Hymns of the Church (Part VII) – Revived to be Alive

Sermon Title: Hymns of the Church – Revived to be Alive

Good News Statement: God revives us so that we become alive again

Summary: God breathes life into scattered bones so that we can live again

Preached: Sunday, October 26^th, 2025, at Dogwood Prairie & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Psalm 85:1-8 Today’s scripture reading comes from the 85^th Psalm, which calls us to be renewed, restored, and revived. May the reading and hearing of scripture add meaning and understanding to your life.

 

Psalm 85

Prayer for the Restoration of God’s Favor

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

¹ Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
² You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin. Selah
³ You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.

⁴ Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
⁵ Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
⁶ Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
⁷ Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.

⁸ Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

The Word of God, for the People of God; And all God’s People said, “Thanks Be To God.”

 

Introduction[1]:

For almost two thousand years, Christians have used music as a way to worship. In the Bible the Apostle Paul writes: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” In the Book of Psalm we read these words, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 98:4 and Psalm 100:1). For the past two thousand years, music has been used across denominational boundaries, beliefs, religious practices, and traditions as a means to embrace and celebrate the lessons of scripture. Needless to say, music has become an essential practice of one’s faith.

Hymns originated in ancient cultures and evolved through Jewish, Greek, and Roman practices, eventually becoming systematic in early Christianity with Latin chants. The roots of hymns can be traced to ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and India. The word “hymn” comes from the Greek word “hymnos” which means “a song of praise”. Originally, hymns were written to honor various gods of varying traditions. The first recorded hymn, found in Exodus 15, is the Song of Moses in the Old Testament, celebrating the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea. Later on, in the same chapter, Miriam, Moses’ sister, encourages those around with tambourine in hand to “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously…” (Exodus 15:21).

Hymnody—the singing or composition of hymns—has evolved and changed since that first hymn in the Old Testament as well as over the centuries and has been affected by new thinking and developing religious beliefs. For example, throughout the history of the church, whenever there has been renewal, a revival or restoration, new songs of worship have appeared. During the Middle Ages hymnody developed in the form of Gregorian chant or ‘plainsong’. It was sung in Latin and most often by monastic choirs. But in the 16th Century, church goers were given much greater access to hymns as a result of the invention of the printing press and the influential German theologian, Martin Luther, who began encouraging people to sing together in congregations. As one resource noted, “Martin Luther in the 16th Century revolutionized Christian hymnody by encouraging congregations to sing hymns in their own languages (vernacular) rather than just Latin, a movement that spread widely with the invention of the printing press.”[2]

In England the non-conformist minister Isaac Watts (1674-1748) began a transformation of congregational singing. Watts believed strongly that hymns should express the religious feelings of the people and he became a prolific writer, creating hundreds of new hymns—such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Joy to the World.” Watts has been described as “the liberator of English hymnody” as his hymns moved people away from simply singing Old Testament psalms to inspiring people to sing from the heart with great faith and understanding.

In the same time period, another significant movement affected the hymns of the church: the Methodist movement, led by John Wesley. Wesley and especially his brother Charles used simple rhythms and sing-able melodies to help congregational singing. It has been noted that Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns during his lifetime from 1707-1788, and most of the hymns that he wrote were written to accompany specific sermons by John Wesley to convey a particular theological message. Some of Charles Wesley’s 6,000 hymns are still sung today in churches around the world: “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” and “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” and “ Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and probably his two most famous hymns are “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Hark! The Harold Angels Sing.”

Then in the late 19th Century a new style of hymnody known as “gospel” emerged. These songs were usually characterized by a strong lead vocal and exciting harmonies, and were a great influence on later contemporary worship worldwide. Then in twentieth and twenty-first centuries we have seen an explosion of new hymn writers and approaches. Old texts have been refreshed by new tunes. African American spirituals, especially those during the slave era, are now found in hymnals and churches around the world, and lots more contemporary hymns have sprung up. In the non-traditional church movement there has been a move away from the previous style of congregational singing to worship led by one singer or a worship band. Instrumentation has become more popular and musical styles have become much freer. The church today is richer than ever in musical resources and continues to bring congregations together through song.

