Revival: CPR for the Soul
Richard Bradley
Hosea 6:1-6
Churches like ours do a great job at discovering our needs and then exploring ways to meet them. The problem is that too often we think our greatest needs have something to do with our physical plant. No doubt everyone needs these things but our greatest needs have nothing to do with things we can touch or hook up to electricity. The greatest need of any church is to experience revival.
It's not just us is it? Revival doesn't seem to be as important to the church as a whole as it once was. We could speculate on the various causes of this all day long but suffice it to say that when we're living as close to the Lord as we should revival will become far more important than it is today.
What does the word ''revival'' mean? It comes from the word ''to revive'' and means ''to restore one's breath.'' If someone loses their breath, stops breathing, it's time for CPR. They must have their breath restored or they will die. When a church loses its spiritual breath it needs spiritual CPR. This is what we call revival.
Hosea 6:1-6
1 Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. 4 ''O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
This passages teaches us at least 3 things about revival.
REVIVAL IS NECESSARY
...
Richard Bradley
Hosea 6:1-6
Churches like ours do a great job at discovering our needs and then exploring ways to meet them. The problem is that too often we think our greatest needs have something to do with our physical plant. No doubt everyone needs these things but our greatest needs have nothing to do with things we can touch or hook up to electricity. The greatest need of any church is to experience revival.
It's not just us is it? Revival doesn't seem to be as important to the church as a whole as it once was. We could speculate on the various causes of this all day long but suffice it to say that when we're living as close to the Lord as we should revival will become far more important than it is today.
What does the word ''revival'' mean? It comes from the word ''to revive'' and means ''to restore one's breath.'' If someone loses their breath, stops breathing, it's time for CPR. They must have their breath restored or they will die. When a church loses its spiritual breath it needs spiritual CPR. This is what we call revival.
Hosea 6:1-6
1 Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. 4 ''O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
This passages teaches us at least 3 things about revival.
REVIVAL IS NECESSARY
...
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