Regaining Lost Ground

Pastor Shane Idleman: 7 And you're doing things for them not perfectly, you regret We all have regrets. Do I wish I could pray more and better? Yes. Read and study more? Yes. Billy Graham's biggest regret was that he didn't spend more time with the Lord and in his word he traveled too much. But there's a big difference between that type of regret and at the end realizing you did nothing for the Lord, really. Sure, went to church, but there was no no passionate relationship where there was just fruit and fervency and fire for God. So think about that and maybe pray that this evening as as we Lord, as we go through the next few days, I want to be revived.

I need to be revived.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us here at West Side Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, 1 hour north of Los Angeles.

Guest (Male): Today on Regaining Lost Ground, we hear the third and final part of this refreshing message titled, Do you want to be revived? Prince of Preachers Charles Spurgeon once said, Hope itself is like a star, not to be seen in the sunshine k of prosperity and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Join us for this timely message to fuel the church with hope and truth in times of uncertainty here on Regaining Lost Ground.

Guest (Male): You can hear the whole message at Pastor Shane's YouTube and Rumble channels. Make sure to subscribe today. For more information, visit us online at westsidechristianfellowship.org. We also encourage you to hear more truth from Pastor Shane with the Idle Men Unplugged weekly podcast. And now from West Side Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here's Pastor Shane Idle Man.

Pastor Shane Idleman: I love this Duncan Campbell. Revival is a community saturated with God. Very interesting. Duncan Campbell, many of you remember if I showed that picture of those two ladies, one was blind, one was bent over, and they were actually they're in their 80s and they're praying for revival, and they prayed specifically for Duncan Campbell. And he didn't know and God was orchestrating him and came over on a on a ship to the New Hebrides Islands and and he came there and he he could tell when he when he would preach that there was just people were hungry, they wanted to stay till till till the late hours of the night.

And then the next meeting, it was full and people were in the fills worshiping the Lord. And everywhere they went, they were singing hymns and he he you can read about it. He he just he couldn't believe it. He that's God saturating. That that's why he knows we say revival is a community saturated with God. And we know the difference between saturated and being having a little a little bit honest. It's the difference between night and day. D. Martin Lloyd Jones, the quickening and the awakening of lethargic sleeping church members. Guys, that's a great definition of revival.

The quickening and awakening of lethargic sleeping church members. Many many come in and they just getting through the day and kind of tired, kind of bored and they did their due diligence. They came to church. They marked it off. Just no excitement. They don't talk about Jesus much. They they're not going to pray for anybody that God's not answering their prayers. They really never let anybody to the Lord. They they themselves have no passion, no zeal, no fire. And so when revival comes, it awakens that lethargic person that that and and and your excitement. It's almost Have you ever had um you know you that that cold water you know splashed on your face or you know when they at those football games, they take those Gatorade things and and it just that's what it's it's an awakening.

It's a quickening. And and you've been you've you've you've you have that and and many times I don't know if what we have time tonight of course, but there's things that block that revival. And that's why we talk about sin often here and repentance and the fear of the Lord. Those are huge things. There there's no revival without talking about the fear of the Lord and sin and repentance. Revival always follows those who preach and teach and look to the truths of the scripture. They're not afraid of it. They don't want to avoid it. They want to call men and women to repentance because they know God will revive them.

So on this thought on on do you want to be revived? Preparing to be revived. Preparing to be revived. And from Sunday, recall that many promises are conditional. So what I'm trying to do tonight is just wet that appetite, have that desire and and and to say and I go through it. There's seasons. I don't always feel great. But there's there's a pursuit, there's a desire, there's a seeking God. And and that's what I want to try to do is is is to get that inside of you to really want to pursue him even more.

And as I said Sunday, many promises are conditional. A lot of times the problem is on on God's end. I should It's never on God's end. It's always on our end. Scripture is clear, if you do these things. And so one verse you can just listen that's so important when it comes to preparing our hearts for revival, there's a breaking that has to take place. There's an obeying that has to take place and there's a pleading, there's a desperation that has to take place. Listen to this verse. Hosea 10:12. God says, Now break up your fallow ground for it is now time to seek the Lord until he comes and rains righteousness on you.

And most commentators would agree raining righteousness on the person is the fullness of the Spirit. They're living like Christ. There's there's a fullness of the Spirit, but you have to do something first. You have to break up your fallow ground. How many of you don't know what fallow ground is? I'm assuming there's some. There's a lot more, but you're just okay. Um one thing I you know I'm I'm you look back and you you see how God uses your your background and um I probably spent a lot of time in dirt more than most of you here.

Uh caliche dirt, hardpan dirt, sand, silt, dug down, found water. I mean I I just was a lot of dirt, a lot of dirt when I was younger. Retention basins and drainage and and you could look at the soil and and all these different things. But fallow ground is interesting because it's ground that had been prepared. It was ready. It was ready for the seeds. But over time it wasn't maintained. It wasn't maintained. It grew hard. And just like our hearts can grow callous and hard. So what was once pliable and usable has now become hard.