It is clear, that throughout history—from Old Testament times to Gregorian Chants to Luther’s reformation to the thousands of hymns composed by Charles Wesley to spirituals to gospels and finally to contemporary music—hymns have been an essential building block of and for the church. But the question that we will be exploring is not necessarily about the history of hymns but of what hymns has the church found to be foundational all these years: “What hymns have shaped the church of yesterday for today?”

 

Body:

The phrase “Where words fail, music speaks” is attributed to the 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The original version, “When words fail, sounds can often speak,” appeared in his 1840 collection “What the Moon Saw.” The statement “music speaks when words fail” means that music has the power to express complex emotions, connect people across cultures, and evoke feelings in ways that verbal language cannot, acting as a universal form of communication. This idea highlights music’s ability to convey joy, sadness, and other profound sentiments when spoken words are inadequate or impossible. Have any of you ever heard that statement before: “Where words fail, music speaks”? If you really think about it, there is something about music that draws people together, that creates a common ground, and that conveys a sense of understanding. Music is powerful, especially when words are lost.

Music is powerful in several ways. Music as an universal language transcends linguistic and cultural barriers, allowing people from different backgrounds to connect and share experiences through melody and rhythm, even without understanding lyrics. Music is also a means of establishing an emotional connection: it can stir deep emotions, such as sadness, joy, or contemplation, providing a way for individuals to process and understand feelings they cannot articulate. Musical pieces can trigger vivid memories and create strong associations with specific events or periods of life, adding depth to emotional experiences. Furthermore, music communicates on a more primal, instinctual level, directly addressing the soul and providing a sense of meaning and understanding where logical explanations fail. And for many, music offers a vital channel of communication when words fail. In essence, music serves as a powerful and adaptable medium for human experience, offering a voice to feelings that words alone cannot capture.

Music is powerful. It’s all around us. It’s part of your life. I bet there is not a day that goes by that you don’t listen to some kind of music. The same goes for the church. There is not a Sunday that goes by that we don’t sing or hear hymns. Music is not just part of our life, but it’s part of our faith. So to help us understand this, each week for several weeks, we are going to explore hymns that shaped the church. The seventh hymn we examine is “Revive Us Again”; and the message we need to hear today is “we need to be revived to be alive.”

 

Movement One: History of “Revive Us Again”…

In 1863, the Scottish medical doctor William P. Mackey wrote a hymn that was, like most hymns, based on a personal story or testament. This is his story: “My dear mother had been a godly, pious woman, quite often telling me of the Savior . . . But nothing had made a deep impression on me. The older I grew the more wicked I became. One day a seriously injured [individual] was brought into the hospital . . . The [individual] ended up dying, [and] some things about the deceased’s affairs were to be attended to in my presence. ‘What shall we do with this?’ asked the nurse, holding up a book in her hand. ‘What kind of book is it?’ I asked. ‘The Bible of the poor individual . . .’ I took the Bible and—could I trust my eyes? It was my own Bible! The Bible which my mother had given me when I left my parents’ home, and which later, when short of money, I sold for a small amount. My name was still in it, written in my mother’s hand . . . Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion. [I felt revived.]”[3] Mackey’s conversion became the title of his hymn; and the title of his hymn is “Revive Us Again.”

“Revive Us Again” is a prayer for revival. Some of the lyrics of this well-known hymn declare, “Revive us again! Fill each heart with thy love. May each soul be rekindled with fire from above. Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Hallelujah! Amen! Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Revive us again!” These words are based on Psalm 85:6-7, in which the sons of Korah petitioned the Lord, crying out, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, and grant us Your salvation.” Mackey prayed for everyone to experience God in a personal and powerful way just as he did through the unexpected moment with his long lost Bible! Mackey prayed for a revival, a revival that would bring people back to life.

As we’re going to discover, there is nothing more powerful in sparking revival than a visitation from God, who leaves signs before us reminding us that He is with us! In Mackey’s case it was his Bible that led to a personal revival. We’re also going to see that an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on an individual or a group, is most often born out of a season of prayer motivated by some form of hardship or depraved condition. Lastly, we are going to see how to be revived is to become alive. Do you need to be revived today? Do you need to come alive?

