RUT TO REVIVAL - THE SOURCE & SIGNS OF REVIVAL
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion. CLICK HERE to find a discussion group. Enjoy!
Sermon Title: THE SOURCE & SIGNS OF REVIVAL
Main Scripture: John 15:1-17; Titus 2:11-14
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
We’ve been discussing ruts for a few weeks now but in this sermon, Pastor Ryan begins to teach on revival. Pastor Ryan tackles the following questions: What is revival? Where does revival come from? What is the source? How does it manifest, come about, or grow? What are the signs and fruit of revival? How do we cultivate, feed, and water revival?
Some important takeaways from this sermon are: Revival has been put into a box of an event or large arena. But revival isn’t in a place or from a pastor. Revival is found in Jesus Christ and every day we remain connected and obedient to Him we can live revival life. As our faith remains in Christ and we obey what His Word teaches, we will grow fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Apart from Christ we cannot grow nor experience revival. We play an important role in revival, we must remain connected to the source through faith, and when we love and obey we grow and experience revival. Pastor Ryan shared how to live holy and Godly are signs of fruit. As we remain in Christ, His holy and Godly nature matures in us. We grow in our desire to stay pure and desire to do good. We cultivate and grow when we go with the flow of the Spirit’s work in us and through us. We grow in revival as we weed our lives from sin and plant righteousness so reap and harvest righteousness.
Notes:
What is revival? Revival is salvation, water baptisms, Spirit-baptisms, a hunger, and thirst for more of God. Consistent obedience, sanctified, transformed, holy and godly living. Spirit-led and Spirit-filled church. A church making disciples and evangelizing the lost. A praying church. A faith in action, church. Signs, miracles, and spiritual gifts in action. But does this all happen at once or overnight? No… And can this be sustained? Yes…
Where does revival begin?
The image of revivals burned in our minds are big tents, arenas, and sanctuaries full of people being saved, baptized, healed, and so on. These are powerful signs of God working and we are currently seeing these signs of revival here at Calvary. God is moving! Those images and perspectives of revival are catalysts that have indeed started movements such as the Assemblies of God Fellowship (which is still moving and working across the world, but in America, we’ve plateaued). We probably get a little scared to pursue revival because we think we’ll have to be at church all day and night for months until it ends… If we picture and define revival as it happening in a certain place or event then we’ll go traveling and looking for revival, driving miles, or even flying to be a part of a revival event in hopes to bring it back in some way. But revival doesn’t have to work like that and it doesn’t continue that way. Many have chased down revivals and have powerful testimonies but they weren’t ready or did not know how to carry it on. Revival can burn and become a way of life. Revival is meant to live on and there is long-term, revival life. We can experience steady revival but we must be able to handle it from the source…
Where revival begins is not as big, charismatic, and eventful as you would imagine. Revival begins in a subtle but powerful place. Revival is where the believer, the disciple, is devoted to remaining connected, dependent, and obedient to Jesus Christ.
John 15:1-17 This is the scripture that God led me to for this week…
Summary: “Just as branches are dependent on the vine for their life supply, so Christians need Christ’s life-giving flow to enable them to bear spiritual fruit in their lives.” The call is to remain or abide in Him and if we do we will bear Christ-like fruit. If we do not remain in Him, the results are being cut off from God just as dead branches are cut and thrown away to be burned. We remain in Christ the way we began, by keeping our faith in Christ. We also remain by fellowship, obedience, and enduring faith that goes through times of pruning or discipline. Just as a branch bears grapes, proving the connection to the vine; the fruit or Godliness is evidence of our abiding fellowship with Christ. The fruit in this scripture is answered prayers, overflowing joy, obedience to God’s commands, and love for one another. (See Galatians 5:22-23 for more examples).
Lessons: What do John 15 and the vine and the branches have to do with revival?
Spiritual and revival life begins and continues with Christ. Apart from Christ we can’t be or do anything that He has called and planned for us as disciples. How can you tell someone is hungry for revival? They'll go to the source of all spiritual life, the vine, Jesus Christ.
As we remain and continue in loving, obedient fellowship with Jesus, as we yield to the feeding of His Word, love, and Spirit, we will bear spiritual fruit. Fruitfulness is revival.
The signs and fruit of revival are multiple things in this scripture:
We begin to resemble the characteristics of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23)
Answered prayer. Effective prayer is based on faith in Christ and on His words remaining in believers. Christ’s words condition and control such a believer’s mind so that his prayers conform to the Father’s will. Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 326). Victor Books.
We grow in love, loyalty, and obedience to God and His Word (Vs. 7, 9-10). Pastor Coon shows us the danger of disobedience now we learn the reason for obedience is fruitfulness.
Overflowing joy (v. 11).
We grow in love and unity with one another (Vs. 12-13; 17) Love for one another is a key demonstration of revival but also a key ingredient to revival spreading.
We are true disciples who bring glory to God through our witness to the world (Vs. 8-9).
