One of the things which impacted me about George Verwer was his immense view of God and his correct view of his own weakness.  This is a man the Lord has used to build one of the largest and most powerful ministries in the world.  I don’t know exactly how old he is, but he must be in his late 60's, yet he still travels the world and mobilizes people to give themselves up to take the gospel to peoples of the world.  Yet, from the moment I met him in the gym on Wednesday afternoon, George Verwer exemplified humility.  Myles Towes was there when I walked into the gym.  The students at TKA were in worship, and Myles wanted to introduce me to George in the back corner of the gym.  We talked for a minute, then he asked me to pray for him for strength to speak what was on the Lord’s heart, which I did.  His spirit had humility, as he submitted himself to me to pray over him.  And when he spoke, he spoke of his weaknesses and the wonder of God using him of all people, to extend the message of the gospel to the nations.  His main theme Wednesday afternoon to students, after he vulnerably shared about his struggles with pornography, even as a born again college student, was “if God can use a messed up student like me, He certainly will use students like you who have so much going for them!”

George’s example really highlights what the Lord has put on my heart to share with you this morning.  We have been speaking about revival, specifically about our role in the revival we believe God is already bringing to us.  We need to be those who marvel at the grace and love of God, those who quickly repent of our own sin, and those who set aside everything else to seek the Lord with our whole hearts.  This morning, we will look at how Those who have a correct, biblical view of themselves will be available for God’s work of revival.

I. People who are wise, strong and important in their own eyes.

I watch a fair amount of sports, and have to say that I am extremely unimpressed by the vast majority of sports stars out there.  I don’t watch many TV programs, because most of it isn’t worth my time, to be honest, but I would guess the same thing is true about TV stars.  Oh, I’m sure there are exceptions to this, but let me tell you about one portrait of a famous person.  This NBA basketball player, who has played for several years, recently complained about being underappreciated by his team and said he was paid so little that he was worried about being able to feed his family.  This guy makes multi-millions each year, and although it is true that he will be out of basketball at a relatively young age, because professional sports careers are short, it is beyond absurd to even think like this.  Rick Reilly, who writes for Sport’s Illustrated, made fun of his comments in one of Rick’s columns, where he figured out that this player could buy each of his kids a McDonald’s restaurant if he wanted to on one year’s salary.  This player felt entitled to certain treatment from others.  Do you ever meet people who have an entitlement mentality– you owe me this, or the government or the church owes me that, or even God owes me something!?  This player speaks of not taking any advice from anyone.  He’s got talent, to be sure, but has the view of self that he is strong, that he is able, that he doesn’t need anyone else.  What is the truth about a guy like him?

In our text this morning, Paul tells his audience something key about who these Christians at Corinth were before coming to know Jesus Christ.  If you literally translate verse 26, it would be, “Consider your calling brethren, that not many of you were...”  It is in the imperative, meaning it is a command to us.  You weren’t called to belong to Jesus Christ because you were so wise by any standard, nor was it because you were so strong, nor was it because you were so noble or important by the world’s standards.  Think about who you were before Christ came into your life.  It isn’t that the gospel should not be preached to people who the world views as wise, strong and noble, nor that they should be ignored by the church.  The real problem is that people who are wise, strong, important and rich by the world’s standards often do not see nor feel a need for anything else.  They are doing fine by themselves.  Most people are not open to the gospel until great difficulty comes into their lives.  It is the plow of life which overturns our life which makes the soil of our hearts ready to receive all we need from Him.

If you run into a group of teenagers in the mall or on the street, it is very difficult to interact with them about anything which is real, because the peer pressure is tremendous.  They need to protect their ‘image’.  They have to remain cool to their peers, or it is like a death wish.  So you normally get a very self-reliant attitude, an aura of strength which is conveyed, to intimidate and to protect what they believe is theirs.  This isn’t simply true with teens, but may be just as true at the local country club or men’s organization.  Adults are more subtle about this than teens, but often puff out our chests a bit further in certain groups of people.

Even pastors have this false measuring stick we use.  I spoke with a group of pastors at TKA’s pastor appreciation breakfast 10 days ago.  There were around 30 pastors in attendance, which is quite strong in my experience of inviting pastors to things.  The theme the Lord gave to me for them was to view others through the eyes of Christ, and not through any worldly standard.  I told them that the way pastors view one another is by measuring how many people are members at your church, or how big your programs are.  It is fairly subtle, but definitely there.  We tend to measure others, in every walk of life by outward measurements, which say nothing about who a person really is!!  We do not need to pretend to be wise, strong, important.  God calls on us to drop this perspective and to see ourselves as we really are– as He sees us!

Someone once said, “God knows best.  He hasn’t arranged your anatomy so as to make it easy to pat yourself on the back!”

