1997-19

SERMON NOTES

TITLE: HINDRANCES TO REVIVAL

TEXT: Topical - no text taken

INTRODUCTION: Our revival is coming, as far as dates go. But there is an important question we need to ask ourselves: Are we ready for it? You see, there are several things which will hinder the coming of revival, and keep it from accomplishing all that God wants it to. Let's look at some of them now.

I. Sin will hinder the coming of revival. Now here, I am not talking about the sins of the unbelievers, but the sins of the believers. God wants a holy people. He has commanded us to be holy, just as He is holy. Sin in our lives keeps us from attaining holiness.

1. This one is a given. Lack of holiness hinders the coming of revival.

2. Revival must therefore be preceded by repentance of sins.

3. Revival will come after we have cleaned up our lives as Christians. It is not sufficient to repent; we must change our way of living.

II. Carnality and unrighteousness will hinder revival's coming. What is the difference between carnality and sin. Carnality is being like the world; being conformed to its image. It may include sin, but can happen in lives which are not filled with sin. Carnality is putting self ahead of God.

1. Carnality must be dealt with. We must put nothing before God.

2. Unrighteousness must be dealt with. Something may be unrighteous, without actually being a sin. Unrighteousness includes such things as attitudes; the reasons we do what we do.

3. Unrighteousness also includes any action which is a stumbling block to another.

III. Religion will hinder the coming of revival. We cannot depend on our church, our family heritage, or anything else to save us. Our denomination cannot; our own local church cannot. Religion must give way to heart-felt salvation and commitment to God.

1. We must put obeying God before obeying men.

2. We must learn to seek a personal relationship with God above all else.

3. We must learn to obey.

IV. Hypocrites, especially religious ones, will hinder the coming of revival. How can we recognize a hypocrite, even if he is us? Here are some characteristics.

1. Religious hypocrites will claim to have an exclusive understanding of Scripture. A church of England vicar once told Leonard Ravenhill, "We don't recognize your ordination," to which Ravenhill replied, "The Church of Rome doesn't recognize yours." "But we have apostolic succession," they said. To which he replied, "The only proof of apostolic succession is apostolic success."

Now while this is from the camp of believers other than Pentecostal ones; let us beware that we do not develop this kind of attitude.

2. Religious hypocrites are self-righteous. This is a fundamental attitude of religious hypocrites: they want to be something in the eyes of men. Luke says that though we justify ourselves in the eyes of men, God still knows our hearts. These are self-deceived; they fail to see the depths of their poverty. They cannot be healed, for they say they are not sick.

3. Religious hypocrites are slaves to human praise or human criticism. Fear of men bind them until they are not free to obey God. This makes a bold faith and confession impossible. Paul asked, "Should I please God or man?" The question still applies today.

4. Religious hypocrites are full of jealousy, envy, and a competitive spirit. These become judgmental and angry because God is using someone other than them. Evan Roberts, Welsh revival, having trouble preaching because of enmity and opposition, stopped in the middle of his sermon and said, "There is willful opposition here to the Word of God and to the Spirit of God. It hinders His manifestation in our midst. Let us all go to prayer and ask that those who oppose the Holy Spirit will either repent or leave the service." Four got up and left during prayer. He was then free to preach. The four who left were ministers.

How does that work? It is like our saying, "We have to do something about this new ministry in town. People are getting saved, healed, delivered, and filled with the Spirit. If we aren't careful, we will lose all our people, and their money too." So what do we do? We copy their methods, their music, and their message. It doesn't matter the Lord has not called us to do those things. At least we will not lose our people if we do what others are doing. How sad that we should be so bound..

5. Religious hypocrites are highly critical of others. This is the natural outcome of dead religion; of a dried out walk with the Lord. Since we are not happy, we don't want others to be. These people seize any weakness or flaw, blow it all out of proportion. They do not glow with the presence; they glare with their anger and resentment. They criticize everything. Just as in Jesus day. He was criticized for eating and drinking; John was criticized for not doing so. Not much different from today. We must prove our competition wrong, even if to do so we must become petty, picking on small differences.

Criticism will not produce compassion; faultfinding will not produce faith. How easy it is to sit back and tear down the work of others, but how difficult to accomplish much ourselves. We must be sure we are producing life, not death, hope rather than despair, and operating in love, rather than a fault-finding spirit. Instead of criticizing or attacking those on the front life of service, why not join them, and fight a common enemy?

Sometimes correction is necessary; discernment is at times necessary. Some things are obviously wrong, but other things are just petty foolishness. Correction brings life and improvement, and correct discernment results in growth and progress. Both must be motivated by love for the Lord, His people, even those operating in error. But this is not the way a complaining, negative spirit works. It never bears lasting fruit. It is more fueled by self-righteousness than by compassion and truth.

