Sermon Tone Analysis

*Standing in Anticipation of Revival*

2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.

Renew them in our day,

in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy.

(Hab 3:2 NIV)

*Introduction:   *We've lost sight of the fact that some things are always right and some things are always wrong.

We've lost our reference point.

We don't have any moral philosophy to undergird our way of life in this country, and our way of life is in serious jeopardy and serious danger unless something happens.

And that something must be a spiritual revival.

-- Billy Graham in a speech at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Founder's Day (April 4, 1989).

Christianity Today, Vol.

33, no. 9.

See: Ps 51:12-13; 80:7; 85:6; Isa 32:15; Hab 3:2.

*I.        **Hear the Powerful Record*

*A.      **Hear About A God of World Wide Fame*

The purpose of revival is to make God not men, famous; to focus the eyes of the people, not upon human leaders, but upon the Divine Leader; to give glory not to great men but to a great Savior.

Richard Owen Roberts (1931- )

*B.      **Hear About A God Worthy of Respect*

*C.      **Hear About A God Working in the Midst*

*II.

**Hunger for Present Day Revival*

   Awakenings started the foreign missions movement in America, and American missionary work started in a haystack, during a thunderstorm!

In 1806, during an awakening at Williams College in Western Massachusetts, Samuel Mills and four other students hid themselves in a haystack to avoid a summer thunderstorm.

While there they united in prayer, and pledged themselves to go as missionaries wherever God might lead them.

Out of this group went the first American missionaries.

Some of the best impulses for social reform in America's history have come from awakenings.

The anti-slavery movement in America was mainly a part of the reform movement generated by the Second Great Awakening, as were movements for prison reform, child labor laws, women's rights, inner-city missions, and many more.

-- "Spiritual Awakenings in North America," Christian History, no.

23.

Rochester, New York, was dramatically transformed by [Charles Finney's] work there in 1830-31 in what has been called the greatest year of spiritual awakening in American history.

Shops were closed so people could attend his meetings, and as a result of the changed hearts, the town taverns went out of business.

Finney soon won international fame.

-- "Charles Grandison Finney--19th Century Giant of American Revivalism," Christian History, Issue 20.

*A.      **Hunger for a God’s Revelation*

*B.      **Hunger for a God’s Reputation*

*C.      **Hunger for a God’s Restoration*

*III.

**Hold a Posture of Repentance*

*A.      **Yielded in Submission Before the Throne of God*

~*~*~*  The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says "Amen" and runs away before God has a chance to reply.

Listening to God is far more important than giving him your ideas.

-- Frank C. Laubach in Frank C. Laubach, Teacher of Millions.

Christianity Today, Vol.

35, no.

10.

*B.      **Bowing in Shame Before the Judgment of God*

~*~*~*God will never plant the seed of his life upon the soil of a hard, unbroken spirit.

He will only plant that seed where the conviction of his Spirit has brought brokenness, where the soil has been watered with the tears of repentance as well as the tears of joy.

Alan Redpath (1907-1989)

*C.      **Kneeling in Anticipation Before the Mercy of God*

In prayer, we are aware that God is in action and that when the circumstances are ready, when others are in the right place, and when our hearts are prepared, he will call us into the action.

Waiting in prayer is a disciplined refusal to act before God acts.

-- Eugene Peterson, Leadership, Vol. 8, no.

2.

 

Holding a pose for a picture – Hold it! . . .

Hold on! . . .

Just a minute!

* *

*Conclusion:*

I know that the prayer of Jabez has caught great attention lately.

But I wonder if perhaps we should not start praying the prayer of Habbakuk.

We need to revival more than ever before.

Look around you.

The fame of God needs to be rehearsed again.

We need to be jealous for His glory.

We need a hunger for revival to replace our feasting in the midst of the status quo of mediocrity.

We need to want it so bad that we find ourselves on our knees, humbled and contrite before God for the state we are in, and plead for him to work in our midst.

Plead for showers of mercy in the midst of a judgment that is deserved.

I encourage all of you to spend time on your knees before God, not speaking this prayer as some sort of incantation or charm, but taking the heart of this prayer, and making it your own.

 

2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.

Renew them in our day,

in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy.

(Hab 3:2 NIV)