True Revival — Peter Brandon

But do hold on to that word that we have received from our dear brother. Isn't it lovely? Behold the bridegroom is coming. Go ye out to meet him. But what a day it will be when the marriage supper of the Lamb is come and the wife has made herself ready.

The Need for True Revival

And in the meanwhile whilst we're waiting let's pray that God will give us a little reviving in our time. Now we looked at the fourth manifestation of revival. We noticed in the fourth chapter a presumptuous offensive.

Also we noticed obvious defeat. Then we looked at the wrong diagnosis. Then we considered imitated revival. And then we closed with this inevitable defeat and tragedy. Now we're going to turn to the seventh chapter to look at the characteristics of true revival.

Israel Laments After the Lord

Shall we read from verse one? And the men of Qadjath-Jirim came and fetched up the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abimadab in the hill and sanctified Eliezer his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

And it came to pass while the ark abode in Qadjath-Jirim that the time was long for it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. I'm sorry one Samuel, one Samuel it's chapter seven.

I'm reading from verse three. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel saying if ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange gods and asteroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Asteroth and serve the Lord only. And Samuel gathered all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray for you unto the Lord. And they gathered together to Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there we have sinned against the Lord and Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it they were afraid of the Philistines and the children of Israel said to Samuel cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a burnt offering holy unto the Lord and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering the Philistines thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel.

And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they came under Bethke. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shem and he called the name of it Ebenezer saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

So the Philistines were subdued and they came no more into the coast of Israel and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron even unto Ger.

And the coast thereof did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines and there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life and he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah and judged Israel in all those places and his return was to Ramah and there was his house and there he judged Israel and there he built an altar unto the Lord and God will bless to us the reading of his word.

Revival Begins at the Cross

When the ark of God was taken by the Philistines we mustn't imagine that the activity of God was silent and still. God was still speaking and he was still acting. But Israel was unaware of it and therefore the ark of God was taken and placed in the house of Dagon.

Dagon would be the center of the idolatry of the Philistine world. It was a fish God. It was the God of the water and God of the sea. And the next day when they came into the house of Dagon they discovered that Dagon was prostrated before the ark of the Lord.

And that is a unique picture of our blessed Lord Jesus who in the days of his flesh completely prostrated all the activity of Satan. In fact the scripture says Satan found nothing in him that would even entertain one of his temptations.

Secondly they went into the house of Dagon and they discovered that the God had been decapitated not only prostrated, decapitated. Its head was removed, its hands were removed and all that was left was a stump.

And Hebrews 2 tells us that when the Lord Jesus was on the cross he by death destroyed him who had the power of death. That is the devil and that's where revival begins. It always begins at the cross where we see the mighty ultimate victory of the Lord Jesus over sin, over death and over Satan.

And if only we could appropriate that to ourselves what a victory there would be among the people of God. But when we come to the seventh chapter we discover that the people in Kirkezhirim came and they fetched the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab.

Now we must be very clear about this, the right place was Shiloh. But because of the sin of Shiloh that house of Abinadab takes the ark of God and they sanctify his son Eliezer to keep the ark of the Lord.

But it may be made very clear that that basically was God's emergency plan and not his biblical plan. We must always see that in scripture. When there is failure God takes up an emergency plan. But we must always follow God's biblical plan and if we follow that we shall not go far wrong.

Lamenting After the Lord

And then there is this initial desire and I want you to note it in verse two. And the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. Now what did that mean? First of all there would be twenty years of atonement.

The ark had been taken, the priesthood judged, judgment upon many of their sons and they would go back to the work, back to the land in order to make a living. There would be the family prayers, perhaps they would go through the ordinances mechanically but there was no basic hunger for God and it was twenty years of apathy before the spirit moved them.

When I read that this morning I wondered how long has it been since there's been a real movement in our hearts for revival. Would it be beloved brethren and sisters that it's been ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years since we've seen a real movement of the spirit of God.

