The Hindrance of Revival

If you have a high self-value, other people don't determine who you are. Dr. Tony Evans says our real net worth is determined by our relationship with the Lord. God is saying things are gonna change when my value to you goes up. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and president of the Urban Alternative. Dr. Evans has been talking recently about the things that lead to revival. Today, he'll turn his attention to the biggest thing standing in its way.

Let's join him. The hindrance to revival, that which is holding God back, is the loss of value—that God does not have the value He is worth among His people. Revival is simply the restoration of spiritual life.

It is God renewing the life of His people. The condition of revival is very simply, it's stated in Malachi chapter 3, verse 7, from the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me and I will return to you. Many people want revival without a return. God says, Return to Me and I will return to you.

Get back on track with Me and you will see that I'm back on track with you. Revival is where God renews, restores His manifest presence, not simply His theological or theoretical presence, His manifest presence, where He makes Himself known in your experience, where God becomes real to you and to your world rather than merely a theological or theoretical concept. It is the devaluing of God, the lowering of how we relate to Him. You can't actually lower God.

God will always be what God has always been, what God will forever be. He cannot be devalued in His essence, but we can relate to Him that way. I'm sure you and I have people in our lives, in our sphere of influence, who do not give us the value we feel we're worth. We will say to people, Don't talk to me like that. In other words, how they're relating to us does not reflect the reverence or respect or value. The book of Malachi is a very hard-hitting book. It is a series of complaints that God makes about His devaluing or being devalued by His people. This is—the book of Malachi is written to the people of God. It's not written to pagans, not only even the people of God, the priests.

He uses some harsh language, some hard language. It is important to know when you approach the book of Malachi that Malachi is set up in a religious context. It is in a context of a worship service. It's in the context of people coming to church. It's in the context of people carrying their Bibles. It's in the context of people doing their religious thing. And God is not happy, because even though people are still coming to church, singing about Him, talking about Him, praying about Him, preaching about Him, it is in a context of Him being devalued.

In fact, you can see it in the text. Verse 6, in the middle of it, O priests who despise my name. Verse 11, from the rising of the sun even to the setting, my name will be great among the nations. And in every place, incense is going to be offered to my name, and a grain offering that is pure for my name. The end of verse 14, and my name is feared among the nations. God says, how excellent is my name in all the earth.

My name is, the end of verse 14, He says, to be feared. Isaiah 33, verses 5 and 6 has a very interesting two verses. It talks about kind of this concept of revival, of God making His presence felt, the knowledge of Him known, and He says, and the fear of God is the key to this treasure. The fear of God is the key or the foundation to this treasure. It's the master key that unlocks all the rooms of your life, how you value God's name. To fear God is not simply to walk around with, you know, dreading. It is to hold Him in awe and highest of esteem.

It is to treat Him like who He is, to relate to Him on the level that He exists. All of us have electricity in our homes. We get a lot of benefits from electricity, but you've got to handle it carefully, because what will bless you can hurt you. It's there to bless you, to help you, to run your appliances.

It's so powerful you got to handle it right. God is concerned about the devaluation of His name among His people, that they're not giving Him the worth—worship—the worth that He is due. Even though they're coming to church doing the religious thing, they are not giving Him the work that He's due. Verse 6 says, a son honors his father, a servant his master. If I'm a father, you pray my Heavenly Father, where is my honor? The Greek-Hebrew word honor means glory. And if I'm a master, where is my respect? The Hebrew word respect is the same word for fear. Says the Lord of hosts, O priest who despise my name.

That's tough language. He says, you folks not only have devalued me, you have despised me. You have treated me in a despicable fashion. If a son is to honor, give glory to his father, if a servant is to give reverence and respect to his master, and I'm your father and I'm your master, why am I missing my glory and my reverence? There are three ways you can treat God. The book of Leviticus is the Old Testament, real thick Old Testament worship book, and it may be hard for us to relate to the book because it was under the Mosaic law and all the ceremonial activities involved that we don't have to do now in the New Testament because of the accomplishments of the death of Christ, but it talks about relating to God in a number of ways. One way it talks about relating to God as in profane, to relate to God in a profane way, to operate in such a way that I don't even care there is a God. It's a profane way. It's like cursing God out, using profanity against God.

That's an obvious devaluation when somebody curses somebody out, calling you outside of your name, and they use profane or profanity in doing that. A way of relating to God is in a profane way. But another way the book of Leviticus lets us know we can relate to God is in a common way, to treat Him as common. That is, to treat Him like He's just another God, to treat Him like He's everybody else.