Let's take up our cross and put down our critical attitudes. It is impossible to carry both.

6. Religious hypocrites want their spirituality to be seen. This is the desire that underlies his actions; he must be seen by people. Pride is blinding, leading the hypocrite to put on an outward show to win the favor of man, while all the time the Lord knows the bankruptcy of the heart.

In Matthew 23:5-7 Jesus said, "Everything they do is for men to see. They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplace and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' " (or "Pastor", or "Evangelist", or "Prophet", or "Bishop", or "Doctor".)

We love to wear our spirituality up front and obvious, making sure everyone knows how close to God we are. Public prayers are loud, long, powerful, while private ones are non-existent. Our praise in church is so demonstrative -- hands raised, a look of holy joy on our face, a neat dance step in the aisle -- while we are not even thinking of God. For whom are we performing?

We should be more like this. John G. Lake, missionary to South Africa early this century said, "Close to a South African city in which I was ministering, there were hills with outcroppings of rocks -- like a series of cliffs, one above another. I would go up into these hills to be alone and rest. One day I observed a lady bringing a young child and setting him on one of the shelves above a smaller cliff. She left the child some food and water. It seemed a dangerous thing to do, since the child might fall and hurt himself. However, I observed that the child was crippled and could not move around. After his mother left, I went over to him, laid my hands on him, and prayed. Immediately the child bounded off down the hill to catch his mother. Not caring to meet anyone, I moved around the hill out of sight."

How would we do it today? "Quick, get the cameras, still and video. Let's get some good pictures (of us with the miracle boy) and a testimony. We'll put this in our newsletter and it will bring in some bucks; the world will recognize the touch of God on us." Few have the purity of heart to say, "Let's get some pictures to encourage our friends and workers; to bless them with this example of how God is moving." Most would go after the mother and child, to get publicity.

When Jesus said, "Everything they do is done for men to see," He was not telling us how to turn things into a marketing tool. Rather, He was emphasizing the need for secret devotion, secret obedience, and secret exploits for God. Rather than being self-congratulating, why not let God reward openly. Our timing leaves much to be desired.

Today, we wonder who is the "Christian man or woman of the year; the Christian singer of the decade, etc." Now in the early church, there would have been quite a battle. Paul for ministry to the Gentiles, Peter for work with the Jews, Apollos for his eloquence, etc. Even today, we could have an award for the persecuted saint of the year; perhaps a pastor Lee who endured 10 years of torture and solitary confinement without cracking or giving up. We could even give him a plaque or a ring.

Do we really even know one of the top 100 saints or leaders of today. Most of the true leaders have never been seen on TV. How many of the true saints are even in the "ministry." Some day, Jesus said that the first would be last, and the last first. To many, He will say, "You have already had your reward in full."

7. Religious hypocrites are cynical and skeptical. Remember how the religious leaders made fun of Jesus on the cross as recorded in Mark 15:31-32. Some of these people had seen Jesus heal, perform miracles, deliver people even from demon possession, but they still did not believe. The Bible way is to believe and see; faith is not optional. For those who are truly seeking God, they will believe.

Many believers today love the power of the Holy Spirit, His ministry, are used in the gifts and anointing of the Spirit, but they are not naive. They have had their fill of charismatic nonsense which is happening in our day, and know that gullibility is not a virtue; they have seen enough Holy Ghost hype, and "Spirit-filled" flakes. But others are so wary of God that they must weary Him; they are so un-charismatic that they have become anti-charismatic. Others glory in their balance. They are not only hesitant about supernatural things, but they often hinder and hold back the hand of God, while claiming to be champions of the word. They tirelessly crusade for total dependence on the Scripture, and Scripture alone.

They claim to believe in the miracles of the Bible, but when one is reported today, they skeptically report that no such thing could happen. God spoke to His people back then, but cannot today.

How would they have made it during the exodus from Egypt, or during the ministry of Elijah. The exodus would be classed mass hysteria and hallucination, and the fire from heaven coincidental lightening that folk mistook for fire. They would discount the Day of Pentecost, for none of the prophets even spoke in tongues. Dorcas had really not died, and Paul was suffering from fatigue and dehydration when he said an angel spoke to him on the ship.

These people say they would not have killed the prophets; they would not have handed Jesus over to be crucified, but in reality they are like their parents. And some of us are just as bad. We long for the days of the Great Awakening, or the Welsh Revival, or Azusa Street, calling those days wonderful, but when God begins to do it again today, we say, "That can't be the Spirit."

