The First Revival
Mike Stone
Genesis 35:1-9
On one occasion I was traveling an old country road to preach a revival meeting. This was long before GPS and smart phones. I was trying to follow handwritten directions. Finding myself turned around, I did something most men do not want to do. I stopped to ask for directions.
To make matters worse, the only person I saw was a little boy riding his bike. I asked him, "Son, do you know where Beulah Baptist Church is?" He replied, "No sir." Remembering my directions I asked, "Do you know where Highway 17 is?" He replied, "No sir." I said, "Well, do you know where Cow Pen Road is?" He replied, "No sir."
I said, "Son, you don't know much? Do you?" He replied, "I know I ain't lost."
You have probably figured it out, but that story is not true. That didn't really happen to me. But that story represents a truth...a sad truth in the lives of many believers. Satisfaction with simply knowing, "I ain't lost."
We don't know much about prayer, Bible study, or soul-winning but we know we ain't lost. We don't know much about stewardship, discipleship, or worship, but we know we ain't lost.
That's a bit of the description of the patriarch, Jacob, when we find him in this familiar text. Although Jacob's been saved for over 30 years, he has lived his entire life to this point for Jacob. Now he has an encounter that will cause him to live for Jehovah.
The Word of God invades Jacob's life and basically says, "Jacob, you're not living right. It's not enough to merely be in the family if you're not in fellowship. It's time for you to get right with me. It's not enough to merely not be lost. You need to get back to Bethel."
Perhaps that's why in his study Bible, Dr. C.I. Scofield calls this encounter, "The First Revival." I want to borrow his title for my sermon today as we examine 4 keys for ANY backslidden child of God to get right with the Lord.
1. You must be sick of your situation (1a)
When we first me ...
Mike Stone
Genesis 35:1-9
On one occasion I was traveling an old country road to preach a revival meeting. This was long before GPS and smart phones. I was trying to follow handwritten directions. Finding myself turned around, I did something most men do not want to do. I stopped to ask for directions.
To make matters worse, the only person I saw was a little boy riding his bike. I asked him, "Son, do you know where Beulah Baptist Church is?" He replied, "No sir." Remembering my directions I asked, "Do you know where Highway 17 is?" He replied, "No sir." I said, "Well, do you know where Cow Pen Road is?" He replied, "No sir."
I said, "Son, you don't know much? Do you?" He replied, "I know I ain't lost."
You have probably figured it out, but that story is not true. That didn't really happen to me. But that story represents a truth...a sad truth in the lives of many believers. Satisfaction with simply knowing, "I ain't lost."
We don't know much about prayer, Bible study, or soul-winning but we know we ain't lost. We don't know much about stewardship, discipleship, or worship, but we know we ain't lost.
That's a bit of the description of the patriarch, Jacob, when we find him in this familiar text. Although Jacob's been saved for over 30 years, he has lived his entire life to this point for Jacob. Now he has an encounter that will cause him to live for Jehovah.
The Word of God invades Jacob's life and basically says, "Jacob, you're not living right. It's not enough to merely be in the family if you're not in fellowship. It's time for you to get right with me. It's not enough to merely not be lost. You need to get back to Bethel."
Perhaps that's why in his study Bible, Dr. C.I. Scofield calls this encounter, "The First Revival." I want to borrow his title for my sermon today as we examine 4 keys for ANY backslidden child of God to get right with the Lord.
1. You must be sick of your situation (1a)
When we first me ...
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