When souls were saved, added to the church, the church was built up with holy praying and praising and the witness of God went out fearlessly. How long has it been since there has been a real movement of the spirit of God.

One man in Australia, I will not mention his name, said this, Peter I cannot remember in the last forty or fifty years when in the assemblies there has been a real genuine movement of the spirit. Isn't it time to lament after the Lord.

Now what does it basically mean to lament after the word. Let us look at the word carefully. They lamented because the Lord had smitten them or smitten many of the people with a great slaughter in the sixth chapter and therefore the word is associated with bereavement.

Again a person can lament because he finds that he is particularly hungry for an objective and the objective here was the Lord and therefore it is the idea of a soul hunger almost a state of bereavement where you long passionately to see the glory of the Lord returning.

Now how is that worked out in a New Testament setting. Well as far as they were concerned they would read the Mosaic law, they would look basically at where the ark of God should be, they would reconsider the place of the priests and their priestly functions and they would look at their particular nation and they would say something like this.

Even the pattern of worship has gone and the word of God that we hold in our hands we are far from it and so they begin to lament after the Lord but it's deeper than that. Not only did they want to get back to the pattern, not only did they want to see a restoration of priesthood but they wanted to see again the power of the Lord and I could almost hear these Israelites at least the spiritual ones saying something like this.

Where's the power that brought us out of Egypt? Where's the power that brought us through the Red Sea? Where's the power that brought us through the wilderness? Where's the power that caused us to cross Jericho?

Where's the power that brought down the walls of Jericho and defeated the Phoenician people? Where's it gone? And so they lament after the Lord. Have you ever looked at the New Testament carefully? I'm sure you have and you've read about the rushing mighty wind that filled the house when they were gathered together in that upper room and you've quietly said where's that power?

Have you ever read about that first prayer meeting in the book of the Acts when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and then you look at your own prayer meeting and you look at your prayer life and you say where's the power gone?

Have you ever considered Ananias and Sapphira when they came into the presence of God and they were singing I surrender and saying I surrender all and they were keeping half back and the judgment of God came and they were carried out dead people.

Judgment must first of all begin at the house of God and you say where's that power gone? People can sin in the church of God and nothing happens. Have you ever considered the power that was manifested when the gospel was first preached to the Gentile world?

When Peter preached to the household of Cornelius? The Holy Ghost fell on them that heard the word of God? You say when do we see that? Or can I get even nearer to more modern history? Have you ever read about the reformation?

How that God revealed the great truth to Martin Luther of justification by faith and he pinned as it were his notice on that great door giving the whole principles of justification and then fearlessly with a group of men that were with him he went all over Germany preaching justification by faith and there was a marvelous movement of the spirit of God.

You say where's that power? Have you not read of the activity of Wesley and Whitfield? Two men filled with the spirit who couldn't preach in the churches for they were forbidden so they went into open fields and they preached the gospel to thousands of people and the whole of Britain was changed by the power of God.

Where's that power gone? Have you not read of the 1859 revival that began there in Ireland with a small group of praying men and it swept Ireland, swept Britain, swept all over the world and that was the greatest revival that we have ever seen as far as numbers are concerned.

You say where's that power gone? Wait a moment Mr. Dudley was talking about China. God has opened the work in China and listen to this in the last 12 years 50 million Chinese people 50 million have been swept into the kingdom of God the greatest movement in our world today is happening in China.

What kind of movement? Drama, comic operas, mining, bands of cosnock, literal groups of people in their homes sharing the word of God together of one by one hundreds are turning to the Lord. Isn't it time that we in Sydney began to lament after the Lord?

Where's the power Sunday morning when we worship? Where's the power Sunday evening when we preach? Where's the power in our prayer meetings? Forgive me saying this and you know I speak in love some of our meetings can be an endurance test.

Why? We are not lamenting after the Lord. May God give us that burden to cry for the return of his presence and glory so we can see the initial desire. Now let's turn to the verses again verse three to have a look at the heart preparation.

