And I'm like... Oh. All right, good to see everybody out this morning. Let's go ahead and get started. Let's all stand. Page 378. Christ our Redeemer died on the cross, died for the sinner, laid all his debt over his head. He'd never fear, for he would pass the Passover year. See the blood red eyes See the blood red eyes in the blood I will pass, I will pass over you. Japheth, our sinner, Jesus can save. As he has promised, so will he live. O sinner, hear him, trust in his word. He will pass, will pass over you. When I see the blood, when I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you. Oh, our compassion, oh, boundless love, Jesus, have power, Jesus is good. All who believe are saved from the storm For He will pass, He will pass over you When I see the blood When I see the blood When I see the blood I will pass, I will pass over you I'm glad to know it's in the blood. Amen. It's not in me. It's not in you. It's all in the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. You glad to be here? Say amen. Good to see all of you this morning. We appreciate you being here and we're looking forward to God just manifesting himself to us all and doing a work in every one of our hearts. I need him to work in me. You need him to work in you. So let's just give this time to the Lord. and see what he'll do in all of our hearts. Amen. Brother Clay Haynes, you open us in prayer. It's not John that brings the message, or we ask it's not Terry being the same, or we ask you just take control. You have your way with us, you have your way with all the parks in here. Lord, I pray that if there's anybody in here that doesn't have that relationship with you, that doesn't know you on a personal level, that hasn't accepted you as Christ, their Savior. Lord, I ask that today be that day, that day come to you, that you get on your knees at that altar and ask for you to save them. We're so grateful for all that you do for us. The main study on page 350 at the bottom. every day. And by faith we can see it afar. For the Father waits over the way. He prepares the way. In the sweet white pine We shall meet on that beautiful shore In the sweet white pine We shall sing of that beautiful shore, of the glorious soil of the flesh, and the spirit shall sound on the morn. God has signed for the blessings of grace In the stream, by and by We shall meet on that beautiful shore In the stream, by and by We shall meet on that beautiful shore You are bound with the Father above We will offer a trade of praise For the glorious faith of Islam And the blessings that hallow our day In the sweet burning fire We shall build on that beautiful shore Bye, bye. We shall meet on that beautiful shore. There's a man who can walk on water and calm the raging seas He can bind up the broken hearted and set the captive free He can heal you and He can fill you with love like you've never known What a Savior, what a Master He has made to His own. What a Savior and what a Master and what a Friend is He. His glory and win to Calvary, just to set me free. Dude, this driving would take forever, so I'll just simply say, What a Savior, what a Master, do you know Him today? Just imagine that we're in heaven and all our troubles are gone. They'll be singing. What shouting and how we're gonna carry on When we see our blessed Jesus I believe we're going to say What a Savior, what a Master He took my sins all away What a Savior and what a Master and what a friend is He Left His glory and went to Calvary just to set me free To describe Him would take forever so I'll just simply say What a Savior! What a Master! Do you know Him today? What a Savior and what a Master and what a Friend is He! left his glory and went to Calvary just to set me free. To describe it would take forever, so I'll just simply say, what a Savior, what a Master, did you know Him today? What a Savior! What a Master! Do you know Him? I can't help but think about the Lord and all the things he's done. He meets my every need. You know he's been so good to me. And I can't help but praise the Lord for all he's done. ♪ I will live my life to please Him ♪ Even though I don't deserve to live ♪ My life has just begun and I can't help ♪ But praise the Lord for all He's done ♪ There are many things that I could praise God for ♪ And if I started now until I die If I can mention only one, I'd have to thank him for his son. And that's enough to praise the Lord for all he's done. For all he's done. I'm gonna lift my hands in praise him for he's done. I live my life to please Him, even though I don't deserve to live. My life has just begun, and I can't help but praise the Lord for all He's done. For all He's done. I'm gonna lift my hands in praise Him for all He's done. to live my life to please Him. Even though I don't deserve to live, my life has just begun, and I can't help but praise the Lord for all He's done. Even though I don't deserve to live, my life has just begun, and I can't help The burden I carried was heavy And I had no peace left within The path that I traveled was hopeless Many times I just lost my way The sage would whisper, there's no way out, and he told me that too far I'd stray. Backwoods we called, Jesus stepped in. He raised all my beds, cleansed all my sins. He broke the chains that once held me down. He set me free and I'm no longer bound. That was before Jesus came. He just loves you. He wants to walk by your side. That was before