Revival Sermon: Towards Revival
A Sermon on Exodus 33:1-11
Scripture
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: 2And …
Sermon Description
Revival begins when one realizes that they may gain the whole world and lose their soul. Every good thing of this earth is nothing if God is not with them. In this sermon on Exodus 33:1–11 titled “Revival Sermon: Toward Revival,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the steps toward revival. How does revival come? What sparks it? Whether revival is individual and personal or corporate, Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that it begins the same way. First, one faces the facts and becomes deeply aware of sin and idolatry. Second, one repents. As he presents the story of Israel’s revival upon the building of a golden calf, he highlights a number of issues involved: the need for separation, a mediator, realizing they are poor and wretched, and God’s displeasure upon the church. Why is the church so ineffective? Why is it going from bad to worse? The need is not met with better events, campaigns, or programs; the presence of God must be in the midst. God must be with them. This is the thing that so horrified the people of Israel and it must haunt Christians today. Revival begins as men and women realize nothing is so serious as being without the presence of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The church is in a state of decline and backsliding, similar to the Israelites worshipping the golden calf.
- The church has been fashioning its own gods and philosophies instead of submitting to God's revelation in Scripture. This has led to moral decline.
- There are signs of separation in the church between those who submit to Scripture and those who don't.
- The church needs to realize its true condition in light of Scripture and past revivals. Mere outward success is not enough.
- The first step to revival is realizing the seriousness of the situation and God's displeasure. There is little evidence of this realization today.
- The second step is repentance - a deep, godly sorrow over sin that leads to action. Remorse is superficial; repentance is profound.
- Repentance means realizing sin is against God, hating sin, and turning from sin. It means stripping away anything that stands between us and God.
- The Israelites mourned over their sin and stripped themselves of their ornaments in repentance. We must do whatever is necessary to please God.
- Repentance leads to new consecration and dedication to God.
- We must ask whether God is in our midst and whether we truly know Him. Mere outward blessings are not enough.
- We need to face the state of the church and our lives honestly and have a truthful view of ourselves. This can lead to revival.
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.