Revival of Dead Things
By Rev. Harold Mauldin

Luk 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

Luk 15:3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

Luk 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

Luk 15:5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Luk 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nie just persons, which need no repentance.

Luk 15:8 Either what woman having ten peices of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

Luk 15:9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

REVIVAL: THE ACT OF BRINGING BACK TO LIFE, RESTORING

It's time for revival! No, not a three night gig where we have a special speaker, evangelist, or gifted man or woman of God come by and fire us up. No, I mean a revival that brings back to life the things that are deep in our spirits that need to come alive. God is hungry for honest people. He wants people in hot pursuit of his presence and when he finds them, he has the avenue through which revival can flourish.

The parable Jesus mentions here has to do with lost things. The first was a smelly sheep. The second was a piece of silver. Both things were valuable to the owner but just as good as dead. Why? Because if you cannot find what is yours, it is like you never had it and its value to you is nothing. That is exactly what we were to ourselves and our family and friends without Jesus. But now we are washed, justified and sanctified in the name of the Lord and by his spirit. There is a revival in dead things.

When you are born of man, you were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. You acted just like the ignorant devil. We were all rebels at heart. Our Dad was the devil. We were doomed for hell. But when Christ came into our heart, we became righteous. The Bible says that righteousness is imputed into the heart of every believer by faith. We are made righteous and made alive in him. Simply put, we are revived.

God loves revivals. He came in the flesh and died on the cross just to hold a revival in our souls. In fact, Jesus loves revivals so much we even went to hell and held a three night revival. Why? It was a revival of dead things.

The son went from a man with a heritage to a living like a pig. He lost it all. It was as though he wwere dead. When we are out of the will of God, famine comes. You lose everything and even feed things you once called sin and you become defiled. You need a revival.

There are dead things in our lives that God wants to bring alive tonight. We are his people and he wants to restore our souls. Thank God for our heritage. The son finally came to himself and realized he was worse off than his father's servants. He made the decision to go back, not for restoration, but for service. You want God to resurrect some dead things in your life? Then be willing to let him do it by making yourself a servant. Remember, servants have no agenda or opinion. They just want to serve by pleasing the master. It is time for a revival of dead things.

The son knew exactly what he was going to say to his father. He was going to admit he had sinned and knew he was unworthy. HE was going to apply for the job of a servant. He was going to spend the rest of his life repaying his father and filled with condemnation. But the father had a better plan for him. Our heavenly father knows us and has seen all our failures. Yet, in spirte of it all, he still awaits our return.

There are four things that the father did when he saw his son coming home.

1) He saw him (The eyes of the Lord are upon us.)

2) Had compassion (A passion to help the hurting)

3) He ran (God runs to us, not from us, when trouble comes.)

4) Fell on his neck and kissed him (He covered and anointed him by the avenue of forgiveness.)

When dead things come to life, it can bring out the best and worst in people. That son had a brother. He was a jerk. There are some people who don't want revival. All they want is the status quo. They serve and expect everybody to do it like they do. When something different comes along, all they want to do is talk about the way it used to be or what they would have done different. There are some people in the body of Christ that never worship unless they initiate it. I don't care who starts it and who God uses, I just want revival. I want to see some things that are dead come to life and I want to see a fresh move of the Holy Ghost like I have never seen before. It is time for a revival of dead things.

The father says to the eldest son, "Anytime you wanted to throw a party, I would have thrown one. Anytime you wanted a dance, I would have had one. Anytime you wanted to kill the fatted calf, I would have had it done. All that I have is yours!"

You want a party in this church? Then throw one! Want a dance? Then start dancing! Want to eat the bread of life and rejoice in the truth of the word of God? Then eat, drink and be merry. You have been repented, baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the Holy Ghost. It's time to party. It's time to dance. It's time to eat of the word of God and it's time for a revival of dead things!

The son was dead and now he is alive. He was lost but now he is found. Lost anything and want it to be found? Lift your hands and worship God and watch God do his stuff. There is a revival in dead things.

Ezekiel 37 shows us a valley full of dry bones. The valley represents a low place someone's life. It can be a place of restoration as well. The valley was full of dry bones. Not just dry, very dry. All possible chance of revival had gone away. By man's standards, there was no hope.

One question started a revival in the valley. The question was, "Can these bones live?" Lord Thou knowest! (Revival time).

Here is the pattern for Apostolic Revival:

1) Speak to the dead things in your life

2) Let the Holy Ghost (Breath of God) move in your valley

3) Revive the inner man (Speak to the bones).

4) Renew your mind (Restore the flesh to the bones)

5) Let the Holy Ghost breath into your life!

God told Ezekiel, "You prophesy to the wind." Stop asking God to speak, you speak. Open your mouth and pronounce a blessing to your family, friends and church. When we lift up the name of Jesus, the Spirit of God starts to move and anything can happen even a revival of dead things!

Look what the Holy Ghost will do. When breath came on that valley of dry bones, they stood up on their feet and became an exceeding great army. God told Israel that they will come out of their graves and not be cut off. He was going to restore them and put His Spirit inside them. Revival! Revival! Revival! Revival in dead things!

Psa 23:2 HE maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Revivals start in odd places. Mangers, caves, deserts, wilderness, valleys or dark prison houses. Revivals can even start in church. However, the best place to start a revival is in the heart. David had a heart for worship and it led him from a shepherd's valley to a king's palace. When you are into reviving dead things in your life, there are two things that will always follow you and that is goodness and mercy.

The entire chapter of Luke 15 deals with restoration and repentance. There is always room for repentance in our lives. God's goodness and mercy cannot be measured. It is renewed every day. The Bible says that the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repents. Wonder what angels do when someone receives the Holy Ghost. How about someone who is baptized? Or, how about a church full of people who revive dead things? It is time for the greatest revival man could ever have. It is time for a revival of dead things!