Jesus stepped in. He erased all my past, cleansed all my sin. He broke the chains that once held me down. He set me free and no longer bound. That was before Jesus stepped in. That was before Jesus stepped in, erased all my past, cleansed all my sin. He broke the chains that once held me down. He set me free and I'm no longer bound. I was cast out. That was before Jesus stepped in. I want to love him more. He's done so much for me He died upon the cruel tree. I know of many more. He suffered shame for you and me. I want to know. ♪ I want something more, I want something more ♪ ♪ I want something more, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I want something more, I want something more ♪ ♪ He's done so much for me ♪ ♪ Oh Prince of Life, sweet Prince of Peace ♪ I do I do I do I want to love him more. I want to love him more. He has done so much for me. We're going to have a little fellowship while the choir comes down. If you have any offers, go ahead and bring them up. If you have any offerings, you can bring them at this time. All right, you can be seated this morning. Good to see all of you. Good to see every one of you this morning. I appreciate you being here. Just a couple of short announcements. Don't forget that on March the 18th, our Southern Savers class is coming up and there's a sign-up sheet in the lobby. And I was asked to make mention that it is $10 per lady that comes. And they need that money by this coming Wednesday because the lady is driving hundreds of miles from South Carolina. to get here, and she does need a certain amount to come and do this class. So anyway, that $10 is up front and payable now. Need to be in by Wednesday night. And also, it's just come from the headquarters. This is announcement from the headquarters. They are having a choir practice right after service this morning. You made dry grounds where once were oceans, where once were mountains. You made them low where there were stones. now there is water. You satisfy my thirsty soul. There's strength in knowing you are near me, and peace that you alone bestow. I love you more today than ♪ And I just wanted you to know ♪ ♪ Where there is fear, Lord, you will hide me ♪ ♪ When winds of danger around me blow, I feel your arms embrace me ♪ of grace surrounds me and I just wanted you to know there's strength in knowing you are near me and peace at you along me so I love you more today than ever And I just wanted you to know For all the times I've seen your glory And watched you conquer my every fear I just wanted you to know. I just wanted you to know. It's good to get along with the Lord every once in a while and just let Him know how much you love Him. not asking for a thing just get along with him say lord i just want you to know i love you amen second chronicles chapter number seven this morning if you will second chronicles chapter number seven i'll be preaching on a subject that's been strong on my heart for quite a while now And I pray that God would use it. I believe he's going to use it this morning to stir all of our hearts. When you found 2 Chronicles 7, if you'll stand to honor the reading of God's word. 2 Chronicles 7 in your Bibles. We'll read a lengthy part of the scripture. We may read the entire chapter, I don't know, just whatever God wants this morning. 2 Chronicles chapter number seven, beginning in verse number one, the scriptures say it like this. Now, when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priest could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down in the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshiped and praised the Lord saying, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 20 and 2,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. And the priests waited on their offices and the Levites also with instruments and music of the Lord. which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever. When David praised by their ministry, and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. Moreover, Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings. because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings and the meat offerings and the fat. Also at the same time, Solomon kept the feast seven days and all Israel with him, a very great congregation from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt. That was several hundred miles long. And then the eighth day they made a solemn assembly, for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. And on the three and 20th day of the seventh month, he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had showed unto David and to Solomon and to Israel, his people. Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house, And all that came under Solomon's heart to make him the house of the Lord, and in his own house he prosperously effected. And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said unto him, I've heard thy prayer and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven, that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts, to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people, if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes shall be open and my ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And then he turns to Solomon and says these words, and as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked and do according to all that I've commanded thee, and shall observe my statutes and my judgments. Then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom according as I've covenanted with David, thy father saying, there shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I've set before you and shall go and serve other gods and worship them, then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land. which I've given them. And this house, which I've sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to everyone that passeth by it, so that he shall say, why hath the Lord done thus unto this land and unto this house? It shall be answered because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore, hath he brought all this evil upon them. Second Chronicles chapter seven. Weighty chapter recorded for us in the word of God. Tremendous chapter, a lot going on, a lot of things happening from one end of the spectrum to the other in this one chapter. And through it all, God is getting glory in everything that's going on. I want to dream. I've been wondering, Lord, how should I title this? If I were going to give it a title, and I'm just, I believe the Lord wants me to just say this. The one who really wants revival. The one who really wants revival. So let's go to the Lord in prayer and ask God's blessings upon this time together. Now, heavenly fathers, we come before you this morning. We love you so much, Lord, and we thank you and praise you for being so kind and gracious and loving in all of our lives. Lord, you've been good to this people. Lord, I've been here for 22 years now. Lord, I've watched how you've blessed. I've watched how you've moved and you've blessed us completely, Lord. We're a blessed and spoiled people. We thank you and praise you for being the God that you are. Lord, and I pray, Father, this day that, Lord, you'd use this time of service where we gather around the word of God together Lord God, you would do for us what you've done in days past, years past, centuries past. God, please revive us. God, please move in the midst of this people. I pray that you would, as Solomon did, prosper effectively everything that's in your heart today. Lord God, we love you. We thank you for loving us, being kind to us. Lord, add your blessings to this time together in Jesus' name. And all of God's people say. Amen. You may be seated this morning. If I were to take you back into the beginning of the book of 2 Chronicles, we would come to understand that David, the great king of Israel, has now died. He's lived a great life. He's done many great things for the Lord. He's had his flaws and sins as we all do, but God still called him a man after God's own heart. And he tried his best, being human as we all are, he tried his best to serve the Lord and follow Him all the days of his life. He's died at a good old age. He's reigned over Israel now for 40 years. And now David has gone on to meet his reward for serving the Lord. Solomon, his son, is raised up in his stead. And David, before David died, David has told Solomon that the Lord has set his hand upon Solomon to build the house of God. And he said, Solomon, when you build it, this building called the house of God, as I love the way that David said it, he said, is to be exceedingly magnificent. Only time that that word's used in all of the word of God, he said, is to be exceeding magnificent. Meaning it's over the top, it's way beyond anything else that had ever been constructed up to that time. Solomon begins in chapter number three of 2 Chronicles. He begins building this house of God. It was his commission from the Lord and David had handed it down to Solomon. And now Sir Solomon is fulfilling the will of God for his life. And he's building this exceeding magnificent place called the house of God. He had been given a lot by David. It'd be given him a great heritage of the Lord. He'd been handed down some things from King David, his dad, and he lived in that luxury of being raised by a man who was after God's own heart. He had a goodly heritage. But David also had laid up for the building of the house of God, a lot of gold and silver and precious stones, things which David had acquired of his own down through the years of reigning and being king over Israel. He laid those things up and sacrificed those things and dedicated them to the house of God. Whenever Solomon had ended all of the building of this house of God, it said that Solomon took those things that his dad had laid up for this building and he brought them into the treasury of the house of the Lord and dedicated them to God. And he pulled from the past of what David had given and he laid that in the house of God. It goes on to say that Solomon, the day that he sacrificed, it had been like no other time that Israel had ever seen. It was a time of them showing the abundance of what God had done in their lives. They sacrificed like no one else had ever sacrificed. They brought animals, they brought all the substance that was needed, all the firewood, everything that was needed. to make this day a special day in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of God. And it was a special day to the Lord. And we know that because in chapter seven, whenever they had dedicated, Solomon had, you ought to go back in chapter six and read Solomon's prayer. I've got several things underlined and highlighted in my Bible where Solomon was praying that prayer. He reaches up, it says that he bows on his knees