 

Movement Two: Seeking Revival in Psalm 85:1-8…

Let’s take a look at a Psalm said to be the inspiration behind this hymn. Psalm 85:1-8 written as a prayer for the restoration of God’s favor to the leader of the Korahites, proclaims, “Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.”

This Psalm is powerful in several ways. It reminds us what God did for his people and what He does for us. God restores. God forgives. God pardons. God is slow to anger. God speaks of peace. And God gives salvation. In the midst of reminding us of the works of God, the Psalmist asks an intriguing question: “Will you not revive us again?” This question implies that the people have already been revived, who knows how many times, but something has happened in their life in which has turned their hearts from wickedness to the need of God. The people want to change so that they can become alive again in God’s mercy and plan. “Will you not revive us again?”

Let’s begin with a definition: to “revive” means, “to re-life, to live again, to flourish anew, to bring something back to life.” Synonyms include “renewing, repairing, restoring, and refreshing.” Spiritually, revival is something that happens in which awakens the saved from a state of spiritual slumber. Here’s a more formal definition, “Revival is the sovereign act of God, whereby He calls His backsliding people to repentance, faith, and a new obedience to Him.” I like how another pastor puts it: “We need an old-fashioned, heaven-sent, soul-saving, sin-erasing, devil-chasing, banner-waving, Christian-flaming, Holy Ghost-revival…from the pulpit to the pew…let’s have a revival that starts with me and you! Let’s have a moment to be awakened from our spiritual slumber and come alive again.”

To this, that pastor cited John 3:8: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” When a revival happens, we often don’t know where it comes from or where it will go, but what we do know is that something is changing, God is working, Jesus is saving, and the Holy Spirit is empowering. “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” is what the Psalmist asks. There’s a revival happening today: there’s an eagerness to come alive again, to rejoice in the Lord, and to start something new. But where is it coming from and where is it going? Is it starting with you?

Let’s examine our text a little closer. This Psalm is addressed, “to the Choirmaster” or Selah[4], meaning it was intended to be sung in worship. It was written by “the sons of Korah.” While Korah led a rebellion and was swallowed up by the earth, his sons were chosen to be worship leaders. This shows how God does a new work in each generation and how God can take a moment of devastation, destruction, and ruin and breathe new life into it. In a way, this Psalm contains a community that is in lament, it captures a longing for revival—for a new life. Has God ever found in you in a moment of devastation and brought you back to life?

Furthermore, the setting for this Psalm took place sometime after God’s people returned from exile in Babylon. Remember, during their exile in Babylon, the people, specifically the Jews, were not condemned as slaves. As a matter of fact, some historical regards suggest that the people were led to a significant religious revival and adapted their worship to life without the Temple since it was destroyed. While exiled in Babylon, the people rejoiced and praised God so much that they began to feel alive. When they came back to the land, they were initially fired up spiritually—their soul was on fire—but then stagnation set in, that fire dwindled.[5] However, God was still working in their life, motivating them to keep moving forward, to make this call upon their lives personal.

The Psalm begins by addressing the “Lord” in verse one, giving us an indication of who the people are crying out to. In the first three verses, the name Lord is replaced with the words “you” or “your.” This tells us we must seek an encounter with the Lord. For example, “You were favorable to your land. You restored the fortunes. You forgave the iniquity. You covered all their sin. You withdrew all your wrath. You turned from your hot anger.” Notice, how the people are giving praise to the Lord for what he has done in their past. At the start of their “revival”, they are considering what has happened in the past so that they can be changed in the present.

While the first three verses focus on the past, the next three center on the present. We move from, “You did it before” to “Do it again right now.” Look at verses 4-7: the people cry out, “Restore us. Revive us. Show us. Grant us.” The people, much like us today, want to be restored from their past—from the sins, and worry, and guilt, and doubt, and uncertainty, and disappointment that was causing their spiritual fire to dwindle. The people want to be revived: they want to let go of what has happened so that they can live again in the here and now. The people want God to show them the way toward living a new life. For us today, we want to experience the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus Christ who leaves his footprints in the sand for us to follow as we find ourselves at the foot of the cross confessing our sins and standing before the empty tomb realizing that we, too, can be resurrected. Lastly, the people want to be granted a new life in God. Their old life won’t revive them, but their new found hope and trust in God will. As the Apostle Paul noted to the people of Ephesus, “…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

