# First step of revival

Turn your Bibles to Psalms 85 tonight. Psalms chapter number 85 tonight in God’s word.

And we just, just briefly, I’m going to be shorter tonight. I’m only 5’8. I’m not talking about like that, all right, folks.

And I talk about the time of the message. And when I say that, I’m going to be shorter. I feel this wave of unbelief. It’s so strong it goes all the way through the camera and up here. And I can just feel that all the way from your living room to here. And I don’t know why that is. There may be a 20-year history track record there. I’m not sure about that. But…

We’re going to see what happens. Amen. I love old brother Bobby Robertson. He used to always say, it always said, won’t keep you alone. And, of course, things were always about the same. Oh, kind of like I am. In fact, I heard him one time say, I said, I don’t know why I say that every time, but I do. And so, but I think we’ll be shorter tonight. Steps of Revival. That’s what it is tonight. The first step.

Of revival. The first step of revival. And you know the word revival is not mentioned in the Bible. Revive is mentioned eight times. And we’re going to look at one of those times over here in Psalms 85. And we’re going to start verse number five. Psalms chapter number 85 in verse number five in God’s word. If you’re able to, wherever you are, let’s stand. I like to just keep our routine and show the word of God respect. And if you’re able to and ask good.

Psalm 85, we’re in verse number five of Psalms 85. And the Bible says, wilt thou not be angry with us forever? Will thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Will thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee?

And would you pray tonight that the Lord would give me and you a vision of what revival in your life? I’m talking about the end of it. What would revival look like in your life? And would you pray that we would take the first step towards that? And we would take a step in that direction. And would you pray that tonight? And let’s pray together if you would.

Dear Lord, we come to you. Lord, I just seem like I need your help more than ever just to focus on what you have for tonight. Lord, you help us to do so. Lord, would you give us a vision of what individual revival for every person listening tonight? And wherever they may be, listen, Lord, give them a vision of what it would look like for them. And then, Lord, would you help us and encourage us, convict us to take the first step in that direction? Lord, we’ll thank you, we’ll praise you, we’ll brag on you for what you do. Father, we’re asking for this in Jesus’ name we pray. And amen.

Thank you so much for standing and just out of respect to the word of God. This passage was written in a dark time. Most think this Psalm was written at the end of the 70 years of captivity. Israel had sinned for years and years. God had warned them and warned them, and what they didn’t get right, so captivity came. And at the end of these 70 years, when they’re just a small group going back and rebuilding and so on, most think this passage was written during that time.

Wherever the time, what we know is it wasn’t a great spiritual time for Israel. It was a little bit of a dark time. You’ll know that from verse number five. Look at that again. Verse number five there, we just read it. He said, will thou be angry with us forever? I mean, God was angry with them. He was spanking them. And he says, it’s going on all the time. It’s going to happen like this forever. Will thou draw out thine anger to all generations? So I’m saying it wasn’t at a time when they were up. It was at a time when they were experiencing God’s chastening hand. It was a dark time.

For some, for you to have individual revival, and for me from time to time, it seems so far away. You say, boy, where I’m at right now, I’m not experiencing revival. I’m a little cold-hearted. I’m not on fire. I’m worried. I’m fearful. I’m down a little bit. It just seems like for me to have revival, it’s out of reach. I can’t get there. It’s a dark time.

And if we’re not careful, we’ll let Satan convince us that it’s not possible for us. Everybody says, it’s 2020. It’s COVID-19. Everything’s bad. And if we’re not careful, we’ll just think it’s out of reach for us. But can I say, friend, when they were asking for God to revive them, it was a dark time. Revival often comes at dark times. Just the name Revive or revival begs that we need something, that we’re in a dark time.

And, friend, so don’t let Satan convince you, “Well, I’ve just, I’m just… I’ve been around it too long. I’ve grown numb to it. I can’t have revival.” Don’t let him convince you, “Well, I’ve sunk too low. I’ve got too many sinful addictions. I can’t win over them.” No, don’t let Satan convince you that you can’t have revival. Don’t let him do that.

Now, here’s the thing. Praise the Lord, I hear some amens. That’s good to hear every once in a while. I don’t hear them nowadays through the camera a whole lot, but our people do that are here. But here’s the thing. Friend, just take a step. Just take a step.

I love that passage. Many of you, you’ll know it. These folks here, they know it. James 4:8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. What a promise. What a promise. God promises. I’ve done it many a time we have everyone at church over the years, but often I get a little one over here, a child, and I’ll stand over here, and God’s open invitation: Draw nigh to God, and he shall draw nigh to you. And I’ll be here.

