Southside Church Revival (11/20/2025): Freedom to Get Back to God – Revived to be Alive

Sermon Title: Freedom to Get Back to God – 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: Thursday, November 20^th, 2025 at Southside Church in Robinson, IL

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Malachi 3:7-12 Today’s scripture reading comes from the last Book of the Old Testament. As the author sets the stage for what is to come, he invites the people to “return to God” so that they can be revived. May the reading and hearing of scripture add meaning and understanding to your life.

 

⁷ Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. ¹¹ I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

 

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

 

 

 

Introduction:

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?”  “Freedom to get back to God.” This has been the theme for this week’s revival.[1] As I was preparing for this message, I needed a brief reminder of what “revival” means. This is what I found: 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.” Simply put, a revival is our chance to freely return to God. I like how another pastor sort of defines revival or at least what is needed to have a revival: he said, “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.”

This evening, with the help of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ, I hope that what comes out of my mouth is something that awakens us from our spiritual slumber and helps us to come alive again. In order to convey this message, I want to draw us back to some of the hymns that have shaped the church. The three hymns I offer this evening are “Blessed Assurance,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and “Revive Us Again.” From these hymns we are reminded that God has given us a story, that God is marching on with us in our battles, and that God revives us again to become alive—to experience an old-fashioned, heaven-sent, soul-saving movement where we are free to get back to God.

 

Body:

Before we get to these hymns, I want to draw your attention to the last book of the Old Testament: the Book of Malachi. The Book of Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament, which rebukes the post-exilic Israelites for spiritual apathy, corruption, and unfaithfulness, particularly in their worship, leadership, and marriages. It also contains a message of hope, prophesying that God will send a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord’s coming to judge and restore the people. This prophecy is fulfilled by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, marking the end of the Old Testament and setting the stage for the New Testament era.

Within the Book of Malachi we learn that the people are experiencing spiritual neglect which leads to God’s condemnation of the people for their carelessness and indifference towards Him, despite outwardly practicing rituals. The people are also participating in corrupt leadership: the priests are failing to uphold their covenant and are caught offering impure sacrifices; therefore leading the people astray. Additionally, the people have been exposed to moral failures: God criticizes men for betraying their wives and marrying foreign women, and for unjustly divorcing their wives. Lastly, the people embrace a lack of faithfulness: the people question God’s love and justice, leading Malachi to highlight their selfishness in failing to give God their best and neglecting to tithe. The people are far from living a perfect life, but God doesn’t give up on them. Sound familiar? How many of you are perfect? How many of you have fallen short of the glory of God? How many of you have made mistakes, done the wrong thing, said the wrong words, pushed God to side, made life all about you? We all have; but God is still there.

The author of Malachi understands that it’s the people that have walked away from God and that God hasn’t walked away from them which is why we find hope in this particular book. There is hope in the coming messenger: God promises to send a messenger, fulfilled by John the Baptist, who will prepare the way for the Lord. There is hope in the Day of the Lord: the book anticipates a future “Day of the Lord,” a time of judgment for the wicked and purification for the faithful. There is hope in restoration: it ends with a promise of restoration and hope for those who fear God, looking toward a future when God will bring healing and justice. Lastly, there is hope in the coming of Elijah: a final appendix calls for the remembrance of the Law and prophecies, mentioning that Elijah will be sent before the great day of the Lord. There is hope for the people. There is hope because of what follows; and what follows is the life, mission, and promise of Jesus Christ.

You may be wondering why I have chosen to reference the Book of Malachi.  Because, in the midst of devastation, the feeling of being lost, the exposure of neglecting God, and the lack of faith, God calls to the people, “Return to me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7). The irony is that God never left the people but He wants them to believe that He has to instill fear into their life; to make them realize that they are alone; and to make them want to return today rather than tomorrow. Again, God doesn’t need to return to God: the people need to return to God. And even though the people have rebuked Him, falsely proclaimed His name, don’t demonstrate confidence in the faith, God still sees something in the people which can revive them.

