Psalm 85. Take time to read the psalm to the chief musician. Psalm 4, the sons of Korah. Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land. Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. thou hast taken away all thy wrath, thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God, of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak. for he will speak peace on to his people and to his saints, but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is now them that fear him, and glory may dwell in their land. Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him, and he shall set us in the way of his steps. Amen. We know the Lord will add his blessing. do the reading of his word. Psalm 85, while a psalm for the sons of Korah, yet this psalm, like so many psalms, does not state the name of the human author or the exact occasion when this psalm was written. That means there are many occasions in Bible history where this psalm could be applied to and by application to our present day. Some suggest this psalm was written sometime after Babylonian captivity, where the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed and there was the need to revive the city in rebuilding. Others maintain it was during David's day when the land was oppressed by the Philistines, the ancient enemies of God and his people. However, it is clear, this psalm in reading it, it does reveal a time of great need in the land of Israel, a need that caused the psalmist to look to the Lord for his divine, sovereign, omnipotent intervention in visiting his own redeemed people. And therefore, the psalmist, as they wrote this psalm, knew the answer for the present hour was revival. And that is the answer for our present need. It is revival. Among the other pleas, and there's many wonderful pleas that we have read in this psalm, the psalmist seeking for God's blessing upon a people and upon a place. Here is one in verse six that is our text today. In Psalm 85, verse 6, will thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? The word revive, or this particular Hebrew word revive, means to live. It's translated as reviving, revived, to recover, to give life, to keep alive, to preserve, preserve alive, and to quicken. It is a word, therefore, that relates to the possessing of life, giving of life, and enjoying life. And therefore, the biblical view of revival is the re-giving of life. The very first time this word revive is used in scripture is used in Genesis chapter 45 concerning Jacob. Now we have looked at this in parts in our study in the life of Joseph. But you remember at one point Jacob was under the impression that his son Joseph was dead and for years Jacob seemed lifeless. He was just going through the motions. He was just getting through each day at a time. But upon hearing that Joseph was actually alive, the Bible tells us in Genesis 45 verses 26 and 27, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived. And that's the word. they brought back to life as it were. There was this joy again in Jacob's life. He began to live again. All those years, he seemed lifeless, just getting through day by day, just going through the motions. But when he heard his son was alive, he was stirred up again, and it was life put back into him, a spring in a step. And he couldn't wait to go and meet his son, to see his face again. Again, Nehemiah chapter 4, verses 1 and 2, we read about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. You remember When the children of Israel, Judah, were all taken into captivity, Jerusalem was destroyed. The walls were brought down. And so for the next number of years during the captivity and after, Jerusalem lay in rubble. The city walls were just in rubble, the stones having fallen down. So Nehemiah, he was led of God to come to Jerusalem and rebuild again. The city of Jerusalem rebuild the walls of Jerusalem But again as he was doing that he was mocked there was hindrances There were barriers one of the enemies of God called some ballot He mocked the people of God mocked Nehemiah as they began to rebuild Jerusalem getting all these stones and he said this I Will they revive the stones out of the rubbish which are burned? In other words, this looks a desperate case. Will they actually revive the stones? Will they put the wall back again to bring life back to the city again? Will we see the walls built again? Will they revive it? And so that is the idea of revival, what revival means, to live again, to restore, to bring back to life. You see, revival is not, and I don't want anybody to misunderstand me, I'll make it clear in a minute, but revival primarily is not about seeing souls saved. People think when they pray for revival, They're praying for the Lord to save souls. That's not revival. That is redemption. That's reconciliation. That is regeneration. That is giving life where there is no life before, where life has not existed. That's redemption, reconciliation. That is regeneration. And while souls being saved certainly follows on from revival, and we long to see souls being saved, we long to see God coming in great omnipotent power and visiting dead souls and bringing spiritual life and we pray