II. People who lean completely upon the Lord to make them wise, strong and to use their gifts.

There is a huge difference in mind set between the person who sees himself or herself wise and strong and important– I can do it and don’t need anyone else!– and the person who sees him or herself the way which the Lord would have us see ourselves.  According to the Word of God, I am utterly and completely dependent upon the Lord for every breath, for every step.  Some Christians are functional deists– they really believe God created and wound up the world and put laws in place and gave it a spin, and now we exist and function to the best of our own abilities, without the intimate, personal work of God in the details of our lives.  “God helped save me, but has left me here to fend for myself.”  This is false!!  Colossians 1:16‑17 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”  He created all things for His own pleasure.  He is not created, so is before all things.  And He holds all things together– the power of His Word literally hold together everything functioning in your life and my life.  If God were to decide not to hold you together right now, you would die.  We are not promised the next hour– no one here is!  God gives and God has the right to take away for His own perfect purposes.  But please embrace the truth of this Word– you have no strength, no wisdom, no value or importance apart from God.  He gives all of these things to you.  And He has the right, the authority to take anything away.  God does not owe you anything!!  You owe Him everything!
Now, that does not mean we should feel guilty or sorry for having wisdom, strength, for being given honor or material things.  If God has blessed you in these ways, we simply bless, praise and thank Him for all He has done in us and for us.  We acknowledge what is from His hand, and how gracious He has been.  Then, we offer all the strength, wisdom, honor and material things back to Him, to be used in any way He deems best.  This is what it means that Jesus is our Lord.  Last week, we briefly looked at the life of David and what made him a man after God’s own heart.  One of the ways David honored the Lord was to seek the Lord before he made any decision, which says to me that David understood all his strength and blessing of life came from the hand of the Lord. 

Someone came into my office asking me for advice about an issue in their marriage.  That is acceptable in this culture.  Pastors are supposed to have a direct hotline to God or something, so they are supposed to be able to give good advice.  Before you get to my office, if I know you are coming to see me, and after you arrive, I have already prayed and acknowledged my desperate need for wisdom from the Lord.  I don’t ever want to speak something in any situation which will not honor Jesus.  Usually, I write things down as a person shares something with me, I ask questions to understand the situation.  I have an ear listening to what the person is saying, and I have an ear listening to what the Lord is saying.  I am praying under my breath for wisdom or for a Word from the Lord to help the person.  God has all wisdom.  Bryan does not.  I am certain of that truth!  If He desires to speak life through me or through you, I want to be ready to do that, so should you!  I have shared things with people which I have never learned– it came from the heart of God, the mouth of God through an available vessel.  If there is revelation from God, then I want to hear it.  I want you to hear it and know it, because I know it will bless you.  One of the ways I am blessed is offering my weak self to the Lord for His use, and speaking what I sense the Lord wanting me to speak, and then praying it into reality in the person who God brought to my door.  This is the way God works when we have a right, biblical view of self.

John Wesley was approached after a powerful sermon by an admirer who exclaimed, “Oh, what a wonderful sermon you preached today!”  Wesley replied, “Ah sister, you’re too late with your flattery.  The devil told me that when I left the pulpit steps!”  Wesley has a right, biblical view of himself.

III. Revival and seeing ourselves as God sees us.

I don’t know how many of you are asking the question, “What does this have to do with revival?”  It has everything to do with revival.  I can tell you for sure, that God will not powerfully move through arrogant people.  The scariest verse in the Bible to me is repeated three times (Prov 3:34, I Peter 5:5, James 4:6), and says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  If you are operating out of your arrogance– I am wise, I am strong, I am important and do not need others– on any level, then God is opposing you in that area.  There is a false pride that Christians often fall into– “I such a woeful sinner that there is no way God could forgive my sin; it is too great for even God.”  It doesn’t always come out exactly like that, but that is false pride– my sin is greater than God’s ability to forgive is what you are saying.  False!  That is a lie from the pit!  I am well aware of my own subtle tendencies towards pride, and I am aware of your tendencies towards pride, whether you are or not.  Our culture is very confused by the idea of self-esteem.

The power of God can flow through anyone– a scoundrel like Samson in the O.T. or a donkey– when Balaam needed a rebuke it came through his donkey, literally!  But sustained revival, like the ones we have been using for examples over the last 2 months happen through a praying people, a people who know God and set aside time to seek Him and to know His heart and will, and who know who they are.  Before every great move of God, there has been a prayer movement which God has raised up to bring the revival.  This is happening today in America.  There is a lot of junk happening in the culture around us, but there are also wonderful moves of God through young people in many places.  I have told some of you about what I witnessed in the International House of Prayer.  500 young people have gone to Kansas City from all over the globe, literally, to give 2 years of their lives to fasting and prayer.  That isn’t normal, from the world’s view around us.  This is starting to be replicated in other cities in the USA and Europe.  God is up to something.  Even in our own city, there are some small stirrings which encourage me a lot.  Since churches have partnered with the city in mentoring and in training in character in the public schools this past summer, crime went down 30% when compared to the same quarter last year.  There is greater clarity in the pastors I hang out with, as to what the Lord would have us do as His church in the city of Florence.  This is exciting!