in front of the congregation, raises his hand to the Lord, and he begins praying this dedicatory prayer, if you will, for the house of God and the people of God. And by the way, it shouldn't be just the building that's dedicated, it should be the people of the building that's dedicated. And he dedicated everything to the Lord. And it said that Solomon prayed, and in his prayer he said, Lord, when you hear, forgive. When you hear, forgive. You ought to read that several times in those verses. He says, when you hear it, Lord, please forgive. And then God has promised that when he does hear, he will forgive. And there in chapter seven, we come to this time where the people are just, if you will, are in a state of revival. They've been involved in something that no other people had ever been involved in. They were involved in God and Him being God among them and them building something for the Lord and God blessing that effort, those things that were sacrificed. God came down in such glory, it says that the priest could not even go into the house of God because of the glory that filled the house. God was so moved by what they did. God just, He filled the house. Oh, how it would be to walk in here one day and we couldn't even get inside of the building because the glory of God was so surrounding this place and filling this place. That would be a great sign of revival. Would you agree with me? Solomon, Solomon is told by the Lord, he said, All the people, they're just amazed at what God has done. And it said that everyone was dismissed to their houses and they were rejoicing and glad and they were just so full of what God had been doing. They went back just so happy to their houses. And then in a midnight hour of Solomon's life, the Lord meets with him and he says, Solomon, He said, I want you to understand something. I can just see as the Lord's bringing, drawing this out in the heart and mind of Solomon. He says, Solomon, he says, it's good now, but if there comes a time in any of your reign, in any of your time as king over Israel, that I shut up heaven, or I might send a pestilence among you, or if I send something to just totally destroy my people." Then he said these words, he said, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. He said, then, then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive and I will heal and I will bless their land again. You see, God knew that because of human nature that the nation of Israel could not stay where they were at. I mean, they were revived. They were excited about the things of God. I mean, they were plugged in with God, if you will. They were enjoying the blessings of God, and they knew where those blessings were coming from, and they knew God was in the midst of them, and they were just overwhelmed with the goodness and presence of God. But God knew they would not stay that way. He knew that there would come a time where he would have to do something, if you will, to shake them up, to wake them up. Something that would let them know that things were just not right anymore. And old Vance Havner used to say it like this. He said, wouldn't it be good If we could just stay in a state of revival from the day we're saved to the day we go home to be with the Lord, wouldn't that be good? I mean, wouldn't it be good if we would just stay in tune with God and plugged in with Him? And I mean, just in a state of revival, all our days that we are saved, wouldn't it be good if we just could live right there? But we can't. We don't. We won't. that there'd be a coming a time where they needed revival. It's not a sin to need revival. It's a sin not to want revival. It's not a sin to it being a place in our lives where we need God to do it again. It's a sin when we don't care whether he does it again or not. There was some things going on in this meeting between And he told him, he said, if my people would do some things, I'd do it on my end. And I got to thinking about that, and I thought the one that really, really, really, really, really, really wants revival is God. The one that really, really, really, really wants to see revival is the Lord. The one that's really interested, the one that's really willing and waiting and just sitting on the edge of his seat to bring revival to any group of people is Jesus Christ himself. how he knows that we need reviving in the midst of the years. He knows that things happen in our lives. He knows that things take away that joy and that fellowship and that just longing for God in our hearts and we get to a place where we need revival. And I'm thankful that God is interested in bringing revival to us all. I'm glad God's interested in bringing revival to us at Murrillville Baptist Church. I'm glad God is interested in us. He looks at us. He longs to bring revival to all of our hearts, not just the preacher, not just the deacons, not just the choir members, But every person that's sitting here this morning, God longs to bring revival to all of our lives. Oh, you read in these verses, in the verses 9, 10, and 11, how that the people were just on top of the world. They were in a state of revival and it was just overwhelming every one of them. I can just hear the, the news, the grapevine of the nation of Israel. I could see it in the headlines. Revival breaks out in Israel. Revival is on. God is moving. I could hear people talking about it and saying, boy, were you at the meeting? Did