 Good morning and welcome to BC 201 course on Christian history and missions. Today we are covering on chapter 8 which talks about the pursuit of revival the cry for a visitation and more of God. So can I request one of us to turn to Matthew chapter 11 verse 22. Matthew chapter 11 verse 22. Matthew chapter 11 verse 22. But I tell you it will be more bearable for chaiyur and siddhu on the day of judgment than we. Matthew chapter 11 verse 12. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. So what happens is in Matthew 11 12 we see that from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. The violence taken by force. So suffering is not something new to the kingdom of God but then it has been there from long back. But what we are talking about here is during the time of revival, during the time of suffering that each individual look up to God and cry out in prayer. The sovereign Lord moves. He works on behalf of us. Revival is something that we cannot manufacture that no man can manufacture or produce it but then the Lord moves by himself. So today as we are going to study like how the pursuit of revival or how the visitation of God and the move of God can take place among us when we seek Him. So let's begin the session with the word of prayer. Can I request one of y'all to please start the class with the word of prayer. Aradhana would you like to pray? John would you like to pray please? Sure, let's pray. Father we thank you for this time Lord. The Ambulances once again as we are going to learn today about pursuit of revival. We pray that you would increase the desire in our heart and help us to focus on your ways Lord Jesus. We pray that this session would be really helpful for each one of us and we would be able to apply this in our lives. We submit past with your hand. We pray that you would anoint her with your voice, with your words Lord Jesus that we will be able to know the secrets of your heart Lord. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you John. Okay. So as we see that the sovereign work of God and the move of God that no man can do but then all we can do is prepare away. So how do we prepare? God always responds to our cry, to a hunger from our heart. So we need to prepare our heart and cry out to the Lord for a revival. This was, this is what in the story in Wesley Deville says revivals are the sovereign working of God but they are always related to the obedience of God's people. I repeated revivals are the sovereign working of God but they are always related to the obedience of God's people. So what we see is we need to pursue God with persisted heart. We need to have this hunger and burn and passion for God, for more of God. But we seek Him consistently. When we seek Him persistently to see the Lord Himself moves. The Lord responds to that cry. The Lord responds to that hunger from the from our heart. We see Jeremiah 29 11. Can I request one of y'all to please read Jeremiah 29, 13, 29, 13. And you will seek me and find me. And when you search for me with all your heart. Amen. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. So this is what God is affirming us that God would not hide from His people when they search for more of Him. They would not suffer under the dark sense that God could not find each of us. So when we seek God, God reveals Himself. This is the hope that God is giving us that we have seen throughout revival throughout the history of revival when we went through whenever people came together when they seek God earnestly through prayer actually showed up in a greater glory. Isn't it? So it is not that God is holding Himself back, but then He always responds to our hunger, responds to our thirst when we seek God earnestly. So pursuing God and how we can pursue God, pursue God through prayer, through worship. And we should also understand that word of God is the key to revival. So any number of people come together when the sea came with all their heart, all their mind seeking God for revival. You see there's a revival being birthed in that place. So it's very simple. When we draw ourselves on, it draws itself to us. This is the promise that He wills that promise. When He sees me, He will find it. You cannot hold back and ask more of it because this is the desire of God to seek Him more than us. We see that in the book of Isaiah chapter 62 verse 1 to 7. Isaiah 62 verse 1 to 7. It's so important for us to stir ourselves that we may seek God from inside out earnestly because our heart attitude is much important for God because God is our God who does not look at the man at his outward appearance or with his words, but God looks at the condition of our heart. What is our heart attitude says? If any of you have turned to Isaiah 62, may I request you all to please read verse 1 to 7. Isaiah chapter 62 verse 1 to 7. Isaiah chapter 62 verse 1 to 7. For zeal say, I will not keep silent. For Jerusalem say, I will not remain quiet. Till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness and all kings you're glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You'll be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal terrygem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you deserted or name your land desolate, but you will be called Hepsiba and your land Bula for the Lord will take delight in you and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will be your sons marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. I have posted a watchman on your