You see, the Psalmist understood that the people had a past; but he also knew that the people have a present and future in God. The people can be restored, can be revived, can be shown the way, and can be granted what is needed to seek newness in their life. When was the last time you simply prayed “restore me, revive me, show me, and grant me? Lord, start a revival in me”? You see, there’s a progression that starts with “You,” referring to the Lord, and then a focus on “their sin,” to “us” to “me.” Verse eight states, “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak…” Ultimately, revival must begin with you and with me; but we must be willing to allow God, through the love of Jesus Christ, to move us from then to now. We can pull all this together into a summary statement: Lord, since you revived others in the past, do it again right now, and let it begin with me.

Let’s now turn our attention to verse six: “Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6). There are few things to note from this particular verse. First, only God can send revival. We must first cry out to God because we want His way in our life. Psalm 69:32 says, “You who seek God, let your hearts revive.” Psalm 71:20 declares, “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again.” Revival is not “worked up” by us; it is “sent down” by God. In his classic book, Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill writes, “Revival is when God gets so sick and tired of being misrepresented that He shows up Himself.” While you can’t schedule a revival by putting it on the church calendar, you can prepare yourself for it. Hosea 6:1-2 says, “Come, let us return to the Lord…after two days He will revive us.” Churches host revivals all the time; therefore revivals are on their calendar. However, although the act of a revival is on their calendar, that doesn’t mean that the true essence of the revival will happen when the church says it will happen. Remember, God works in mysterious ways and He works on His own schedule. Therefore, the effects of today’s revival may not happen for several days. Revive us again, O Lord, on your time.

Second, we must repent before seeking revival. Too many of us are OKAY with where we are because we’re comfortable. Also, it can be threatening to ask for revival because it invariably means we need to repent, to change, to return to God. Some of the early believers found it hard to fully believe in Jesus because Jesus was asking them to change from their old ways and turn to him. One pastor nailed it when he said, “The flesh will fight against revival, for to have revival we must admit that we have a need…and that goes against our fleshly nature!”[6] A.W. Tozer writes: “Revival will come to us and within us when we really want it….” Perhaps revival has not come because we don’t want it badly enough.[7] We live in terrible times, but actually these conditions are perfect for revival! Adrian Rogers put it like this: “Study the history of revival. God has always sent revival in the darkest days. Oh, for a mighty, sweeping revival today!”[8]

The idea of a revival is to change the direction in which our heart is inclined. King Josiah is a good model of this in 2 Kings 23:25: “Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and might!” After rediscovering Scripture, God brought revival. Psalm 66:18 is a powerful verse: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” There’s really no way to soften the command to turn from our wicked ways. God accepts only one response to sin, not rationalizing, not excusing, not “sin management,” and not comparing ourselves to others. He demands that “we turn from our wicked ways.” Proverbs 28:13: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.” If you want to experience a revival, then seek forgiveness of your sins and allow God to change you. Don’t be a comfort Christian; but be a changing Christian.

Third, revival is not a one-time experience. We need to be revived on a regular basis. We see this in the phrase, “revive us again.” In Seminary, one of my professors referenced the book America’s Greatest Revivals and offered these takeaways: Revivals are Holy Spirit-inspired, unpredictable, and extraordinary; Revivals often happened when things were at their darkest in culture and in churches; Many revivals broke out among students and young adults; The typical message for a revival emphasizes personal salvation and sanctification; Preachers from various denominations often partnered together in gospel proclamation;  Revivals affect society and culture; and Revivals eventually end, but the results can last a long time.[9] My Seminary professor ended his lecture by saying, “A revival is the church falling in love with Jesus Christ all over again.”

