Five Realities of Revival

America is without God and America is sunk without revival. We as a nation have forsaken the God of the Bible and God has forsaken us by his withdrawn presence. America used to be the land of revival.

This nation has been blessed with powerful preaching in the likes of George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards who were bright lights in the Great Awakening. Then we were sent two titans of revival in the form of Charles Finney and Asahel Nettleton during the Second Great Awakening. But we haven't seen a revival in this country for 185 years.

Instead of Almighty God pouring out his blessings upon this land through powerful spiritual awakenings, we have a society drowning in its own blood through uncontrollable violence in all our cities. Our young people today are without God and are ruined in sin. The times grow darker all around us as evil is called good and good evil.

If our country does not experience revival, we are sunk as a nation. Our society has fallen into moral chaos and our religious denominations have fallen into apostasy. Our only hope friends is to turn back to the God of the Bible in a national revival.

Well that's my introduction friends to my message this evening which is entitled Five Realities of Revival. My text can be found in the book of 1st Kings and chapter 18. You can turn in your Bibles there now friends.

We will be in verses 30 through 40. Here now is the Word of God and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of his Holy Word. 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. I will pause here friends.

The first reality of revival is a repaired altar. Is there a area in your life friend in your walk with God that has become broken down? Is your Bible a closed book and are your eyes dry when you pray? The first step to revival is reentering a right relationship with God. Repair the altar of your heart and get your wood in order.

Now look at verse 33. And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood. I will pause here.

The second reality of revival is a prepared sacrifice. Is it time to be honest with God and to put the wood, hay, and straw of our lives on the altar for God? Is your heart friend prepared sacrifice for him? What cost counts and what counts costs? It is time to rebuild the altar of your daily quiet time with God and to make the sacrifice of early rising to meet your God. Now look at verse 38.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice. I will pause again to demonstrate the third reality of revival and that is an accepted offering. God delights in sacrifice for he sacrificed his only begotten son for sinful man.

What are we offering God? Do we give him the choicest and best of our lives lived unto him or does the world get our best and then we give God our leftovers? Can you be honest before God friend and can you save your life right now that it is an accepted offering of God? If not then get the wood of your life in order. Now let's look at verse 39. And when all the people saw it they fell on their faces and they said the Lord he is the God.

The Lord he is the God. Here we see the fourth reality of revival. A revived people.

When the people of God get right with God then God can send down powerful blessings. Our nation needs to repent and turn back to God before God can bless us as a people. Let me ask you a question friend.

Does our land need healing? Do our young people need saving? Look at verse 41. And Elijah said unto Ahab get thee up eat and drink for there is a sound of abundance of rain. This is the fifth reality of revival and that is a healed land.

God poured out showers from above upon a parched and dry land and in revival God pours out his blessings by his manifest presence in the salvation of souls. Let's review these five realities of revival. A repaired altar.

A prepared sacrifice. An accepted offering. A revived people and a healed land.

Oh friends how desperately we need revival in our day. But revival begins with us. National revival is birthed and bathed in the prayers of personal revival.

Let me ask you friend. Do you need a personal revival? Have the coals on the altar of your heart grown cold? God's desires for you to turn back to him and reenter an intimate love relationship with him. Jesus asked Peter.

Peter lovest thou me? And you can insert your name there friend. Do you love Jesus as you should? I will close this message with a poem I wrote that was birthed out of my own personal revival time with God. It is entitled A Repaired Altar.

Give me a fire oh Lord. Give me a fire for thee. Give me your fire oh Lord.

Let it burn brightly in me. Give me a fire oh Lord. The wood of my life I give to thee.

Consume my ashes oh Lord and let a revival begin with me. Give me a fire oh Lord. Give me a glimpse of hell and eternity.

Make me a fire oh Lord so my life may be burned out for thee. Give me a fire oh Lord. Increase my desire for thee.

Make me a flame oh Lord that draws others to you through me.