And that why break up the fallow ground. They would get it. They would get an ox and they would put those big metal dig great graders or whatever you want to plows. Yes, thank you. And I remember my dad used to put me on a gas one. Well, you got to hold on tight too. It's hitting rocks and different things, but it's plowing up plowing up that fallow ground. That's why he said, break up your fallow ground. Is he talking about real dirt? Of course not. He's talking about the heart the heart. Yes, you you you God maybe once used you.

There was a passion, a desire. You read the word a lot. You worshiped a lot, but but over time over time and what happens is the sun beats down on it. Life circumstances drought. There's no rain. There's no water. There's no water. The spirit in your heart, your soul and the heart becomes hard and callous. And breaking up that fallow ground, it's it's actually a simple decision. Praise God you we don't have to go rent a plow. But we say, Lord, I want to break this up tonight. God I need I need to come back.

I need to I need to be filled again with your spirit. I need I'm longing for that. I've lost my first love. And maybe some of you never have never had it. Maybe some of you have never had it. But God's call is to break up that fallow ground and keep doing it, keep breaking, keep breaking until he comes and rains righteousness on you. I have found as you're breaking, as you're breaking, it also building that relationship with the Lord. He doesn't keep you just stagnate. He he that that relationship is built. Jesus basically said, if you love me, you'll obey me not just worship me.

We've got a lot of worshipers, but not as many obeyers. If you love me, you obey my commandments. And Hosea, what I just read, it's it's interesting because it it it was the late 8th century. And Hosea compared God's relationship with Israel to a broken and restored marriage. That was Hosea. He had to live out a interesting life. And it would show how Israel was unfaithful but God was always faithful. And it it is amazing to watch where God would just you think he's had enough. And he would he would bring in Assyrians or the Babylonians or the the the enemies of Philistines and but it would get his people it it would cause the people to break up their fallow ground.

And then he would begin to restore them again and and and and and like a like a like a husband who's who's always taking that spouse back. But here's the key. God's compassion outpaced his wrath. That's what we need to know. God's compassion always outpaces his wrath. So yes, we talk about the wrath of God, the holiness of God. But his compassion outpaces that without a shadow of a doubt. So I I think we need on this topic we need to get back to that that that fearing the Lord again and and just coming in, Lord, I'm expecting you to move.

Do I have clean hands? Do I have a clean up your heart? I don't want to lift up my soul to an idol and there's a there's a I I can't explain it really, but there's a respect for God and even Moses trembled, Isaiah trembled, Paul trembled, Dave I mean you get any any of the heroes of the faith, Abraham that saw God, experienced God, there was a there was a bowing down, there was a trembling, there was a there is the Lord the the the the king of glory. And Isaiah's incredible experience when God actually revealed himself to him and he fell down and he he worshiped.

He said, my eyes have seen the king. He was changed from that moment on. So there has to be a breaking that happens in our heart. You you have to say, Lord, I become pride prideful. How how many Maybe there's some Gwens in here or some Garys. And guys, I I've seen it. I've seen it a lot. You would I the term modern day Pharisee is real. It really is. It's sad. The people who need to be revived the most often fight it the most. Because and I don't know maybe if there's something that exposes us, it's vulnerable.

Brokenness and humility is not a character trait that many want to have because they rate the success by Fortune 500 companies and not God's book. God loves humility. Does he not? Oh, a broken and contrite heart, I will in no way cast away. And being and being bold enough to say, God, I need help in this area. I need to humble myself, whatever that takes, Lord. Maybe getting on the knees, your knees where you're sitting, maybe coming forward, maybe doing business with him tonight, maybe just getting rid of that that that that that pride that can so easily sneak in.

The pride in others I can clearly see. But praise God there's none in me. And that is one of the that that that was Jesus, what he actually If you think about it, who did he rebuke the most? Sinners repented. Sinners repented. What must I do to be saved? The lady caught in the act of adultery. The woman possessed all these other I don't come in my house. I'm but the Pharisees the prideful, the arrogant. And and and God calls us to break up that fallow ground and then obeying I like what R. T. Kendall said.

This will this is going to really help you. I've been thinking about this since I heard it and hopefully he's going to still come out and speak uh here at Easter. Um 92 years old, still travels and speaks. It's amazing and just he's got he's so gifted. He took over after D. Martin Lloyd Jones. Uh he took over his pastor at talk about filling some big shoes. And uh but he said and I I say I'm sharing this as soon as I heard it. Find out what grieves the Holy Spirit and don't do it. That's pretty simple.

Now try try doing it. I mean everything from traffic Now it's always me. I get those cars right on my bumper. If that's you, I'm not going to go faster. Are you like that doesn't make me go faster. That makes me Slow down. Look I got trailer hitch on the back. And they're just right like I can't like they're my like guys. What grieves the Holy Spirit and do not do what grieves the Holy Spirit in your marriage? How we treat our spouses our kids, others. So guys, once you break and you say, God, break this fallow ground, it's time to seek you again.