wall over Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourself notice and give him notice till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. Man. It's very beautifully the book of Isaiah, it goes to the cross. The Zion's sake I will not hold my peace. For Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until a righteousness goes forth as brightness and the salvation as lamb fat. It's very beautiful. Zion is nothing but God's people. And Jerusalem is the city of God. And here these two are representative of the church in the New Testament as we see in the scriptures in the book of Hebrews and also the epistle of first Peter. So here we see prophet Isaiah is so passionate about the people of God. So we need to understand you take up any five full ministry office. God is calling the people into ministry is to be passionate for the people. We need to have heart to the people. So here you see the prophet Isaiah is passionate about the people of God. And here he says, though earlier he declared about God's glory in Isaiah 60. And here he is saying he is also aware of the forthcoming destruction that's going to come upon the God's people through the captivity of Babylonians. But here, despite of all this, prophet Declare's that he will contend to see Zion is is is promising the people of Israel is promising that is promising that you belong to God. You are God's people. You are his elect and God will never give up on you. Despite of yourself. You will stay under captain. But then when you repent, God will release you. God will restore you. God will bring you back to the promised land Jerusalem is declaring that promise over Zion over God's people saying that you will be restored back to the city of God. In verse one, again, he says for Zion's sake for Jerusalem's sake. Are we passionate about our church? We the leaders of the church, God was called to God is who has raised you as an elect in each location and the place where you are. You are that Zion. You are God's people. You are the elect. You are called to that five-fold ministry. Despite which ministry which office you have been called for your ministry is to do is to serve people. So despite which office we are called, we need to have the heart and compassion over people. So in that aspect, prophet Isaiah is asking, you know, he's comforting despite that, you know, God revealed the destruction, the captivity about the people of Israel, but then he's declaring the restoration that God will restore his people because he loves them. The same way, are we carrying the passionate about our church? Do we want to see a church been restored back to what God desires it to be? Are we looking at each individual as God's child and seeing God's will, God's purpose to be fulfilled in their life? Are we praying about it? Are we discussing with people of God? Are we restoring the plan that God has for them in their life? Are we is a heart after people? Just like how the heart of God is after people? In verse one, we also see that I will not keep quiet. I will speak up. I will not rest. Can we take it on our side that we will not stop speaking, not to rest till we see the church, the individual that ministry has been restored to what God wanted it to be. How the church is intended it to be. So what do we need to do? Simple. This is what the Lord is asking each of us to do. Get into the presence of God and claim and pray for each individual for your ministry leaders, for your church, for your ministry to be restored back, come back to the purpose of the intent what God intended it to be. So if we don't give up in the process like how in verse six to seven it says watch men don't keep quiet, don't keep silent, give God no rest. Can we get into a time of prevailing prayer where we will not give up till we see the church been restored, till we see our prayers been answered, till you see the individual been transformed. Let us stir others, but not just for ourselves. Let's see, look out for the like-minded people who carry the same passion, who has the same heart for people for ministry, for church, share it, stir their heart so that we can get along together to pray. So those who will not keep quiet and will pray to the Lord until and unless the prayer has been answered. Because this is the condition of heart that God is expecting each of us to carry when we are praying for revival. Revival will happen when we revive each other. First we need to revive ourselves and revive each other and you see automatically when we continue to pray you see the revival happens because Reformation prepares the way for revival and revival is the result of the restoration of church that spurs the mission that gives gives a way for church to grow. So pursuing this personal revival when we focus our self is a heart pursuing an intimacy that God is a heart um thirsting for more of God. Or are we compromising in any area when we when we search and look into a heart just like how the psalmist searched his heart and prayed asking God God created me a clean heart and it made me pleasing to you. We also see uh in the uh the revival's Charles Finney says revival as this revival is the coming of the inexpressible sweet and tender spirit of God into the mid-surface people with convicting and transforming power. The outpouring of God's spirit is the divine aspect of revival while the preparation of the heart is apart while the preparation of the heart is apart. When we do our part you see God do his part by