Church, revivals need to happen, but they shouldn’t be forced. They should be God-centered and God-driven. Revivals allow the church and the people to seek change, want renewal, and thirst for restoration. Revivals have the potential to lead towards resurrection. Revivals have the potential to breathe life back into the church. Every day is the chance for a personal revival with Christ. Every Sunday, every Bible Study, every opportunity to fellowship, every act of worship, is a chance to be revived as a church. We all need to be revived. We all need to fall in love with Christ again: his mission, his words, his compassion, his salvation, his grace, his forgiveness, his sacrifice, and his commitment to each of us. If we don’t seek revival as a church, if we don’t seek the opportunities to engage in change, then we become a church that is comfortable instead of a church that is on the missionary field with Christ. Church, what do we need to do to fall in love with Jesus again? What do we need to do to be revived every day?

Fourth and lastly, revival and rejoicing are connected! The word “rejoice” means, “to be joyful, to gloat in God.” David knew unconfessed sin was sapping his joy. That’s why he prayed these words in Psalm 51:12: “Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” Have you ever considered that your sour spirit may be connected to sin in your life? It’s hard to be happy when you’re living an unholy life because guilt will gut your joy and the shame that comes from sinning will rupture your rejoicing. We see this in Psalm 32:3 when David chose not to confess his sins: “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

Repentance brings refreshment according to Acts 3:19-20: “Repent  therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” The idea behind “refreshing” is “cooling, relief and rest from difficult, distressful or burdensome circumstances.” One commentator puts it precisely: “No repentance, no refreshing.” When God revives us, we can’t help but rejoice! For a moment, I want you to consider all those times when you felt joy, when you smiled, when you laughed, and when you whispered under your breath, “I don’t want this day to end.” How did you feel? Did you feel as if something was changing in your life? Church, for a moment, I invite you to think about all those times when this church was rejoicing, when the people gathered and felt the presence of God, when the people gave praise for all the children in the church and for everyone who walks through its doors, when the people made it a point to fellowship, when the people took care of a need, when laughter echoed, smiles brightened the space, and when the troubles of the week were left outside, and when projects were completed. To be truly revived means to be joyful for what God is doing in your life.

God knows His people can lose their first love. He knows we can get soft in our spirituality and disengage from what He deems most important. In the Book of Habakkuk the prophet prays, “O Lord, I have heard the report of you; and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it…” (3:2). I like what the evangelist Billy Sunday once said, “When is revival needed? When carelessness and unconcern keep the people asleep….” We need revival in our life, and we need it every day, so that we don’t fall asleep when Jesus needs us to be a wake.

 

Movement Three: Revivals Around Us and Revivals Within Us…

As I was thinking about revival this week, in conjunction with Halloween in just a few days, I found myself drawn to a particular moment in the Old Testament when revival was strong enough to rattle some bones. Ezekiel 37:1-14 is often titled “The Valley of Dry Bones.” This particular story describes a vision where the prophet Ezekiel is taken to a valley full of dry bones, representing Israel’s despair and national death during the Babylonian exile. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and he witnesses them reassemble with flesh and skin, but still lifeless. God then instructs him to prophesy to the “breath” (or spirit) to enter the bodies as God did when you created us, and they came to life, standing as a “vast army”. The passage concludes with God explaining this vision as a promise to restore the house of Israel by bringing them back to their land and putting His Spirit within them, reviving them from their hopeless condition.

Did you catch God’s vision for the dry bones? He wants them to be revived. God wants the hopeless and lifeless people to be revived, to receive His breath of life once again. In a valley that was dry and arid and without resources, God was able to perform a miracle. In a vast area where bones were scattered everywhere, God was able to put them together. Where there was no life, God created life. At times I think we find ourselves in the valley of the dry bones: we are tired, we are worn out, we are defeated from past circumstances, we are haunted by our mistakes, we are torn apart, we are lifeless. We don’t even have enough energy to rattle our bones as a means to seek help. Or maybe we tried something, and it didn’t work so we gave up and set our hope aside. I don’t know about you, but I have been in the valley of dry bones before (and that’s not just because my last name is sometimes pronounced as “skeleton”). I have given up. I have been tired. I have felt worn out and depleted and defeated. But in those moments, God gave me a breath of new life.