And I’ll have that little child take one step. Now they got the little short legs, the little cute feet and all that. And just picture them over here, you know, the little child right here. And they just step a little bit. And I’m over here. And I’ll try to step as far as I can. See, because God’s steps are so much bigger than ours. And heaven, heaven is his throne. Earth is his footstool, he says, his footstool.

And so God can step so much farther. And so, friend, what I’m saying, wherever you are, whatever’s going on in your life, but you just, but I just don’t feel like I can have revival like I used to have. Would you just take a step? I don’t know what it might look like for you. It might be, “All right, I’ll take a step. I’m going to start reading my Bible at lunchtime.”

It may be the step: My wife and I, we’re going to get on our knees beside our bed every night like we did when we were newlyweds, and we’re going to pray together. It may be. It may be that you say, “All right, I’m going to get up a little earlier every morning and have my devotions.” It may be that you say at nighttime, when everybody else goes to bed in the house, I’m going to get up and come out in the living room and get by the couch there and kneel and spend some time with the Lord.

It may be that God Almighty has said, “Hey, I want you to go there. I know you don’t want to go there, but I want you one more time to try to overcome that sin.” And that might be the step for you. But would you just take a step? I mean, just a step. Draw nigh to God, and he will. Oh, what a promise. Oh, what a promise.

Let’s look at it. Let’s just look at it. It’s James 4, verse number eight. Would you look over there? I like for you to see the promise. It’s God’s word. It’s always true. No matter what time, no matter what stage of life you’re in, it’ll be true. Would you look at it? James 4, verse number 8. Look at it. There’s a promise from God. There it is. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Yes.

Now, once you start stepping, there’s part of that: Clean your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Yes, yes, yes. Would you just take a step? Whatever’s going on in your life, would you take a step? A trip of a thousand miles starts with just a step. Just take a step.

Now let’s look at a couple of things here from this verse, verse number six. We’re just going to point out some things very quickly tonight because of this wave of disbelief. And we don’t want you to be right again. So let’s look at this verse number six, if you would. Watch what he says, verse number six. He says, “Wilt thou not revive us.”

Friend, revival doesn’t come from a preacher. I can’t bring revival to anybody. Revival doesn’t come from evangelists. Thank God for them. Evangelists can’t bring revival. A pastor can’t bring revival. A spouse, a child—no, no, no, friend, “Wilt thou not.” Will thou? God brings revival.

You say, preacher, man, I don’t have it in me to get warm and excited about the things of God and get revived again. It doesn’t have to be in you. It’s not in you. It’s God. And when you step out towards him and “wilt thou,” God brings that stirring in your heart. He’s the one that brings revival in your life. In fact, it’s a little humbling to admit you can’t do it. And yet humility is one of the first steps of revival.

The verse we most often use when we talk about national revival, 2 Chronicles 7:14, you know, “If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves.” It always starts with us humbling ourselves. I’ve said it so often, God’s very capable of humbling you, and he will humble you, but he’s not talking about that. He said, “If my people humble themselves.” God, I need revival. I can’t bring revival to me, but I’m going to step out towards you, and would you bring revival in my life? I need it, Lord. Just, just a step. Just a step.

Now let’s look at a couple of the words here. He says in verse number six right there, Psalm 85 and verse number six right there. And he says, “Will thou not revive us again?” Did you notice that word again? I am.

I think it was Lester Roloff. If you remember the story, right? And someone said, “Hey, why y’all were talking about revival? It never lasts.” I believe it was Lester Roloff. Old Lester Roloff said, “Well, a bath doesn’t last either, but I sure am glad you take one every once in a while.” Oh, sure, they never last, friend. We’re leaky baskets, if you will. We leak all over, but oh, how we need revival again. Will thou not revive thy people again?

Now notice this. Notice this. “Will thou not revive?” Oh, let me look at it again. I’ll misquote it. “Will thou not revive us?” You see, revival starts with God’s people. Oh, yes, yes. When God’s people get right, oh, mighty things happen, and God moves, and people get saved, and lives get changed. But it starts with us. And judgment must begin at what? At the house of God. “If my people, which are called by my name,” starts with us. Revival is just individuals getting right, but God’s people.

“Will thou not revive us again?” Now notice this, notice it: “that thy people may rejoice.” Revival always makes God’s people rejoice. I love to see God’s people happy. I like that. I mean, when it’s genuine, and I love to just see God’s people happy. I love sometimes we have fellowships, whatnot, and just seeing people talking and fellowshipping and laughing and encouraging and just happy people.

