Revive Thy Work O Lord

[0:00] Revive thy work, O Lord. Revive thy work, O Lord. Now to thy saints appear. O speak with power to every soul, and let thy people hear.

[0:21] Revive thy work, O Lord. Exalt thy precious name, and may thy love in every heart be kindled to a flame. Revive thy work, O Lord. Give power unto thy word. Grant that thy blessed gospel may living faith be heard.

[0:40] Revive thy work, O Lord, and make thy servants bold, convict of sin, and work once more as in the days of old. Revive thy work, O Lord, and give refreshing showers. The glory shall be all thine own. The blessing, Lord, be ours.

[0:57] And the chorus goes, Revive thy work, O Lord, while here to thee we bow. Descend, O gracious Lord, descend. O come and bless us now.

[1:08] And that song is based on Habakkuk 3 verse 2, which in part it says, O Lord, revive thy work. It's a prayer. O Lord, revive thy work. It's a prayer. It's a plea. O Lord, send revival. Send a revival.

[1:27] What is revival? What is it? The word revive, it means to make alive. To revive means to recover that which was lost. To repair that which was broken. To restore that which was taken.

[1:41] It's a return to life. It's a return to life. A return to life from death or near to death. It's a time of refreshing. Times of refreshing coming from the presence of the Lord.

[1:54] Revival. It's the earnest desire for each believer and for the church through history. We see times of refreshing coming from the presence of the Lord.

[2:05] There's times of revival, of awakening, of a restoration, of a renewal, of a refreshing. Not an invention of something new or spectacular, but something that is biblical.

[2:18] A restoration, a reviving of the life of God, of the people of God, of the reproducing of His life in His people and in the world.

[2:28] As someone has put it, renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. Revival. It's about getting personally right with our Lord God.

[2:43] Why do we need revival? We need God. We need Him. We need His grace. We need His Spirit. We need His enduement of power.

[2:56] When do we need revival? We need revival all of the time. All of the time. And again and again and again. As we read in Psalm 85 verse 6, it says, Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?

[3:17] Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? We need revival. We need revival and we need it again and again.

[3:28] Some of the signs that we need a revival. Some of the signs that we need revival is when we can go for days without praying or even thinking about praying. When we have no hunger or passion for the word of God.

[3:42] When we don't get excited about going to church. When we can engage in sin and our lies and not feel guilty about it.

[3:52] When we don't walk in love towards those of our brethren. When we allow strife and gossip and fighting within and without. When we walk in pride and envy in a critical spirit.

[4:08] In slander and bad temper. In such our relationships with others. When we allow lying and cheating and hypocrisy in our lives.

[4:20] When we are easily offended and we refuse to forgive people. When there is no power in the church. We need revival. When do we need revival? We need revival when church dinners are better attended than prayer meetings.

[4:35] We need revival when we do not love him as we once did. We need revival when we would rather watch TV than read the Bible and pray. We need revival when we seldom think of eternity and of the things of God.

[4:50] We need revival when we make little effort to witness to those who are lost. That is when we need revival. We need revival when we have time to spend on recreation or sports.

[5:03] But not for Bible study and prayer. We need revival when our Christianity is joyless and dry. We need revival when our hearts are cold and our eyes are dry.

[5:15] We need revival when the fire has gone out in our hearts and our marriages in our church. We need revival when we know the truth in our hands but we are not practicing it in our lives.

[5:29] We need revival when people have to be drawn by entertainment to fellowship. We need revival when we don't long for fellowship. We need revival.

[5:40] I put it to you saints. We corporately, we as the church of God worldwide need revival. We need revival in our churches, in our schools, in our homes, in our communities.

[5:55] We need revival. An old time revivalist was asked this. Why bother seeking for revival? Revivals come and revivals go. They don't last.

[6:06] His reply was, well, why do you take baths? They come and they go and they don't last. We need revival because we need to be clean.

[6:17] We need revival in Adelaide because the church needs to be prepared. The church needs to be ready. The church needs to be awakened to wake up. And we can know revival by God's hand, by God's mercy and grace, by His granting it to us.

[6:39] And revival is something biblical. It's something in the Bible. We read of revivals that are evident amongst the people of God. Under certain ministries of men of God, under certain kings, in the history of the people of God.

[6:55] For example, under Joshua, Moses, David, Samuel, Elijah, Jehoshaphat, Jehoash, Jehoiada, Hezekiah, Josiah, Asa, Manasseh, with Jonah in Nineveh.

[7:12] Despite him. At Pentecost and through the book of Acts, we see revival. We see the church of God.

[7:23] We see the people of God. Revitalized, refreshed, renewed. Refired. Revive thy work, O Lord.

[7:33] Revive us again. O Lord, send revival. That can be our prayer. And it can be something. We can know. Something that's not just historic, but something that is now.

