Revival Conference 2007 - Don Currin - Part 1

Well, good morning, everyone. It's a joy to be here and to be around so many fine people that the Lord has done a work of grace in your hearts. I'm very thankful to be here on the platform with so many men that have had such a significant investment in my life and my ministry. Last night, Denny certainly was used to the Lord to stir my heart once again, so grateful for his ministry, and thankful for what God is doing in these days. I just came from Bucharest, Romania, and the Lord is doing such a glorious work there among many of the national church planters, the missionaries there, and especially among the young people. It seemed like the Lord had just really given us favor in the eyes of the young people, and they responded to the message in tears and brokenness, and then came to Niagara Falls, New York, last week for a series of meetings, and once again among the young people there was such a brokenness. So it seemed like in my age of 53, the Lord's given me more and more favor among the younger generation, and God is doing a good work, and I'm very thankful to be a very small part of it. With that in mind, let me just mention something to you. We have a very small table out there in the foyer, and basically it's representing heart cry missionary society. Perhaps some of you have heard of Paul Washer. We relocated our ministry from Gainesville, Georgia to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to be a part of heart cry missionary society and to work alongside of Paul Washer. We'll continue to do our ministry, but when I have windows of time, I'll be representing heart cry on the mission field, taking groups of pastors with me, as well as groups of young people. Our church, First Baptist Church of Muscle Shoals, is doing a true church conference in February of next year, and we have Brother Paul Washer speaking, as well as Jay Adams, the Nephetic Counselor Father, as well as other good men. If you like the tenor of this setting, then you'll certainly appreciate the tenor of that setting as well, because it's intense preaching, fervent praying, and very passionate Christian living. I tell you, it has a contagion effect on you to be around some of these great men, men, as Paul says, not really great men, but men of a great God. I tell you, I've been blessed and ministered to and benefited through that influence. So anyway, the brochures are out there, true church, and the theme this year is church discipline, the real key to church growth. You know, if I run my head into a wall, my head's not going to grow, it's going to swell. And sadly, many churches across the land today, the churches are swelling, they're not growing. And when the trials come, and the intense pressure from the world begins to be applied, and problems arise in the church, oftentimes those churches are not sustained because it's superficial growth. We've filled our churches full of a mixed multitude that are made up more of goats than sheep, because we've used the marketing strategies of the world to advance the kingdom of God, and God will never bless it. So God is giving, much like Denny said last night, us the lust of our own desires. He's turning us over to those things, and we're seeing superficial growth, which is not legitimate biblical growth. And I believe that the catalyst for real biblical growth, church growth, is church discipline. So the whole theme of the conference will be underscoring biblically the importance of church discipline. If you'd be interested in this conference, the brochures will be out there on the table in the foyer. I want you to take your Bibles, if you would, this morning with me and turn to the book of Amos, the book of Amos, and I want to speak this morning on what it seems as if these days has been an ongoing leading of the Lord as I go from church to church and conference to conference. It seems like there have been more messages that God has burned into my heart to address this great need in the church in this hour. And I want to speak this morning on the subject of the danger of complacency and how to restore your spiritual passion. If you would, let me direct your attention, please, to Amos chapter 6, and perhaps it would benefit us not only in reverencing the Word of God, but maybe keeping some of us awake this early in the morning to stand in reverence to the Word of God. Amos chapter 6 and verse number 1, the Scripture says, Woe to him that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came. Has he that calleth and seeth, and from thence go ye to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines? Be they better than these kingdoms, or their border greater than your border? Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seed of violence to come near, that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall? That chant, that chant to the sound of the vial, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David? That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments? But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive. And the banquet of them that stretch themselves shall be removed. We'll stop there. Shall we pray together? Dear Father, we come to you in the name of your Son. Very grateful, Father, that you have put grace in our hearts. That's the only reason we're here today. It's because, Lord, your grace has taken root in our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit. Father, we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you that he is the Reviver. We bless you today, Father, that potentially, Lord, he is the one that we desire to have preeminence in this revival conference. Lord, we want no man to get glory. Lord, some of these men are very polished speakers. Lord, many of these dear brethren out here are more qualified to speak than myself. Lord, all of our talents and abilities and accomplishments and feats in our list of accomplishments for the kingdom of God's sake, we don't want any of that to take precedence over Christ. We would pray in these next few moments, Lord, that you would reign, take your truth, and exalt your name. Make your name great among your people. Lord, make us passionate for Christ. Lord, much like John the Baptist, I pray, God, that you might make us burning and shining lights in these days of darkness and apostasy. Lord, I'm not going to be duped into believing, Lord, that you can send another spiritual awakening. Lord, in spite of the gross carnality and the profound indifference and, Lord, the way the world is corrupting itself, Lord, even as David said, I would have fainted if I had not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. But, God, I believe that you can do it again, and I pray, God, that you might give your people a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. God, would you come this morning? Even as Denny said last night, oh, God, if you do not come, Lord, this will be a boring conference. So, Lord, may it rise above the academics of revival, and may, Lord, we enter into the reality of the presence of Jesus afresh. Come in our midst, Father. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated. You find in this text that we just read in our hearing that the prophet gives a solemn warning to those who have become spiritually careless. Their reliance on their religious heritage and prosperity has produced a deadly complacency toward God. Like those in the New Testament church of Laodicea, they are increased with goods and have need of nothing, especially God's. Their trust in their wealth has led to a neglect of God. Now, you'll note something from the outset, brethren.