you experience what God was doing? Did you see what God did that day? I mean, we couldn't even get in the house. He was so much there. But there does come times when we need revival. There does come times when we all need for God to do it again. And thank God to know He's interested. He's willing to bring revival again to His people. I wanna go through some things not hurriedly, I wanna take my time with this and just see what God'll do with all of this. There was some evidences that God would do to show them that they needed revival. He said, if I shut up heaven, in verse number 13, if I command the locust to devour, if I send pestilence among my people, what is God doing? He's letting them know that something's not quite right. He's letting them know that things aren't just where he wants them to be. And he's letting them know that there's some trouble if they don't get things right. And he says, if I do these things, if I show you that things are wrong, there's something that we need to do as God's people. If there's things going on in life, there's bad things happening. There's things that you need to be aware of. It's me that's doing it and I'm wanting to bring revival back to your life. You know, God does things in all of our lives at times to shake us up, to try to wake us up. We get so blessed in the blessings of God. We get so overwhelmed with how God just pours it off and He's blessed every one of us. Can I get a witness right there? I mean, we are a blessed people, especially us in America. Oh, He is good to us. Far better to us than we are to Him. Far better to us than we deserve. Far better to any of us than we could ever imagine. God, God has done what we have in our lives. It's God that's given it to us. If you've got any blessings at all, they came from the Lord. It wasn't because you're so wonderful and so So dashing, and it's not because you're so brilliant. It's not because we're anything. It's just because God is God. And he loves blessing his people. And I'm thankful to be one of his and get in on those blessings. The Bible says he gives us freely, richly, everything freely. And he just gives it and gives it and gives it and pours it all in all of our lives. He said, but if I do sin some things to let you know that things aren't right, would you do this? Would you humble yourself and pray? Seek my face and turn from your wicked ways? Would you? And he's talking to the leader. He's talking to Solomon, the king. They didn't have pastors as such back in those days. Israel had a king, he's dealing with a national issue. And he tells Solomon, he says, Solomon, listen, you've got to be right with me too. It's not just the people, it's you too. And every once in a while, Solomon, you'll need revival. You'll need to get right with me again. And he's willing more than willing to do some things for us and show himself to be God. If God's people are willing to do some things that he's outlined for us in these verses. But he said, if I send some dryness in your life, if I just shut up heaven, that there'd be no rain. Is your life dry? Your spiritual life, how's it doing? Is it just kind of dry lately? There's no kind of emotion or any kind of tears that goes along with your thankfulness to the Lord? Things have just dried up, seems like, in your Christian life, in your Christian walk. And that happens to every one of us. I'm not preaching in condemnation to any of us. I'm just preaching the truth to all of us. We all get like that. We all let things happen in our lives that just kind of dry us up spiritually. We're just not in it like we once were. We're not there like we used to be. We're not there in church. We're there physically, yes, but we're not there spiritually. We're there, but our minds is out yonder. We're wondering what are we gonna do when we get out, where we're gonna go in. That is more important to us than getting to the house of God and God doing something for us. We're just getting dry. Then he said, when I send those locusts to devour the land, devouring time. You know, we live in some, devouring times in this life. You can't walk around this world, you can't watch the news without knowing that God's devouring this land. This land is up, the land of America I'm talking about is up under the judgment of God. I mean, with all of the things that they are legislating for now, abortions, and homosexuality, LGBTQIA, A, B, C, and all those other letters that go along with it. And our politicians are legislating for it. They're fighting for their rights. And you cannot live in this world without it just seeming like it just devours your spirit, your life about you. It said about Lot, You wouldn't even know that Lot was a saved man. If it weren't for the New Testament, you wouldn't even know that Lot knew the Lord. If it weren't for one verse of scripture in the New Testament. You read his life, you read about his life in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is where we're living today. We are living in Sodom and Gomorrah. And Lot was living in Sodom and Gomorrah, but there's one verse that tells us about Lot, it's in 2 Peter 2.8. He said, for that righteous man, talking about Lot, that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day. I mean the things of this world that just got a way of vexing our our lives vexing our spirits and we hear it we see it and it just Disturbs us in it. It works on us in it. It does