Heart Preparation and Returning to the Lord

And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel saying ah but we must ask ourselves a question. We do not read of Samuel in the sixth chapter. Where was he? We do not read of Samuel in the fifth chapter.

Where was he? We don't even read much of him in the fourth chapter apart from the word of the Samuel came to all Israel. There's 20 years of silence. What's happening? Until there is that initial desire in the hearts of the people of God to lament after the Lord you will never find the prophet.

The man with God's word for the moment. It's only when God's people are deep in sin that God will send the prophet in order to speak judgment. And it's only when God's people are penitent and broken will the prophet give you the information of the Lord.

Now let's listen to his wise advice. If you do return unto the Lord with all your heart then put away the strange gods and astras from among you and prepare your heart unto the Lord to serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the philistines.

Now I've called this heart preparation in contrast with the fourth chapter that was only external preparation. It was superficial. Let's get all the externals right and we'll see God blessing. But now here is a deep movement of God.

If you do return unto the Lord with all your heart. Now don't misunderstand now the speaker. Christianity affects the mind and the heart. When we become a Christian we do not commit intellectual suicide.

Paul makes it quite clear that when you become a consecrated Christian it is the renewing of your mind. Christianity is not one mass of emotion. Real basic Christianity shows you how to think and shows you how to think correctly in a Godward way.

The natural mind moves in opposition to the mind of God. The spiritual mind moves with God. But you will notice now he's using the faculty of the heart. Now what does he mean by the heart? The heart is the inner spring of man's being.

It is the seat of the Holy Spirit. The heart is the throne room of the Christian's power. That is why the apostle makes it quite clear that in the heart of the unconverted man it's deceitful and desperately wicked who can know it.

And that means there is in the human heart as far as God is concerned, not the thing that pumps the blood, the very gist and the pith of man's being, there is in that the seed of every evil that you can imagine.

When a person becomes a Christian God begins with his heart and the psalmist put it beautifully, create in me a clean heart O God. And Ezekiel the prophet says he will take away the heart of stone and give us the heart of flesh.

But when it comes to worship in Hebrews chapter 10 the apostle gives us the beauty and the glory of the holy place and then he says let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. The heart is the vehicle of revelation.

The heart is that vehicle that receives revelation and then communicates it. That the eyes of your understanding or as it should be the eyes of your heart might be open. So can you see this is a real heart movement, it's deep, it's profound, there's nothing superficial about this.

This is a movement that's going to really last because it's really penetrating and it goes right to the gist of man's being. Now you will notice the first thing he says is this, put away the strange gods that are among you and he outlines those gods, Asterix and Balaam.

Removing Idols and Reordering Our Loves

Now a God is your passionate devotion, the thing that you love most, the God of your life is your favourite hobby. Now I know we Christians perhaps get a little nervous about this but when we sing that Jesus is our Lord I'm sure of this, God takes that very superficially.

Your God, your Lord is the thing that you basically love the most and that means the first primary thing in your life and you will notice there were two kinds of gods mentioned here. Asterix was the sexual God, the sensual God, it was the God of nudity, it was the God of fertility, it was the God that they looked at and as they looked at it, it generated in their souls evil desires and so there was a sensual and sexual God.

Now I know ministry mustn't be negative, if it's negative perhaps it is very fruitless but I must say this, the asteroids for all believers can be, and I'm sure this will cause consternation but I want to say it in love, your television.

Now I'm not saying for one moment that everyone must put out their television, that would be wrong, we have no right to say that, that's legalism. But every Christian must learn to discipline one if he has one and that is one of the reasons why there is great dearth in the assemblies because we're growing up around the television instead of the word of God.

Now I have been in homes after a serious gospel meeting on Sunday night and they've switched on the television and I've had to excuse myself and say excuse me I cannot stay here. Now to me that was terribly embarrassing but to think God's people could look at that filth after a gospel meeting, I do not understand.