I was able to see two of our people today. This morning went out for just a brief moment, put the hole in the truck, and saw one of our people bringing a check in. Praise God for God’s people, and he just seemed happy. This afternoon, I was in my office, and some people—one of our people pulled up and brought their offering in and set it in here, and I went and spoke with them, and they just—praise God for happy people. They have the joy of God in their life.

But if you get revived, look, if you start stepping towards God, he said, “But it’s going to cost me a lot,” it’ll be worth it. You’ll have joy. “That thy people may rejoice.” And God’s people are just joyful people, rejoicing. Then notice this: “may rejoice in thee.”

You see, revival is when God’s people get focused on the Lord. What is it saying over there in Isaiah 26:3? “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.” Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Oh, when you get your mind on him. What is the Bible saying? “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher.” When you get your eyes on Jesus, it’s revival starting to happen in your life. You’re getting focused on the Lord. “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Revival gets God’s people rejoicing because they’re focused on the Lord.

C.H. Spurgeon, the great preacher of years gone by. He wrote this in one of his commentaries, and I’m going to read it for you. He says in the year 1854, when I’d scarcely been in London 12 months, the neighborhood in which I labored was visited by Asiatic cholera. And my congregation suffered from its inroads. Family after family summoned me to the bedside of the smitten. And almost every day I was called to visit the grave. I gave myself up with youthful ardor to the visitation of the sick and was sent forth from all corners of the district by persons of all ranks and religion. I became weary in my body and sick at heart. My friends seemed falling one by one. And I felt or fancied that I was sickened like those around me. A little more work and weeping would have laid me low among the rest. I felt that my burden was heavier than I could bear, and I was ready to sink under it.

As God would have it, I was returning mournfully home from a funeral when my curiosity led me to read a paper which was wafered up in a shoemaker’s window in the Dover Road. It did not look like a trade announcement, nor was it, for it bore a good, bold handwriting these words: Psalm 91, 9 and 10, “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation: There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”

The effect upon my heart was immediate. Faith appropriated the passage as a rule. I felt secure, refreshed, girded with immortality. I went on with my visitation of the dying in a calm and peaceful spirit. I felt no fear of evil and I suffered no harm. Oh, friend, even in the midst of tragedy, you get your focus on the Lord, and he brings peace. He brings strength. He brings, if you will, reviving. Would you just take a step? Just step towards him.

I felt a little, oh, maybe a holy conviction from the Lord just to meet, to tell this to our congregation, I believe some of the steps for us to have revival would be this saying of gratitude. I just believe the Lord has us all go there during this time. It’s very interesting. Romans chapter number one talks about a society just going down and degeneration ends up in reprobate, very sad. But the beginning of this society going downhill, it says this, Romans 1:21, “Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.”

Oh, friend, if I’m going to get back close to God, this thing of gratitude. If I’m beginning to the backside, it starts with this thing of not being thankful. Can we just get back to gratitude? I think some of these first steps towards God is just going to be praise or gratitude. Would you just be thankful for your spouse, your children, your home, your health, your country, your leaders, your president? Would you just be grateful for God’s grace?

Would you look over the passage real quickly? We’re almost done, but it’s 2nd Corinthians chapter number 8 and verse number 9. And I want you to focus in on this here, God’s grace. God’s grace. Second Corinthians chapter number eight, verse number nine of God’s word. You got it there? If you got it wherever you are, would you say, “Amen,” right there? You go, that you just woke the cat or the dog up, amen. That’s all right, that’s all right.

Look at this. Second Corinthians 8:9. What does it say? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich.” You know the Bible says every good gift and every perfect gift, every one of them is from above.

And the reason why God is able to give you all these good things is because of Jesus’ grace. God’s riches at Christ’s expense. You see, if I got and you got what you deserve, we’d be burning in hell right now. Well, preacher, I turned over to leave and I did this, that other. Friend, the best you can do, your righteousness, the best you can do in comparison to God and His righteousness and His standards, is filthy rags. Just dirty bandages, if you will. Filthy rags. So everything, every good thing you experience or ever have or experience you now or ever will for all eternity, it’s because of Jesus, His grace.

Gratitude really begins here. Would you do this? Would you thank Jesus? Jesus, every good thing I have is because of you. Would you love on Jesus a little bit? Jesus, thank you. Thank you, Jesus. You took my sin on your shoulders. Thank you, Jesus. You took the crown that should have been on my head and they beat it down with a reed on your brow. And you did that for your experience in all the blessings because of Jesus.