something I'm glad that God is greater than what we see going on in the world He's more precious than what we see happening in this life. He's greater. He's better. He's gooder He's more wonderful. Our God is God Almighty And thank God to know that in this life. The dryness, the devouring, the destruction that's happening all around us. Oh, it'll wear on all of us. If you will, it'll eat your lunch spiritually. It'll just drag you down. And you get to watching all this going on, and you'll begin losing your hope. You'll begin losing all your faith. You'll lose your joy. You'll lose your testimony. You'll lose everything. You won't feel like standing up and testifying. You won't feel like going to church. You won't feel like praying. You won't feel like reading your Bible. I mean, it's just got a way of just overwhelming us to where we need God to revive us again. I, Our country's being destroyed right in front of our eyes. But God is still God. He's still in control. And He's still, even with all that's going on in our midst, He's still God Almighty. Nothing's upset Him. Nothing got Him up at night. walking the floors, eating tums and taking roll eggs. He's not having a Pepto-Bismol moment. He's God. And he knows what's happening down here, but he can still be God in all of this craziness, in all of this wickedness, in all of this sin. He can still be God in our lives. I believe that this morning. I believe God can still be just as big as He was the day you got saved. He can still do it again. He can revive us. And He wants to. I began looking at the word revival. And I noticed something real strange. I've got a 1828 Webster's Dictionary. I've got a 1913 Webster's Dictionary. And I got the 2000 Webster Dictionary all on a program that I've got. In the 1800s, 1900s, and the 2000s. And I looked at the definition of revival in all three of them. In the definition of revival in the 1800s, you ought to read the definition. It is lengthy. It is just talking about what God does and how God moves. And in that definition of revival, it says it's a return, a recall, a recovery to life from death or apparent death. Then you get into the 1900s, 100 years later. Then you get into the 2000s, and this is what it said in the 2000s dictionary, an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings. I got to noticing something every hundred years, that definition just degenerated to where nothing but just an emotional If that's all revival is, is just, now God works in our emotions, I'm not discounting that. But if that's all revival is, is just an emotional high, that's all we're gonna be looking for is another emotion. It's more, it's deeper, it's broader, it's greater than just having an emotion. God'll let us know when things are, not going right. He'll do things in our own personal lives to let us know things aren't quite right, just to give us to have personal revival. He'll do things in a church. He'll do things in a family, just to let us know that things need to be cleaned up and made right. The evidence, the enemy, there's an enemy of needed revival. And we think, well, I know who the enemy is, it's the devil. And he is an enemy. Well, get me rolling what I'm about to say. Did you notice in all of this reading, the Lord never mentioned the devil in all of this? He said, if I do this, if I do that, if I do this, if my people, There's an enemy greater than the devil himself. And it lies within every one of us. And it's a great big word. If. I am. If my people, not Congress, not Joe Biden, not the Democrats, not the Republicans, Not this wicked world, if my people. If my people, which are called by my name. There's some things he says there, he says, number one, if you'll humble yourself. The opposite of humility is pride. Pride says, oh, I don't need it. Pride says, I can live without it. The old timers used to say the greatest curse of revival is is not realizing that you need it or neither wanting it. And that's a curse. I mean, if we're saved and we've been in any length of time, we know how good it can be. And as I said at the opening, the sin is not needing revival, the sin is not caring whether you have it or not. If, that's a great big little word, if. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, humility, and pray. How's your prayer life? Seek my face, not my hand, not my give out, not what I can give you, but me. Seek my face. A lot of people just want God to touch them physically, and I'm not discounting any of that. That's all a part of us living down here and needing God. We want God to do something for us physically. We want God to do something for us financially. We want God to do something in our marriage. But he says, if you'll seek my face, seek me. Seek me, want me more than anything else. And then he said this, turn from their wicked ways. I've got a sneaking suspicion of why we don't really want revival. because we know it'll cost us something. We know it's gonna cost us something. And you know what, in a lot of God's people's lives, you know what it is? Sin. They don't wanna give up their sin to have revival. They don't wanna give up what they're into as a child of God, and they know it's sin. They know it's wicked. They know it's sinful. Preachers ain't got to preach on it and hammer on it and nail on it. You know it's wicked what you're doing, but you're just not willing to give it up. He said, if my people, which are called by