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Throughout the Bible, whenever God comes down, there are divisions. People are separated into different groups by the introduction of God’s power. Some people believe God, while others do not. Some accept Christ, while others will not. Some allow themselves to be convicted and bent by the Spirit of God, while others do not. Jesus Himself said,

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).

There are God’s people, and there are the people of sin. There are sheep and there are goats. When God’s power comes down, people are separated into groups. There are those who believe, and those who do not. There are those who receive a blessing, and those who do not. In every case, there are spiritual and sometimes eternal consequences.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Our church has experienced the power of God. The power of God has touched our church in a gentle revival. However, just as the ground had different reactions to the seed of the Word of God in the Parable of the Sower, there have been different reactions to the moving of God in our church.

I. First, there are those who have seen, believed, and were blessed.

Some prayed and searched for God diligently. Some focused all of their hearts on attaining the blessing of God. They were not satisfied in living their lives as usual. They wanted to have the blessing and power of God in revival. So they believed. So they fasted. So they prayed. So they confessed their sins and found forgiveness. So they experienced the blessing of God. After bitterness and disagreements had separated them, they found their friends again. After sin had separated them, they found God again. Their lives were restored to a place of joy and hope and love.

“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6).

They found themselves in the presence of God and discovered that nothing else truly mattered. God gave them renewed faith to pray. God gave them a revived heart to love souls. They saw the power of God moving in their lives and in the lives of others. The Spirit of God fell on them, and they were good ground. They believed that God was able to rend the heavens and come down and melt mountains. They believed that God could move here, in their church, and in their lives, and God had mercy and blessed them. They gave testimonies of God’s goodness. Their lives became a witness of the living power of God.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

II. Second, there are those who have seen, and believed, but were not blessed.

There are others who saw and believed but did not experience the blessing of God. There is a danger in seeing the blessing of God but standing apart and outside of it. Undoubtedly the souls that do this have their reasons for doing so. Whatever justification they may have for not entering in to the blessing of God, they are doing so at a personal spiritual danger. The Bible warns against the danger of seeing and believing in the power of God but not entering into God’s blessing.

In the powerful revival of the Book of Acts, there was a sorcerer named Simon who witnessed the power of God. Simon the sorcerer saw and heard of the amazing things that God was doing through the ministry of the Apostle Philip. The Bible says of Simon,

“Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done” (Acts 8:13).

Simon saw and believed in the powerful moving of God, but he stood apart from the blessing of God and would not enter in. In the same way, there are some that have seen the power of God moving in revival and believed that they have seen it, and yet did not enter into the blessing of God. Notice that Simon continued with Philip. Simon did not leave the church or return to a life of sin. Those who have seen and believed in the power of God do not necessarily leave the church immediately. Even though Simon did not leave the church, he did not receive the blessing of God. There are spiritual consequences for standing apart from the blessing and presence of God, even if you believe God is really here, and really blessing. Simon’s separation from God was revealed when Peter and John began to lay hands on the people that they would receive the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible says,

“And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostle’s hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because
      thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
      Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:18-21).

Simon’s separation from God revealed that his heart was not right with God. There was in fact a reason that Simon did not enter into the revival even though he saw it and believed it was happening. The reason that Simon did not enter into the revival was because of sin. The Apostle Peter said to Simon,

“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:23).

Those who see a revival and believe that it is real and happening all around them, but do not receive a blessing, are in danger of having their hearts exposed as not right in the sight of God by not reacting to it. There is sin in their hearts and lives that is preventing them from entering into the blessing of God. Since they do not enter into the forgiveness of God, they risk exhausting God’s mercy. They risk grieving away the Holy Spirit of God. They risk having their conscience seared so that the next time, they will not believe at all. Their sin is giving them a reason to stand apart from God. They will not let God touch them personally, even though he is touching so many all around them.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

III. Third, there are those who have seen, but do not believe, and are not blessed.

It is not hard to say that you believe in God. It is not difficult to say that you believe the Bible is true. In the Western world, professing Christians claim to believe in God. But the God these professing Christians believe in is powerless. Their god does not change things or accomplish miracles or judge sin or do anything more than generally love and accept people regardless of how they live. The god of these professing Christians is a false god. They do not really know the God of the Bible. They do not know the real God who created the world in six days, who parted the Red Sea, and who sent His only Son to die for our sins on the Cross. They do not know the real God. They have no faith. They cannot please God. They cannot be with God. They cannot have their lives changed or affected by God. They cannot see God working in the world today.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

As God moves some lives, others brace themselves against God so that they cannot be moved. When God moved in His grace and mercy, some were quick to be unimpressed and skeptical. The skeptics already had an idea of what God should look like, and therefore were not persuaded by a burning bush. The skeptics had an idea of what God should do. When those things did not happen, the skeptics announced to themselves that God was not doing anything at all. They said to themselves, “I believe it is true for them, but it is not true for me.” Their faith in God went no further than a religious faith of orthodoxy, tradition, and habit.

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (II Timothy 3:5).

Skeptics who reject the signs of God working in our lives and in our time are like the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed every word of the Bible was true, but their faith went no further than that. The Pharisees rejected Jesus even though Jesus raised people from the dead. The Pharisees masked their unbelief behind their religion. Jesus told the Pharisees,

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:39-40).

The religion of the Pharisees was useful and profitable, but the faith of the Pharisees was dead. The religion of the skeptics is likely useful as well, but their faith is dead. The skeptics think that they cannot appreciate God reviving our church because God has not met the rigorous standards of their spiritual assessment. And yet, there are lives that are changed by the power of God. Those lives compose a church that is changed for the glory of God. Those changed and revived lives contradict the skeptic’s conclusions and point to the wonder and power of God.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Is that true of you? If a movement of the Spirit of God in our church and in the lives of your friends cannot convince you, than what can? Would you be convinced by the parting of the Red Sea? The people of Israel saw the Red Sea parted by the power of God but soon after worshiped a golden calf. Would you be convinced if you heard Elijah preach to you? King Ahab heard Elijah preach and chased him away. Would you be convinced if Jesus Himself stood before you and preached to you and performed miracles? The people of Jesus’ time saw Him preach and perform miracles but went on to demand Christ’s crucifixion.

When the rich man was burning in Hell, he asked to be able to go back and appear to his brothers to warn them of the dangers of Hell. But Abraham said,

“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And [the rich man said] Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:29-31).

Those lives that waited and pleased with God were revived and changed. But those who held back and waited in reserve for the correct manifestation of God’s power were not moved, were not changed, and were not blessed. They would not believe. And so God will go and continue, and will have left them behind.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

But God does not want you to be left behind. God does not want you to be left behind from revival and salvation and forgiveness. You must humble yourself and repent of your sins and trust Jesus. Eternal life and full salvation come only through a personal experience with Jesus Christ, and in no other way.

If you depend on your intellect and experience, you will go to Hell. If you depend on the goodness of your life, you will go to Hell. If you depend on feelings or beliefs in anything except Jesus, you will suffer in Hell forever. You must depend on Christ. You must come into the blessing of God in forgiveness through the Saviour. Jesus died for you on the Cross. Jesus shed His Blood to cover your sins from the sight of God. Jesus will save you, if you trust Him. Do not stand apart in skepticism and unbelief. You hold yourself back from the blessings of God. Do not stand back and wait any longer. Trust Jesus by faith. Recklessly throw yourself on Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. Dr. Hymers, please come and close the service.

(END OF SERMON)
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Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Revive Thy Work” (by Albert Midlane, 1825-1909).