Would you love on Jesus? Would you thank him even now? Thank you, Jesus, for taking my cat o’ nine tails. That old whip that would come down across the back 26 times and the chest 13 times and 39 times all together. And would you just thank Jesus for taking your weapon? Jesus was spit upon. Can you imagine Jesus, God Almighty in flesh having spittle coming down to him? And he did that so you can experience the good things you have right now in your life.

Every good thing you have, every single one of them is because of Jesus. No wonder we’ve seen Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Yeah, would you just be grateful to Jesus? You wouldn’t have the blessings. You wouldn’t have the health. You wouldn’t have the family. You wouldn’t have heaven to look forward to. You wouldn’t experience all these things. It wasn’t for Jesus. Jesus stood alone. All men forsook him and fled, and Jesus had to stand alone against the mob and against Satan and the demons of hell. And he stood alone for you.

You know all the good things you experience is all because of Jesus, every one of them. Would you love on him? Would you thank him? Would you be grateful? Would you say, “Oh, I don’t deserve all these good things.” Jesus, it’s because of you. He earned all of them for you on the cross. It’s grace. Hey, let’s just get back. I’m going to take that step towards you, Lord. And I believe one of those first steps for all of us will be this saying of gratitude. Thank you, Lord. You’ve been so good.

Would you do so? Would you do so? Would you bow your heads wherever you are? And would you just thank him? Would you love on him? Would you be grateful to him? I owe him everything, everything, everything, everything. I owe it to him. Right there where you are, you said, preacher, I’m going to take a step towards the Lord. I’m praying, God, would you give me a vision of what revival would look like in my life? And I’m just going to take a step, however it may be, however small it may be, but I’m just going to take a step. Would you tell him that?

You say, preacher, God spoke to my heart. I need to take a step closer to the Lord and towards a revival. And God spoke to me personally about that. If that is you, would you just lift your hand up? Maybe it’s not physically. Maybe it’s in your heart. But you’re just—I’m going to take a step. I’m going to take a step. God bless you, friend. Me too. That journey to God’s reviving and experiencing his rejoicing and being back where you want to be again just starts with a step. Would you just step?

Maybe here tonight you say, preacher, I believe I need to get this thing of gratitude. I’m going to be grateful for Jesus and all the good things. Now, I need to get back. I complain, I see all the bad, and I need to just get back to have revival of gratitude. You’re there. As a preacher, God spoke to my heart, I need to get back to saying just gratitude. God’s grace is goodness. Now I want to be thankful to Jesus. God spoke to my heart about that. Just lift wherever you are, just would you lift your hand right there, whether it be physically or in your heart? Yes, that’s God. Bless you. God bless you, me too, friend, me too. This week let’s just thank Jesus ten thousand times. I owe everything to you. I don’t deserve all these things. It wasn’t for you, Jesus.

I mentioned it early, but God spoke to my heart. I was seeing with some of our folk and good people, and I thought, I don’t deserve to pastor them. And I thought, it’s because of you, Jesus. All these good things because of Jesus. Would you thank him and love him and rejoice in him?

Now, friend, maybe you’re there. You said, preacher, I don’t know that Jesus is my Savior. I don’t know that heaven’s my home. He loves you. He loves to save you. No, you’re stepping towards Christ will not save you. There’s nothing you can do to save yourself. And yet when you step out in faith and say, “Jesus, would you save me?” Like a dad picking up a child, Jesus rushes to you and he picks you up in his arms and he saves you. If you’ve never been born again, if you’ve never been saved, you’re not going to heaven.

Right there where you are, wherever it may be, in your heart, would you go to Jesus? “Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner. I’m trusting in you, Jesus, the best I know how by faith, my little bit of step, just asking, would you save me?” Thank you, Jesus, for washing my sin away and picking me up and making me your child. Thank you for your salvation. I love you, Jesus. Thank you for saving me.

If you just asked Jesus to save you, never have, but you just did it, would you let us know? Go to the church website. Email us. Call us at the church’s phone. Send us a text. If we got your number, we’d love to rejoice. Maybe it would be a help and send you some liturgy. We’d love to do that. If you already said right there, would you just take some time and step towards him?

I’m going to have word of prayer. Our pianist will play. Would you just step towards him tonight? Father, Lord, thank you for this great passage. Your people Israel in a dark time calling on you. Would you revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee? Help us to do so tonight. Help us to step closer to you tonight, Lord, in these next two minutes, Lord, help us to take that step towards you and all week long. And we’ll thank you, Lord, for what you do in Jesus. Then we pray. Amen.

Original File: 1st Step of Revival - Pastor Paul Chisgar 4520 Pm