This sermon emphasizes the powerful reality of revival, highlighting the transformative impact of God's presence among His people. It explores how revival leads to deep conviction, self-revelation, and a holy atmosphere that challenges and transforms individuals. The speaker shares examples of past revivals where God's presence brought about conversions, repentance, and restitution in remarkable ways, both within the church and in the broader community.

Number five, we want to look at the powerful reality of revival, the powerful reality of revival. The pillar of cloud, the night, fire by day, the Shekinah sitting on the mercy seat, that's the powerful reality of revival. Verse 14, the psalmist says, return we beseech thee, O God of hosts, look down from heaven and behold and visit this vine. Now that's revival, isn't it? God visiting his people. Look down from heaven and behold and visit this vine, the psalmist prays. The powerful reality of revival. Israel remembered the reality of a living God in their midst that stirred them on to cry and pray and sing that God would return them to former days of blessing. Brothers and sisters, the reality of revival is so worth everything that we may need to sacrifice in order to have it. For when God comes, everything begins to happen. When we think about the powerful reality of revival, as a church of Jesus Christ, all again we have to do is go back to the book of Acts and see God was in the midst of his people. Men and women weep under conviction when God visits his people. Even the good and the holy break down under deep revelation of their need. Amen? I mean, look at Isaiah. That was one powerful prophet. But one little glimpse of the glory of God in Isaiah was on his face crying, Woe is me, I am undone. I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of an unclean people. That's what happens when God comes. It's one of the greatest gifts that God could give you. It's a revelation of yourself. It's one of the greatest gifts that God could give you. Isaiah, I'm sure he treasured it all his days. That revelation of the high and holy one lifted up there, and the revelation of his own heart. I'm sure he treasured it all his days. That's the powerful reality of revival. Real revival. When God comes, when God comes. It's not a silly thing, brothers and sisters, when God shows up. No. You know why? Because God is God. And all of who he is, he's the holy one. He's pure. He's righteous. He's just. He's a powerful God. He sees everything. He knows everything. You take that God with all those attributes, let him settle down in the midst of his people. I mean nobody hides in that atmosphere. Nobody. No phony baloney Christians hide in that atmosphere. I've seen it many times. Oh, listen. Pastors. You know it's pretty hard to walk up to one of your church members and say, Brother so and so, I don't think you're born again. I mean try it once. That's pretty hard to do. But yet, if you're an honest pastor here this evening, there's people in your congregation, you have the witness in your heart. You know that man is not born again. But oh, when God comes, you don't need to walk up to him and say, Friend, I don't think you're born again. He won't be able to make it when God comes. Because when God comes, he comes in all that he is. He knows everything. He sees everything. He's holy. The atmosphere becomes holy. He's pure. He's a righteous God. He's a just God. Yes, he's a God of love and he's a God of mercy too. But usually when God comes, you know God's people, they get a bit uncomfortable. And they need to get a bit uncomfortable. And when all that gets taken care of, then love and mercy, oh glory, it's there. This is the powerful reality of the Bible. I've seen God do in three weeks in church. That would took me a year of counseling to do on my own. God did it in three weeks without me even saying a word to all of the people. When God comes, things happen. The power and presence of God is felt in amazing ways when God comes. God's presence transcends the church and flows out into the community. Isn't that beautiful? It transcends the church and goes out into the community. Large numbers get converted. Hardened sinners get right with God. The Holy Spirit becomes the soul winner in our midst when God comes. Restitution is made in amazing ways when God comes. You think about it, think. And you don't have to sit them down and say, okay, you need to make restitution on this point and restitution, no way. You don't have to say a word. The Holy One of Israel is in the midst. And he comes on his own and says, I stole $2,000. God's telling me I have to give it back and go make restitution and make it right. Please pray for me. I may be in jail tomorrow. In the Hebrides, a revival in the Hebrides in 1952, every bookstore sold out of Bibles in just a few days. Amen. That's what happens when God comes. Drunkenness dropped to half after the revival was over. When God comes, the church becomes a vibrant testimony of consecrated believers. When God comes, the church becomes a vibrant testimony of consecrated believers. Amen. Talking to a pastor just a few days ago, catching a few of his tears. He was counseling and asking me questions, asking me what he should do. He has a church, I don't know, maybe 100, 150 people. This is a sincere pastor and he's praying and he's fasting and he's seeking God. I mean, this pastor means business, you know. He wants something for his people and he spends time alone with God and he fasts and he prays and he brings a message on Sunday morning and the people just sit there like a bump. He said, Brother Denny, what should I do? Well, I said, Brother, it sounds to me like you've got a church full of carnal Christians. Now, I'm not sure how long you can be one of those, frankly, theologically. I'm not sure how long you can just be a selfish, self-centered, live your own life and go to church on Sunday kind of person. I said, it's pretty hard to lead a group of people into a spirit-filled reality who are carnal and do not want to go. But when God comes, the church becomes a vibrant testimony of consecrated believers.