Sermon
#110 Series: Isaiah
Title: A Fourfold Call For Revival
Text: Isaiah 41:1
Subject: Revival
Date: Sunday Evening - March 15, 1992
Introduction:
I am
fully aware of the fact that my text tonight is a defiant challenge from the
Lord God to all the idolaters of the world.
Mockingly, he calls for those who worship vanity to appear before him
and give him a reason for their unbelief and idolatry.
However,
tonight I want to use the text in another direction. Without doing any violence to the Scriptures, I want to use the
words of our text as thought they were addressed to you and me, as if they were
addressed to the members of Grace Baptist Church- “Keep silence before me, O
islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: At us come near together to judgment.” Using the text in this way the Lord God
issues a fourfold call to his people, A Fourfold Call
For Revival.
When I speak of revival I am not talking about a protracted
series of religious meetings, an outbreak of religious excitement and emotionalism, or anything commonly associated with
the word “revival.” When I speak of
revival, I am talking about a mighty outpouring of God’s
Spirit that results in…
1.
The Renewal of God’s People.
·
Renewed
and Enlarged Knowledge of Christ.
·
Renewed
Consecration to Christ.
·
Renewed
Commitment to the Glory of God.
2.
The Ingathering of God’s
Elect.
The salvation of sinners is always the result of revival
among God’s saints. Whenever God speaks of or grants the outpouring of his
Spirit, the result is salvation of sinners (Josh. 2:28-32; Acts 2; Zech. 12:10).
When God is pleased to send revival he enlarges the bond of his church and spreads the light of gospel truth. When God causes the light to shine, darkness flees away. When God sends forth the word of truth, heresy falls to the ground. When God comes in power, the idols of man’s making fall.
Today, the church of God in
this world is languishing; and it has been for a long, long time. Truth has not yet trampled down enough. The kingdoms of this world have not yet
became the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. Islam is growing. Judaism is increasing. Romanism is almost universally accepted
as Christianity. Every form of Arminianison, freewillism, and works religion is increasing. Mysticism and the occult abound everywhere. And even Mormon,
Pentecostals, Adventists, Campbellites, and Russellites are celebrating increasing
numbers everyday. In this dark degenerate, decadent, depraved society,
religion is doing very well. The great
whore, Babylon, has lovers everywhere.
But the church of God seems to have little, or no influence. God’s preachers, God’s gospel, God’s truth
can only be heard, with few exceptions, in small chapels like this one, rented
rooms, and private homes. I know only a very few
preachers who dare to speak God’s truth, anywhere in the world, who preach to a
larger congregation than I do. And very
seldom do I preach to as many as seventy people in this place! I intend to do what I can, by the grace of
God, to change that. If God will
permit, I fully intend to employ every gift, talent, means, and opportunity, I
have to make the gospel preached in this generation.
Never was there a time in
history when
the outpouring of God’s Spirit in revival was more desperately needed than it
is today. Why does revival tarry? Let us plead with God, earnestly plead with God, that
he may display among us greater work of grace and power than we have yet seen!
This is the burden of my soul,
the burning
desire of my heart. I seldom speak
about it to anyone but God, because he is the only one who can do anything
about it. How I pray that God may be pleased once
more to visit his church with revival. (I Kings 18:36-37).
Our history books tell us of
great revivals in the past.
We
long to see God performing such wondrous works of grace again. Do you not pray from your heart that God
might be pleased to once more revive his people, that he might once more pour
out his Spirit in power, that he might once more send forth his gospel out of
Zion for a great harvest of souls? Let
us then hear God speak as he issues A Fourfold Call For Revival.
Proposition: Revival is God’s work; but whenever God
sends his Spirit he stirs up his people to seek the power and grace of his
Spirit.
Divisions: Here are four calls from God, by which he stirs the
hearts of men to seek him.
I. “Keep silence before me, O
islands.”
This
call in itself is a hint of hope. When God is about to come forth in a mighty display
of his grace, he commands us to be silent before him (The Coming of Christ-
Zech. 2:10-13).
A. God commands us to be silent
before him with solemn awe and reverence.
While
we long to see God work, we dare not impugn his wisdom,
question his love or murmur against his providence. If
we live in the day of small things we must not despise the day of small
things. We will not and
must not presume to tell God how to do his work, when to do it, or where to do
it. He is the potter.
We are the clay. He is our
Creator. We are but the work of his
hands. “Let him do what seemeth him
good!”
B. We should bow before God with
silence arising from shame.
Though
it is true that the cause of God does not prosper today as it has in the past, the fault is not with our God. His
ear is not heavy that he cannot hear.
His arm is not short that it cannot save. The problem is with us.
Our sins have separated between us and our God- (Isa. 59:1-2).
Note: Israel could not go out
against Ai because their was sin in the camp (Josh. 7).
I am
not so much astonished that God has not done more with us. I am astonished that he has done so much
with such unworthy instruments!
Do I speak the truth? If so, let us bow before our God with the silence of those who have cause to be ashamed before him.
C. The command to silence is
a command to thoughtful consideration.
In most places there is far too much noise for anyone to consider anything. In the house of God there should be enough silence for thoughtful consideration. (Eccles. 5:1-2).
Specifically, consider what we are talking about. We are asking God to save sinners, to overthrow heresy, to spread the gospel through the world, to increase the kingdom of our Lord. If God should suddenly answer our prayer, are we prepared to be used of him? Think about that.
· We pray for grace; but we don’t use the grace we have!