Now beloved anything can be the asteroid, it can be someone in the office that we might be too friendly with, it can be some sister in the assembly that perhaps I never talk to but I make signs with my eyes and that goes on quite a bit.

And therefore I want to say this, if you are married make sure that your wife and your wife alone has the entire and absolute affection of your heart and no one else in that physical way. And if you are a wife make sure that your husband is the sole object of all your physical attraction and no one else.

You see the asteroth is coming in, divorces are beginning to grow in the local church and that is why we are losing our power. Now let's deal with it. Balaam is much more subtle so I understand from historians the Balaam God was the God of the sun, it was the God of the moon, sometimes the God of the stars and the Balaam worship was quite moral but note this, that was first.

They were sold out to their worship of Balaam. Therefore what basically can we compare this to in the New Testament? The Lord Jesus said that if you're going to be my disciple you must hate father, mother, wife, children, brother, sister and your own life.

Now of course what we have been hearing so beautifully from our esteemed brother Mr Dudley, there seems to be a contradiction. Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the church and the word there is not a physical love, it's the word agape which means to love sacrificially.

How then can we reconcile love with hate? The word that the Lord Jesus uses is the Hebrew connotation for love which means second. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Now that's not a malicious hate, that basically means Esau second.

And what he was saying was this, I must come before father and mother, I must come before wife and children, I must come before your own self, I must come before your business, I must come before your own hobby, I must be absolutely first.

Now can I ask a question? Is there something in your life that's robbing you of the morning watch, that set time you should have with the Lord, deal with it, that's the asterisk. Is there a hobby or a sport in your life that basically you know you love more than the Lord Jesus, deal with it.

And what about self-life, do you indulge in self-pity, self-relaxation, deal with it. You see in this heart preparation they had to put away the asterisk, and they had to put away the bailiff. And then thirdly I want you to note this, they had to serve the Lord.

Now the word in the New Testament is a little different from this, where we find serve in the New Testament, it comes from the Greek word which means to serve like a slave. In other words what the Lord was calling them to do was this, just as the Philistines served Dagon and they were enslaved to the principles of Dagon, what he was saying was this, now being slave to the real Lord.

Isn't it sad that the Jehovah's Witness, the JW's are far more concerned and sincere than what we are. Isn't that sad? Isn't it sad that people that go in for drinking are far more devoted to drink than Christians are to the Lord Jesus.

Isn't it sad that people who are devoted to sport, I have known many to sit up all night listening to the cricket scores, would they spend a night in prayer. See the problem, now says this wise man of God, if we are going to really seek the Lord, first of all you must not only hunger but all those gods that have come into your life that have grieved him, put them away and then lay yourself upon the altar and serve him devotionally.

Brokenness, Prayer, and Obedient Response

What about it? Now here is the big problem, you can hear a message like that and say that was a word from the Lord and do nothing. Now the Lord is coming, he is coming very soon, I may now never be back in Australia.

This could well be my last visit. Now can I share a big problem? I was in Africa on one occasion listening to a message that came from the Lord in our brother's country and a brother gave a word that was powerful and it came right from the word of God and they had a lovely assembly tea but the chairman got up after he gave that word and he said how can we eat that tea?

Don't you think we ought to spend time in prayer? And nobody went for the tea, there was brokenness and confession. Another case, I was in a place called Rondebosch, you never forget this, and one night in that Rondebosch town hall we felt the awful power of the devil and all the Christians waited behind Europeans and Africans and we all admitted that it was the power of Satan and our African brethren said this, let's spend the night in prayer then and all my European friends couldn't get away quick enough.

They were gone in less than two minutes and I was only left with my African brethren and what a prayer meeting. Now this is our problem. We hear the word of God and do nothing about it and we have become word hardened and we don't understand that we're word hardened.

Now if we are going to see a movement of the spirit we must do exactly what the children of Israel did. Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Ashtoreth and served the Lord only. Got it? They put away these gods, they got away from the easy life, they laid themselves on the altar to become a living sacrifice for God.

