Why We Need Revival

When you look at the division among God's people in the perversions we need a doctor 20 evidences revival is more than just making sure it's making people come to life because we showed up what we actually need. This is the alternative Dr. Tony author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. A lot of people attend revivals looking for more energy or enthusiasm today. Dr. Evans will talk to us about what we really need to literally be brought back to life. Let's join them as a starter lesson with this story we left on vacation when overseas to do a Mediterranean cruise and looking forward to what I love cruising.

It's very relaxing and you get to see numbers of different places, but a few days after we boarded the ship, there was a problem the upper left side of my mouth began to hurt at first it was just a low level irritating pain. So every now and then I grab my face and so I just shake it off and ignore it. Each day it got worse. Took some aspirin took something to try to make it better because I'm so far away.

After four or five days of this increased pain now turning my vacation joy into a vacation job. I was now in excruciating pain so much and so that I could not get out of bed so I know on vacation which is supposedly relaxing and joyful when I just couldn't take it anymore. I went down and the ship sailed the medical centers in them to the doctor and said I can't take this is killing me.

I can't move. I can even was going to cruise again. The pain was getting worse and worse. Finally got to a telephone.

I called back to Dallas Texas to my dentist. He asked me for the details of what I was going through. I explained that Mensa I just cannot if I need to fly back home. I do that but I just can't take it anymore. He said you've been treating the wrong problem you been addressing the wrong problem you addressing the problem of pain when really you're paying is symptomatic of a much deeper problem. He says from what you describe to me you habited did to the is infection or an abscess in your mouth and all add Bill and aspirin and coding in the world won't solve the problem is real bad. If you're taking those painkillers MA on fixing the problem. That means the true problem is overriding your attempts to make it better.

He says we have to address this infection if we're going to make things better because we don't address the infection. You will probably popping pills that the bass can ask your real problem. The fact it's actually not that they didn't work because if they had worked.

You would think you were okay when you really are okay and that infection could breathe further into your body. So he prescribed some antibiotics I was dealing with something to fix my pain. I was hurting and I was in pain but he prescribed some antibiotics to get to my route problem because if I could fix the root I would address the fruit that I was having to deal with and that was the pain in my life all my attempts failed because I was addressing the wrong thing Matt was addressing the real thing. I wasn't paying but the real thing wasn't the right thing is real. I felt it but it would not rectify the problem. Today we are going to embark on a journey, a journey taken from Psalm chapter 85 and the phrase found in verse number six, revive us again. How do we know we need a revival revival presupposes something, it presupposes spiritual decline.

I spent my time during my vacation, reviewing the revivals of the Bible. We will be going through them. I actually looked at the different revivals that Took Pl. in Scripture and partially everyone was introduced with the crisis. People were hurt and it needed to get fixed but in order to get it fixed. I had to first identify what was really wrong spiritual decline that was consistent with the need for revival revival lead.

If Abbott didn't from the lack of spiritual life and victory among God's people. When you look at the amount of addictions that we have in the church among Christians. We need revival. We look at the fact that 50% of Christian couples getting divorced.

Woe to the world outside. We need revival when you look at the division among God's people.

The anger blessedness. We need revival when you look at the perversions of the child abuse and the abortions we need revival revival was needed because God's people had social grade from him producing spiritual decline, abandoning the will and the word of God.

They needed something that would get to the root of what was really wrong. Rather than simply popping pills to make him feel better. The way we know we need a revival and the way we know that spiritual decline is the order of the day is that we come to church Sunday after Sunday or Wednesday after Wednesday and there is no change.

Nothing is changing with still the same or worse, when not thinking better functioning better relating better than something deeper is wrong. We regularly sermon pills we regularly pop song's. There is no change were not better off because we showed up in the house of God. That's because what we actually need is not a sermon, we need a reliable revival is not more religion. Religion has its place but revival has to do with God changing something inside sink to become alive. God has to change something inside so that is the patient of his life and we become alive. What is the problem that is the root call's of the need for revival. Please notice the words in this passage. Verse two iniquity verse three fury and the word anger verse four indignation verse five anger than all revival was because God had been kicked off indignation, anger, sin, fury, God had been kicked off by his people because his people had rejected him, you will discover something we go through these revivals that almost all of them. The word idolatry or some form of it comes up.

God had been traded in and the way it became that God had been traded in that the true God had been traded in for a shape saccharin substitute was the sin of the people there said was there prove they had changed the God said it was really the fruit of a shift of God's producing indignation, if you will or anger by God that had to be assuaged. He says revive us again in order to be with Bob again. That means he had already been revived at some of the time why health is not their first reverses the Lord you show the show to the past. Your favor to your land, you restore the captivity of Jacob again all iniquity covered our sins with your fury and turn from your burning. Israel was in rebellion against God and because of their rebellion. They were sent into captivity for 70 years.

They were now captive in a miserable place called Babylon because there said that when the people cried out to God for revival and address the sin of the fruit of the idolatry. God entered in and restored them back to the place that they left from revival is new life revival takes place when restoration occurs in the life of God's people with God's people, and God get reconnected with one another problem is we have church will have life. We have activities but we don't have life sermons would without life and that is the issue of revival, when he says revive us again. He give us back spiritual life that is the connected life. The life that God life when Dr. Evans continues her message just a moment to tell us more about the connection between the spiritual and the physical first so today's your last chance to request the special resource package we put together to go along with Tony's current teaching series. It starts with this popular devotional book stronger together weaker apart, focusing on ways to harness the power of prayer, overcoming anger, disagreements and misunderstandings. You learn how to heal relationships find common ground and impact our world and meaningful ways. Along with it will include all 14 lessons in Tony's current two-volume teaching series, turning a nation to God.