Some say, "If it is not in the Book, I don't believe it." Perhaps they should say, "If it is in the Book, I do believe it." We must exercise wisdom, testing sensational sounding claims and investigating extraordinary testimonies, but we must lay aside our skeptical, religious attitudes which are contrary to the Bible. "Everything is possible for him who believes, not for him who belittles."

8. Religious hypocrites place people in bondage rather than freeing them. They become more interested in making rules than checking on the heart. They measure themselves and others by outward performance, using arbitrary standards, telling people how to live without bringing them in contact with the only One who can enable them to live that way.

These bring people under the bondage of fear, where they serve the Lord fearfully rather than from love and devotion. This is not the holy, healthy awe and respect we must have for a Holy God who can save or destroy, but is the fear of a slave for a harsh master. Paul told the Galatians (Galatians 4:6-7) that we are no longer slaves, but sons and heirs. Religious hypocrites, not understanding this, put their convictions on the backs of others, a heavy man-made yoke instead of one from God, crushing those who must wear it. But did not Jesus say that His yoke was easy, his burden light, and that in taking it, we will find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). But Matthew 12 records another yoke the Pharisees wanted to place on Him and His disciples in verses 1-2. They should not pick and eat grain on the Sabbath, though they were traveling and hungry. Their message: come under bondage to tradition with us. But Jesus offers rest rather than rules; He lifts burdens, others want to burden more. He was humble and gentle, while rule-makers are judgmental and harsh. Jesus works from inside out; they work from outside in, but never get in. Grace alone truly changes the heart.

When your heart is free, though you are carrying the burden of the Lord, you can serve, sacrifice, and suffer with joy, willing to do anything, anytime, anywhere for Jesus. But the hypocrite bears an oppressive and heavy yoke, and is never at rest, for his yoke is the wrong one.

9. Religious hypocrites are more concerned about outward forms and traditions than they are with God's power, compassion, and mercy. Mark 7:6-9 deals with this where Jesus told the religious leaders they were more concerned with tradition than anything else. Augustine said, "If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." You can come to the point you say that you don't care about God's work and manifestation, because it broke your tradition. We must let go of fixed, rigid inflexible services, and allow God to move. The question is whether our traditions have hindered the gospel, or let people to live holy lives, demonstrating the power of God, and having absolute faith in the Word. Tradition brings death.

Here are a couple examples of tradition and religious hypocrites. A Muslin terrorist is torturing his prisoner, but suddenly stops because it is time to say his prayers. Or an unethical Jew steals people blind in his business, but will never eat a non-kosher food produce. What hypocrites.

Believers will watch unclean movies, calling themselves weak, but become upset if the pastor misquotes a Scripture. Many will never do anything for world evangelism, but will fight to the death over doctrine. Others criticize those who sing modern gospel choruses, while they refuse to enter into worship at all, even when the great hymns of the church are sung. Matthew 23:23-24 deals with these people.

10. Religious hypocrites are narrowly nationalistic (our country) and dangerously denominational. Jonah was like this; he did not have a problem prophesying that Israel would grow, but did not want to go to their enemies to preach the Word of God. Paul, after getting the attention of his angry fellow Jews, had their attention till he mentioned being sent to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21), and then they went crazy. And are we different?

In the Azusa revival, many whites said it could not be from God because whites and blacks were worshipping together. The whites were going to the black church. And this attitude is still alive today, to our shame. Some people are religious racists, dangerously close minded. If the revival did not originate with them or their group, it can't be from God. The early Methodists were persecuted, thrown out of their churches because they broke the rules by preaching on the streets and in city squares. But a century later, they were themselves persecuting the Salvation Army for preaching the new birth on the streets and in the city squares. Though we start with zealous faith, following God and the Spirit's leading at any cost, we soon become successful, which leads us to complacency, compromise, and self-satisfaction; we then fight with those who want to get back to Spirit led zealous faith and radical obedience. We say, "Nothing new wanted here."

Let's not be denominational or sectarian to the point God cannot change and move in a new way. Let's examine a new move of God, to be sure, but let's do it with an open mind. We must be open to the leading of the Spirit. When we find God moving, let's be glad, and receive. Perhaps we should do a thing that happened in Pentre, Wales in 1904. On that day, all the pastors in the city exchanged pulpits for a display of unity, which defeated hypocrisy.

CONCLUSION: We must take care that we do not hinder any new move of God by our attitudes and actions. We must get into the river of God, and join in the refreshing it is bringing. We must refrain from stopping revival by our hypocritical attitudes and actions.

Osage Gospel Lighthouse, Linn, MO 4-20-97 pm