that God will do that in this city of London and this area of Walthamstow and even in this very assembly that if there's some soul who is not saved that God will come with great salvation blessing and by his power speak with that voice that wakes the dead and call that soul on to himself. However, when we're thinking about revival, when we're praying, will thou not revive us again? That deals with God's people. Revival is God revisiting, restoring, remaking, reshaping, refreshing his covenant community and worshipping and rejoicing in Christ. Revival is God visiting believers whose spiritual life is cold, frozen, and by His defrosting power, soften and melt their hearts to make them burning and shining lights for Him. Revival is God visiting believers who day by day, Sunday by Sunday, just go through the motions, just turn up for the sake of turning up. They're here in body but they're not here in heart and God visits them that they be in the spirit on the Lord's day. Revival is God visiting believers who set their affection on things below in order that they will set their affections on things above. Revival is God causing his people to live for him again, that he will have all the focus, that when it comes to God's house, all the other little things that they can do at other times, They will want to be in God's house, in God's place of worship. That is revival, God moving among his people. Not even during the week, there'll be that thrill to get to the place of prayer, the place of studying God's word. Instead of watching whatever's on at seven o'clock, Coronation Street or EastEnders or Amadil, whatever's on, there'll be that desire to get to the house of God. Psalm 85, verse six, is a prayer for revival. And I will say this here, we need revival. I, as a preacher, need revival. You, as a believer, need revival. This congregation, as you can see clearly, needs revival. We need the power of God upon us again. Charles Burton, who ministered in London, during days of great revival blessing, preaching to 8,000 Sunday by Sunday, said this here on this verse. Brethren, if you will pray this prayer, it will be better than my preaching from it. And my only motive in preaching from it is that you may pray it. And that's what Spurgeon said when it came to Psalm 85 verse 6. If you will pray this prayer, it will be better than my preaching from it. And my only motive in preaching from it is that you will pray it. And I say the same as Charles Spurgeon. Our great need is revival. And therefore as we think of revival, the prayer of revival, notice first of all the request for revival. The psalmist in requesting God, revive us again, do so, because God is the author of revival. If revival is ever to come to any place or any people, but we're thinking here about London, it will only come from God. The history of revival shows us that God stepped in in the most unlikely times. When the days were spiritually dark, church gatherings were declining. Prayer meetings were nearly abandoned. People had a flippant attitude about God's house. Should I go? Should I not? Should I go? Should I not? Revival comes not by people stirring up themselves. It's not by people creating their own excitement. It's not get in the mood for revival for the day. There's going to be a revival. That's how people present revival. They need to get some sort of emotion up here. Rather, revival is believers coming to prayer and requesting God, will thou not revive us again? Take out the negative. Revive us again, O Lord, because we need it. There's a coldness in my heart, a laziness in my heart. When it comes to the Bible, it's take it or leave it. When it comes to prayer, take it or leave it. When it comes to God's house, it's not as important because there's other things that I could do and do do. We need a revival, a movement of God again. Human instrumentality is not the author of revival. If we'd just had a better preacher, we'd have revivals. Human instrumentality is not the author of revival. God is. And God uses the people that we think won't be used to show that no flesh will glory in his presence, to show that he is the one who sends revival. And so like the psalmist, we must acknowledge the divine visitation we need as a church body individually can only come from God. A church cannot be revived unless God revives it. You as a believer cannot be and will not be revived unless God works in your heart What gave the psalmist hope to pray for revival? What gives you hope to pray for revival? What gives this believer hope to pray for revival? And I could say a lot more things. It's you come to the psalmist's stead and you come to the scripture and see God sends revival. The psalmist could pray based on all that God had done in the past, forgiving the sin of the people, delivering them from captivity, causing them to rejoice in their savior. And on that basis, the psalmist can pray for revival. He's praying based on all that God has done in the past. We're not praying, Lord, do the same thing you did for Spurgeon. We're saying, Lord, move amongst us in our day and age. We need to know the breath of God. Psalm 44, verse 1, we have heard with our ears, O