Sermon Tone Analysis

ATTENTION

Back in 2000, the FCA leaders of Pearl River Central High School in Carriere, Ms, were discussing plans for the remainder of the school year.

"Everyone was writing down goals and plans when suddenly a teacher suggested we reach our school for Christ," said Cary-Anne Dell, a member of the FCA's leadership team.

"That's pretty much how it all got started and the Lord took it from there."The plan involved an in-school rally during which FCA members would perform skits and share testimonies about what it means to be a Christian.The 18-year-old Dell, who is a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church, said the FCA members shared their plans with churches throughout the area.

"We had people praying for us all over south Mississippi," Dell said.

"It was incredible to see how all those prayers were answered."Tim

Tolleson, youth pastor at First Baptist Church in nearby Picayune, Miss., said his entire church was involved in praying for the rally.

One of his youth, 16-year-old Ben Helger, was also a member of the FCA leadership team."Ben

spoke during our Sunday night worship service and in the course of his speech he told us about plans for the rally," Tolleson said.

"Our church is known as a praying church and we took up the challenge to lift up those kids."One

prayer involved a sound system.

The acoustics in the school's gymnasium were terrible, Dell said.

"We didn't have a sound system so we started praying.

The next day, two churches called the school and offered to provide one."Since the entire event was student-led and student-organized, Lee said the club didn't have to seek permission from the school board.

"In other words, they had my blessing," Lee said.A team of 16 students wrote skits and prepared the rallyТall except for the closing.

"We just decided that the Lord was going to figure out the closing,"

ThatМs sort of where we have been for the past few months.

WeМve been planning for and anticipating what just took place this week at this church.

More than anything I have experienced in a long time, I can truly say that God has begun a revival in this church this week.

God did a powerful work in my own heart and even this week, people have been saved and IМve had people who are talking about going into ministry or making significant changes in their lives, not because they feel guilty, but because the Spirit of God is at work.

Is God not at work in our lives?

Can we just praise God for a moment right now for the great movement of His Spirit this week?

(Applause)

NEED

Yet, even as we praise Him, at the same time, we are aware that this revival is not complete.

In some ways, it has just begun.

You see, I realize we sit here this morning, a divided congregation.

While many were here for the meeting, others of us missed it physically.

It may have been your job, or some other hindrance that kept you away, but you just missed it.

Today, even though you canМt recapture what you missed, you can catch up spiritually.

I want you to listen today because I am going to tell you how to Рcatch upП spiritually speaking.

We are divided even further.

Some of us were actually here physically.

We may have even been here every night, but even though the meetings are over, our business with God isnМt.

We may be still processing what was said.

I donМt know about you, but even though I enjoyed Sunday through Wednesday, my head was spinning.

There was so much coming at me and so much that I was trying to process, I sometimes felt lost.

That may be you.

You know there is still business you need to do with the Lord.

You donМt need to catch up, you need to finish up.

And then there are those of you who were here and you really did get it.

God really connected with your heart and you took care of some issues.

But then the rest of the week came and you have found yourself severely tempted or maybe youМve gotten discouraged in that area that you surrendered.

You need to be encouraged this morning.

You need to keep it up.

BIBLE BACKGROUND

ThereМs a good place you can go in GodМs Word this morning to see a picture of real revival and also to learn how we can keep this revival going and even fan the flames.

Some might take issue with me.

They might say that what IМm about to read to you doesnМt speak of revival, but Рvival.П That is, what I want to read to you now wasnМt a coming back to God, but an initial experience him.

Well, they might have a point, but IМll just tell you that the end result is the same: Whether at conversion or in revival, when the Holy Spirit is released and GodМs people are surrendered, some amazing things happen.

And thatМs exactly what happened in Acts Chapter 2. The Holy Spirit descended and all heard the message in their own language, the Bible says.

At that point, Peter stands up and preaches.

And because the Holy Spirit is moving among them, chapter 2, verse 37 says, Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, РMen and brethren, what shall we do?

Now, thatМs the question of revival.

We are confronted with our sin and, in repentance, we fall on our face before God and ask Him, РO God, what is it that You want?

I know what IМve beendoing; I now see how IМve been failing you;I see that what IМve been doing, spiritually speaking, has not been working.

O God, what do You want.П

And then what happens is nothing short of revival: Peter answers in v 38:

 

Then Peter said to them, РRepent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.П

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, РBe saved from this perverse generation.П 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Now, ours hasnМt been quite that dramatic . . .

at least not yet.

But I have seen some people truly repent over the last few days.

ThereМs been some repentance in my own life.

IМm hungrier for God than I have ever been.

I have sensed His presence in a fresh new way, and IМm here to tell you this morning: I DO NOT WANT THIS TO END!!

I want revival to continue!

Now I say that because I know that the tendency will be for it to die.

Left to ourselves, our selfish hearts, aided by the ever-present world and the ever-crafty tempter, will tend to leave the altar, forsake our commitments.

It even happened in the book of Acts.

Did the early church stay in this state of spiritual bliss?

One writer said that the following chapters of Acts show that they didnМt.

Sincerity sometimes gave way to dishonesty, joy was blotched by rifts in the fellowship, and the favor of the people was overshadowed by persecutions from the Jewish officials.

LukeМs summaries present an ideal for the Christian community which it must always strive for, constantly return to, and discover anew if it is to have that unity of spirit and purpose essential for an effective witness.

I do not want us to lose what we have.

In fact, I want us to fan the flames of revival.

So just how can that happen?

I believe it is possible and we have the example of it given in these next few verses.

You see, revival really can continue if we will answer two questions about revival.

The first is this:

DIVISION 1: WHAT WILL IT MEAN?

EXP

That is, if revival continues, what will it mean in our community?

What happens in a town or in a county in which revival occurs.

Well, will you notice what happened in Jerusalem when revival came?

In the first place, revival brought reverence.

V43 says, Then fear came upon every soul and many signs and wonders were done through the apostles.

May I ask you a question: When was the last time the world feared the church?

O, I know the world mocks the church; I know the world accuses the church; I know the world laughs at the church; I know the world attacks the church; I know the world invades the church; I know the world even ignores the church.

But when was the last time the world actually respected and even reverenced the church.

They did in Acts chapter 2.

ILL

In fact, when this verse says that manywonders were done through the Apostles, at least part of what that verse talks about is described in chapter 3.

There Peter and John go up to the temple and heal the crippled man who sat begging alms.

When every one gathers around for a look, Peter starts preaching again!

He once again boldly accuses the people of crucifying Jesus and tells them that it is by the power of the risen Christ that these things are done.

Well, you knowthat didnМt go over too well in the High PriestМs office.

He sent people out to arrest Peter and John.

He tells them, РPeter and John, stop preaching in that name.П