[7:47] In our very lives. As we see that renewed passion for souls, for prayer, for the presence of God.

[7:58] As many men of God through history, and I know we don't want to put names in lights, but Spurgeon, for example, he urged the people of God to look forward with the eye of expectation, hoping that God would again stretch forth his potent hand and his holy arm and repeat those mighty acts he performed in ancient days.

[8:29] That longing, that looking forward, that desire that God and his hand, that his arm would work. Martin Lloyd-Jones said, Revival means awakening, stimulating the life.

[8:45] A repetition, as it were, of the days of Pentecost. Duncan Campbell, who saw revival in his ministry, said, Revival is a community of people, saturated by God.

[8:58] And another preacher says, Revival awakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin, and a hunger for his word.

[9:13] Revival, it's something precious. It's something godly, it's something beautiful. It's the very ministry of God amongst his people. It's a new sense of our God.

[9:25] It's God stepping down and visiting us. Our Lord, send a revival. It's the prayer of the saints, that there would be a humbling, a turning from lukewarmness, from covetousness, from backsliding, from worldliness.

[9:45] What of you? What of me? It's something, not just corporate, but individual too.

[9:55] It's like I heard some quote of how we can pray for revival, that we could, as it were, draw a chalk mark around ourselves and pray that at least revival would start within that small space that we are standing in, that would start even in your soul and mine, that each one can pray that God would revive each one, one by one by one.

[10:22] And friends, we all can have God's ministry to our hearts. He longs to minister to every heart, to every soul that would turn unto Him.

[10:35] And we mustn't waste our potential, this latent potential, God-given potential. Of course, God grants our gifts. He grants everything.

[10:45] And yet, sometimes I think that we hinder the Holy Spirit, don't we? We grieve the Spirit, we hinder the Spirit by our neglect.

[10:58] And let's not waste that potential that God wants to see ministered to and be revived, to see that revival, that revitalizing, that resuscitation, as it were, that repentance amongst the people of God, that new sense of the fear of God.

[11:17] Another quote here from 1859. In the church there is genuine revival when she rises and shakes herself from the dust and puts on her beautiful garments.

[11:31] It's God's desire for His church to be a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that we were being clothed with those beautiful garments of revival.

[11:43] And in revival, the church dormant becomes the church militant. There is, through the history of the Word of God, as we see accounts of God's moving amongst His people through the Old and the New Testaments, we see some features.

[11:58] We see a return to worship. We see a destruction of idols. We see a separation from sin, a restoring of the sacrifices, a restoring of the joy and gladness, of the blessing to the people of God, of the nation.

[12:17] O Lord, revive Thy Word. That can be our prayer. That can be your prayer. I know I was talking to someone lately of a particular church and how they would pray for revival at every meeting.

[12:31] And it seemed almost, you know, just such a small group. And yet, they had an earnest prayer for revival. And I believe that God would honour such heartfelt prayers for His revival to touch each one, whether it be individually or a greater work.

[12:50] But certainly, we can all have that same prayer. O Lord, revive Thy work. And an important point is that revival is God's work. It's God's work.

[13:02] It's not man's work. It's God's doing. It's God's manifesting. As Andrew Boner, an old-time faithful preacher, said, Revivals begin with God's own people.

[13:15] The Holy Spirit touches their hearts anew and gives them anew fervor and compassion and zeal. New light and life. And when He has thus come to you, He next goes forth to the valley of dry bones.

[13:32] Friends, what a responsibility. He goes on. This lays on the church of God. If you grieve Him away from yourselves or hinder His visit, then the poor perishing world suffers sorely.

[13:44] We've got a responsibility and an accountability before God. Revival is God's work. Let's not hinder the working of His Spirit. As G. Campbell Morgan said, We cannot organise revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind of heaven.

[14:04] Again, it's the work of God. Revival is God's work. Revive Thy work, O God. Revive Thy work, O Lord. Revivals are a supernatural demonstration of God's power.

[14:19] As we let God do His work in His way. Again, a quote. Not devising human plans and methods. We need a revival.

[14:32] The church needs a revival. The world hungry, restless, sin-cursed, dying, needs a revival. God wants us to have it. Let us make every effort to meet the divine conditions and let us expect Him to answer by fire.

[14:49] There's divine conditions. I'm reminded of that verse that it says, If His people humble themselves, seek His face, and pray, turn from their wicked way, He will hear from heaven, and He will minister, He will heal.

[15:05] Of course, we know that was particular to Israel, but yet those principles of humbling ourselves, of seeking His face, from sin and turning unto Him.

[15:15] These are biblical things that I'm sure have application across the board. And revival, friends, revival is when God visits. It's heaven sent.

[15:26] It's a revitalizing and awakening that is by His working. And as we pray, as we pray in faith, believing, I know years ago I read, Ian Bounds, a writer who often writes on the subject of prayer.