pouring out the spirit we need to ask God create in us a clean heart that we may pray we may seek more of you and us. When we have this as our prayer you see God do great and mighty things to revive us and also set us as a spark to be to birth a revival in and through us as we seek ourselves as we seek ourselves setting a heart right unto God when you know what pleases God is a humble heart only an humble heart can submit to God can surrender to God completely. Revival usually happens when we repent repent is not something you know that uh you repent of what you did of the the very act that you're committed it's not that repent means something that you know you're you're turning your whole life and saying Lord I displease my life that I lived in here I want to live according to your will this is a complete surrender it's a U-turn saying Lord I don't want to live a life I don't lead a life that was away from you here there's a complete surrender complete dependence on God a humble heart is willing to accept the responsibility of wrongdoing every failure every wrongdoing you're willing to come friend of God and repent and ask God God help me to overcome and a humble heart is one that surrenders and heals to God's instruction and God's will so we see that a humble heart is one that is utterly dependent on God it has no confidence on itself it has there's no credit that it takes on its skills or talents but it gives all glory unto God so we need to come to a place where completely surrendering Lord I surrender myself into you because I want to be one with you I want to abide in you and you in me so that I can be fruitful in your kingdom because any work in God's kingdom cannot be done by man or by man's ability alone because it's supernatural we need God into our life we need God we need to partner with God to get the God's work done we see in first chronicles chapter seven verse four states like this if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from the wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land so it is not something that you and I can do but then it is God when we call upon God born as name and humble ourselves by surrendering ourselves completely to him repent and ask God God forgive my sin forgive us in the sins of us our family our city our nation when there's an earnest cry raised up to God you see God who hears our cry forgives our sins and heals our land when he heals our land he makes it whole he makes it fruitful it like how initially it was intended to be God's plan will be fulfilled in the through us because this plan is to prosper us and give us a success so in Hosea chapter 10 verse 12 says so for yourself righteousness reap in mercy break up your follow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till he comes and reigns righteousness on you so what is that follow ground is the land that once which which was used to cultivate but now it has been abandoned left uncultivated now God is asking call so that this land that was rejected this land that has been abandoned we can plow it we can clean it and rework on it so how do we rework on it by praying worship seeking God getting ourselves cleansed seeking for purity and pursuing it and when we sow in righteousness you see we will reap the fruits of mercy that's what this verse says Lord will help us to sow in righteousness that we may reap this must and also in the same chapter when you see in Hosea in the same book Hosea chapter 7 verse 1 1 to 7 but especially verse 4 to 7 verse 4 says I will heal their backsliding no matter where we are no matter how far we would have gone away from God but when we desire for more of God with the earnest heart of seeking God you see God is promising us that he will heal us and restore us back God's healing for the backsliding he will revive us he will once again make us fruitful and he will see the hand of God upon our life God is looking at our heart that is earnestly hungry for God because God can respond to that hunger to that heart that is thirsting more of him you know our God is a God who keeps his promise he's a promise keeper because in Matthew chapter 5 verse 6 one of the big attitudes he says that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness I repeat blessed are those who are hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled look at the promise that God is giving each of us today Hasee Singh is in revival I'm talking to you I'm talking to each individual revive yourself set things right do not look at others because set your eye on me because I look at you I call each individual your precious your beautiful I've called you by your name I've set you aside I've sanctified you I've purified you you are a vessel of honor I've called you by my name I chose you and your God is saying that when you hunger and thirst for more of God and more of his kingdom he will fulfill because he is a God is promise keeper when God fails he fails it abundantly a heart that is hunger knows how much he needs to be failed and when God pours out the spirit he will pour out the spirit at the cost of the hunger that each one have within you so we need to hunger for more of God just like how David David knew this he desired for more of God when when we read about David you see that he was never content of knowing God he always had this quench within him for you know a more of God within him he always hunger he always thirst for more of God he always had a check within himself saying Lord check my heart