We are the people Malachi is talking about. We have rebuked God at times. We have experienced spiritual neglect. We have followed or been part of corrupted leadership. We have committed failures. We have undergone a lack of faith. But yet, God looks at us and says “return to me.” My question for you this evening is “Are you ready to return to God?” Is returning to God part of your story? Is returning to God something you are battling? Is returning to God something that will revive you to become alive? Are you ready to return to God?

Let’s look out how returning to God is found in some of the hymns we come to sing and hear as a church.

 

Movement One: “Blessed Assurance”… Is Returning to God part of your story?

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.”[2] Growing up, being read stories and reading stories was something that was part of my daily routine. My mother read I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt all the time. This specific story reassures children of a parent’s unconditional love through a series of imaginative scenarios where a mother tells her son she would love him even if he were a stinky skunk, a swamp creature, a cyclops, a dinosaur, or even a bug eating alien. My dad enjoyed reading Robert Scotellaro’s book, Daddy Fixed the Vacuum Cleaner, which tells about a father who fixes a vacuum cleaner so well that it sucks up everything in its path—from flowers and laundry to a baby’s diaper and even the family’s pets—and ends with these words: to fix the vacuum cleaner, maybe daddy shouldn’t “have used the engine from his truck.” This book is reminder that my dad is willing to do whatever he can to providing a helping hand.[3] When my nieces and nephews were younger, I read them the book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg, which teaches children that even a mistake, like a spill or torn piece of paper, can become a new work of art. Stories are part of our life. Do you have a favorite story?

No matter how many stories I have read or been told or have heard, they don’t compare to the stories found in the Bible that are cloaked in Christ’s love. There are stories of adventure, of beautiful gardens, of forbidden fruits, of giant sea creatures, of giant beings, of battles and wars, of defeat and victory, of great banquets, of dry bones coming back to life, of heroes and villains, and of simple gatherings. There are stories of healings, of savings, of people walking for the first time, of people seeing again, of companionship, and of fellowship, and of worship. There are stories of people coming back to life physically and spiritually. There are stories of storms, of feeding the hungry, and of forgiveness. There are stories of plagues, seas splitting, water coming from a rock, and food falling from the sky. There is even a story of a talking donkey and wheels in the sky. There are stories of characters disbelieving God, blaming God, ridiculing God, and testing God. There are stories of characters being called faithless while others are healed because of their faith. There are stories of characters with horrible pasts, like Paul, but were given a second chance. There are stories about characters being sinful but were forgiven, such as Judas, the soldiers at the cross, Zacchaeus, and others. There is even a story about a famous character that ate with sinners, sought out and saved the lost, and who was tortured, beaten, and blindfold, hung on a tree in the shape of a cross, and three days later walked out of a tomb that was opened for us to witness and believe. And there are stories of faith, change, transformation, and love.

The Bible is God’s inspired word told through many authors and storytellers. The Bible contains the greatest story ever told; and what this story tells is a story of love; and this love can never be duplicated or forgotten because it is our blessed assurance the leads to salvation and eternal life. Rudyard Kipling once said, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” The love of Christ was told in the form of a story, which is why it exists almost 2,000 years later and Christ doesn’t want that story to end. And to make sure that it doesn’t end, we have to return to God, we have to have faith that joy will come in the morning, and we have to believe that the next chapter God writes is titled “Revive: The Freedom to Get Back to God.”

The hymn that I am thinking about is “Blessed Assurance” written by Fanny Crosby. Fanny Crosby was born on March 24, 1820, in the village of Brewster, about 50 miles north of New York City. At six weeks old, she caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. Because of this illness, Crosby became blind. But, the blindness didn’t stop her. She did what she could do in love for her Savior. She wrote poems, many of which became hymns. In fact, she wrote some 8,000 hymns in her lifetime, and has been called the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers.” Fanny Crosby had a story to tell. At a time when things were against her, she chose to return to God and let God continue to write her story. As a matter of fact she wrote, “This is my story, this is my song; praising my savior all the day long.”