my name, he didn't point his finger at Washington, D.C., he pointed his finger at the church, perhaps. He said, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, He said, then, then, then, then will I. Oh, I want God to be God again. Over in, I believe it was Nottingham, England, the great man of God started the Salvation Army, William Booth. William Booth was converted in a Methodist church. And over there in that very Methodist church, they got a plaque on the wall commemorating the conversion of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. Back in their day, they were a Salvation Army for the world. They were mighty for God and used mighty. And there's a plaque on the wall over there in that church in England commemorating the day that William Booth got saved and got his heart right with God. And the story's told about one day, and they say that thousands of people will go and visit that church just to be in the place where William Booth was converted. He said that they'll make a trip there and they'll see the plaque and the exact spot where William Booth knelt to get saved and began his life for the Lord. And the story's told about one day an old colored preacher went and visited that church He walked in that church and he was standing there and he was just looking at everything and he came up on that plaque. And he was standing there right in front of that plaque. And he said, the superintendent of that church came by and he said, can I help you, sir? He said, yes, sir. He said, can a man say his prayers in this place? He said, sure. He said that old black preacher fell down on his knees right in front of that plaque. He looked up to heaven and said, oh God, do it again. Oh God, do it again. Do it again. Sister Marlene sings that song. He'll do it again. He'll do it again. He will. He's interested. He's interested in revival. I remember back in, I'd started a church, a little storefront building. I got saved in 1982. In 1988, I started a church, a little storefront building, and started knocking on doors, inviting people to come. And that first day that we opened the doors, it was 68 people walked through the front door. And we began Bible Baptist Church there in Waycross, Georgia. We stayed in that little storefront, it was a year or two, I don't quite remember. Seems like it was just near a year, then God led us to some property and we had a church building on the property. But anyway, I remember some of the old revivals that we'd have in that church. I remember one revival that we had, it was a revival meeting, but revival broke out. And I remember one Wednesday night, Brother Milton Taylor was sitting about, like where Brother Tommy is right now. Brother Milton Taylor was sitting there, and Milton is very hard of hearing. He can't hear a thing. He's got massive hearing aids in both ears, and he still can't hear nothing. He was sitting on the front row reading a book. And I'd asked Nancy Corbett to get up and give her testosterone. She had given it at our house that day, She got up and stood there and just told people how that she was, had been living for the Lord and going around with her family singing. They traveled all the time back then. And they were somewhere almost every night of their lives singing for the Lord, but she was lost. But she got up and just told her testimony. That night, seven people got saved and my wife was one of them. Brother Milton was sitting over there and didn't even know what was going on. And when he did look up and realize what was happening, the biggest smile came over his face and put the book down and got in on the meeting. And I mean, God began moving, and we went on and on with that meeting. I remember another meeting, we had to extend the meeting. Brother Jay Glass was in, and I told the people who filled the baptistry before we ever began the meeting, I said, I want you to get the baptistry filled. I believe God's gonna save some people. And we baptized somebody every night of that meeting. We extended the meeting, went on into the next week until that Wednesday night, and then we closed the meeting out. But somebody got saved every night, the next night we would baptize them. They get saved that night, the next night we would baptize them. It went on and on and on like that. I remember another meeting that we were having, and this wasn't at Bible Baptist, but it was a meeting I was involved in. There was a bunch of us preachers that were invited to a revival meeting up under a tent. And a couple of preachers that were friends, they were hosting the meeting and they held that camp meeting. It was morning meeting, night meeting and had those preachers in. And we began that meeting and boy, God began moving and people began rejoicing in the Lord and just excited about what, just excited about God. Not necessarily excited about what he was doing, but they were just excited about the meeting. And God began moving in a big way. And then it was time for the camp meeting to shut down. And one of the preachers, host preachers came to me and said, Brother John, would you be willing to come back tomorrow night if we extend this meeting? I said, would you be willing to come back tomorrow night and let's see what God will do? I went back. to that meeting. Drove there, all the way there, all the way back. A lot of times, right by myself, I'd go right by myself to that meeting, preach that meeting. God kept