and set it right he always said like Lord it is better for me to be in your court than to be anywhere else he's a king he had all the liberty he had the luxury to do what he wants to do but here he chose to be in the presence of God Psalm 63 one to two says oh God you are my God early will I seek you my soul thirsts for you my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water so I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and your liberty so Psalm is a person like you know God God have said David is a man after my own heart how did God say this to David there were so many other people there were many prophets and kings many man of God but God looked at David and he said he's a man after my own heart because he had captured the essence of God he had known the nature of God and he carried the nature of God within himself yearning for more of God yearning for more of God despite the times in his good times and in his bad times he seeked and thirsted for more of God within him David sought the Lord earnestly and intently all the days of his life all the days even in Psalms 27 verse 4 he says one thing I have desired of the Lord that will I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life we hold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his ample this is the desire now David is not saying something for the sake of writing a song no it's his heart's desire you know we cannot pretend friend of God isn't it God looks at the heart he's not a God who looks at our words but he looks at our heart attitude this was the earnest desire that David had to seek God all his heart and here God is looking for people who are passionate and persistent after him we also see the book of James chapter 5 verse 16 to 18 James chapter 5 verse 16 to 18 confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much Elijah was a man with a nature like us and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruits so you see Elijah being a man like you and me demonstrates the the power of God through his prayer how because through his life he had an intimate relationship with God he persisted God even in his prayer you see he has a passionate heartfelt and a persistent prayer till he see the result he never gave up we also are very familiar with the story of what happened at Mount Carmel as Elijah prayed for rain it was God who expressed his will that he was going to send the rain on the earth because it was God who expressed his will Elijah just didn't stop saying okay God has expressed it he will do it why should I pray no Elijah prayed because Elijah knew when a natural when a man in his natural sense he prays God responds God responds the same way when you and I are up in natural but when we go with this intense passionate persistent prayer God responds because he's the same God the same God who was with David who was with Elijah is the same God with us when we get on to our knees and pray persistently you see the Lord is a God who hears every cry every whisper he's much closer than our breath when we get on to our knees and pray you see Lord here's our prayer and this is what happens in revival when we pray God moves we also see in the New Testament Gospel of Luke chapter 18 verse 1 to 8 Gospel of Luke chapter 18 verse 1 to 8 we see that the Lord Jesus taught us to pray consistently without giving up he says we must have this heart that remains consistent in its request unwilling we should come to a place like Lord I'm not ready to give up I'm not ready to stop I want to see my prayer been answered so God desires to answer people's prayer when we are consistent just like how in the Old Testament we see Jacob did not give up he knew it was an angel no way he would compare himself with angel no way he can fight with the strength of supernatural strength but then he never gave up because he never gave up he was persistent in saying that until and unless this until and unless God blessed me I will not let go you know because of his very nature of receiving this blessing you see God changed his very name from Jacob to Israel as easily wept and sought for the favor of God we should also do in the book of Hosea 124 he says like how Jacob engaged with God that night physically there's no match human comparing with the angel who has a supernatural strength no way same way when we have this persistent prayer we cannot compare ourselves with God but then when we pray it is God or desires when you pray I will answer when you pray God kind of pray I will answer now how do we know how to pray God kind of pray Romans 826 to 28 when we he's saying like I will pray in and through you the spirit himself will groan in and through us it will raise pray that will please God it will raise pray that is as for the will of God for God's plan God's purpose to be fulfilled in and through us so all we need to do is partner with God and pray when we have this heart for the people of God for the city of God for the nation of God we will prevail in prayer we will align ourselves to the plan of God we will align ourselves to the purpose of God see when we align ourselves with the plan and purpose of God everything changes our heart attitude changes it becomes it becomes more compassionate towards people whereas as a natural man it would not be a natural man's heart will look out for vengeance for people's mistake but here God says in Matthew 1440 when you see whenever God looked at people he moved with compassion and whenever word in the gospel