Now I'm going to begin to obey you. I 'm going to find out what grieves the Holy Spirit and I 'm not going to do it. That might require apologies. That might require getting rid of a a bitterness. Isn't it bitterness is tough? That's why it's called the root of bitterness cuz it goes deep, man. I can I can hold on to stuff too. And just just really letting all that go and what you're doing is you're clearing the way for the rain to come and flood your heart. And then there is involved there is pleading and desperation involved in revival.

Isaiah again 64. Oh, that you would rend the heavens, that you would rend There's a God, would you do something? Would you come down? And he he acts for the one who waits for him. And I don't know. Maybe we won't see something in California, but I'm not going to shut up. Maybe we won't maybe maybe we won't see a lot of some of our prayers answered, but I 'm not going to give up because God knows best. He's sovereign, not me. He knows what can destroy you and what can help you. And you might be praying for what can destroy you.

But there is always desperation. Oh, Psalm 85 wilt thou not revive us again? And I don't know maybe I read into it, but I can I can hear the emotion in these in these texts. He's not just All right, will thou not revive us again? Now he's passionate. Psalm 85:6. Oh, Lord, will you not revive us again? God, please revive us again, restore us again. Why? So that your people may rejoice in you. Here's a good thing. Rejoicing always precedes revival. Joy always precedes the fullness of the Spirit. When you when you get that fresh feeling of the Spirit, when you're when you're on track with God, have you ever you remember those times?

You obey the Lord you do something and you and you're revived and that joy follows. It's incredible. And I love Lamentations verse actually chapter 3. And this is interesting. Jeremiah is writing it. The book means lamenting. God judged his people. God judged his people. Things are not going good. And this is where a lot of Christians need to put on the brakes and listen for a minute. During during during captivity, they're they've lost everything. And he said, This I recall to my mind. Therefore, I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed because his compassion never fails.

Believe it or not, one of the things that will will stop a person from being revived is discouragement and unthankfulness. When we're not thankful, we're discouraged it doesn't happen. We've got to find that that that thankfulness in every situation. The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him. So there has to be desperation. There's a song I listen to sometimes. I might have read it before, but it says this talking about revival and in the spirit of God it says, Lord, do it here and do it now. Let true revival begin.

Let your glory fall like fire. Let it burn through every part till there's nothing left but worship till you purify our hearts. Bring revival. And so guys, I just want to encourage you with this. We often think that backsliding is some terrible sin. Did you know backsliding actually happens when you do nothing? All of us can backslide when we do nothing. We don't pursue God. You're not going forward when you don't pursue God. You are backsliding backslidden state. And then that's where there's no joy of the Lord. That's why worship doesn't touch your heart like it used to.

That's why the word of God doesn't come alive like it used to. You've got to get that revived spirit back. And I don't want to be careful on this last point I'm going to share because you know people listen and and um I I do this not too too much, but um obviously living here on my life, I know a lot of people outside the church too. Um just did more probably more probably more funerals outside the church than inside the church. Um but also you know called to hospitals and hospice care. And it breaks my heart too um when you see people and you know they you they're not apart from a miracle.

Usually elderly and they're older and um lots of tears. And they they're Christian, but they never did anything for the Lord. Imagine your whole life 80 years and you know you you know days are counting you know days are left, weeks. And you wasted your whole life. Again, you're a Christian. You're going to heaven. But you never knew the Lord in a powerful way. Can you imagine that? Never really let anybody to the Lord. I never I never I I pursued this, I pursued that. I never was really revived like you talk about. I just And you get to the end and there's no there's that's it.

God gave you this incredible life. 70 years, 80 years, 90 years and you're you're in your final stages. And you realize it sinks in. It you did nothing for the Lord. You really didn't. And again, that's just a reality. We all have to be faced with and that's why you want to be revived. Cuz that then you have a passionate relationship with the Lord. And you're doing things for them not perfectly, you regret We all have regrets. Do I wish I could pray pray pray pray more and better? Yes. Read read and study more? Yes.

Billy Graham's biggest regret was that he didn't spend more time with the Lord. And in his word he traveled too much. But there's a big difference between that type of regret and at the end realizing you did nothing for the Lord, really. Sure, went to church, but there was no no passionate relationship where there was just fruit and fervency and fire for God. So think about that and maybe pray that this evening as as we Lord, as we go through the next few days um I want to I want to be revived. I need to be revived.

And back to the title of the the sermon. Do you want to be revived? That is that's a genuine question cuz a lot of people don't because they know it takes it takes something. It takes commitment. It takes seeking him. It takes desire. It takes dying to self. Do you know how hard it is that some of those songs we sing, Lord, take it all? Do you really mean that? I give it all. So easy to sing. But truly mean it. Lord, I give I give you I give you my life. Use me in any way you want.

And that's where revival starts.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Regaining Lost Ground with Pastor Shane Idle Man. You can find more information at westsidechristianfellowship.org. That's westsidechristianfellowship.org. And for all the latest on what God is doing with his ministry here, please be sure to follow us on most social media platforms. West Side Christian Fellowship is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. Thank you again for listening to today's message of Regaining Lost Ground where we are reminded daily, times change, truth does not.