· We pray for power; but we don’t use the power we have!
· We pray for God to use us; but we don’t use the loaves and fish he has put in our hands!
Rolfe Barnard used to say to people, “You better quit praying for God to use you. He just might!”
D. When God command, “Keep
silence, “he means, “give me your attention!”
· “Speak, Lord: thy servant heareth thee”- Samuel.
· “Many sat at Jesus” feet and heard his word.”
· Isaiah cried, “Woe is me,” and shut up!
E. Silence also indicates
submission.
“Oh, to have a heart that is quite silent as to any wish or will,
or opinion, or judgment of our own, so that God’s mind shall be our mind, God’s
will shall be our will.”--Spurgeon.
Silence before God implies- Reverence- Shame- Consideration- Attention, and Submission. Next, as we keep silence before him, God says,
II. “Let
the people renew their strength.”
Our God has promised, “They
that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength!” Believers renew their
strength by silently waiting before God to hear his word.
Note: This is one of the reasons public worship is so vital to the life of a believer- This is the place of renewal. This is the place where we get that word from God that gives us strength to do his will day by day.
A. Our strength is renewed
when the word of God comes to our hearts in the power of God the Holy Spirit.
Illus: When a tired, hungry man eats, he renews his strength- But really, his strength does not come by the process of eating, but from what he eats.
If, when you come here, all
you feed upon are the words of Don Fortner, you will go away with no
strength. O, but if, as I speak you
hear God speak in your soul, that is another story! When God speaks his word
is both a fire and an hammer. (Jer.
23-29).
A Fire- To burn up chaff, to refine the gold, and to warm the heart.
A Hammer- To break the heart of stone and to build hope.
B. Our strength is renewed
when we are made to see that we have no strength in ourselves.
When the Word of God strips me, empties me, humbles me, and makes me to know that I am weak as water and unstable as grace- Then my strength is renewed. (II Cor. 12:9).
C. We renew our strength by
being made to remember God’s promises.
Illus: The Missionary- “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” (Ps. 68:31).
Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:9-11).
D. And we renew our strength
when we silently waiting before him, are enabled to cast ourselves upon the
strength of our Lord.
Illus: Jeremiah- (Lam. 3:24-26).
That man is made strong who is made to trust the arm that never fails, the hand that never loses power, the eye that is never closed, the heart that never wavers.
We must be patient and wait for God’s time. At the appointed time, he will perform his word- Babylon will fall, never to rise again. As surely as God lives the idols of men must fall! Islam and Judaism, Romanism and Arminianism, Mysticism and Freewillism will sink down to hell. Jehovah has declared it. Who shall prevent it?
III. Thirdly, the Lord says, “Let them come near!”
You have been silent. Your strength has been renewed. Now, God bids you come near to him. Like
Abraham, you may now come near to God to make your intercession for the
people of this world against whom the sword of justice is drawn- (Gen.
18). God says, “Come near!” We need not be afraid of obeying his call
(Heb. 4:16).
A. Remember how near we really
are!
“Near, so very near to God, nearer I cannot be,
For in the Person of his Son, I am as near as He!”
Note: We are the only creatures of God who have a blood relationship with him (Heb. 2:16).
B. We may come near, because
we are coming near to our own Father.
You are not talking to a stranger when you speak to God. You are talking to your heavenly Father.
C. The desire which is upon
our hearts, if it is a genuine desire for revival was put there by the Spirit
of God- (II Sam. 7:27).
Did not our Savior himself teach us to seek by prayer: (Matt. 6:9-10).
·
The Glory of God?
(“Hallowed Be”)
·
The increase of His Kingdom? (“Thy Kingdom Come”)
·
The Establishment of His Truth?
·
And Obedience to His Will? (“Thy will”)
D. The Lord God loves for us to plead with him, to give him reasons for answering our prayers (Isa. 43:26).
· He could easily grant his favors without our prayers; but he loves to hear his children pray.
· The church of God has never gained a victory but by prayer.
Illus: George Muller.
John Knox.
IV. Here is the fourth call for revival- “Then let them speak.”
Be silent. Renew your strength. Draw near to God. Then speak.
A. Speak to God with adoring
gratitude.
·
For All He Is!
·
For All He Has Done!
·
For What He Has Promised!
B. Tell the Lord God what it
is you desire.
· That all may know that he is God.
· That all may know that those who proclaim his gospel are his servants.
· That sinners may be converted by his grace.
· That he may once more pour out his Spirit in power and grace.
C. Tell him why you desire
these things and why he should do them.
· Stress His Glory.
· Plead the Merits of Christ.
· Point to His Promises.
D. Speak to God in solemn
dedication and consecration.
Illus: “Here am I.” (Isa. 6:8).
E. And speak to the Lord God
with the confidence of faith.
· God will save his people.
· God will glorify his name.
· God will cause all the world to know his truth.
Illus: The two Witnesses (Rev. 11).
· Though satan is loosed for a little season, he is still under the rule of our God and shall be cast into the pit at last.
· Though all the kings of the earth are drunk with the wine of Babylon, the great whore shall fall.
· When all is done, it shall be even as we desire (Rev. 19:1-6).
Application: Let us never cease to seek great things from God. But let us never forget that revival is God’s work, not ours--Our work is but to faithfully serve him without compromise. We must be faithful:
· To God’s Glory!
· To God’s Truth!
· To the Souls of Men!
· To Call on our God! (II Chron. 7:14).