Revival Conference 2007 - Richard Sipley Interview

We're delighted to have with us the Reverend Richard Sipley. Richard is a man who is growing younger every day as I listen to him and fellowship with him. It's such a delight. We're here in Ohio at Revival Conference 2007. And Pastor Sipley has agreed to a brief interview and we're so delighted that you're here, sir. I have four questions I'd like to ask you. First of all, what is Revival? Well, Revival, of course, is new life, having life again. And the church becomes dead, stale, inactive. The glory is gone and God wants to bring new life. And that, of course, comes from the presence of God. His presence, His life, a new manifestation of His life in the individual and in the church. That's what Revival is, however it may come. Why do we not see Revival? I believe the only reason is because God's people are not doing what God says about it. Many of God's people, I would presume the majority of God's people today, don't really believe that a great revival is possible. They think it's too late or too sinful or something. And they don't even think about such a thing. But I think it tarries simply because God's people are not right with God. And God is not morally free to do what He wants to do. God wants to pour out His Spirit. He wants to save people by the millions. But He is not morally free to do it because of God's people and their sin. That leads on to the next question very clearly. What is our role as God's people in Revival? Well, of course, I believe individually our role is to seek the face of God, to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek His face, and to ask God to show us everything that needs to be changed in our life and mean it, to be sincere about it. Lord, show me. Search me, O God. And let God search our hearts and point out the sin, deep repentance, deal thoroughly with sin. Then we need to deal thoroughly with self because we are so full of self. We are self-centered. And we need to bring the self to the cross and believe Him that we are crucified with Christ. And then we need to open our lives to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When we do that, God is going to begin to revive us and revive those around us. Pastor Sipper, you've been a pastor for over 60 years. You're a man of great experience, a man who has experienced revival in some wonderful ways in several different places over the many years. If you were given just one last opportunity on television, for example, to address the Church of North America, what would you say? Repent. Turn to God. Repent of your sin, your self, your worldliness, and get serious with God. Thank you, brother. We appreciate you so much. Thank you.