Rivers of Revival | Part 1

What were fighting studios… To the city of Byron Tyler here with the CEO refunding. One jury today. Adrian Rogers a message Rivers of revival. Great sermon and great time of year for this message, you note, you still have time. If you're listening. The day you want to give to love worth funding or maybe you'd not had the opportunity to make your calendar year in gift with this one.

Thank you in advance for doing that. I want to point you to the website LWF.org always time to give always time to partner with lower funding will be LWF glistening family has been so faithful in 2020, and we can't thank you enough for continuing to give because were able to get responses like this. Listening to Pastor Roger. Sounds like listening to your father.

You can tell he really cares and wants everyone to know God's word is messages are still so relevant.

It's like he's living through what's going on in our world today. Oh yeah it's it's timeless truths by its Isaiah 5511, my word will not return void, but it will accomplish that which I please a me that is the ministry of love worth funding. People often asked the question how can I experience revival in my own life and imagine a man who has been stranded in the desert for several days without food or water with great difficulty. Makes his way back to civilization at the edge of town someone offers to him transportation maybe housing money, but the man who has survived in the desert cries out give me water please just give me water his lips are parched and bleeding. His tongue is swollen.

He knows he has to have water and food was going to die and I think we have to get to that point, spiritually, don't we. Is Matthew 56 as Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

Absolutely that's wonderful and I think you know are we tenacious. Are we assertive, are we aggressive about the things of God do we go for God right, what where's the faith and fervency that we chase after God. Daniel said it this way that I set my face towards God. Right is a little bit different than just praying out and sitting your face towards God.

But that's what were talking about. There is a there is an eagerness right and you can't get enough and that's what this message talks about it and that reminds me of Adrian Rogers saying revival never begins.

Without God's people humbling themselves. That's exactly right in.

I think revival can begin in us right now. Think sometimes we look at other people or other organizations or other countries. I think it starts in us and that humility has to be a big part of that will with rivers of revival hears Adrian Rogers turned to the Old Testament for Jacob 47, but part of the message today is rivers of revival that we're praying for plaintiff or hoping for and looking for revival, where expecting God to do something supernatural and I met not only corporately as a church in your life and in your home and with your associates about victory categories of people in every church at least three fellows to make things happen. Then there are those who watch things happen. Then there are those who don't even know anything is happening now.

I'm afraid that we have all three groups here today, there are those here today who said all God began a mighty revival and send it through me.

There are those who will come Sunday by Sunday and I wonder how it's going you say. Well that was good. Are they doing bus in such an you become a Sunday morning spectator, thinking that perhaps somewhere you been gone a while favor by getting you call this the surface. This is not the service service when you walk out the doors and began to serve the Lord. This is just getting ready to serve the Lord.

And then there will be some who will not have a clue they come here this morning in forbearances because somebody invited them out of habit, but they really will not understand what is going on talking about rivers of revival. I want to be in that first category. The moment we generate some Scripture from Ezekiel chapter 47, but I want to set up Scripture by giving you a passage in the New Testament now like a nasty return to that course you can if you want to I John chapter 7 verse 37 and following.

But here's what happened.

It was a feast of the Jews called the feast of Tabernacles. It was the 10th feast in the Jewish year and was it a feast of great joy, great exhilaration and the climax of that feeds the last day that these the priest would go down to a pool called the pool of Siloam. He would take a golden flask filled with water. Go back to the temple. Thereby, the altar, he would pour out the water by the altar and the people would be Kendra shall and to praise God that profits would sound they pounded said he was seen rejoicing at the drawing of the water has never seen rejoicing. They were exhilarated not right in the middle of all of this was Jesus Christ, not all of these Old Testament symbols were about Christ to learn that all of these Old Testament symbols. Please these feast, all of it. It's about Jesus and everyone's water of life standing in their midst and recognizing know who he was and so the Bible says in John chapter 7 verse 37. Following in the midst of the feast list, Jesus stood and cry and I had to speak with a voice loud enough that all the multitudes good. Jesus stood and shouted that's what it means. And here's what he said if any man first met them coming to me and drink as they were pouring out that sparkling water it all symbolize the Lord Jesus Christ. But Jesus knew that these people who were full of exhilaration. These people who were full of religious fervor. These people who were full of excitement would go back to the same old fears, the same old foibles, the same old failures and after the enthusiasm of the moment had died they would go back to their old way of life. Jesus understood that what they need is not to come to the service and get their fill but to become a river of living water.

Your people go from Bible conference to Bible conference to get a cup fill.

We'll have to keep going to get a cup fill if you got a river inside of you, Jesus, that out of his innermost being shall flow a river of living water.

Basically he speaking of the Holy Spirit that you friend are to be a river of revival. The one man one woman, one boy one girl.

A river revival revival power is to be flowing through you.