Now if one assembly would do that, no matter how small, if just 20 believers in a small assembly would get broken before the Lord and they would deal with their idols and re-consecrate themselves to the Lord, you would see the Lord moving in power.

But we hear and we do nothing. Watch this meeting tonight. You see how many will wait behind for prayer. You watch. Afterwards we will leave. That was a word from the Lord and we'll do nothing. All right?

Humbling Ourselves and Seeking God in Prayer

Now the next thing, look at this true humbling and Samuel said gather all Israel to Mishpah and I will pray for you unto the Lord. Now don't miss Mishpah. It's the place of watch tower. It's the place of a vision.

Where there is no vision the people perish and therefore he took them to this elevated place of Mishpah. A place where they could look around and see and that's the place where we must come for blessing.

Where we can look around, see our own condition, see the resources in God, see the movements of the Philistines so that we are people of vision. Just like the word of the Lord to the Laodiceans, anoint thine eyes with eye so that thou may see.

And then we read this. He says I will pray for you unto the Lord and they gather together at Mishpah and now you have the first meeting of prayer. Real prayer. Not saying a few prayers but those that were going to lay hold upon God especially this mighty man of God Samuel.

And then I want you to note what he did. He drew water and this is called the outpouring of water. You only get it three times in scripture but I want you to note this very carefully. He took water and they were all watching at Mishpah.

I wish I could do it so that you could see the drama of it and carefully and slowly he would pour it out. And when they saw that water being poured out it was a sign that they were being cleansed and purified from all these sins.

There is washing that comes through the blood and that once over all never needs to be repeated. There is that washing that comes from the word that has to be a daily application and he draws water and he pours it out and the other thing is this.

They were being poured out in real confession before God and then collectively there is the fast and then there is this verbal prayer. We have sinned against the Lord. What does that mean? We have sinned because we have lost the ark of God.

We have sinned because of the polluted priesthood that we had. We have sinned because we have been more concerned with our farms and families and with the glory of God. We have sinned because we have lost the presence and the glory of God.

We have sinned because we have lost that closeness with God that once we knew. And in the New Testament it is the Laodicean getting his eyes open and saying we have been rich and increased with goods but we have been lukewarm.

Lukewarm in our worship, lukewarm in our prayers, lukewarm in our preaching, lukewarm in our gospel communication and we cry we have sinned and we feel it and we have broken before God. Now when God gets his people their headless and beloved I am sure of this there will never be any blessing in Australia especially in Sydney until we are broken before the Lord and when we are broken and when we are humble he will meet with us.

In fact if we do not humble ourselves before the Lord our young people who are seeking for the reality of truth will see that what we are having is just a play act and they will look in other areas to see if they can find power and that's when they can fall into error.

Our assemblies have filled up the charismatic movement because of our spiritual deadness. Isn't that sad? And then I want you to note now immediately there is this true humbling before God. I want you to note the satanic opposition.

Satanic Opposition to Genuine Revival

Look at verse 7. And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together for mitzvah the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel and when the children of Israel heard it they were afraid of the Philistines.

Now note in the fourth chapter we don't read of the Lord of the Philistines we just read of the Philistines. But now there is a true moving of the Holy Spirit and therefore these lordly Philistines these brilliant soldiers these massive men the choice men as it were their red guard they were going to attack now Israel.

Immediately there is a movement of the spirit that's genuine and a time of deep humbling before the Lord you will be attacked by the devil. Every single real movement of the spirit was attacked by the devil.

In the Hebrides in the year 1949 to 50 they saw a revival that swept through the whole of those islands. In fact this was a press report by a reporter who was unsaved. The moment he stepped on that island he was brought under deep conviction of sin and yet they were terribly attacked by the devil.

And one little company of Christians closed arguing whether the movement was from the spirit or from the flesh. They were trying to hinder it but God closed it. Can you see the point? Every real movement of the spirit of God will be attacked by the enemy.

Weakness, the Spirit, and Heaven's Thunder

Now I want you to note the unique offerings and Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a burnt offering holy unto the Lord and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him and as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel.

