BIBLICAL PATTERNS FOR REVIVAL (Part II)

Collection of English Sermon  by Greg Fernandez Jr.

R E V I V A L  G O D’S  W A Y

Rev. Greg B. Fernandez Jr.

Youth Revival, Wesleyan Church Rimando July 26, 2008

     We have been studying the life of King Josiah who at the age of 8, his father was murdered in his own house. At 16, he began to really seek God.

II. REVIVAL GOD’S WAY IS A REVIVAL OF OUR PASSION FOR GOD’S KINGDOM

     When you are on fire and ablaze for God, you are on fire for the revival of others, your church, your community, and the world. This is what happened to Josiah. When he was passionate about God he was passionate about revival and reform. But you can also reverse the order, if you want to have passion for God be passionate in your work for him. Recently, I had been praying that God will give passion for the lost. Passion for souls. When we say passion, it means a 'strong desire'. 

But during our overnight prayer meeting at JCF Buyagan, while I was kneeling down praying, God impressed in my heart: “Son, it is not about passion, it is about obedience. I didn’t command you to have passion, I commanded you to obey the Great Commission.” Many times, pray for a passion and wait for power to fall out of nowhere before we do something. But I believe what God is waiting is our obedience. Therefore, if you want to keep the revival going in your life, you must keep doing what God really cares about-the salvation of others.

Do you know that a genuine revival flows to others like a mighty river? Do you know that a genuine awakening spread like flood? Do you know that genuine revival moves like waves? 

When all is said and done, genuine revival lives. Young people don’t hide what you know about Jesus.

JOSIAH AT AGE 20 (1 Chronicles 34: 3-7)

At age 20 Josiah began to purge Israel—THIS IS A SYMBOL OF SPIRITUAL MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH & COMMUNITY 

When your passion for God has been restored, your passion for national reform and revival will take its course. Revival start where you are and it will spread like a fire. When you are truly revived, you will notice that you will no longer keep quiet and keep silent. You will not keep silent when you are truly revived. You will no longer hide your Christianity. You will initiate a ministry of reform. That is the message I learned from Josiah’s revival. He sought God at the age of 16. When he was 20 years old, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem.  He literally cleanse the evil images in the Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel—the northern part. Altars of Baal torn down. He cut the altars into pieces. He smashed the poles, idols and images. He broke to pieces and scattered the ashes over the graves of those who sacrificed. He even burned the bones of the priest on their altars. He purged Judah and Jerusalem. 

If you are still keeping something in your home or in your apartment burn them. Josiah literally destroy everything belong to idol worship. What message can we get from this? If you have been keeping some x-rated DVDs,VCDs of tapes that are demonic in nature, burn them. Rock music with demonic lyrics is not good for you. Maybe clothes with satanic pictures or images, maybe dirty magazine and pocket books. What are you keeping in your closet? Would you like to bring it here tomorrow night so that we will burn it outside? Cleansing the heart is God work cleansing your acts and dirty paraphernalia is your work. Clean your acts and life.  

JOSIAH AT TWENTY-SIX

In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God.

At age 26 Josiah began to build the temple—THIS INFER A PRACTICAL MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH & COMMUNITY

He literally commanded the people to repair the house of God. How did they repair the house of God, they get offerings. Young people there are ministry you can do in the church, not only singing but even the most practical work-the manual work.

They found the Word of God that has been lost. Discovering God’s Word is a lot more valuable than finding gold. We don’t value God’s word so much this days. In those days, people respect the Bible. They almost worship. These days, we don’t value our Bible anymore. We are ashamed to carry our Bible. When they found the book of the Law, the word of God, the reformed was even more intensified. 

Let’s go back and see Josiah’s great, great grandfather Hezekiah. The revival under Hezekiah is due to the power of God’s word which was truly rooted in the heart.

CONCLUSIONS

We can summarize Josiah’s life at the age of 20 to 26 with two conclusions:

1.  ONE PERSON CAN LIVE A GODLY LIFE IN A WICKED SOCIETY

At the age of 16, he began to seek God. At a very young age, he become radical believer of the God of David. Do you think it is easy for a king at the age of 16, to really seek God? In those day, Josiah grew up under a wicked father. But despite his family background, he came out godly in a wicked society. Young people, let me tell you this, it is possible to live a godly life in a wicked society.

·        2. ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS GENERATION

    One person can make a difference in the life of the church, in the community, and in the world. But HOW?

* One person can make a difference by being passionate about God himself

* One person can make a difference by being passionate about God’s kingdom

Ask these questions personally:

(1)  What shall I contribute to my church? What ministry in the church I would like to be involve with?

(2)  What contribution to society I would like to make?

v  I want to commit my life to live a godly life in the midst of wicked society.

v  I want to commit my life to make a difference in my church and in my community.

 Biblical Patterns for Revival (Part I)

Biblical Pattern for Revival (Part III)