when you read whenever Jesus moved with compassion you see it landed up or it ended up when same miracle signs wonders happened there so even today when we pray on behalf of everyone you see our heart changes our heart moves with compassion of God so what is very important here prayer because prayer is the key to revival prayer is the key to bring change among people prayer is the key to bring heaven down on this earth so what we need to restore back is the prayer a prayer like that is pleasing God so some of the guide some of the points that has been listed in our notes for us to heal the Holy Spirit when we are focused on leading a time of prayer there are certain points that may be helpful as we prepare ourselves to revive us to be that spark of revival in our city and nation six points I just read out a few points and you can make a note and as we make a note it's not something that we need to make a note in our book and Bible to remember but this is something that we need to apply within ourselves and say Lord help this attitude to be in my heart that I may revive myself the very first point is prayer for repentance all these points are there in your notes we are on page 117 page 117 it says first point prayer of repentance very important we need to consecrate ourselves we need to heal ourselves by surrendering ourselves to the plan of God asking Lord and repent and reject the light that I led before and here I want to lead my life that is pleasing to you consecrated point two talks about prayer for more of God and the great outpouring of the spirit pray for more of God and for a great outpouring of the spirit so we need to express our hunger and the longing for more of God because we desire to know and experience God more than ever before we should come to a place like we are not content with how much God has revealed to us so as you know it is one of the promises I extracted to versatility where God has promised to pour out his spirit and all during the last days when he says all on all flesh everyone there's no age God didn't say I'm going to pour out spirit only on the pastors the leaders and ministry people but then he says on everyone including our children and in Zechariah was chapter 10 verse 1 he says that he has told us to ask for rain in time of lattering so when we pray and ask you see God pour out the spirit even in the time when it is not so God to pour out the spirit in a increasing measure more of the lattering the third point here we see is prayer for the manifestation of the glory and power of God prayer for the manifestation of glory and the power of God we see that God desires for his house to be filled with this glory because it's God's desire he wants to see his people filled with this glory so this should be our prayer saying Lord we used to maybe seek God's glory on us upon each one of us upon your people just as the disciples prayed in act chapter 4 we also should pray and ask God to do to do signs and wonders in and to us because that's the expression of God's glory and fourth point is prayer for the salvation of the lost this should be our thirst as well we need to cry out to God for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully in and to us among the community of people so when we pray and ask when we minister we see that the people are convicted of their sin come to the knowledge of the saving grace of God come to the knowledge of Christ then Jesus died on the cross and they receive him as a Lord and Savior so that the lost souls can be saved this is one of the key point in our revival when we pray a signs wonders miracles all that is part of it but most important and the greatest miracle that we need to consider is one receiving Jesus as the Lord and Savior because in this very moment heaven rejoices because our soul has been added to the kingdom of God point five we see that prayer for the transformation of the community we need to pray for God's kingdom to be released in the community in the way Isaiah describes it in Isaiah 26 chapter 26 verse 90 says with my soul I have desired you in the night yes by my spirit within me I will see you early for when your judgments are on the earth the inhabitants of the world will love righteousness so we need to pray and ask God because it is God's will that the city the church the community transforms when we say transform there's a true repentance from the heart revival brought transformation the city the community there was a true discipline they were they had the fear of God in them so what is most required in the revival is the fear of God when we have fear of God you see lives are been transformed lives have been transformed community has been transformed last one the sixth point is exercise kingdom authority and dominion exercise kingdom authority and dominion matthew 16 chapter 16 verse 18 and 19 says and I also say to you that you are Peter on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hate shall not prevail against it and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind or not will be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth will be lost in heaven so what is this the church has been bested in authority on this side it's great and declare this because God himself has given us the authority to bind on earth will be bound in heaven whatever you lose on earth will be lost on heaven because God has given us the keys of the kingdom of heaven so we need to declare so that we can advance the kingdom of God in our