God's Presence in Historic Revivals
Sam Caldwell illustrates through historic revivals that God's presence comes and goes as the church hungers and thirsts for righteousness, urging believers to seek His presence personally and corporately for revival to ignite again.
This sermon emphasizes the historical hunger and thirst for God's presence in the church, detailing how saints throughout the ages experienced revival when seeking God fervently. It highlights the cyclical pattern of God's presence filling and receding in church history, encouraging the congregation to hunger and thirst for righteousness like those before them. The speaker urges the listeners to pray for God's presence in their community and personal lives, drawing inspiration from past revivals in Scotland, New England, Wales, North Korea, and England.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Pattern of Revival in Church History
- God's presence comes and goes as the church hungers and thirsts
- Historic revivals show cycles of spiritual awakening and retreat
- Matthew 5:6 as a summary of revival atmosphere
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II. Examples of Historic Revivals
- Scottish Reformation under John Knox and Samuel Rutherford
- Great Awakening with Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
- Revival movements in Wales, South Africa, and North Korea
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III. The Role of Prayer and Personal Seeking
- Edward Payson's prayer life as a foundation for revival
- The impact of persistent prayer like Andrew Murray Sr.'s 36 years
- Prayer meetings as catalysts for God's presence
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IV. The Call to Hunger and Thirst for God's Presence Today
- Repentance from focusing on numbers instead of God's presence
- The necessity of personal holiness and awareness of God
- Hope that revival can come again to local communities
Key Quotes
“The mark of every revival is an awesome sense of the presence of God that awakens the church and changes the community.” — Sam Caldwell
“The kingdom of God is not going to advance by our churches becoming filled with men, but by men in our churches becoming filled with God.” — Sam Caldwell
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness in this city. And we could be filled.” — Sam Caldwell
Application Points
- Commit to personal prayer and seeking God's presence daily as Edward Payson did.
- Repent from focusing on church growth numbers and instead pursue being filled with God.
- Have hope and actively pray for revival in your community, trusting God can come again.