So how do we remain? First, we have to accept and believe Jesus as Savior. Second, we continue or persevere in believing. Third, loving obedience (John 15:9–10).
Fellowship and abiding in the vine is not a waste of time! And don’t confuse a waiting season with a rut. You may not be in a rut, you’re just meant to wait and receive from God. Waiting productively is faithful fellowship and obedience to Christ. Pay attention though because some of us may have gotten stuck in ruts while waiting when we stopped seeking the Lord’s will with no intention of stepping out in faith to follow His direction.
The result is growth in increasing measures. We bear fruit, more fruit, and much (lasting) fruit. We increase and experience personal revival but not so much on how long we fellowship with Jesus but on how well we receive and live what is given to us.
Now we can’t contribute spiritual qualities because we cannot produce spiritual fruit, they only come from the Vine (Jesus and the Spirit). But what we can do is cooperate with the pruning process and practice the fruit that is growing in us. We can also pursue holiness and practice Godliness.
HOW DO WE CULTIVATE AND WATER REVIVAL?
We cultivate, maintain, tend to, and feed revival by living Holy and Godly lives.
2 Peter 3:10-14
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
"The Pursuit of Holiness" is to focus on separating ourselves from sin by mortifying the expressions of sin in our lives. The godly person certainly does this, but he does more than mortifying sin. The godly person seeks to put on those positive virtues of Christlike character which Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and which he elsewhere urges us to "clothe" ourselves with (Colossians 3:12-14).
Holiness is to “take-off” or “put to death” sinful things. Godliness is to “put on” Christ-like character.
Before I continue, remember that fruit and Godliness don’t grow unless we live by faith and loving devotion to Christ. Once we remain in that relationship fruit grows and then we should live accordingly.
Yard Illustration
At my old house, I had bare patches in my yard and the grass I had wasn’t very full. My neighbor was a landscaper so he always had some critiques and tips for me (haha.) One day he told me that you have to plant grass in the bare spots. He said new weed seedlings will just land in the bare spots and grow. But if you fill the bare spots and lay more grass seed down on the existing you’ll have a thicker and healthier lawn where weeds can’t find space to live. I think he said more but my mind wandered into how powerful that was for my Christian life. Holiness is to keep your life pure, keep your yard weed-free…sinless. But that’s not all you do. Revival life isn’t getting saved and just trying not to sin the rest of your life. We’re also meant to be Godly, Christ-like, and do good. Planting seeds and watering them is practicing Godliness and Christlikeness which is also to remain in Jesus. Through that relationship we’ll fill and keep our minds and thoughts renewed, we’ll grow in good deeds, purpose, and gifts that will be used to help other lives experience revival. Pastor Coon said, stop doing wrong, start doing right…this is the right part!
As we remain in the vine, the nature of Christ, the characteristics and fruit of the Spirit grow. When we do what God’s word says we go with the flow of revival life moving and working in us. Godly desires and Godly living increase and worldly desires and worldly living no longer thrive or have room in our lives.
Application:
There is personal revival and corporate revival.
Personal revival begins with a single person being saved and transformed by Christ. Personal revival is when you hunger and thirst for more of God and you want others to know God. Personal revival is living by faith, being led by the Spirit, praying, and seeing those prayers answered. Personal revival is when the believer is walking in obedience, overflowing with the fruit of Christ, sharing the good news of Jesus to the lost, and making disciples. Personal revival is operating in your spiritual gifts with demonstrations of the Spirit’s power and work through you. When this grows and becomes your heartbeat, you know the Holy Spirit is on fire inside of you. Revival is burning and your only outlets are worship unto God and witnessing, or testifying of who God is and what He is doing in your life.
Corporate revival is when this is happening in a group of believers, the church body, small or large. Corporate revival is a church in revival. The revival becomes more evident and more effective because we are stronger in numbers and we are one in Spirit.
I’ve been living in revival
I’ve been living in revival for many years. It ebbs and flows and can always grow. But I was captured by God’s love and have hungered for more of Him ever since. When I notice a lack of hunger or being distracted by this life I correct myself by making sure I’m abiding in Christ. Overall, I hunger to live and love like Jesus. I’ve chosen to obey God’s commands and to let the fruit of Christ grow in me so I can glorify God and minister to everyone around me. I don’t need to run to the next revival nor can I conjure one up. I run to the source, I run to Jesus. I yield myself to His Word and His presence. As I remain in Christ, He grows into me His character and nature, leaving less and less room for my sinful nature to thrive and only die. Now it is no longer I who live but Christ in me! Revival isn’t a place, a pastor, or an event. Revival is a way of life for the church that remains utterly dependent and devoted to Christ by faith, obedience, and love.
You can start living in revival now if you get connected and remain in a growing relationship with Christ. And more of Christ is revival life.
Discussion:
How does John 15:1-17 relate to experiencing and living in revival?
How do we remain in Christ?
What is spiritual fruit?
How does holiness and Godliness help cultivate the fruit of Christ in our lives?
What stuck out to you from this sermon?
How can we apply this message this week?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed? We encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!