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Sermon #RV04

Revival Sermon: The Holy Spirit in Revival

A Sermon on the Holy Spirit in Revival

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Scripture

Genesis 26:17-18 ESV KJV
So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names …

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Sermon Description

What is a revival? In this sermon on the Holy Spirit in Revival from Genesis 26:17–18, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers that a revival is a work of the Holy Spirit wherein He moves amongst God’s people and unbelievers. The Holy Spirit is the one who works in God’s people to equip them and gift them for the work of spreading the gospel and building up the church. It is the Holy Spirit who gives the church apostles, preachers, and prophets. It is also the Holy Spirit who moves in the world to convict fallen sinners of their wicked ways and of their need of repentance. But one of the church’s greatest dangers is to quench the work of the Holy Spirit by denying His work. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that one of the biggest problems with the church today is false teaching about the nature of the Holy Spirit’s work and ministry amongst the people of God. If the church is to be faithful and equipped to serve God, Christians must return to a doctrine of the Holy Spirit that recognizes His working and power in the world. This sermon has a message for both believers and unbelievers in that it calls all to recognize the grace of God in giving His Spirit to the world.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The church is in a state of declincity and revival is desperately needed. The way to revival is not just prayer but removing the "rubbish of the Philistines" - false doctrines that have crept into the church.
  2. The Philistines deny or cast doubt on vital Christian doctrines like the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, the sinfulness of man, and the person of Christ. These doctrines must be rediscovered for revival.
  3. The person of Christ is central to Christianity and revival. His deity, incarnation, miracles, resurrection, and ascension cannot be denied. Christ must be at the center of the church's life for revival.
  4. The atoning work of Christ - His death on the cross and shed blood - is also essential. The cross is the only way to enter God's presence, and the Holy Spirit honors and bears witness to this truth.
  5. The person and work of the Holy Spirit is crucial. He must not be ignored, seen as just an influence, or denied His place as shown in Scripture. Outpourings of the Spirit, or baptisms of the Spirit, are necessary for revival.
  6. Some deny baptisms of the Spirit by saying they are non-experiential, happened only at Pentecost, or that we should just focus on being filled with the Spirit. This quenches the Spirit.
  7. Others say we should not pray for revival because prophecy indicates the Spirit is being withdrawn and Christ's coming is imminent. But this view is based on a doubtful interpretation of Scripture.
  8. Many today deny the immediate and direct action of the Holy Spirit, saying He only works through the Word. But the book of Acts shows the Spirit speaking directly to and guiding the church. This activity of the Spirit has been lost, leading to the church's current state.
  9. Recent books on the Holy Spirit do not mention revival, showing many do not believe in revivals or the Spirit's extraordinary work. But revival has been God's means of pouring out His Spirit throughout church history.
  10. We must examine our doctrine of the Holy Spirit and be careful not to exclude His remarkable work of revival. We need to pray for Him to pour out His Spirit on the church.

Revival Sermons

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.