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Nehemiah 9:1-5 How to BRING About Revival

Nehemiah 9:1-5 How to BRING About Revival

Last updated on: August 23, 2015 at 5:37 pm by Jim Erwin

Nehemiah 9:1-5 How to BRING About Revival 2015-08-23T17:37:18-05:00 Jim Erwin

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Nehemiah 9:1-5 How to BRING About Revival

June Cerza Kolf recalls the following story:

My family had gathered at my house for our yearly reunion. While we were in church singing the opening hymn, an earthquake hit. The building shook, and the overhead lights swung back and forth. In true California style we never missed a beat, even though we had to grab the pews in front to steady ourselves.

Following the service, the pastor came over to greet my out-of-town relatives. My son-in-law grinned as he shook the pastor’s hand and said, “I’ve been to a lot of church services in my life, but I can honestly say this was the most moving one I’ve ever attended.”1

The pastor and theologian J. Vernon McGree has made the following observation:

Several books contain a great ninth chapter. Ezra chapter 9, Nehemiah chapter 9, and Daniel chapter 9—all have to do with the subject of revival.2 Last week we looked at Ezra 9 and the nature of a spiritual awakening. Today, we will look at Nehemiah 9 and see what it takes to bring about revival.

Revival is defined as: the sovereign activity of God whereby he renews his people individually and corporately in vigor, affecting both sincerity of belief and quality of behavior.3 There are many components that are necessary to bring about revival. In this text, we see five steps. These steps spell out the way to bring revival in the church. There is a genuine movement from individual revival to church revival.

FIVE STEPS THAT I CAN TAKE TO BRING ABOUT REVIVAL

Break my spirit by accepting that I am a sinner in need of God.

“On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads.” (Nehemiah 9:1, HCSB)

“The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.” (Psalm 51:17, HCSB)

“But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,” (Matthew 6:17, HCSB)

For revival to happen, I have to admit that I need revival. Fasting points to my need for God. Feasting is related to thanksgiving and fellowship. Fasting is an expression of humiliation and brokenness.4

Nehemiah says that the Israelites were assembled. But it was Ezra who called all of the people to fast.

“I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions. I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him.” So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.” (Ezra 8:21–23, HCSB)

It may not have occurred to people here that fasting is connected to revival. But the Bible shows that fasting, which is an intense time of focusing on God while denying worldly pleasures, is essential for a successful revival. Why is that? Because in order to see God do something in my life, I have to deny myself of something. If I care about God, I can fast or deny myself of various pleasure in different ways. I can fast of my time from something else and take that time to pray. I can fast of my pleasure to eat food to spend that time focusing on God in worship and prayer. Fasting is denying worldly pleasures for spiritual benefit. As with anything else, there is no gain without pain.

Let me share with you four types of fasts.

FOUR TYPES OF FASTS5

1. Complete Fast – No food or drink

Maximum Time – 3 Days and 3 Nights

Unless supernaturally sustained, these fasts cannot last more than 3 days and 3 nights. Ezra – Ezra 10:6 Mordecai, Esther and her maids – Esther 4:16 Saul of Tarsus – Acts 9:9

Supernaturally Sustained – 40 Days and 40 Nights

This is only possible because of a Divine enabling. Moses twice did a complete fast for forty days and forty nights – Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9,18 Elijah once fasted forty days and forty nights – 1 Kings 19:8 Both Moses and Elijah ended their early lives in a supernatural finale, and even appeared to Jesus while He was on this earth. (Matthew 17:3)

2. Normal Fast – No Food, and drinking only water

This water may be in the form of plain drinking water, lemon water, herbal tea, etc. CAUTION: Coffee and caffeinated teas are not recommended

3. Partial Fast – Eliminating only certain food and drinks

(e.g. – meats, sweets, pleasant foods, etc.) It is recommended that those who have never been involved in a “normal fast” perhaps inaugurate their relationship to fasting with a “partial fast.” Though this requires less discipline than a “normal fast,” there are still great benefits to be received.

4. Group Fast – Corporate Fasting and as God directs

Judah under King Jehoshaphat – II Chronicles 20:1-4 Ezra and those returning to Jerusalem – Ezra 8:21-23 Joel called all of the elders and people to fast – Joel 1:14

So if you are going to see revival, you need to be broken. One of the ways to be broken over sin is to fast. As you deny worldly pleasures to focus on God, He will inform you and convict you of your sin. You will see more of who you are as well as more of who God is. This leads to the next step.

Reflect on and share what I have done wrong and how I got here.

“Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the guilt of their fathers.” (Nehemiah 9:2, HCSB)

When the Israelis bought American F-16 fighter jets in the 1980s, they made a simple modification that saved them countless lives: they added a rearview mirror. This allowed them to see their enemies coming. I’m convinced that many of us who should be flying high are shot down because we don’t have a rear view mirror on our spiritual plane. We don’t see what’s behind us. We don’t reflect with the Lord upon how He’s blessed us, answered our prayers, seen us through over the years. If you want to get blessed and guard yourself against being shot down, spend a couple of hours with the Lord. Look back and see what the Lord has done.6

I need to take some time to look back at my sins and how God has helped me. I need to reflect on God’s goodness and how I need to trust Him more. I need to reflect on what is preventing me from having revival.

Prayer: Let’s pray right now and reflect and confess any sin that is preventing me from letting revival happen.

Invoke God’s Word to help me change.

“While they stood in their places, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the Lord their God.” (Nehemiah 9:3, HCSB)

Revival happens not just when we confess our sins, but when we let God’s Word change us. They spent three hours reading the Old Testament. The spent just as much time reading the Bible as they did in confession of sins. Why did it come before confession? Because when one is exposed to the truth of God in His Word, one is convicted of sins.

“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, HCSB)

The Bible tests our hearts because the Bible helps lead us to change our hearts. We need God’s Word to compare us to God, show us where we are wrong, and how to make it right. At this point, we move from individual revival to church revival. Revival will move from personal change to corporate action. This happens when we:

Network together to help each other focus on God

“Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform built for the Levites and cried out loudly to the Lord their God.” (Nehemiah 9:4, HCSB)

If we are going to see revival in this church, then it requires that we all come together. Revival starts with leaders who are willing to point others to focus on God. These men prompted other people to focus on Him. We need people to help us focus on God because we can’t do it alone.

D.A. Carson makes an interesting point about revivals. They bring about new leaders. He states:

Usually great movements of God call forth remarkable leaders. The Reformation was led by Reformers with great and diverse gifts; the early British missionary movement called up William Carey and others; the Evangelical Awakening was largely led by Howell Harris, George Whitefield, John and Charles Wesley, and the many others they trained.7

Bill Gothard, founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles has once said: Men through whom God has worked greatly have emphasized the significance of prayer with fasting.8

While revivals help us network and develop new leaders, ultimately a revival is a time to worship God and glorify Him.

Glorify God together in worship.

“Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah —said, “Stand up. Praise Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting.” Praise Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.” (Nehemiah 9:5, HCSB)

Revival is about getting closer to God. There is no better way to get closer to God than through worship.

Eight Levites then led the people in voicing their spiritual distress. A second group of eight Levites led a responsive prayer of praise.910 So there appears to have been two movements. The Levites mentioned in the fourth verse opened the service with a loud cry, perhaps a doxology, and then the Levites mentioned in the fifth verse began the confession11

I have shared with you steps to bring about revival, but it does not stop today. I have a special brochure for you that you can pick up today as you leave. This brochure is a 5-day devotional that will help you focus on revival. In preparation for next week’s revival, I would encourage you to take this devotional and read it Monday-Friday of next week. It will take only 5-10 minutes of your time. But it will help you prepare and hopefully the church will be prepared for revival.

We need to remember that revival is about the church re-building its community as it makes an effort to reach out to the lost. As Chuck Colson has dais in his book The Body:

Many Christians have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life: radical individualism. They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is “Jesus and me,” but in doing so miss the point. For Christianity is not a solitary belief system. Any genuine resurgence of Christianity, as history demonstrates, depends on a reawakening and renewal of that which is the essence of the faith—the people of God, the new society, the body of Christ, which is made manifest in the world—the church.12

1 Edward K. Rowell, Humor for Preaching and Teaching: From Leadership Journal and Christian Reader (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996), 142.

2 J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: History of Israel (Ezra/Nehemiah/Esther), electronic ed., vol. 15 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 146.

3 Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).

4 Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, 2006 Edition. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 344.

5 “How to Fast,” Revival Stories, accessed on 20 August 2015.

6 Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Volume One: Genesis–Job (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 1258.

7 D. A. Carson, “Editorial: The Underbelly of Revival? Five Reflections on Various Failures in the Young, Restless, and Reformed Movement,” Themelios 39, no. 3 (2014): 407.

8 Charles F. Stanley, The Glorious Journey (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 1996).

9 The two groups of Levites (9:4 and 9:5) have five names in common, but each has three unique to itself.

10 James E. Smith, The Books of History, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1995), Ne 9:1–4.

11 John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Nehemiah (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 39.

12 Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2008), 40. From Chuck Colson, The Body (Waco, TX: Word, 1992).

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