The way God is to be related to by His people, the word would be unique, one-of-a-kind, class by Himself, nobody like Him. God gives a complaint that you're treating me common, regular, and you're not referencing who I am and what I can do. But even though you're not doing it, verse 9, but now will you not entreat God's favor? You still want a blessing. You come, I'm coming for my blessing. I'm coming for my blessing. Give me my blessing while you hand me junk.

You hand me leftover, but you want a blessing. You want to see my best for you. You want to see me break in for you. You want to see me deliver you. You want to see me fix you.

You want to see me change you while you bring me your lame lambs, while you bring me leftovers. Let me tell you what's important for your well-being and my well-being, just in dealing with people, is your self-value, how you view yourself. Because if you have a poor value of yourself, we call it poor self-image, then you will forever be messed up. Because if you already don't think that much of yourself, when other folk let you know you are correct, that you're not all that, you're gonna really sink. But if you have a high self-value, then other people don't determine who you are. God says, I'm a great king no matter what you do. I know I'm great, and the reason why I don't have to lower my standards for you is I'm not gonna change who I am. I am great. So because I am great, you gotta rise. I don't fall. I don't change my value.

Leftover. Devaluation of God. God says, I can't revive you. I can't bring to you all that I want to bring to you if all I get is what you have left. If I'm devalued while you're asking me for favor, for blessing, with such an offering on your part, will He receive you? Can I accept your worship? You're supposed to be singing praises for me, and you're whispering. When you go to work, it's important for you to be there. You don't have the attitude, when I get there, I get there.

When I come to worship, God, you ought to be happy I was there. Leftover. I'm not significant. When it comes to spending time with me, it's rushed. When it comes to watching your favorite TV show, you don't want to miss the beginning. I'm leftover.

I'm leftover. When Dr. Evans continues our message in just a moment, he'll talk about moving God higher on our priority list. And to help us do that, he's created a great resource, his just-released book, God Himself. It's a probing look at the many characteristics that make the Lord who He is.

His nature, His goodness, His love, and much more. We serve an infinite God, so there's always more to learn. But Tony says the deeper our understanding, the richer our worship.

And since we're made in God's image, knowing who He is defines who we are. We'd like you to receive one of the first copies of this book as our thank-you gift when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Along with it, we'll include all 14 full-length messages in his current teaching series, Revive Us Again, packed with advice on how you can rekindle your relationship with the Lord. But there's one catch. This special offer ends today. So visit TonyEvans.org right away or give our 24-hour Resource Center a call at 1-800-800-3222.

That's 1-800-800-3222. Well, Dr. Evans, we'll come back with part two of today's lesson right after this. It was my first time meeting Jesus in the Bible. That's what one student is saying after studying bibliology through the Tony Evans Training Center, taught by renowned theologian, Dr. Tony Evans. These online courses feature compelling and exclusive video and audio teaching, plus an interactive scripture-based curriculum you can access online or through the mobile app. Sign up now at TonyEvansTraining.org. Take a course with Dr. Evans and explore the kingdom anytime, anywhere.

TonyEvansTraining.org. One of the reasons that God is not breaking through for many is of low value. In fact, God says about them, verse 13, you say, my, how tiresome is it? Oh, it's Sunday again? Oh, Sunday show, come around fast. How tired I am. I'm too tired to go to church today. I'm too tired to go there on time. I'm too tired. But let's see now, what do we stay up for?

Tiredness is not merely informed by your physical state of being, it's also informed by how interested you are in what you are doing. Because we are alert for what we want to be alert for. God says, serve me with gladness. Some don't serve Him at all.

Now they want to be served by Him. Give me some favor. I am tired every Sunday at 1 o'clock when the second service ends. I am tired every Sunday.

There is not one Sunday. I am not tired. I get up five o'clock on Sunday morning, get ready for church, come here to services, preach Christ. I am tired at 1 o'clock. But I can guarantee you, without fail, if there is a noon cowboy game, not only am I going to find a way to stay up, I'm not gonna spend that much time fellowshipping with you at the end of service.

Because I got another service to attend. And guess what? Even though tired, I'm gonna be alert. And I'm gonna react.

I ain't just gonna sit there, oh boy, touchdown. I'm gonna be alert because even in my weariness, they will have my undivided attention. You only get to be tired because God is good. The only reason you know you tired right now is because God is good.

And there's life still flowing through your veins. He says, you keep saying how weary you are, how tired you are. You are, verse 12, profaning my table. You're messing with me.