Now Jesus said, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water will find that exact text in the Old Testament, but we find illustration in the Old Testament, and it is in Ezekiel chapter 47 and so I want to begin reading with me from the word of God. We don't read the first five verses afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house. Now the house he speaking of is the temple, and behold, the waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward for the forefront of the house stood toward the east and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar then brought he me out of the way of the gate and led me about the way without unto the other gate. By the way that look at eastward, and behold, there ran out waters on the right side and when the man that had the line in the sand with fourth eastward. He measured a thousand cubits and it brought me through the waters, the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters and the waters were to the needs again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters and the waters were to the lines. Afterward, he measured a thousand. It was a river that I could not pass over for the waters were risen waters to swim in a river that could not be passed over. Now that may sound very convoluted and difficult to break down little bit. You can find out that it applies to you personally because Jesus said if you first and come to him out of you will flow a river of living water now. The illustration here in Ezekiel is the temple of God, the Old Testament, the 90s using supernatural symbolism here about something that is happening from the temple not talk about the literal temple here.

There is a greater spiritual lesson. What you need to understand his friend. You are a temple of God. The Old Testament temple was only an illustration of the Christian St. Louis in the Old Testament, God had a temple for his people in the New Testament. He has a people for his temple.

You are the temple of God. That's what Paulette the same for sprinters chapter 6, verse 91, don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who dwells in you is what Jesus was talking about his innermost being out of the temple will flow rivers of living water. There is a river revival that should be flowing through me as I studied this and prayed over it.

I thought your God, make my life a river revival. What I want to be a river of refreshment to those around me. I don't want anybody to come in contact with me, but what that somehow there touched with me now.

I want us to notice three major thoughts this morning. First of all I want us to notice what I'm gonna call the mysterious source of the river mysterious source of the river.

This river comes first evolved from under the threshold.

Look, if you will, in verse one, Ezekiel 47 verse one and you find out that this river comes from under the threshold amount. How high is the threshold about that high and the water flows out from under the threshold. What's the idea is about as low as you can get under the threshold.

Now you are the temple and the waters to be flowing out of you from under the threshold. This river has a humble source. Listen to me church revival never begins. Without God's people humbling themselves God's people all their face before God. Ask your question, have you really honestly prove been broken and humble before God right now we strut into the presence of God. We said had a high-minded vent and unbroken. Sometimes we pray oh Lord, humble me, I wouldn't pray that for myself. I want to humble myself before God is what the Bible says.

Humble yourself before God and he will lift you up this river comes from a humble source to come from the holy souls. It flows past the all you see then the word of God. It flows right past the altar. Now what is the altar belt. It was a place where the blood was shed, what does that bloodshed in the Old Testament speaker. The blood of Jesus Christ. First John one verse nine for the blood of Jesus Christ.

God son cleanses us from all sin is if you want to be a river blessing you got to be humble you got to be holy and I will ask this question. Not only are you humble this morning. Are you holding that's a big word.

We don't like you more holding, holier than thou holy Joe, it's so pejorative, but is not taking up the word of God. We are to be holy and the only way to be holy is to let your water flow past the altar for cleansing.

Let it be a holy flow.

And then it's a heated flow in the Bible again. You find out that the waters flowed out toward the east beast is where the sun would come up and heat of the morning chill and that flowed from the south side of the altar. That's the sunny side of the older again if we do business with God. We don't have to.

So, God give me a hot hot give me a concern Lord made this river that flows out of meek may come from a sunny side of my disposition.

Ill people come to church like this and they want to know, do we really love Jesus. Can they see it Sets I'm talking about a holy glow on talking a warmhearted flow that comes's body burns was a noted Scottish poet he got depressed. One day, and he felt I needed to go to church. I need to get my spirits lifted the final church and walked in. It was better than last Tuesday I was no joy, no victory. No shouts, no walk, no welcome. He just felt further depressed. He opened the hymnbook and scribble these words on the inside cover as cold wind as ever blue as cold a church, and in it, but few as cold a minister as ever's back you'll all be hot air. I come back now. This is the mysterious source of the river comes from under the threshold goes past the altar it come from the sunny side and the river is this wonderful river. It's mysterious, here's the second ballot you notice what a medical mart course of the river.

I see where the river flows in Ezekiel 47, 235 and he brought me out by the way the gate northward and let me about the way without him to the outer gate. By the way, that looking eastward, and behold, there ran out waters on the right side and when the man that had the line in his hand went forth, eastward, he measured a thousand cubits and he brought me through the waters, the waters were to 90s again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters, the waters were to the needs again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters, the waters were to the loins that is a waste.

And afterward he measured a thousand there was a river that I could not pass over for the waters were written waters to swim in. That could not be passed over.

