In Our Prayer for Revival... We Must Test Ourselves
In prayer for revival, we must be willing to test ourselves and the church by separating from the world's sin and values.
Andrew Murray emphasizes that genuine prayer for revival requires self-examination and a willingness to test both the church and ourselves against the standards set by Christ. He illustrates how Christ's separation from the world and his acceptance of the cross exemplify the stark contrast between the values of the world and the values of the Kingdom of God. The cross serves as a powerful symbol of this relationship, revealing the enmity of the world towards Christ and the strength found in what the world deems foolish. Murray calls for believers to embrace this truth in their pursuit of revival, recognizing the need for a deep commitment to Christ's teachings.
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Unless in our prayer for revival we are ready to test the church, and to test ourselves, by this touchstone, our prayer will be in vain. With Christ his not being of the world meant everything. He proved it by separating himself from its sin, by exposing and reproving it, by accepting the cross it prepared for him as the proof of the distance between it and him. The cross revealed the spirit of the world, its irreconcilable enmity to him. It revealed the Spirit of Christ -- his refusal of its friendship, his endurance of its hate and rejection. The cross is the everlasting symbol of the relation between Christ and the unregenerate world. What is called folly, he counted wisdom. What it called weakness, he proved to be strength.
What it despised, he gloried in.
(Excerpted from The Coming Revival, by Andrew Murray , pg. 30).
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Self-Examination in Prayer for Revival
- The world's influence on the church must be tested
- Christ's separation from the world's sin
- The cross as a symbol of Christ's relationship with the world
Key Quotes
“What is called folly, he counted wisdom. What it called weakness, he proved to be strength. What it despised, he gloried in.” — Andrew Murray
Application Points
- We must be willing to separate from the world's sin and values in order to experience true revival.
- Christ's example of endurance and glorification of what the world despises should inspire us to do the same.