I ask you today, what story has changed you? What story has reminded you that you are loved? Is it story about someone who would love you no matter what? Is it a story about someone going above and beyond to help you fix a problem? Is it a story about overcoming mistakes and failures? Is it a story about pursuing joy? Is it a story that began with grief and sorrow and pain, but ended with happiness? Is it a story that took some unpredictable twists and turns only to get you to where you are today? Is it a story that has changed your messes into messages and trials into triumphs? What sort of story has changed your life?

Stories are part of our life. You are living a story today: authored by God but lived out by you. In this story, how many chapters are there about you returning to God? How many chapters are there that mention the word revive? How many chapters are there that give God praise and glory? I want you to think about your story—the story that you have lived so far. Now, I want you to think of the next chapter which begins with these words, “Today, I returned to God. Today, I was revived in God. Today, I began my walk with God. This is my story, this is my song, praising the Savior all the day long.” May your story continue with your return to God.

 

Movement Two: “Battle Hymn of the Republic”…Is returning to God a battle?

Our second hymn is one of the most popular patriotic hymns: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Many people don’t realize it comes from the Civil War era. It was actually written to be a recruitment song for the Union Forces.^[4] Among the northern states, there was a popular song called “John Brown’s Body.” John Brown was a militant abolitionist who was tried and hanged for his raid on the Federal armory at Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia. He became a martyr for the cause of abolition. There was a popular song that said, “John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave; but his soul is marching on.”

In 1861, Julia Ward Howe, another abolitionist, took that tune and applied it to a poem she wrote after traveling to Washington D.C.. Again, we know this hymn as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The Civil War was chaotic, and during this chaotic time in our nation’s history, many Americans thought it was the end of the world, and Jesus surely must be coming soon. Julia Ward Howe certainly saw God’s hand at work in the War. The first stanza says, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on.”

When our young nation—not even a century old—was at its darkest hour, fighting against each other, Howe gave the people hope, a truth, that no matter what may conspire, God—and all that God represents—will still march on. As soldiers fought day and night, night and day, God marched on. As soldiers battled hunger, exhaustion, defeat, and uncertainty, God marched on. As cities were left in ruins and burning up in flames, God marched on. As hope was lost to the “grapes of wrath,” God marched on.[5] God marched on preparing us for the Second Coming of Christ.

This hymn, an anthem of the church, has stood the test of time. It has lasted over a century and a half because in its words people have experienced some sort of victory in their own battle. Paul notes, when writing to the people of Thessalonica, “[W]hen he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Paul makes it clear that Jesus will not be glorified by his people. He will be glorified in his people. And when Jesus returns in glory, we will return with him, and we will marvel at his majesty and greatness. Christ’s coming is like a sunrise. First, you can’t hurry a sunrise. And second, you can’t stop a sunrise! And when it comes to the return of Christ, there’s nothing we can do to hurry it and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Jesus will come in God’s perfect time. He will return; and those of us who know him and love him and believe in him will see the glory of the coming of the Lord.

When you decide to return to God, please know that it won’t be easy because following Christ is not easy. The devil only chases those who he doesn’t have already. You will experience trails, and temptations, and constant testing of your faith, and challenges, and you will be faced with taking risks, taking leaps of faith, and doing something new and out of your comfort zone. For those of you who have your “own” pew in the church—you know what I am talking about—God may want you to try a different pew. Returning to God is about not choosing the easy path but choosing the right path. When we return to God, the battles won’t end, but now we have someone in our corner that is more powerful than any battle we may come up against.

Isaiah 41:10 notes, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God tells Paul while Paul is growing the church, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent” (Acts 18:9). Before ascending to heaven, Jesus tells the disciples, after citing the Great Commission, “I am with you always until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). God provided David with a sling-shot and five stones. God provided Moses with a staff. God provided the Israelites with protection. In times of trouble, in times of uncertainty, and in times of battles, we are not alone. God is with us as we return to Him.