God. Our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days, in times of old. We want God to do greater. We don't want a repetition. We want God to come and move among us in great power. The Lord send us revival again and cause his people to live. There is a need in the church for the resurrection praying. revive us again. Therefore, when God revives his people again, it is a spiritual awakening among God's people. Lord, awaken thy people from the slumber. Bring back spiritual life and vitality to his people. spiritual seal that will be renewed, a power that is lacking will be renewed. When God revives his people again, he creates a spiritual awareness among the people. When the church is revived, there is an awareness, the Lord has come, and that to bless it. The Lord has come to visit His people in giving them bread. When God revives His people again, He creates a spiritual appetite among His people. There is an appetite for God, an appetite to want to be fed by the Word of God, to meditate upon the Word, to memorize and to be motivated by the Word of God. When God revives His people again, He changes their spiritual attitude. That is a desire to live for God, a desire, a greater love for God, a greater desire to attend the house of God, a desire to hear God's voice. When God comes in revival, our priorities are sorted out. God is first. We can't stay away from the house of God. The Bible can't be put down. Prayer must continue. Praise that glorifies God. Time isn't even a consideration. The watch is an enemy to revival. There is an intense desire for the house of God. You desire to be among God's people, the place where God is praised. When you have to go to work, school and do other duties, the presence of God or you are aware that the presence of God goes with you and rests upon you. People can see there's something different in your life. The time you're absent from God's community. a God's house instead of being homesick as the term goes. You are church sick because you want to be in the place where God is moving. You want to be in the place where God is blessing. And you run quickly to the place where God is meeting with his people, because you want to be there. May God send this revival every single Sunday, where people will flock to the house of God. They will desire to be under the preaching of the Word, where Christ is exalted and glorified. All the other things that we have to do, can be put off for another time. Verse 9, the joyful anticipation the psalmist had that God was going to send glory and move again in the land. And how with thriller hearts to see God move in revival, to revive us as a people and a place, that Lord's Day after Lord's Day, we would be aware, not just to go through, to have all the, yes, I know all the Lord's here and that to bless us, God will never leave me nor forsake me, I mean, we can just get through those verses and through that truth and just go on with it, but to be aware. God is here and that to bless us. To leave knowing and to stay knowing. I've been in the presence of God today. I've met with God. God's met with me. In 1742, Jonathan Edwards, his wife, and they knew great days of revival blessing. She wrote in her diary about revival. It is the constant awareness of the presence of God. You say, Preacher, can there be such days of reviving again? I ask you, are you praying for revival? Ask and it shall be given on to you because revival has been purchased by the precious blood. It's a spiritual blessing that God's purchased for his people. Have you ever requested God to visit believers with an outpouring of his spirit in this country of England, in this city of London, in this congregation at Wathamstow, that God will come and give us a hunger and a thirst after him? Let it come. O Lord, we pray Thee, let the showers of blessing fall. We're waiting, we're waiting. Come revive the hearts of all. The psalmist, his request for revival. Wilt Thou not revive us again, O Lord? We need revival. Notice secondly, the recipients of revival. Notice the words, that Thy people or wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee." Notice those words, us, thy people. It refers to God's own people who are the recipients of this revival. This is the great emphasis and the favour that they have known the forgiveness of God. They rejoice in who God is and all that God has done for them. Verse 1, Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land. Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. When God's people were in Babylonian captivity, God promised that he would revisit them and would bring them back to their land. He gave them the promise, and this is another word where revival is used, Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 2. And you have prayed that prayer many, many times, and we have sung the words many times. Habakkuk chapter 3 verse 2. Revive thy work, O Lord. And you know that verse well. Well, that's the exact same word. Revive, preserve, cause it to live again. Remember, they're about to go into captivity. For 70 years, they will be in bondage. So what does he pray? Lord, during such times, revive thy work, preserve thy work. And God answered prayer, because during those times in Babylonian captivity, you read the book of Ezra, and Ezra prayed, Lord, a little reviving in our bondage. And God moved among the people. And then God brought them back victoriously. In the darkest of days God moved. Again there was the awareness that God had forgiven sin. Psalm verse 2, Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. The word iniquity, it means crooked or bent. The people, remember they had all their false idols. They had walked in the stubbornness of their own hearts. And so now God, this prayer for revival, this prayer is to turn them again to himself. And God forgives them. God moves among them. They were a people that had been forgiven. The word forgiven means to carry away, to release, or to send away. And they knew this language. This is tabernacle language recorded in Leviticus chapter 16 about sins being forgiven. Because in Revival, there's the great awareness that i am a sinner and he is the great savior he is the one who's forgiven me of my sin christ is exalted as the only mediator on the day of atonement two goats were used in sacrificial ceremony. One was called the scapegoat, where the high priest would place his hands upon the scapegoat's head and confess the sin of the children of Israel, teaching that truth of imputation, transferral, transaction of those sins placed from one on to another. This goat was then sent away into the wilderness, never to return, never to be searched for again, but all to teach symbolically that Christ is the one who bears away our sin, and our sins are sent away, never to return, never to be searched for again. The second goat was the Lord's goat. It was sacrificed, its blood was shed. It taught the people that sin was covered by the death of a substitution in their place, again pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ as the substitute of his people. His precious blood was shed to put away their sin, to forgive them of their sin. As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Therefore, only Christ bore the sins of his own people on his body on the tree. His blood was shed to ransom his people, to release them from bondage, release them from captivity of sin, to turn away the wrath of God. So here the psalmist As he's praying, will thou not revive us again? He's coming on the ground of the blood. He's coming on the ground of the everlasting covenant. And he's praying, Lord, thou forgive the sin of thy people. Thou forgive our crooked ways, our bent ways, our idolatry. Lord, thou didst forgive us. Now, Lord, send us revival. Because God sending revival is to visit his people again. And therefore, the recipients of revival are the Lord's own people. God coming down and revisiting, rekindling that fire burning within our hearts again. And we pray that God will do that. Not only in this land, but in this city and in our hearts. That God will intervene in mighty power. That God will send in these days great revival blessing. Revive me. Lord, make me to be a recipient. of blessing. Pass me not, O gentle Saviour. Hear my humble cry, while in others thou art calling. Do not pass me by. Lord, revive my heart. The answer for every seat filled in this house on Sunday morning, overflowing, on Sunday afternoon, is not a better program, as people have said to me, change things in the service, twist things up, get more excitement on. It's not getting more preachers or having more conferences or do testimony Sundays and stuff and that'll get people in. It's God sending revival. It's getting back to what needs to be back to. Lord, send us revival. And if God does not send us revival, this is the way it will be. We need God to move, and God to move in our hearts. The rejoicing, finally and briefly, of revival. Psalmist requests God for revival, that thy people may rejoice in thee. You see, because of sin, they were not rejoicing in their God. But God sends a revival that his people will rejoice in him, who he is, the God of their salvation, the God of the one who's redeemed him. Again, verse 10, mercy and truth are met together. See, God's truth says that you are a sinner deserving of hell, but God's mercy shows there's mercy for you. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. God's righteous justice demands payment for sin, for breaking his law. but peace is the payment through reconciliation. And if God is pleased to send revival, his people will rejoice in him for every blessing bestowed upon them. And I long for revival. I long the day God will move again among us, that it will be noise to broad. The Lord is in his house. May not be our prayer, Sunday by Sunday, Lord, revive my pastor. Lord, revive my wife. Revive my husband. Revive my children. Revive my mum, my dad. Revive the committee men. Revive the office bearers. Because everyone, if there's sin in the camp, there is no blessing. May God send revival even to backsliders. Maybe there's one here today. You've gone cold. You haven't been reading your Word. You haven't been praying. May God send you a revival, a rekindling of that flame again. May the Spirit of God come among us and in great glory cause us to rejoice in Him again. For His name's sake. Amen.