[15:48] Years ago he wrote numbers of books along that theme. And he said this about praying. Our praying, however, needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage which never fails.

[16:07] Prayer, earnest prayer. Revival. We'll see that refreshing of prayer. There's a refreshing of zeal. A zeal unrestrained. When we think of zeal, now I think of this brother who ministered earlier, of the zeal, that would take a man into a place of danger, and his family.

[16:29] Turning from comforts and pleasures and the ease of Australia to take the gospel to another land, and of the dangers that await him there.

[16:44] Friends, it's no light thing. And when I think of zeal, I think of the martyrs of the church of God. You know, I encourage you to read books such as Fox's Book of Martyrs, to read the records of men and women who laid down their life for the gospel truth.

[17:02] And one of those is John Huss. John Huss, and this is what he said while he was tied to the stake as they were preparing the burning of the branches at his feet.

[17:14] He said this of zeal. Most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that truth which I have written and preached. That's saying something, isn't it?

[17:26] Most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that truth which I have written and preached. Zeal. We need that refreshing, that reviving of zeal.

[17:39] We need that renewing of a concern for the lost. Hudson Taylor, another man who is recommended by his ministry, by the godliness of this man.

[17:55] Hudson Taylor, he said this, Word that God would make hell so real to us that we cannot rest. Heaven so real that we must have men there.

[18:08] A zeal for souls, a concern for the lost. A reviving of a love for souls and a refreshing of a consecration, a new consecration of separation, of godly sorrow.

[18:23] Where is revival? It's God's work in men, in people. There was a revival in Wales long ago, the Welsh Revival, and a visitor came from London and was looking for where the revival was.

[18:39] He's heard all of these stories, all of these accounts of revival in Wales. And a policeman was there and he thought, well, I'll ask directions from this man. And he went there to the copper in the village square and he said, Where is the Welsh Revival?

[18:54] And the man in blue drew himself to his full height. He patted his chest and he said, The Welsh Revival, sir, is under these buttons. It's in men.

[19:05] It's in men. It's in women. It's in souls. Revived. Each one individually. Soul by soul by soul. Man by man by man. Woman by woman by woman.

[19:17] The revival is in people. It's God's work within men and women. Revival. It's a renewed love for the Word of God. A revival of love for the Word of God.

[19:29] You know, we hear stories these days and I know short attention spans are something that I'm somewhat guilty. I've got rooms full of books and sometimes you don't have time to attention.

[19:42] Or we don't give that time that we should give time. Of course, we mostly should give our time to this book. But we think of the world today and of the soundbite generation and the short attention spans as we're brainwashed by the media and the way visual media is used today.

[20:07] And yet, I heard reports when the latest Harry Potter book came out, thousands of young people and older people read through it at one sitting.

[20:18] Friends, I would not recommend Harry Potter to you tonight. But it goes to show, doesn't it, if someone has got an interest in something, as much as that rubbish called Harry Potter, oughtn't we to have some interest in the Word of God?

[20:34] The Word of God. An appetite for the Word of God. It's like in India, there was a revival and a man said, and he might have had trouble with how he pronounced it, this native of India, he said to another man, we are having a great re-Bible here.

[20:56] We're having a re-Bible. That's what we need in Australia, amen? We need a re-Bible. We need a love for the Word of God. A refreshing, a reviving of a love of the Word of God.

[21:10] And as someone else has said, a revival is nothing more or nothing less than a new beginning of obedience to the Word of God. The Word of God.

[21:22] Revive thy work, O Lord. It's His work, not our effort. And friends, it's not something new. Not something that has to be invented or re-engineered or made by man's device.

[21:38] In Britain, there was a big revival called the Great Awakening in the 1700s. The 1700s. And at that time, George Whitefield was one of the preachers renowned and God was using him mightily for the glory of God.

[21:55] And there was discussion about this man Whitefield between two people. One a baronet and a friend. And the baronet said, This Mr. Whitfield is truly a great man.

[22:08] He's the founder of a new religion. A new religion, sir? exclaimed the friend. Yes, said the baronet. What do you call it?

[22:20] The friend's response, nothing but the old religion, revived with energy and heated as if the minister really meant what he said. It's not a new religion.

[22:31] It's not some new move. It's not some new fat thing. It's not some new invention. or some new manifestation.

[22:45] But it's the old time religion. Refreshed and reheated and restored. It's God's truth. That's revival. And when God comes, he revives us.

[22:58] He revives us. He revives our hope. He revives our zeal. He revives our love. He revives our courage. He revives our faith, our vision, our spirit, our song, our peace.

[23:12] O Lord, revive thy word. Let that be your prayer. Brothers and sisters, let it be your prayer. Brother, let it be your prayer. Sister, don't hinder his working.