Today, you may be dealing with some sort of battle that is preventing you from returning to God. Yesterday, you battled something. Tomorrow, you will battle something new. Life is a constant battle—fighting the enemy and marching into the unknown. But God is with you. What sort of battle are you fighting today? Is it an emotional battle, a financial battle, a medical battle, a mental battle, a physical battle, a psychological battle, a religious battle, a spiritual battle, or a social battle? Every day you encounter some sort of battle, but every day you are given the chance to experience victory in Christ as God marches with you and before you. In times of battle, God doesn’t want us to feel defeated or depleted or even left feeling dismantled; rather, God wants us to remember that in troubled times He is there, that our earthly battles will be no more once Christ returns, that in every battle God is drawing you closer to Him so that you can have a stronger relationship with Him, and that with Him in your life the battle is already won because there is victory in the one who believes. Battles are part of our life, but they don’t have to control our life. When you return to God with your whole heart, mind, body, and soul you will realize that there is victory in Jesus.

Friends, I don’t know if you know this or not, but there is victory in Jesus. Amen. There is victory in the one who died on the cross. There is victory in the one who was laid in the tomb. There is victory in the one who rose from the dead. There is victory in the one who rolled the stone away, folded the cloth, walked out of the tomb, and called Mary by name. There is victory in the one who fed the people, who healed the people, who walks with the people, who sees the people, who hears the people, and who saves the people. There is victory in the one who parted the Res Sea. There is victory in the one who promises us the Promised Land. There is victory in the one who takes down our giants. There is victory in the one who brings light into the darkness. There is victory in Jesus! And this victory will always rise and nothing will stop it. In the victory of Jesus, we are able to find victory in our own battles and wars. We are glorified as we keep moving forward. Even when you don’t feel victorious, remember you are because the glory of Christ and the promise of his return is far greater than anything that you are fighting today.

This is all to say, as individuals and as a church, we have battles before us. So, when the road gets long, remember Jesus wins in the end. When your finances get tight, remember Jesus wins in the end. When you get afraid from what’s happening in the world, remember Jesus wins in the end! When you get frustrated with what’s happening in your life, remember Jesus wins in the end. When your relationships get tough, remember Jesus wins in the end. When your body is hurting and diseased, remember Jesus wins in the end. There is victory in Jesus and there is victory in your life if you are willing to keep marching on.

But I do need to ask, “Are you willing to march on with God even when the outcome of the battle is unknown? Are you willing to return to God knowing that it won’t always be easy? Are you willing to sing, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…Glory, glory, hallelujah! Our God is marching on.” And so am I. To have the freedom to get back to God, you must be willing to allow God to help you fight your battles. Returning to God is a battle but it’s a battle worth fighting because there is victory waiting for us on the other side, there is a revival which is helping us come alive.

 

Movement Three: “Revive Us Again”…Is returning to God an act of coming alive?

This leads us to our final hymn. 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.]”[6] Mackey’s conversion became the title of his hymn; and the title of his hymn is “Revive Us Again.

This specific hymn is inspired by Psalm 85:1-8. In this Psalm, 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, and can be shown the way to seek newness in their life. This explains why he wrote in 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, we must repent before seeking 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.” 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, to not be comfortable. 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!”[7] 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.[8] We live in terrible times, but actually these conditions are perfect for a revival! The idea of a revival is to change the direction in which our heart is inclined. If you want to experience a revival, then seek forgiveness of your sins and allow God to change you. Don’t be a comfortable Christian; but be a changing Christian.

Second, 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;[9] and eventually end, but the results can last a long time.[10] My Seminary professor ended his lecture by saying, “A revival is the church falling in love with Jesus Christ all over again.”

Friends, 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. Friends, what do we need to do to fall in love with Jesus again? What do we need to do to be revived every day?

Third 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.” 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…” 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? To be truly revived means to be joyful for what God is doing in your life.[11] 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 awake and to rejoice in his coming.

As I was thinking about revival this week, 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. 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, a new calling to return to Him.

