The Keys to Revival

The Keys to Revival
2 Kings 22:1-20
September 19, 2021

Introduction

1. If there ever was a time in recent history when the church needed revival, it is now.
2. And when I speak of the church, I mean the true church which consists of born-again Christians who have openly confessed with their mouths “Jesus as Lord” and belief in their hearts that “God raised Him from the dead.” (Romans 10:9-10)
3. The true church, the body of Christ, needs revival because our world needs a church that is alive with the love of God, a church that is empowered by the Spirit of God, and a church that is standing by faith on the Word of God,
4. But what is true revival?
5. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions and unbiblical views about revival which have been peddled over the years by false teachers and so-called “Revival Specialists.”

ILLUS – My encounter with a “Revival Specialist.”

6. To understand what true revival is, we must turn to God’s Word, the Bible.
7. Tonight, we’re going to look at a time in Israel’s history when God’s people needed revival.
8. During our study of 2 Kings 22, we will discover four key principles for the revival of God’s people.
9. And it’s my prayer that as we study God’s Word, there will be a desire within all of us to ask God to revive us.

2 Kings 22:1-20

Context

1. For 57 years Judah suffered under the iron, idolatrous fist of two wicked kings.
a. Manasseh led Judah for 55 years.
b. His son, Amon, led Judah for 2 years.

2. Manasseh was so wicked that:
a. He built altars for all the “host of heaven” in the two courts of the Lord’s house.
b. He made his son pass through fire.
c. He practiced witchcraft, used divination, consulted mediums and spiritists.
d. He even set up a carved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of the Lord, the very house that the Lord has chosen to put His name on forever. (2 Kings 21:5-7)

3. The wickedness of Manasseh was so great that God declared Manasseh had done more wicked things than the Amorites who lived in the land before him. (2 Kings 21:11)

4. And Amon was so wicked that his servants killed him in his own house. (2 Kings 21:23)

5. Judah had fallen far away from the Lord. Judah needed revival.

6. It’s in this context that we are introduced to an 8-year-old boy named Josiah, Judah’s next king, whom God used to revive His people.

Transition – The first key for revival is. . .

I. Revival is Personal (1-7)

A. Revival is for believers not unbelievers

1. The word revive comes from a Latin word which means “to live again.”
a. To revive something means that the something in need of revival is alive but is on the verge of expiring.
b. But then life-giving air is given, and it is revived.
c. Life-giving water is consumed, and it is refreshed.
d. Life-giving nutrition is digested, and it is strengthened.

2. Spiritually speaking, revival only occurs in the heart of a person who has a personal relationship with God.
a. They are alive, but not as they once were.
b. They are alive, but not as much as they could be.
c. Therefore, revival is for the believer who needs their faith reignited.

Pastor Chuck Smith, “If there ever was a time in your past when you loved the Lord more than you love Him today, you have backslidden.”

APPL – When it comes to one’s faith, Christians can never “coast.”

• The moment a Christian begins to coast, they will lose valuable ground.
• The moment a Christian begins to coast, their heart will grow cold and their faith will weaken.

APPL – What are the warning signs that you’re “coasting” in your Christian life?

• You find yourself spiritually dry and dull.
• You find your love for God and the things of God has diminished.
• You find your life looks more worldly/fleshly and less Christ-like.

ILLUS – Sharing my heart for the Lord with a co-worker.

APPL – The good news is God loves to revive His people.

Isaiah 42:3, A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish.

B. Revival is one person at a time

ILLUS – The Welsh Revival in 1905.

1. Revival is never a mass movement though God often moves on the hearts of His people simultaneously.

2. Simply put, revival happens when the people of God want more of God.
a. When you want more of God, you want more of His presence.
b. When you want more of God, you want to please Him.
c. When you want more of God, you fall more in love with what He loves.

Chuck Smith, “The sign of a healthy church is when you see believers falling more in love with Jesus.”

3. Notice the progression in Josiah’s life prior to the great revival in him and in the people of Judah
(2 Chronicles 34:1-8):
a. 8 years old – Became king of Judah. (1)
b. 16 years old – Began to seek the God of his father David. (3)
c. 20 years old – Purged Jerusalem, Judah and Israel of idolatry. (3-7)
d. 26 years old – Gave the order to repair the house of the Lord his God. (8)

APPL – When it comes to our relationship with God, the choice is ours.

• Close or distant?
• Growth or decay?
• Fire or apathy?

Philippians 3:13-14, Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

• God loves to revive His people.

II. Revival Begins with a Return to God’s Word (8-10)

A. Revival must be fueled by the Bible

Psalm 119:25-27, My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word. I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonders.

