Habakkuk 3:1-2

1. Intro.
1. a revival of biblical faith is a precious and glorious thing
1. next to the return of Christ, a revival is the greatest event that can occur on earth
2. revival is when God comes near to men, saving sinners and renewing and rejoicing the hearts of His own people
3. revivals are necessary
4. revivals are a part of God’s plan in dealing with His people and with all mankind
5. revivals should be the chief concern for people in every church
2. we would all like to stay on the mountain top of spiritual zeal
1. God has provided victory for the Christian at all times
2. there never needs to be periods of defeat, relapse, nor fruitlessness
3. there is abundant power for every Christian all the time
4. but, the simple truth is that all God’s people need reviving frequently
5. people do not stay on the mountain top, but return to the valley of suffering
3. the history of God’s dealings with man reveals that when God sent His prophet to warn the people, there was either revival or judgment
4. the warmth, fervor, and new dedication experienced in revival needs to be sought for again and again
1. service that was once joyful may become habitual, commonplace, and ordinary
2. our prayers which once came from our heart, now only come from the lips
3. Bible reading that was once a fervent seeking after God’s truth has become a dutiful habit
4. then there is a need for revival
2. fear before revival - "O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid"
1. Habakkuk was a man that was amazed and grieved at the sin that was all around him - Hab.1:2-4
1. in chapter 2, God tells Habakkuk that He was going to judge his people
2. in chapter 3, Habakkuk is praying for revival
2. a time of wickedness, worldliness, and bloodshed is a good time for revival
1. such times should make us more aware of our need of revival
2. when we see that the way of the transgressor is hard and have seen the fruits of sin, Christians will feel the need to more earnestly pray for revival
3. here is something for the preachers to consider and take notice of
1. Habakkuk saw the wickedness, heard about the wrath of God, and prayed for revival
2. old-fashion, heaven sent revivals are usually preceded by plain and convicting preaching
3. a preacher needs to faithfully, fearlessly, and with holy abandon condemn sin
1. condemn sin in high places, among the saints of God, and in the world about him
2. such preaching will cause conviction in the hearts of sinners, and hunger for revival among God’s people
3. repentance can only follow a faithful proclamation of the divine wrath
4. Nineveh repented after Jonah preached, "yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown"
5. many other OT revivals were preceded by the reading of the Law, and hearing the solemn judgments promised upon them by God
4. let the preachers be courageous
1. times of war, sin, worldliness, unbelief, drunkenness and adultery are times for revival
2. if the prophet of God will be true in declaring God’s wrath on sin, revival can come
3. if preachers will be true to God, then the people will cry out, "O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid"
3. it is the Lord’s work - "O Lord, revive thy work"
1. the work is the Lord’s; we have a right to expect Him to repair it, renew it, and bless it
1. what happens in our life is of God
2. when we were a sinners, God loved us and saved us (salvation is all of grace)
3. when our heart is not warm and our service is not pleasing, there is nothing more reasonable than to go to God for His remedy
1. we cannot blame God for our faults, He is not responsible
2. my failures are not His failures
3. the problems of my Christian life are not my problems, but His
1. we belong to God, we are bought with the blood of Christ
2. the work is Christ’s, we are His workmanship
2. the Lord not only took care of the first cost, but all the upkeep on our salvation as well
1. it is everlasting life that He promised, and even abundant life
2. the work we need done in our lives is God’s work
3. we have a perfect right to lift our feeble hands to God and cry, "O Lord, revive thy work"
4. even preachers need revival (a fresh vision, anointing, commission)(the work is His)
4. we all have a tendency to backslide - "in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known"
1. God warned the church of Ephesus that they had left their first love - Rev. 2:4
1. we can all remember the sweetness and joy that filled our hearts when we first trusted Christ
2. "in the midst of the years" we need revival
3. a watch when first wound may keep good time, but after a while it needs rewinding or it slows down
4. Christians need rewinding (revival) "in the midst of the years"
2. a strange thing: our tendency to backslide after being long settled in the Christian life
1. how often have Christians given up bad habits for the Lord, but later in life they reappear
2. how often have Christians taken up good habit for the Lord, but later in life they give them up
3. this is when we should earnestly pray for revival, because this is our time of danger
4. decay comes slowly, but surely (we need revival often)
5. God is merciful even in times of wrath -"in wrath remember mercy"
1. there is much evidence that the wrath of God is on the world today, even our country
2. we are living in the perilous time that are promised for the last days - II Tim 3:1-9
3. thank God, days of wrath can be days of mercy
1. troublesome, sinful days are days to pray for revival
2. days of wrath and judgment are also days of mercy
3. we should expect to see sinners turn to God as the result of every calamity
4. the time of judgment is the time to call on God for revival
5. we are in days of wrath, but we have a right to pray that God would send a mighty revival
6. how to have revival - "a prayer of Habakkuk"
1. we need to pray
1. Habakkuk prayed for revival
2. after Jesus returned to heaven, the apostle and others waited and prayed for revival
3. in Nineveh, they fasted and prayed, and God heard from heaven and changed His plans
2. revivals are a miracle of God
1. it is supernatural, extraordinary, and divine
2. only God can give a revival
3. before Pentecost
1. the apostle had been breathed upon by Jesus, and they received the Holy Spirit as promised
2. Jesus had opened their understanding so that they might understand the Scriptures
3. Jesus had taught them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself
4. they had received the Great Commission
5. the revival did not come until with one accord and with all their heart they prayed
4. nothing else can bring revival except prayer to the Almighty God