Now I want you to see this. There on our left we can see coming over the hills the crack regiment of the Philistines and we are saying one to another look the Lords are there and we would feel like running.

They were brilliant fighters. Many of them were giants just like Goliath and we can see them coming and then we look to this mighty man of God and we say what is he going to do after this prayer and pouring out of water and he goes to the flock and we feel like saying whatever you do Samuel offer up the biggest bullock you can find to show us the mighty strength of the Lord but he doesn't go for a bullock.

If you can't find a bullock find the biggest ram that you can offer a ram of consecration with mighty horns a symbol of strength. Now what does he offer? And note this the only time in scripture a suckling lamb was offered.

A little lamb that hadn't really learned to chew the cud. A little lamb that spoke of weakness and simplicity. He went all against traditional knowledge and he offered up that little suckling lamb for a bad offering.

The secret of our Lord's strength was in this fact he was totally and absolutely dependent on all that he did on the Holy Spirit. Even when he was doing his dying he was offered up to God in the energies of the eternal spirit.

And my dear friends the secret of real revival is the acknowledgement of our weakness and the acknowledgement of omnipotent strength. And when God brings us to a point of weakness when God brings us to a point of simplicity where all our strength is in God and we're just like suckling lambs then he had left.

What was the secret of the apostle's strength? When I came to you he said I came not with excellency of speech declaring unto you the testimony of God. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling and my speech and my preaching was not with excellency of speech declaring unto you the testimony of God.

But I was with you in power and in much assurance and in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. That's the secret. Now please note as he was offering up this suckling lamb then heaven started to move. It thundered.

Now note the difference. When they brought back the ark of God in the organized way there was great shouting and cheering and the earth rang. And that's all that did ring. Now in weakness they're offering up this little lamb.

And as they're offering up this and the question is this. What do we want? The earth ringing or the heavens thundering? What do we want? As we go through the book of the acts we see the heavens thundering.

In fact all the quakes in the bible shouldn't really be called earthquakes. They're heaven quakes. It's God shaking the earth and my dear friends that's what sydney needs. Beloved you can have the missions one after another but nothing will happen until we get low before the Lord.

And the moment we are broken before the Lord we shall see the heaven beginning to thunder. And then we read this and I love it. And they discomfited them the philistines and smote them until they came under bethkel.

Ebenezer and the Fruits of True Revival

And samuel took a stone and set it between misper and shin and called the name of it ebenezer. Right position right condition now saying hitherto has the Lord helped us so the philistines worshiped you.

In other words the Lord was all victorious. And then we read this lovely statement and this is the effects of true revival. The five cities that were lost to israel were restored to israel. Look at that verse 14 and the cities which the philistines had taken from israel were restored to israel from ecron even and to gas and the coast thereof did israel deliver out of the hands of the philistines.

You say what are those five cities? They were the five cities that the philistines were inhabiting. What's the spiritual connection of those five cities? There can be many suggestions and these are mine.

If we're going to see restoration there must be a restoration of consecration that's one city. We shall never build up strong assemblies with uncommitted christians. Now i'm going to say it if we're going to have this sunday morning and sunday evening only church life would be far better for the Lord to remove the lampstand.

That's a shame after all the truth that God has revealed to us. If we are going to see assemblies that are going to make an impact upon society we must get back to the city of consecration. Secondly any spiritual experience that God gives you can be lost if it's not maintained by a life of communion and therefore every single one of us must get back to a regular time with the Lord.

Now this is absolutely vital. You see if the morning paper comes before my bible reading it's wrong. If the breakfast comes before my bible reading it's wrong and therefore my dear friends if we're going to really maintain the spiritual glow we must have those regular times with the Lord.

Now can I ask another question? If our quiet time was exposed in this building would we be ashamed? The amount of time we spend alone with God. Would that embarrass us? Let me go deeper. Think of the time you can spend with the paper, with a friend, with the television, with the wireless.