continuing to move it. I remember one night, I forget how many miles exactly it was, I got up and told them, I got plum excited going there. God began giving me a message as I was traveling to interstate to get there. I said, I believe I said something like this. It was 60, 60 miles here. And I got, I made it 120 miles. I was all over the road like that, weaving my way to the meeting. God just giving me something to preach that night. And I preached, I preached to him. I'll never forget, I preached the message on him. And he made the stars also. Well, God moved that night and people were weeping and crying and at the altars getting right to God. But you see, a lot of times we begin talking about what God did in the past. I want to talk about what he's doing now. I'm excited in what he's doing now. I want to see him do more in me and in you. I want to see, I want to see God say more. What's your name? Yeah, Sydney. I'm sorry. I'm so bad. Sydney got saved, what, two weeks ago? Two weeks ago, me and Miss Debbie over there in the fellowship hall talking with her. I saw the tears start flowing down her eyes. She called on Jesus and said, Lord, save me. I want to see more get saved. I want to see the saints of God excited. about the things of God and about God himself. I just want to see God do more and more. Oh, it may cost us. It may cost us of our time. It may cost us some of our sins. It may cost us some of the things that we have gotten comfortable with. There's a passage of scripture that God just reminded me of, and I want to. Well, you come there. Find the book of Song of Solomon in your Bible. Book of Song of Solomon. And while you're turning there, when you find it, I want you to stand. Sis, if you'll come to the piano. The Song of Solomon is one of the greatest love stories. If you want to read a love story, read the Song of Solomon. Tremendous love story. It's a love story between a king and just a little simple lady, a king and a simple lady. It's a picture of Jesus Christ in the church, but literally it's just a great love story. And there's a passage of scripture, and you read that love story, and in chapter one, two, three, four, the girlfriend, they're just, they're so in love with each other, and he's doing things for her, she's doing things for him, and she gets just overwhelmed with the things, the things that he gives her, and he gives her things that only a king could give somebody, and she's just, she's just living the life of luxury and blessings, Everything's going good and everything's great, but there's a sad passage in Song of Solomon chapter number five, beginning of verse number two, if you'll find that and read along with me. Now, the simple lady is talking in these first verses and she says this, in verse number two, Song of Solomon five, she said, I sleep, but my heart waketh. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying that her lover, her king lover, begins talking. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night. But listen to her reply. I've put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I've washed my feet, how shall I defile them? My beloved put his hand by the hole of the door. My bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrh, my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks. I opened to my beloved, but it was too late. My beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. My soul fell when he spake. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer. That's a sad way for two people in love with one another to get in their lives. She was so blessed. So blessed. And he came one night and he knocked on her door. She said, I'm too comfortable. I'm just too comfortable to go to the Lord. By the time she does, finally make it, he was gone. I don't want my life between me and Jesus to ever get like that. When he calls, I wanna be there. I wanna be there with him, before him. I've preached what God's put on my heart this morning. Jesus wants revival. Do you want it as much as he does? Are you saved? If you're saved, this message is definitely for you. This message is absolutely in our court. This is what the Lord's wanting us to do, to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek His face again, and to turn from our wicked ways. And we've got His promise, I will. Here I will heal. I will forgive. As we bow our heads and close our eyes this morning, could we find ourselves as the people of God? Cross these altars this morning, letting God bring revival to us again. That he might do it again in our hearts and in our lives. Could we come? Have we gotten too blessed to pray? Have we gotten too comfortable to realize the need? Have we made excuses so long that we're just content with the excuses? Or could we find a scratch us off a place in this altar? Say, Lord, I won't revive you. I want you to work in my heart. I want you to do something in my life again. Oh God, I want to be as close to you as I possibly can get. God, do it again in my heart and in my life. God, move again, please. Revive me. Revive me, Lord. Wake me up, God. Help me. Help me, Lord. Do you need revival? Do you need Jesus to be real again in your heart and in your life? He's willing. He wants to. It's just a matter of if. If we will. Are you willing to give up the sin? Are you willing to give up the luxuries of life, the comfortable way? Say, Lord, I want you more than anything else in my life.