Now what is happened this humble flow. This holy flow. This heated flow that comes out, it becomes an ever deepening, ever enlarging river. It's a supernatural river because there are no tributaries of the Mississippi River is a mighty river because it starts with a trickle.

There many tributaries to come into the Mississippi. But this river has no tributaries, and yet it is supernatural begins to grow in width and it grows in depth and there's a man with a measuring line and he begins to measure the river and sound for depth and is doing it in about 500 yard increments and measures 500 yards in the water now is cascading and I'm not that a man could wait and get up ankle-deep by speaks to me of walking in the spirit and then the water gets deeper it gets to the knees that speaks to me. Praying in the spirit. Then another 500 yards. The water begins to deepen and the water is wasting that speaks of strength in the spirit. The loins is spoken of in the Bible as the center of your strength and it is today for a wrestler and the waters appear to the guys in the loins and then finally 500 more your hearts and the river is so be. The waters are so forceful you can pass through just waters that you swept up in waters that your catalog by my tongue about false enthusiasm. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. Some people say what I was just swept away. I'm not on that that kind of big swept away.

I'm talking about a genuine Holy Spirit control of your life where you step into the water of revival of the water revival is flowing out of you. It is getting ever wider, ever deeper. What a mighty force. This river is know you, you can't stop the river if you dam it up. What will happen. Well, it just rise up and overflow the dam in the countryside. You throw rocks into the river.

You cannot stop the only place that you can stop river is at its source. And ladies and gentlemen, the only thing that can stop the river of revival in your life. Listen as you did you hear the only thing that can stop the river revival in your life is you can stop river unless they stop it at the source. This is a supernatural river. Jesus said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water and wet waters flow. First of all, they flow to the depressed places the water starts up here at the temple and verse eight tells us that these waters go down into the desert and into the sea. They go down down down the Temple Mount 2700 feet above sea level. But as you turn eastward.

The typography changes and you go down and down and down.

About that time the God will say. We just got below sea level. Everybody close the windows of the bus and go down and down and down and down and finally you come to the lowest place on the face of the earth right that the Dead Sea 1300 feet below sea level, these waters go from the mountain plays down into depressed places we live in the land of depressed people there people today were up against it. They don't know what to do, but people have loved ones was sick. The people were out of work with people having domestic scraps the people having wayward children. There are people who are confused and perplexed and unsatisfied and fearful. They are depressed is not going to do you any good just to save a buck up, do better. There needs to be such a supernatural river flowing out of you into those depressed places that you will be a river of revival to these people but not only does river flow into the depressed places it flows into the desert places.

Now the Bible says there in verse eight, these waters go down to the desk. That's the Judean desert. The hour about nothing much grows there a few little scrubby things, but there's no real fruit is no real flower.

There's no real succulents is no real fruitfulness. There are so many who are not depressed, but their living desert lives parched lives. They don't know the joy that you know they don't know joy unspeakable and full of glory have answers to life that you have gone to me the other day. You are always looking at life through the lens of the Bible and through Jesus Christ. And then I discovered what would it be like if you did not have the ability to see life through the lens of the Bible and through Jesus Christ. I'm not saying that your get broke. But what if I didn't know Jesus.

I think I get broken state. I don't say pastor think is going to grow what I'm saying is this, what hope is there. What future is there puzzle together. All you have. Hope is is getting sicker and sicker and sicker than going to the grand dog and rotting desk dryness, rootlessness model into the waters go down to the depressed places in desert places in the dry places of these waters go down to the deadly places. Verse eight says they flow into the sea that sees the see I told you about little while ago which the debt no fish in their because it is a deadly place. My friend not only are the people around us were depressed not only of the people around us who are dry, but the people around us were dying and going to him. There is a place of death, come out overseas, next door. I'm talking about people to work with. They are living a life. The wages of sin is death the soul. This picture surely die. She that liveth in pleasure.

His dad while she lives.

These people don't have like a river of life has to flow out of you. Do you care doesn't make any difference to you that souls are dying people are slipping out through the jaws of death into a priceless eternity, and many of them are dead while they live. Do you care something about your life that will help to change their life will you touch the line. This is the force of the river flows into the deadly place and with that will, in today's portion of this important message. Rivers of revival will hear part two tomorrow. I hope you can join us then. In the meantime maybe you have a prayer request you'd like to share that love worth finding.

It's one of her greatest honors to come alongside you, and pray with you if you can go to the website homepage LWF.org/radio and scroll down to find our prayer wall you find the option to either submit a request to pray for others.

This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry in the community praying continually for one another's needs. Can't wait to hear from you again LWF.org/radio and scroll down to our prayer. Thanks for setting in God's word with us today. Remember these words from Pastor Rogers revival never begins.

Without God's people so are you preparing yourself start five. We hope you join us for the conclusion of this powerful message tomorrow on