Act 19:18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had

practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they

counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of

the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

The Necessary Precursor to Revival

1. A Definition of Revival-a renewed spiritual concern and fervor; restoration from a state

of spiritual neglect; Christ's glory, his kingdom and the souls

of men become our all consuming priority. Revival is

powered by a special outpouring of God's Spirit upon his people. 1. Many of us have read about

revivals. 2. Many of us have longed to experience one.

The Welch Revival of 1904-05On December 31st 1903 and January 1st 1904, Joseph Jenkins a minister in New Quay Cardiganshire, who was undoubtedly a key man in the Revival, held a "Deeper Spiritual Life Convention".

Joseph had been seeking an endowment of power, and shared the testimony of his experience of the Holy Spirit engulfing him as a

flame of fire. This was to impact his Church.On February 14th, in a Sunday service at his Chapel, a young

woman named Florrie Evans stood to her feet and publicly confessed "I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart". As she spoke

these words the Holy Spirit seemed to fall on the meeting. Many say this was the real beginning of the Revival. A move of God took place

in that Church, as after-church meetings were held to seek the Lord's presence and empowerment, and God began baptizing -

initially young people, mainly girls and women in their teens and early twenties - with the Holy Spirit, and the fire quickly spread to

other young people in the Cardiganshire area.

A. The Necessary Precursor Has Not Arrived

1. Precursor- one that precedes and indicates the approach of

another i.e. barometric pressure drop, thunderheads are precursors to tornedos;

earth tremors are precursors to large earthquakes.  

2. What is the precursor to revival? Recognition of our DEEP NEED.

King David Ps 51: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot

out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my

transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 12 Restore to

me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your spirit free. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you. Revivalist J.Edwin Orr- The inspiration of a thrilling

revival in New Zealand prompted the late J. Edwin Orr to write one of our most challenging hymns of revival. Dr. Orr’s text opens with the prayer that the revival begin in him. Then he reminds us that revival begins only after

God’s people recognize their sin, receive cleansing from it and surrender their “will, passion, self, and pride.

“…fill my poor heart with Your great love divine. Take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;

send a revival and start the work in me. Your Word declares you will supply our need; for blessings now, O Lord, I

humbly plead.”

II. How Can We Bring About The Precursor?

A. We must sincerely do business with God. Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way

everlasting! B. We must recognize our spiritual poverty.

Mt.5: 3-4 "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We must see our sin as “exceedingly sinful”. Rm 7:13 We all have much more to give to God, but we

selfishly refuse.God wants much more for us and from us.

Pride

SelfishnessUnwillingness

C. We must recognize our three major stumbling stones.

1. Our Pride- the antithesis of Christ “I am meek and lowly of heart...”

God hates pride- "These six things does the lord hate, seven are an abomination

unto Him; a proud look..." Pride will never allow self to be truly

crucified. Why? Crucifixion entails great humiliation.

2. Our Selfishness- the antithesis of Christ "even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to

minister...” many of us act spiritually good and even do things for God, but we do

it for selfish reasons i.e. praise, satisfaction, peer approval

3. Our Simple Unwillingness to be Crucified Ga 2:20 when confronted with the enormous ramifications of

"crucifixion of self", many of us, like Christ's disciples say, "this is a hard saying, who can hear it."

It is not a matter of ability, but rather a matter of will. Self-crucifixion is literally God living through us; it is the

manifestation of supernatural divine character. It is giving up "our rag rights" to ourselves and doing what we know God desires.

D. We must PRAY- Mr 10:46 And they came to Jericho.

And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd,

Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 And many

rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son

of David, have mercy on me!"

ConclusionI ask you here this morning, are you longing to see revival here

in the Valley? Have you been crying out to God to have His fire fall on you?

Are you tired of a powerless Christian walk? Do you believe God can still do it?

Beloved, it can not happen until each of us humbles ourselves before God, recognizing our deep spiritual poverty and willingly,

without reservation sell out to God. Let’s stop wrestling with God. God is lovingly pleading with you

saying, “ When are you going to sell out to Me?” I challenge you! Sell out to God this morning, give up what ever it is that is

hindering you from becoming a living sacrifice, and cry out from the depth of your being, as blind Bartemeus did.

I guarantee you. based upon the promises of God, if you mean it from your heart it will be a prayer that will begin to be

immediately and profoundly answered in your life.