“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” – Psalm 19:7a

Have you ever been to a “revival meeting”? When I was younger, I experienced two different revival meetings. The first was a tent revival in a field at the local mall. My friend and I stopped in to see what was happening there one night, and it was “interesting” to say the least. A very fired-up preacher, a few people on stage leading in worship, and even fewer people in the seats that were set up.

The second was a week of meetings held at my church where a different preacher came to share messages intended to fire us up for God and His Word and to call us to deeper a commitment to Him. I remember a very good turn-out of people to these meetings, as well as an admiration for the passion of the preacher.

What I don’t remember about either of those “revival” meetings was any noticeable change in me or any of the people who attended. Stephen Olford, a well-known pastor for many years, said “revival is the sovereign act of God, in which He restores His own backsliding people to repentance, faith, and obedience.” Revival is something that God alone does by His power and sovereign will. It is not something we can plan or conjure. But we can pray and then trust God with expectation to do what He wants to do.

What we see in Nehemiah 8 this week is essentially a description of a revival. The people who have just finished rebuilding the wall now experience a “time of refreshing from the Lord” (Acts 3:20) that will mark them forever.

Can I encourage you to do 3 things to prepare for Sunday?

  1. Take time to read Nehemiah 8 and make note of all that the people experience, and, most importantly, what they are responding to (there’s a hint in Psalm 19:7 above).
  2. Pray with expectation for God to use our time together on Sunday in a powerful way in everyone’s lives, especially your own.
  3. Listen to the worship set here, especially the new song, “Authority.”

I could not be more excited to be with you this Sunday, church! It’s going to be a great day!


Pastor Brett Lovern

SUNDAY AM PLAN
9:00 AM  – Worship Service Online & On Campus (Lancaster Campus)
9:15 AM – Worship Service On Campus (Myerstown Campus)
11:00 AM – Worship Service Online & On Campus (Lancaster Campus)

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SUNDAY RESOURCES
Everything you need for Sunday is available on the Mission Church App under Sunday Resources or on our website.