this you young fellows come over to the book of Revelation and we're at the first chapter and a very wonderful chapter it is Revelation chapter 1 and John is in the isle of Patmos and he's seen our Lord here after all those years it is almost 60 years since he saw him last if we go by the chronological date 43 and a half years and this is A.D. 90 in the isle of Patmos 60 years since he's last seen him what a wonderful sight it is to see him again he says verse 12 I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks what that and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man it's the same Jesus but what a vision he gets here I haven't time with it it goes into his garments and his head and his hair and his eyes and his speech and his voice and then we come to verse 16 and it says and he had in his right hand seven stars seven golden candlesticks seven stars you don't need to ever be puzzled about the symbolism of this book remember because God interprets it you're not allowed to use your imagination God will tell you what it means far too many use their own ideas you're not allowed to do that what do you know about it? you'll have to listen to God and so he knew John would be puzzled by the seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks and he says verse 20 last verse of your chapter the mystery of the seven stars which those stars did in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches mark the word angel the stars are angels now and the seven candlesticks which those stars are the seven churches these were seven literal churches they were the churches of Asia and these stars in his hand were the angels of these churches now we've got to get down to the angels now when we come to chapter 2 it says the Lord speaking to John said unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write now you wouldn't ever think would you that the Lord was directing John to write to an angel in heaven you would know better than that I don't need to take time there now the word angel here is the old Greek word for messenger you see the angels were sometimes messengers they were sent on messengers there was an angel sent from God to Mary the virgin which was at Nazareth he was a messenger they are messengers of the throne you know and so those whom God has placed to minister to his saints are sometimes called angels they're stars they're messengers but here's what he said in this first verse unto the messenger of the church of Ephesus write these things have he that holdeth the seven messengers in his right hand you see if you're ever going to be a minister of the words a servant of the Lord a messenger of the Lord you'll have to be in the Lord's hand the Lord will have to move you about you know he'll have to have control of you you're not allowed to say the things that the people only want you to say you'll say the things that the Lord wants you to say or you'll say nothing and very often the whole of them will say nothing they'll not say what the Lord wants them to say you've got to be in his hands you see this is a vessel a fetch for the master's use the master can do what he likes with it now put it up high or low down it's all his you've got to be in his hands and if he's in his hands then you'll be the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message that's the thing that matters you'll say what he wants you to say and that's very important now let's get back the clock's beating me as usual now this is a lovely word that he brought from here verse 13 then speak, here I the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people saying I am with you what a lovely word you know this was a reassurance to these restored ones from the captivity down in Babylon I am with you what a lovely word this is you know friends it's a tremendous subject it's far too big for me to tackle now but I'll start you on it if you go through the Bible and find out the places where God comes out into the open and says I am with you remember in Hebrews how he said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee he said be content with such things as you have because I said you know if you can just know that the Lord's with you somehow it brings contentment to your mind I've got the Lord you know for what I'm on the Lord's with me and you remember when Joshua was taken over from Moses the Lord said to him as I was with Moses so will I be with thee oh what courage that must have put into his breast he's taken on a tremendous job but after all the one that brought Moses through the wilderness can easily keep him in the promised land you remember when the Lord Jesus spake in Isaiah I am thy creator I'm the one that redeemed thee thou art mine remember the word of the Lord came when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee you know as I see it you know it's a word for saints it brings them contentment it's a word for soldiers like Joshua and it brings in courage and then it's a word for sufferers because we're going to see in a moment that if we really respond and give our lives to God and put all we offer and start to pray then we're going to be in the battle all that will live badly shall suffer persecution we'll talk about that and you'll need to know that the Lord's with you in the floods it's a wonderful word it's a word of comfort and a word of care and a word of courage and you'll need to know that the Lord's at your elbow looking on all the time what conduct this brings you have to be careful haven't you the Lord's watching and listening I'm the sea it's a lovely word but let's get this one in look at verse 14 and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Sheolphil governor of Judah and the spirit of Joshua the son of Zoltedek the high priest and the spirit of all the remnant of the people you know this word stirred up is a tremendous word in fact it's a Hebrew word that's translated by many English words and if I had time to go through them all we'll do the ones that's near hand go over to the next book Zechariah and do you see the fourth chapter Zechariah chapter 4 verse 1 and the angel that talked with me came again and waked me as a man that is wakened out of his sleep see the word wakened out of his sleep well it's the same word that's translated stirred up that's what I'll have to do for some of them in the morning stir them up a bit and you wake them out of their sleep and they go back in again and spiritually it's the same with the whole cult oh the word of the Lord really comes at times you know and you really give a speaking you get wakened out of your sleep that's what it means