Don Graham Revival Ministries

"How to Experience Continuous Revival"

Nehemiah 13

In recent editions of The Yoke we dealt with the great Word-Driven Revival recorded in Nehemiah 8-10. Following this momentous experience Nehemiah returned to Babylon as he had agreed with the king he would do (2:6). While he was away fulfilling his obligation the people began slowly to fall into a backslidden condition. Upon returning to Jerusalem Nehemiah surveyed the decadent situation and swiftly went to work to address the appalling needs. How Nehemiah dealt with this critical need gives us valuable clues as to how we maintain a continuous revival. In order to experience continuous revival we must...

I. BE CONSISTENT TO MAINTAIN THE SUPREMACY OF SCRIPTURE (vs.i-3)

It was as they had given supremacy to the Scripture that the fires of revival began to fall (chapter 8). From reading the Word of God (v.l) they discovered that the Ammonites and Moabites were not to come into the congregation of God forever. Having heard the law of God they promptly obeyed and separated from Israel the mixed multitude (v.3). To enjoy living in the continuous flow of revival one must determine to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. This will require the often painful separation from associations that would contaminate us. Daily study of the Word, coupled with a ready obedience to all the teaching of the Word, is the first step in maintaining continuous revival!

*Principle: CUTTING AWAY OF THAT WHICH DIVIDES

II. BE INSISTENT TO MAINTAIN THE SANCTITY OF THE TEMPLE (vs.4-9)

Upon discovering that the priest Eliashib had arranged for Tobiah, the enemy of God's people, to take up residence in the Temple, Nehemiah acted swiftly. He personally cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah (v.8). Without hesitating Nehemiah knew he had to deal ruthlessly with sin in the camp. After throwing Tobiah and his furniture out on the street he had the Temple cleansed. We must be as equally insistent to go to war against sin in our lives and recklessly eradicate it. We must be insistent daily to allow nothing in our temple body to remain that would defile.

*Principle: CASTING AWAY OF THAT WHICH DEFILES

III. BE PERSISTENT TO MAINTAIN THE SUPERIORITY OF THE HOUSE OF GOD (VS.10-14)

The House of God is supreme in God's sight and it must never be forsaken (v.l 1). To be in the continual flow of revival we must never forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We must faithfully upon the first day of the week bring all our tithes and offerings into the storehouse as we faithfully gather with God's family for worship. When Nehemiah found the house of God being forsaken he was incensed and contended mightily with the people and sat them in their place (v.l 1). Such drastic action was deemed necessary by this mighty man of God so he addressed the situation courageously and boldly.

*Principle: CONTENDING WITH THAT WHICH DESTROYS

IV. BE VIGILANT TO MAINTAIN THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORD'S DAY (vs.is-22)

Just as Nehemiah vigilantly contended with the sin of being guilty of desecrating the Sabbath, so must we vigilantly protect the sacredness of the Lord's Day, honoring that day to keep it holy. Throughout Scripture there is a strong emphasis on how God wants us to respond to this sacred day. In a generation when the Lord's Day is jus: like any other day of commerce the child of God must be prepared to be different. Nehemiah testified against and contended with all who broke so blatantly the Lord's Day regulations. May God raise up a new army of men of God unafraid to contend for the glory of God.

*Principle: CLEANSING OF THAT WHICH DESECRATES

V. BE DILIGENT TO MAINTAIN THE PURITY OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD (vs.23-31)

Nehemiah's final stroke was designed to stress the priority of the family. Having begun with the Primacy Scriptures and the Principle of Separation he is appalled to see the people intermarrying with the heathern of the land. Once again he contends (V. 25) with the guilty as he cursed them, and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair. Radical, you say? Right on! Just as radical as the damming influence of immorality. Nehemiah would have won few popularity contests but he weighed in heavy on God's scales! We must diligently continue to insist, with the Scripture, that two cannot live together except they agree, that is, they are one in the Lord, for light hath no fellowship with darkness.

*Principle: CHASING AWAY OF THAT WHICH DEMORALIZES

Nehemiah bathed all that he did in prayer. This is the indispensable secret for maintaining revival fire. Four times over in the midst of pressure and a demanding ministry he cries out to God in prayer (vs. 14, 22, 29, 31). While he ruthlessly, relentlessly and recklessly battled sin, giving priority and obedience to the Scripture, he was praying every step of the way. That's a pretty good combination for insuring continuous revival. Note the keywords: consistent, insistent, persistent, vigilant and diligent! There's the secret!!!