Robbed of Revival - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Robbed of Revival

Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Intro: We just had a week of amazing revival. Satan will not sit idly by.

He will implement a number of tactics to rob you of what God did in your hearts.

Notice this very effective tactic that Satan will utilize when the seed of God’s Word has been sown.

CATCH AWAY: to seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly; to snatch out or away

That is the character of Satan.

John 10

·        7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

·        8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

·        9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

·        10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I. Forgetful Inclinations

James 1

·        22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

·        23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

·        24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

·        25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

A forgetful hearer is one of the biggest problems.

We hear it. We are moved. We are stirred.

We make vows. We make commitments.

Then we forget.

God is good enough to send a preacher.

God is good enough to give a message.

God is good enough to extend mercy and patience.

What do we do? We forget!

Turn to Deuteronomy 8:11-19

·        11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

II. Foolish Interactions

·        Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

·        Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

·        Proverbs 19:3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.

III. Faithless Inhibitions

James 1

·        5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

·        6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

·        7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

·        8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Doubting God will drain you spiritually quicker than anything.

Thinking that a spiritual life is unattainable.

Thinking that God cannot continue working in you is a death trap.

Thinking that the Spirit-filled life is beyond your grasp is a lie of Satan.

IV. Fleshly Involvements

James 4

·        7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

·        8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

·        9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

·        10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Revival must be protected.

It must be nurtured and cultivated.

It must grow and build and continue.

Jumping back into the very sin you have been preached to will rob you of that revival.

That is a characteristic of a fool.

·        Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

The very stuff that God dealt with you about will be waiting on you at home.

Don’t do it! Holes Matter!

It is also the nature of false teachers and false prophets.

Notice 2 Peter 2:

·        20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

·        21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

·        22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.