1. If not, it can result in false teaching and doctrine.

ILLUS – Dr. John Hannah’s comments regarding the history of the Calvary Chapel Movement.

2. If not, it can result in legalism or a tolerance of sin.

3. If not, it can result in emotionalism and cheap gimmicks.

ILLUS – Training the pastors in Africa about the importance of teaching through the Bible chapter by chapter, verse by verse.

B. Revival begins where the Bible is the final authority

Colossians 4:16, Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you

1. But it is hard to be moved by the Bible when it is collecting dust on your bookshelf.

2. Judah had lost the book of the law. (8)
a. Where did they find it? Right where they had left it. In the Temple.
b. But no one bothered to look.

3. Shaphan read the entire book of the law to Josiah; Genesis to Deuteronomy in one session.

4. Josiah responded by tearing his clothes.

5. Though the book of the law had been lost, Josiah rightly understood that it still had authority over his life and Judah.

6. Josiah immediately sought to get right with God by coming under the authority of God’s Word.

ILLUS – Pastor Tom Ferguson’s teaching on the priority of the Bible in a believer’s life.

APPL – Is the Bible the final authority in your life?

Psalm 119:105, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

III. Revival Begins with Prayer (11-13)

A. Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s heart

1. After hearing the Word, Josiah wanted to know God’s heart.

2. So, Josiah sought the Lord through prayer.

ILLUS – Prior to the First Great Awakening people were in prayer all night.

B. Prayer was central in the life of the early Church

1. The disciples were “continually devoting themselves to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

2. When persecuted, the church prayed, and the Holy Spirit came upon them with power. (Acts 4:29-31)

3. The Holy Spirit directed Paul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary journey during a time of prayer. (Acts 13:1-3)

APPL – How important is prayer to you? (Important vs. Essential)

1 Thessalonians 5:17, … pray without ceasing

IV. Revival Begins with Repentance (14-20)

A. Repentance is turning from sin to pursue God

1. When King Josiah heard the words of Deuteronomy 28-30, his heart sank.
a. God told Israel that He would bless them if they obeyed His Law.
b. But God also warned Israel that He would curse them for disobedience, even if it meant sending them into exile.
c. Blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience.

2. Josiah was broken before the Lord.
a. He tore his clothes, a sign of humility and mourning. (11)
b. He needed to know if there was any hope for Judah. (12-13)
c. He received word from the prophetess that judgment was coming. (14-17)
d. But because the king’s heart was tender and humble before the Lord, there would be peace in Josiah’s lifetime. (18-20).

2 Chronicles 7:14, . . . if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (NKJV)

B. True repentance is revealed by our choices

1. To confess means “to agree.”

2. When we confess our sin to God, we agree with God that what we did was sinful.

3. Repentance is “confession in action.”
a. Repentance is an ongoing choice, not a one-time event.
b. Therefore, repentance is a choice to change one’s lifestyle.

4. Josiah knew God had given Judah a season of grace.

5. Josiah knew there was only one right response – total devotion to God. All idols must be removed immediately.

2 Kings 23:25, And before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

APPL – What is an idol?

• An idol is anything or anyone that occupies the highest place in your heart.
• Even Christians can permit people and things to become an idol in their heart.

1 John 5:21, Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

• If there is an idol in your heart, there is only one right response.
• The idol must go and God must reign.
• Immediately repent and tell the Lord that He alone will have the highest place in your heart.

Conclusion

APPL – The Bible declares that we are living in a time of God’s grace, called the Church age.

• This is a special season or dispensation where God offers grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.
o God wants people to receive the blessing of having their sin forgiven and the gift of eternal life.
o God wants people to receive this blessed gift by placing their faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls.
• The Bible also declares that Judgment Day is coming.
o Jesus repeatedly warned about the day of God’s judgment, a day when all accounts will be settled.
o God wants people prepared and protected from the coming judgment by receiving the gift of salvation offered through Jesus.
• Things have gotten worse, but that does not mean that we cannot have a season of revival now.
o We need revival and God wants to revive hearts.
o We need revival and God wants to refresh and renew His people.
o We need revival so that the Church may show the world the way to Jesus.
• The clock is ticking. Now is the time to get right with God. Today is the day for revival.
• Come to Jesus. It is personal, between God and you.
• Come to Jesus. Let God’s Word be the final authority in your life.
• Come to Jesus. Align your heart with God in prayer.
• Come to Jesus. Tear down all idols and love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
• Will you please join me in asking the Lord to Revive Us?