it means wakening them up but look it has got another meaning let's go to Zechariah chapter 2 back to chapter 2 there and do you see verse 13 the last verse be silent oh all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation because you can see it can't you raised up, wakened up, stirred up it's all the same thing anyway but if you get it like this you see this is what we call the power of his resurrection oh you remember when he rose from the dead when he was raised up you remember when he awakened out of death that's the word that's used here you know this is what revival really means God comes upon your heart and you feel a very powerful resurrection and you're very tall and you're ready to obey the Lord and you know you've got a long message and you're ready for business that's what it is now if you put the two things together I am with you and the power you've got the presence and the power this is what Paul was after all the time that I may know him that's the presence and the power that's the power now I'll tell you what it will do it will bring you into the fellowship of his brethren you just can't have the presence of the Lord and you just can't have the power of the Lord without being in the path of the Lord and you're bound to go through some of the persecutions of the Lord you'll have fellowship in his sufferings and I'll tell you this if you've got the presence and power and the fellowship of his sufferings then you know the old man won't have his own way you'll be made conformable unto his death the old carnality will be slain the old man will be mortified do you know what it would mean to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering and being made conformable unto his death it would mean revival for you that's what it would mean now here's what would happen here's what would happen we're rushing to the last verse the last phrase of the 14th verse it says after they were stirred up they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God you know friends I think that's tremendous you know the house of the Lord is very important and you know there's work for everybody to do in the house of the Lord you know friends if we only knew his presence and his power and the fellowship of his sufferings you know we would be present in the house of the Lord and there's so much to be done you know there's adoration to be made don't you and this is where we gather together to praise the Lord we ought to be here to praise him it's very important to praise the Lord you know and I'm trying to get the young ones started to pray all we say is to you young fellows you're free to open your mouths and do what you say alright go and thank the Lord for all the things that he's given you thank the Lord for your salvation thank the Lord for your Bible thank the Lord for the truth thank the Lord for his goodness thank the Lord for his love thank him for his grace thank him for his mercy you can go on all night long you might get told inside thank him the Lord it'll take eternity to do this it'll be far too short to sound his praise you know there's adoration to be offered in the house of the Lord you ought to be here to praise the Lord it's an endless supplication oh we need to lift our hands up in this place we need to lift our hearts up we need to lift our voices up we need to cry to the Lord supplications are being made in the morning at seven there is supplication strength is not only adoration and supplication but you know there's commemoration we remember the Lord every Sunday that's what he wants we remember him oh you know it's lovely to just come up the street to sit here even if the humblest brother in the meeting ministers just let your heart go back to Calvary and what he has done for you and just remember his death there's something for you to do plenty for you to do there's not only adoration and supplication and commemoration but there's contribution he gives to the Lord in the house of the Lord for his works yes ah but listen friends there's salvation to be seen in the house of the Lord man would bring along his dead friends here to get them saved you bring them in when did you last bring somebody to the meeting come on now don't rush some of you haven't brought anybody for twenty years you're good faithful old souls God bless you but you let the woman over the wall go to hell don't you some of you have got old mothers that read you well God bless them they're sitting at the television now looking at nonsense and they're nearer hell now than they ever were before and if they give us cry in the middle of the night you'll bring in the pastor and they'll be three quarters way through the gate you'll go and shout in chutzpah about them you'll cry all day at the funeral come on let me get it on you his works give it on them his works give it on the house of the Lord oh if God really talks to us tonight and there comes that response you make up your mind I'll obey you Lord no matter what it is I'll obey and I'll take your word from yourself Lord I'm really afraid of you now the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Lord touch my heart stir me up let the power of the resurrection come on me let me know your presence day by day even if it takes me into persecution Lord I'll go with you I'll go with you through the dark Lord start me to work start me to work start me to work there's time there's time for me there's time see it's seven in the morning I know some of you can't get Lord knows but there's a lot of you can get oh may God come upon us by the old posture of the smash by the power of God may God touch our hearts oh won't thou not revive us again brethren we're at the crossroads it seems oh may God take us through because I'm I'm going through bless you this way let justice still friends just for a moment let's try to bow in the Lord's presence get the preacher now Lord we're before thee Lord you're talking to us oh we thank thee that you've come back to talk to us you may have left us you may have set us on the couch and never looked at us again Lord you might have spewed out this very fellowship out of your mouth oh but you've come again Lord don't let us wrangle as I were don't let us quibble at severity don't let's try to ward it off oh God come come we pray and so touch our hearts and so make us sure of thy presence that all God's will be found worshiping in the house of the Lord speak to us again bring us before Calvary that as we gaze at the cross our eyes and our ears and our hands and our hearts may be opened to do thy will part us in thy fear with thy blessing for thy name's sake Amen