To experience a revival we need to let God start that revival, we need to seek repentance of our sins, we need to rejoice, we need to pray, we need to want to love Christ again, and we must seek to want to experience change. To be revived means to bring those dry bones back to life: to not live in the past but to live in the here and now. We need to be revived to become alive. We need to be revived to become alive. I know some of you have been knocked down, you have lost a lot of stuff, you have lost your dignity, you may feel like you have never been lower in your life, but I am here to tell you that you are going to get it all back. You are going to get your life back, everything will be restored, but you’re going to need to let the Word of God and the breath of God do its work. You are going to have to let God revive you to become alive again.

Some of you are under construction, as the Word of God builds the structure, the breath of God brings life, but it is your faith that activates the mighty power of God. In other words, the bones, the tendons and flesh, and the skin covering them give you the structure, that helps you to get back up on your feet. The Bible says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). And I believe God sent this word today to strengthen you, to encourage you to stand up, to stand firm, because this wasn’t just a word for back then that brought life to lifeless bones, this isn’t just a word for today, but this is a word for tomorrow and every day as we see to be revived so that we become alive.

 

Conclusion:

In closing, it’s time to let God revive us again. It’s time for you to allow God to revive you so that you become alive. It’s time for the dry bones of the church to rattle, to assemble, and to receive the breath of God. Every day, there is a chance for revival. Every day, there is an opportunity to feel alive. Every day, there is something that needs to be changed. But, do you want God to revive you? Do you want to feel alive again?

William Mackay, after seeing his Bible again, felt the presence of Christ in his heart, experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, and received the breath of God. He was revived! He was revived to be alive! Church, how can we become alive? How can we be revived? What do we need to do exit the valley of dry bones and stand firm in the Promised Land where God awaits us? And what do you need to do be revived in your life? I like how another pastor puts it: “We need an old-fashioned, heaven-sent, soul-saving, sin-erasing, devil-chasing, banner-waving, Christian-flaming, Holy Ghost-revival…from the pulpit to the pew…let’s have a revival that starts with me and you! Let’s have a moment to be awakened from our spiritual slumber and come alive again.” “Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love; may each soul be rekindled with fire from above. Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen; Hallelujah! Thine the glory, revive us again.”

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, revive us today. Revive us as a church. Fill our heart with love so that when we are revived we become alive. Put us back together and guide us to start a revival today.  In your life-giving name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

Revive to be alive! Say that to yourself this week as you find yourself in the Valley of Dry Bones and seek ways for God to change your life. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth seeking ways to be revived. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4vMxs6kctQgkwkvgQbJTXDk/a-brief-history-of-hymns

[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4vMxs6kctQgkwkvgQbJTXDk/a-brief-history-of-hymns

[3] Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003, p. 147.

[4] This word appears 74 times in the Bible and is most likely a musical rest, in which the singers stopped singing and only the instruments were heard. According to one Bible dictionary, this phrase can also signify a musical crescendo that is then followed by silent reflection. It also carries with it the idea of “meditation.” The Septuagint, which is the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament, translates “Selah” as “intermission.” The idea is to get us to take a breath in order to reflect and remember. I like how the Amplified Version renders it: “Pause and calmly think about that.”

[5] One pastor remarked that this can happen in churches as well when they move from being a ministry, to a movement, to a museum, to a mausoleum.

[6] I don’t know much about counseling but when someone is in a mess and they’re wanting help, I’ll often ask this question, “How badly do you want to get better?” If you only sort-of want to get better, you won’t get better.

[7] We live in a sin-soaked society dripping with downright depravity. On top of that, many Christians are cold, carnal, complacent, comfortable, complaining, caustic, and cantankerous.

[8] We see this in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Two of the four conditions for God to forgive and heal His people have to do with being humble and turning from our wicked ways. The first condition is to “humble ourselves.” The root of the word humility comes from “humus,” meaning dirt or soil. It has the idea of “bending the knee and neck in deference to another.” James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Listen to Isaiah 57:15: “…to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” I heard someone put it like this: “Humble yourself before the Lord…or He’ll do it for you.” Another condition is to “turn from our wicked ways.” The word “turn” is used over 1,000 times in the Bible! The order here is significant. As we humble ourselves and pray and seek God with all that we have, our hunger will be satisfied by the sight of God’s face, and we will no longer want to hold on to those things that grieve God.

[9] A lady once asked Billy Sunday: “Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn’t last?” He smiled and asked her, “Why do you keep taking baths?”