You're not taking me seriously. You're treating me like they treat the Queen of England. The Queen of England has great position, but no power. And they bow to her when she drives by, they pull over when her caravan—they do all the ceremonial stuff. She carries no real clout, just positioning and pageantry.

So we get hyped up about buildings, and we get hyped up about how things look in the pageantry, and there's nothing wrong with that. But that's not the essence, that's not the core. If many of us gave our employers what we give to God, we'd be fired. Tell the truth, shame the devil.

We don't serve the Lord with gladness. And so it's leftovers. It's leftovers. He's gonna say in chapter 3, he says, you robbed me with ties and offerings. You don't honor me with your giving. You throw some change in the plate and think I'm supposed to be happy with that. No faith, no dependency, you just give me leftovers, and then you wonder why the locust is eating up all your stuff.

You're wondering why after one bill gets paid, something else breaks down. You're wondering why you can't get ahead when you're a thief. Who blesses thieves. He says, should I receive that at the end of verse 13 from your hand? Should I accept your devaluation of me with just the junk you throw in me?

But curse be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifice is a blemished animal to the Lord. I am a great king, says the Lord of Hosts, and my name is feared among the nations. I'm a great king. I'm not some, you know, little God over here. See, the problem is we haven't appraised him correctly. When Michael Jordan got married, he got married in Las Vegas, the minister says to him, you're pretty tall.

You ever thought about playing basketball? See, he didn't know who he was talking to. Because he didn't know it was just another marriage and another wedding and two people, so he just did the ordinary thing. I think our problem is we don't know who God is, so we do the ordinary thing.

We're just satisfied with the ordinary thing, the common thing. When we're dealing with a one-of-a-kind God who knows he's a great king, doesn't need you to tell him, but neither does he want you to devalue him in the name of you showing up. Just let me throw God a little something. Of course, when I want him, I want him for a big something. Cursed be the swindler, the thief, who devalues me and gives me leftover time, leftover talent, leftover treasure.

It's always leftover. But we want a revival. We want the supernatural to enter into the natural.

We want heaven to enter into history. Some time ago, I repeat it again, I told you the story about the mother who had an ugly scar on half of her face. Terrible looking disfigurement. And her daughter would never introduce her, never invited to school, never bring friends home because her mother was ugly because of this horrible scar. Finally, the mother confronted the daughter about not including her in anything. And the daughter came right out and answered, Mama, I know I'm sorry, but I just don't want my friends to see you because of how you look.

With tears coming down the mother's eyes, she said, well, honey, have a seat because you really do need to know how I got this disfigurement. When you were a baby, I was outside and I looked back and the house caught on fire. I rushed in to get my baby girl and on my way out, one of the beams of the house collapsed and hit me across the side of the face while I was holding you in my hands. I threw you to safety while my face burned under the beam. So I just thought you might want to know that the reason I'm all scarred up is because I was busy saving you. The reason why I'm all scarred up is I was busy delivering you.

And if I hadn't have been willing to be scarred up, then you wouldn't be delivered and you wouldn't be alive today. I know sometimes you don't feel like worshiping God. I know sometimes you don't feel like giving to God. I know sometimes you don't feel like serving to God and you say how tiresome it is, but don't forget if he hadn't got holes in his hand and a scar in his side and nails in his feet, the reason why he was busy saving you, he was busy delivering you and when you get tired of serving the Lord and when you get tired of worshiping God and when you get tired of living for the Lord, just remember what he went through to provide you so great a salvation. What's hindering our revival is our devaluation of God. God is saying things are gonna change when my value to you goes up. When I'm no longer treated as profane or common, but as unique as the one-of-a-kind God and how you relate to me, how you worship me, how you obey me, how you trust me.

When my value goes up to you, you'll see things change. Dr. Tony Evans, wrapping up his important teaching series called Revive Us Again. As a reminder, there are some complete messages and quite a bit of additional material we didn't have time to include in these broadcasts, so we'd like to send you the complete 14-part series on CD and digital download, along with a copy of Tony's brand-new book, God Himself. These resources are our gift to you in appreciation for your financial contribution toward the work of the Urban Alternative. But as I mentioned earlier, this special package offer ends today, so visit tonyevans.org right away to get the details, make your donation, and instantly download your messages. Or call our Resource Center at 1-800-800-3222, where one of our helpful team members will be happy to help you. Again, dial 1-800-800-3222 or go online to tonyevans.org. From a golden idol in a pagan temple to a Hollywood celebrity, Dr. Evans says idols come in all shapes and sizes. He'll give us some surprising examples tomorrow as he begins a brand new series called American Idols. I hope you'll join us. The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the Urban Alternative and is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like you.