Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

Lesson 1 First Week

The Benefit of Revival

Background Reading                      Devotional Reading
Psalm 51:10; Isaiah 55:6,                 Ezekiel 1-9
58:1-14; Hosea 6:1-2;
Mark 6:1-5; Acts 3:19-26

Central Verse
"Wilt thou not revive us again: that       "Won't you revive us again, so your
My people may rejoice in thee?"      people can rejoice in you?"
Psalm 85:6, KJV                                     Psalm 85:6, NLT

Key Terms
Restore—To put or bring back into existence or use; to bring back to or put back into a former or original state.
Revive —To return to consciousness or life; to become active or flourishing again; spiritual renewal or restoration.
Resuscitate —To revive from apparent death or unconsciousness.

Introduction

Revival has always been a part of the agenda of a growing Pentecostal Church. It is a time when spiritual wisdom is provided for the congregation, for it is the time of restitution and restoration for the people in the Church. Revival is said to be the spiritual reawakening of spiritual vigor for people.

Revival brings the presence of God into the midst of God's people. Every leader should understand that the Church belongs to God and, without His presence, it is just another organization. Moses understood the need for God's presence. In Exodus 33:15, he said, "If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here." Believers cannot do church without God. They can organize and have all the meetings they desire, but without inviting God to be a part, it is all done in vain and filled with vanity.

Discussion

Revival is designed to help God's people have reverence, fear, and awe for God. The people must come to know God on a persona level , and a Holy Ghost-lead revival brings God's people to this awareness. A soul-stirring revival helps God's people to yield their hearts to His rule, and they learn to love Him the more. True revival should help the believer see more clearly his sinfulness and help him to have greater awareness of God's Holiness. Revival helps the believer deal with the sins in his life, for it helps to reveal his sins and transgressions. "Cry aloud and spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, show my people their transgressions and the House of Jacob their sins" (Isaiah 58:1). This is a cry that God gave to the prophet as He called for revival.

After the believers are revived and restored, the Spirit of Revival should spread to the unchurched. When the unbelievers see their family members, their friends, and neighbors on fire for God, they want to come and see what is happening. That is when believers invite them to come to church with them. One song that says, "I went to a church one night and my heart wasn't right, but something got ahold of me," was birthed out of a person accepting an invitation to come to a revival. He did not know that the Holy Spirit was waiting to convict and convince him that he needed Jesus. That is what happens when the Spirit of Revival is in the Church. The sinner gets a yearning for something he doesn't understand. The revived believer begins to pray more fervently for his family, friends, and neighbors.

In the early days of the Church Of God In Christ, the evangelist would go and stay at a church for weeks, fasting and praying, and God would send revivals that impacted communities of people. I personally saw men come into church intoxicated with alcohol and leave sober after the saints finished praying with them. We saw the lives of people change. The pastors understood that the churches needed the ministry of the pastor, as well as the ministries of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, and teacher. They understood that the pastor's ministry could not perfect the Church alone, but instead, the five-fold ministry was needed (Ephesians 4:11). They were willing to make the sacrifice to bring an evangelist into the church and allow them to labor with the people.

Conclusion

The Church must not allow Revival to turn into a money campaign. The leaders must stay focused on why God brings Revival to the Church. God asked the prophet in Isaiah 58 if the fast they were on was the fast that He had chosen. He wanted to know if they were doing what needed to be done. When a real revival comes to a church, chains are broken off the lives of people, and lives are changed for the better. The Spirit of Oppression must leave, burdens are unloaded, minds are healed and changed, and people are given a better outlook on life. Their expectations change, and they look to the future with hope. The Spirit of Helplessness leaves.

Revival must result from believers praying and seeking God's presence through the Holy Ghost. They know that only things that have been alive can be revived. So, they pray for church members who have grown cold and indifferent and have fallen away from their faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. In Psalm 85:4-6, the psalmist cries out, saying, "Restore us...revive us again." The writer wanted God to know that the people needed to be spiritually resuscitated. They had once known the joys of salvation, but somehow and someway had allowed the enemy to come in and steal their praise, joy, and lives.

God has the power, ability, and availability to restore the Church, bringing His people back to a steadfast relationship with Him. Every believer needs to cry unto God, asking Him to send Revival to our local churches, communities, cities, states, countries, and world. Our world is in trouble, and only the divine wisdom of God can break the hold that Satan has on this world. God is yet telling the church, "If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their lands" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Questions

Why have a revival?
Who needs Revival?
What is involved in having a revival?
What happens when a real revival comes to a church or a community?

Essential Thought- "Prayer, fasting, and praise bring revival to a church."