Both are yours is her way of saying thanks for your contribution to make this 100% listener supported broadcast possible. Just contact us to get the details and make the arrangements before they send it. Tony Evans.org or give us a call anytime day or night at 1-800-800-3222 let one of our resource team members help you again that's 1-800-800-3222 four. Dr. Evans will return with more of today's lesson right after this makes it clear that you know when God is alive when expositors of the way the adjuster Tony Evans says that what becomes of the next generation of men depends on what happens with this kind of man can lie down with the help of Tony Evans training center screen course called demand teaches testimony, images of manhood society surrounds us with and become the loving leader and a white family would want. As with all of our courses. There is an in-depth study material. You can work through at your own pace. Lots of exclusive content from Tony tightly focused Q&A videos and an online forum. You can collaborate with other students. It's almost like having a seminary on your smart phone, check out the free course called demand and the growing list of other subjects waiting for you Tony Evans.org today link to Tony Evans training center Andre crowd said take me back. Take me back to the place when I first received you and some of us may decide, revive us again because what remember when we were in love with the Lord. We remember a time when pleasing. It was not passionately remember a time with time with him due to the waste of time. We remember a time when we sensed his glory now, years later, we we found our faith to be boring and inconvenience getting in the way and charge okay but it really no big deal because there has been a drift into the wrong side to the dark side he makes it plain when he says of the other verse seven show us the loving kindness of God, and grant us your salvation. Salvation means to be delivered or rescue rescue us from what we have to deal with.

I want to visit about here needing to be rescued, rescued from an empty life rescued from addiction rescued from a situation you need to be been heard me say something about this very briefly. Theologically, I just want to read from powerful passage in Romans chapter 1 Paul says in verse 16 are not ashamed of the gospel for is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. For it is the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Evans written, but the righteous man shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. It's built in Buddhism about God's wrath. God's wrath is not capricious or reactionary. No words, God rather than just I'm upset today. God's wrath is his build in response to that which is not in keeping with his character. It's built in. It is the natural overflow of that which disagrees with who he is because the wrath of God is revealed is made manifest against anything that is not in keeping with God's character's wrath is his displeasure. All of us grew up in homes with we could see when our parents were happy just by the look on their face. That displeasure was evident. Somehow the parents would say okay people done anything yet but but that displeasure was being made manifest. Give us your salvation. That is, rescue us, deliver us, we want God to change our circumstances without addressing the reason why he's upset God get rid of my pain. Get rid of my not having a job not having finances get rid of my bad health. Get rid of my singles get rid of my situation.

Get rid of it, but we have not addressed because we want the salvation, the deliverance we want in the changed circumstances without a return to him.

The final verses from verses eight through 11. He prays I will hear what God, the Lord will say is after him. The revive us again because when he speaks, he will speak peace to his people to his godly ones who do not turn back the father will go back to the old way of deliverance. Salvation is closer than you think.

Those who fear him. That is, take him seriously and then in one of the most picturesque statements in all the Bible verse 10 lovingkindness and truth have met together righteousness and peace have kissed lovingkindness and truth and have a meeting that's powerful God's lovingkindness is the mercy he shows to his people.

Mercy is not getting what you want to get God can't compromise his truth in order to show us mercy. Truth is not what you believe to be true.

Truth is what God says is true, why God largely have a meeting with God's truth and leads to things that were on now coming together, there is a reconnect.

We are functioning from a disconnect and wondering why we're not seeing the power of God when actually seeing the displeasure of God individually as families as churches and even as a nation. What can I expect when God revives me. He says righteousness will look down from heaven. Verse 11.

Truth is gonna spring up from Earth and the Lord will give what is good is divine favor. I want to be blessed but I don't want to change my direction. I want God to show his power, but I don't want to move from MySpace. No indeed God will give what is good and in this case you can put our lives will produce its programs. My life will go in the direction it's supposed to.

When God's people return to God and God, then reaction response returns to God's people. You have a clash of titans and revival occurs in things change, not because you have the cost of the change they change because now God is in the mix, and happiness shine down in life and life has come out of darkness. God's favor. This experience will Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with a final thought to wrap up his current series, turning a nation to God.

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Again that's Tony Evans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 where we have staff member standing by day and night to help you with your resource needs. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 people with a vibrant faith are often called on fire. Christians will tomorrow. Dr. Evans will tell us about what gets them lit and keeps them burning as he starts a series called divine encounters right now though he's back with a final illustration for you. I have a meeting with my best a few weeks ago when I talked to him. I was far away and only gave me was his word. He said this is what I want you to do. I see him, but I did talk to them. I told him I need a revival in the mouth. She spoke the word be told what to do and I felt better.

He told me in the word. When he was talking to you come straight to my office and we can fix this thing once and for all you know it was as long as you follow my temporary situation, but when you come back when you draw me, and when you meet me face-to-face and I look at this thing because we have now connected in proximity we go. Take care this thing that really far. The time I know that if I don't connect face-to-face. I will be right back where I started asking for another revival, but from the word to the person say to what dies when I see him face-to-face. He says that I will write a transformation so very word but I hope you don't settle for that is a major face-to-face so you can deal with me now with me again the alternative with Dr. Tony is made possible by the generous fusion of listeners