[23:24] O Lord, revive thy word. Revive us again. And repentance precedes revival. That's another thing that's very clear.

[23:35] When the people of God turned from their sin, when they turned from their idols, when they turned from their apostasy, that we sing a touch of the Master's hand.

[23:47] We sing as they turned from sin to God, there was a reviving. As they turned, as they repented of their pride, as they repented of their prayerlessness, and likewise too, we must humble ourselves and ask God for his restoring, refreshing work.

[24:06] For that tenderness of heart to be renewed. For that rededication, that reconsecration, for that returning to our first love.

[24:17] So that, it was like, the first time. It was like that moment, that you trusted him.

[24:30] That returning to your first love. You know, we could all think of such things as that. How our love can grow dim.

[24:40] Even earthly love. But what of our love for him? What of your love for the Saviour? Would it be that your love has grown cold? Or would it be that you can pray for reviving again of that love for him?

[24:53] For that love, that expectation from him, from that wanting to fellowship, from that wanting to serve, and for that joy and victory again, of that moment of salvation.

[25:07] But you could feel that again. You know, not that we're feeling centered, but that you could return to that moment when you knew you were saved because of the precious blood.

[25:19] And you could just sense that again. Not that we sense driven, but again, but it's just to contemplate how things may have grown less fervent.

[25:31] And how can we put aside that discouragement, that defeat, those things that would deter, that backsliding, as it were, even if it only being an element of such things, that we can be revived again.

[25:47] And friends, just to recap, we do need revival. We do need revival. You know, there's sad signs that we see.

[25:59] There's more that could be here just now. We need revival. We need revival corporately. And I trust for myself, I can say I need revival. And perhaps you can say that for yourself today.

[26:12] And you can make that prayer of the psalmist, revive us again. Revive us again. And revive thy work, O Lord.

[26:24] Revival. It's biblical. There's much called revival, even in times past and in the present. It may not be the real thing. Let us humble ourselves and pray.

[26:38] And see his face and turn from our wicked ways. It's God's work. It's God's work. And it's in people. In people. In real, physical, breathing, skin, flesh, bones, people, just like you and me.

[26:55] Tangible, real, even Australians. God can bring revival. Amen? Even in Aussies. Is that possible? Amen. Even in, even in Pommies.

[27:08] Even in Africans. Even in Europeans. In South Americans. God can revive. In people, just like you and me.

[27:19] By his mercy. And grace. And friends, where is revival? Can you say it's under these buttons? Maybe you can. Maybe you can say, I want that.

[27:31] I want that. Refreshing, that reviving again. Within me. By his grace. His work. By his spirit. And friends, that revival, that will prompt you to pray.

[27:43] It will prompt you in zeal. It will prompt you in a concern for the lost. That will make you want to reach out and tell somebody. It will prompt in you a consecration.

[27:54] A renewed love. A love for the word. For fellowship. And friends, it's not something new. It's something old. That's refreshed. That's revitalised.

[28:05] That's made new again. It's that salvation experience all over again, as it were. A second blessing, as it were. But really, it's a blessing after a blessing after a blessing.

[28:19] It's a day by day by day. It's a walk with your Saviour. It's a renewing. It's a refilling. It's a renewing. A revitalising. And how does it start? Repentance.

[28:31] As we sing, we're inadequate. We need his touch. We need to humble ourselves. We need to repent of our pride, of our prayerlessness. I do. Friends, let's be encouraged today to consider how can we have revival.

[28:47] It's only as God can send it. He alone is the source of it. Let us pray for God to grant it to us to labour and to pray and to cry.

[28:58] O Lord, revive thy work. O Lord, revive thy work. Let us pray. O Lord, revive thy work.

[29:10] Revive us again. Each one that is here gathered as believers in Christ. Revive each one, Lord. Revive each one. Breathe new life, new power.

[29:23] Revive that which has grown dim, that love. Lord, let it be refreshed, refired, renewed today. That each one would have that refreshing of their first love, of that revitalising of spiritual life.

[29:40] Lord, as your Holy Spirit would minister, we pray, Lord, that it won't be a working of man, but it will be well and truly your work, O Lord, that is done in each one.

[29:51] Lord, grant that you would minister by your Spirit even now. Help us, Lord, to not have just some words of motivation, but a word of inspiration.

[30:10] That those very words of that prayer would be words that would be meaningful to each one here today. And that we can make that prayer something that we can pray, day by day even.

[30:22] O Lord, revive thy work and revive us again. We praise you, Lord. Help each one of the people here today that there ought to be a brokenness over sin, a contrition, a repenting.

[30:39] Let them move to that, Lord, by your Spirit. Let each one come to that place of prayer, that place of humbling themselves.

[30:52] By your Spirit, Lord, minister, we pray. Pray for families, for individuals here today. Lord, revive your work, we pray.

[31:05] in Jesus' name, Amen.