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. You have to let God revive you to become alive so that your failures turn into faithful renewal, so that your mistakes turn into messages, so that your trials turn into triumphs, so that feeling of being a victim turns into feeling victorious. Let God revive you again so that you can come alive.

 

Conclusion:

In closing, it’s time to return to God. It’s time to let the freedom to get back to God guide your life. It’s time to have God write a chapter in your story focused on your return to Him. It’s time to let God help you fight your battles so that you can march on to being revived. 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? Do you want to return to Him and experience the victory of Jesus Christ?

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! Friends, 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? Believe it or not, there is proof that revival is happening.

According to a recent Pew Research^[12] survey, “After many years of steady decline—[from 2007-2022]—the share of Americans who identify as Christians shows signs of [growth] at slightly above six-in-ten people.”^[13] To give you an idea of what this means, the study highlights that in 2007 those who thought Christianity was important was 78%, it dropped to 71% in 2014, then dropped again in 2019 to 63%, and then dropped yet again below 60% in 2022. In the span of 15 years, the importance of Christianity—faith, belief, trust in God, attending religious events, etc.—decreased almost 20%: that’s over one percent each year. And there are several factors feeding into that decline.^[14] But today, the belief in Christianity has increased from below 60% to 63% and people have a higher belief in God. People do believe. People do want to return to God.

The Book of Malachi grants us with a simple but powerful message. God said, “Return to me, and I will return to you.” We have the freedom to get back to God. We have the freedom to seek forgiveness. We have the freedom to want to be saved. We have the freedom to be saved through grace. We have the freedom to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. We have the freedom to knock on Christ’s door. We have the freedom to answer the door when Christ knocks on our door. We have the freedom to pray. We have the freedom to proclaim the good news. We have the freedom to be washed in the blood of the lamb. We have the freedom to help others find Christ. We have the freedom to experience the love of Christ again in our life. We have the freedom to return to God. God wants us back. God wants us to return to Him. God wants us to be revived. But as my junior high principle used to say, “The choice is yours.” I hope the choice that you make echoes these words, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He Lives all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives.”

I want to end with the quote that I stated at the beginning of this message: “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.” Amen.

Let it be so…

 

 

[1] Over the span of this week, God has been leading people—speakers, musicians, and those who have entered these doors—on a quest to experience a revival that gets them back to God: possibly an easy journey for some but a harder one for others. You can correct me, if I’m wrong, but I believe there is a revival happening here and it is such that has been inviting us to return to God in powerful, in meaningful, in transforming and spiritual ways that gives us hope and a future in God, that leads us to a new destiny, that guides us to a new way of living, that encourages us to once again be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, and to feel alive again. There is a revival happening here; and it’s time to continue to experience the freedom that gets us back to God.

[2] Michael Margolis, author and trusted advisor to Google, Meta, and NASA, is described as “one of the most thought-provoking speakers” who has been quoted saying, “The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story.” Along the same lines, Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator, Umberto Eco has been recorded saying, “To survive, you must tell stories.” Stories are part of our life.

[3] Just the other day, in my family group chat, my sister sent us a picture of a book that was always on the bookshelf. The book was written by Mercer Mayer in 1968; and the story follows a boy as he decides to face his fear, only to discover that the nightmare is just as scared as he is. The title of this book is There’s a Nightmare in My Closet.

[4] Of course, the favorite song of the Confederate forces was “Dixie.”

[5] In moments that “will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated on December 7, 1941, God marched on.

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

[7] 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.

[8] 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.

[9] Preachers from various denominations often partnered together in gospel proclamation; Many revivals broke out among students and young adults; The typical message for a revival emphasizes personal salvation and sanctification; Revivals affect society and culture; Revivals often happen when things are at their darkest in culture and in churches;

[10] 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?”

[11] 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. He knows we can drift from joy. 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).

[12] The Pew Research Center is a non-partisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It has been providing information on social issues, public opinions, religious understanding, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world since 2004.

[13] Pew Research Center, “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. has slowed, May have Leveled Off,” published February 26, 2025. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/

[14] Ibid.