community we need to declare against the darkness against the people who are you know objecting from the king from the enhancing the kingdom of God and we need to call people and do this God's marvelous light so how do we do it in matthew chapter 9 verse 14 and 15 we see that the Lord Jesus said that one of the practices of the friends of the bridegroom when the bridegroom is awake is that they will fast in that period they will fast in that period so here we see that we are called to fast and pray earnestly seek God God may thy kingdom come and I will be done on this earth so one of the book that we would like to suggest you for this fasting and pray where we can throw wail in our spirit and pray is take a note of this book name shaping history through prayer and fasting by Derek Prince I repeated shaping history through prayer and fasting by Derek Prince where it highlights on these three points following the prayer and fasting where it says the first point says fasting intensifies prayer fasting intensifies prayer the second point talks about fasting brings deliverance and victory fasting brings deliverance and victory third point says fasting prepares for God's lattering fast prepares for God's lattering so this is an importance for fasting fast and pray forget us of this place we have to seek God the purpose of the latter reign in the book of Joel chapter 2 verse 23 is the outpouring of the spirit this is what he says in chapter 2 verse 28 that you know I will pour out my spirit upon people and 29 talks about consecrate a fast call a sacred assembly gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of God Lord your God and cry out to the Lord we also see in you know so we need to get into this search of God we need to get into this you know a place where we search God with prayer and fasting because God has already promised a great outpouring and many more blessings when we do it so how do we get into it we need to engage and pursue more of God in our life so that we can see God's power work in and through us we should be a people will not give up but then we will partner with God with this intimate love because in the book of Ecclesiastus chapter 4 verse 9 to 12 it teaches us two are better than one so what is what is it we are going to say that two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor for if they fall one will lift up his companion but old to him who's alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up again if two lie down together they will keep warm but how can one be warm alone though one may be overpowered by another two can let's get him and the third fold God is not quickly broken so what it means here is God is asking us to call upon people do just pray for a revival alone but look off the light-minded people when there are many people there is power there's power when everyone prays with one for one voice and pray for God's revival to take place okay so we need to create this environment before we could create an environment we need to create a heart condition set it right so that our prayer our heart attitude will be a sweet smelling aroma unto God and God who listens to our prayer will answer it okay so with that we will end the session with the word of prayer here God I lift up each one of us Lord into your hand Lord as we seek you with all our heart all of mine we pray that you will revive us Lord revive us Lord Jesus thank you Father for setting the heart right just like how the psalmist looked up to you and cried out Lord create in me a clean heart create in me a clean heart Lord Jesus Lord I pray that each of us here in our plans so far that we pray that create in us a clean heart Lord Jesus that we may look up to you Lord I pray that you are a God who looks at each of our heart Lord our heart is friend of you our heart attitude is friend of you Lord I pray that you clean our heart uproot everything that does not belong to you and your kingdom yes Lord Jesus set our heart right pour out your spirit upon us Lord Jesus renew our heart and pour out your spirit so that our heart may be right friend of you that may please your father that it may bring a revival within us that may revive us and bring a spark of revival in the place where we are the prayer that we are praying for our church our community Lord I pray that you will change us to be that person to be that person who will work career of your presence career of your revival Lord thank you Father thank you Lord Jesus Lord I pray that you will create in our heart that we our heart yearns and thirsts for more of you Lord Jesus thank you Lord let this be our prayer Lord let us not be content in the place where we are but then we help us to seek you and more of your Father Lord as we pray in all our weaknesses I pray that you will reign our Father Lord I pray that you will give us this earnest desire just like the psalmist Lord where we can wake up early and seek you or Lord seek your face alone or Father knowing that you are a God God all powerful God Almighty Lord thank you for more of you in us Lord Jesus in February amen amen thank you so much for joining today's session God bless you all next class that bless hopefully next class should be our last class thank you God bless we are completing our potions yeah thanks thank you so much my pastor thank you so much man thank you you know thank you good okay so next class I will also give an assignment we will have enough of time to complete assignment yeah thank you God bless