July 7, 2024
Psalm 85:1–9 (NLT) 1 LORD, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel. 2 You forgave the guilt of your people— yes, you covered all their sins. Interlude 3 You held back your fury. You kept back your blazing anger. 4 Now restore us again, O God of our salvation.
Put aside your anger against us once more. 5 Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations?
6 Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? 7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
But let them not return to their foolish ways. 9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.
Won’t you revive us again? Will you not Revive us again?
What a question to God.
This tells me that Revival was there but eventually lost.
Do you want Revival?
Revival is not an Event, Church Meetings or Gatherings. Charles G. Finney wrote:
Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up ones will to God in deep humility.
Revival is a Fresh Wind of the Holy Spirit upon His People.
A Breath of Fresh Air:
-To your Faith,
-To your Passion for God,
-That gives Joy to serve and live for God.
We need Sustained Revival. Revival that continues and not end.
Psalms 85 is:
A Prayer for Revival.
A Prayer of pleading for restoration of people who have turned away from God.
In verses 1-3 we see that God had Revived His people: The Israel had experienced Revival before:
God gave them favor:
-Delivered from Slavery in Egypt.
-God uses Moses to deliver them and Cross the Red Sea.
-Forgiveness was given.
-Sins were covered.
-God’s Anger and Wrath was removed.
Something happened between verse 3 and 4.
People went back to their old ways. Forgot the favor and goodness of God.
A Shift takes place between verse 3 and 4. When you first got saved …
You had the joy of the Lord.
You were willing to do anything for God. You prayed everyday.
You witnessed to everyone
You were excited to pay the price:
Deny yourself, Take up your Cross, Follow Jesus.
Something Happened to the People of Israel: They needed to:
be Restored, be Revived, Salvation Again!
Something has Happened to the Church, the People of God:
The Church needs to:
be Restored, be Revived, Salvation Again!
Why do we need Revival?
- We get Diverted.
To be Diverted is to: go or look in a different direction.
get off track and focus on something else.
We are easily Distracted: In Prayer
We get Caught in worldly pursuits.
If you get diverted at your job, you will not last long there.
If you get diverted playing sports, you will not win, be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (NLT) 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Stay Focused.
Psalm 119:37 (NKJV) Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way (NLT: give me life through your word).
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the
cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
2. We get Disappointed.
To be Disappointed is to be sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfill one’s hopes or expectations.
When something does not go the way expected or hoped for, we get disappointed.
We have all been Disappointed at one time or another.
By: Family, Friends, Spouse, Parents, Brother, Sister, A Boss, The Ministry, Pastors, Leaders, etc.
Jesus will Never Disappoint you.
Hebrews 13:6 (NLT) So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
Psalm 73:26 (NIV) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
When you face a challenge, fear and doubt can creep in. Disappointment can lead to Discouragement.
Discouragement can lead to Depression.
But Jesus we must rely on the Promises:
Psalm 138:7 (NKJV) Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) but they who wait (trust, hope) for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
3. The Loss of Joy.
When a Christian gets diverted and disappointed, What happens is there is a Loss of Joy.
Verse 6 is a prayer to revive their joy.
Ps. 85:6 Will You not revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
God does not like when His people lose their joy.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NLT) — 16 Always be joyful.
Philippians 4:4 (NLT) — 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
John 16:33 (NKJV) — 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Lack of Joy comes from … Loss of Desire, Passion. Get Your Desire Back! Get Your Passion Back!
James 1:2–4 (NLT) — 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
1 Peter 1:6–7 (NIV) — 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Choose to be Desperate for God and His Will!
Be Desperate for God’s Word.
Ps. 85:8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Be Desperate for God’s Presence
Ps 85:9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.
To read part II click here