Sermon by R. A. Torrey Based on Ezekiel 37: 9, 10 and PSALM 85:6
The great need of the church today is a general, widespread, deep, thoroughgoing, genuine revival. That is also the greatest need of business, the greatest need of human society, the greatest need of human government, the greatest need of international relations, the greatest need of missions. In every department of life today - business, relationships, politics, international relations, education, church, - we are facing the most menacing problems and the most important crises that have confronted the human race in centuries, if not in human history.
The only hope of the church is a great revival or revolution. It is a real and larger coming of the life of God into the church and through the church and through the church in society as a whole.
A real revival is a time of quickening or impartations of life, Since God alone can give life, a revival is a time when God visits His people, imparts new life to them by the power of His Holy Spirit, and then through them imparts life to sinners dead in trespasses and sins. The great need of today, as I have said is a general revival, that is clear and allows no honest difference of opinion. What, then, shall we do?
Pray.
Take up the Psalmists prayer, "Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? ( Psalm 85: 6 ) Take up Ezekiels prayer, "Come from the four winds, O breath [breath of God], and breathe upon these slain, that they may live" ( Ezekiel 37:9)
His power must be sought by the earnest, persistent, believing prayer that will not take no for an answer. We live in a day characterized by the multiplication of machinery and diminution of God's power. The great cry of our day is work, work, work, organize, organize, organize, give us some new committee, tell us some new methods, devise some new machinery, but the need of our day is prayer, more prayer, and better prayer.
Prayer could work as marvelous results today as it ever could, if the church would only give itself to praying, real praying, prevailing prayer. Here and there, God is laying upon individual ministers and churches a burden of prayer that many never have known before. Many are getting entirely disgusted with mere machinery and the man made revivals, and are learning to depend more on God.
What is needed is a general revival, but if we cannot have a general revival, sweeping over the whole earth, we can have local revivals and state revivals and national revivals. It is not necessary that the whole church get to praying to begin with. Great revivals always begin first in the hearts of a few men and women whom God arouses by His Spirit to believe in Him as a living God, as a God who answers prayer, and upon whose hearts He lays a burden from which no rest can be found except in importunate crying unto God. Oh, may He, by His Spirit, lay such a burden upon our hearts today! I believe He will!
http://www.biblebelievers.com/torrey_sermons/
___________________
Just imagine! R.A. Torrey lived long, long ago! Even then man was into his own machinations of making a revival - even back then! How much more so today?