Warren Ralston Revival Kickoff

Revival Meeting Message for Gateway Baptist May 2, 2005


Revival: an act or instance of reviving : the state of being revived : as a : renewed attention to or interest in something b : a new presentation or publication of something old c (1) : a period of renewed religious interest (2) : an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings.


Point 1

Reviving indicates that there was life or is life. So I would ask first of all if you are indeed alive in Christ. Tell the story of salvation. "The pagan civilizations of Bible times worshiped many gods. They had male and female deities, high and low gods, assemblies of gods, priests and priestesses, and temples and sacrifices. All the forces of nature that could not be controlled or understood were considered supernatural powers to be worshiped and feared. Most of the people of the ancient world worshiped more than one god. These gods were worshiped in the form of representative idols. This practice is called idolatry. The pagan nations made statues or images to represent the powers which they worshiped. Most of these idols were in the form of animals or men. Each civilization and culture had its own mythological structure, but these structures were often quite similar. The names of the gods may have been different, but their functions and actions were often the same. The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many pagan cultures believed that the god of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn each year in the spring.

"The ancient Babylonian and Assyrian goddess Ishtar symbolized Mother Earth in the natural cycles of fertility on earth. Many myths grew up around this female deity. She was the goddess of love, so the practice of ritual prostitution became widespread in the fertility cult dedicated to her name. Temples to Ishtar had many priests and priestesses, or sacred prostitutes, who symbolically acted out the fertility rites of the cycle of nature. Ishtar has been identified with the Phoenician Astarte, the Semitic Ashtoreth, the Egyptian Isis, the Greek Aphrodite, and the Roman Venus. Ishtar's male fertility counterpart was Tamuz who was closely associated with the Canaanite fertility god, Baal.

"Adremelech was a god worshiped by child sacrifice. Egyptians gods were figures of men with heads of animal or birds. The Canaanite god most often referred to is Baal who was thought to provide productive forces of nature. Baal was worshiped with much sensuality. As with the male shrine prostitutes. Baal and related deities are also portrayed as a mating bull, symbolizing fertility.

"Baal's mistress or lover was Anat. Anat is sometimes identified with the queen of heaven in mentioned in Jeremiah. Anat was the patroness of sex and passion. Lewd figurines of this nude goddess, and various objects with exaggerated sexual features have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Palestine."

From Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

"Molech was the national deity of the Ammonites whose worship was accompanied by the burning of children offered up in sacrifice by their own parents. Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites who was also worshiped with child sacrifices. Ashtoreth was the ancient goddess of the moon, sexuality, sensual love, and fertility and is often associated with the worship of Baal Zeus was the supreme god of the Greeks. According to Greek mythology he was the ruler of heaven and father of the other gods and mortal heroes. Diana also called Artemis was the goddess of the moon, hunting, wild animals, and virginity. Aphrodite was the goddess of sensual love. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament the people of God were surrounded by pagan gods. The apostle Paul declared to the philosophers of Athens, "I perceive that in all things you are very religious". In the city of Athens, idols of pagan gods stood on every street corner. The Athenians even erected an altar "to the unknown god". Acts 17:22,23."

In worshiping any god, you must sacrifice something that the god gives. To worship the god of fertility the people had temple prostitution and offered child sacrifices. To worship the sun or the river god, they would have festivals and rituals involving the sun or the river. Now, in light of this information let us look at Paul's writings in Romans and in Corinthians.



In modern history we have become more refined and we no longer worship at these gods. In our sophistication we now worship variations of these. There are many Gods we will worship at other than the one true God.
- The God of materialism- emphasis here is looking for security. C.F. what the Lord said to the rich young man Luke 12:20 “You fool! This night your soul is required of you, and now who will own what you have prepared.” Then there was the temptation of Jesus where Satan took him to the high mountain Luke 4:5-8. The call today with regard to materialism is still the same as it was in Jesus time: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall loose it, but whoever looses his life for my sake, he is the one who will it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and looses or forfeits himself.” It is important to emphasize here the health and wealth preachers, as this too is a form of materialism. “For where your Treasure is there will your heart be also” Luke 12:34 (Draw a picture of a mansion with a graveyard out back)

- The God of pleasure – The emphasis here is on living your life for pleasure. If it feels good do it. “Eat drink and be marry ” Luke 12:19

- the God of beauty- The emphasis here is only those that are beautiful are of any worth. This is seen by the large amounts of money we spend to look beautiful.

- The God of Violence- Look at what our Movies, Television programs are full of.

- Many More: What is your god? Who is your God?



Point 2:

Then there is those who know god and are alive. For many of you, you accepted the Lord when you were young and you may have strayed from the Lord ways.
There is also the “religious” sin of false pride over doctrine, attitude or what ever. There is a warning in scripture about the one who prays: “Lord I thank you I am not like those other persons.”
Then there is the sin of omission. Something you know you need to do but whatever the reason we are unwilling to yield and go and make it right. The Psalmist said the sin of stubbornness is like the sin of witch craft.
The sins of commission. This is those habits we are addicted to or we simply love to do.


All of these sins are a result of the work of Satan in this world. There is a life and death struggle that the Lord undertook and won. The out working of that in our life is a daily taking up our cross and following the Lord. Satan is prowling this world to seek and destroy. He will destroy you in this life and for sure in the next life. It is a daily battle for us . The bible talks about the message in a parable called the seed sower. Some seed falls by the roadside, (devil comes and takes the seed from there hearts so that they may not believe and be saved) some on rocky soil (receive it with joy, have no firm root, they believe for a while, but testing comes and the fall away), some among thorns (receive the word, go their way then are chocked with the worries and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit and do not mature) some in good soil hear the word in an honest and good heart and hold fast with perseverance and bear much fruit.



Conclusion: Ezekiel 37:1-14

The prophecy has two acts, and each act three scenes:
First Act, the Vision (Ez.37:1-10):
1- The valley of dry bones, He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" (Ez.37:3..1-3).
2- The fragmented bones becoming bodies, Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD (Ez.37:4... 4-6).
3- The wind entering the bodies, they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army. (Ez.10... 9-10).
Second Act, Interpretation (Ez.37:11-14).
1- The interpretation identifies the bones as the House of Israel and their dryness as their loss of hope (v. 11).
2- Identifies the wind as the Spirit (v. 14).
3- Then you will know the Lord, Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD . (v.14)

The three scenes of each act provide the exemplar for the way God resurrects dry-bone saints... the way of evangelization, of revivals in the Church of Christ.

It is all about evangelization, restoration of lost lives:

1- "Can these bones live?" (Ez.37:3)... of course, Ezekiel though impossible!...but the LORD effects two virtues in Ezekiel. First, he forces him to become involved by answering the question. Second, in trying to answer it, Ezekiel turns away from the Valley of Dry Bones to the LORD himself. Whereas the LORD addressed him as "O Human Being," he addresses God as "O Sovereign Covenant Keeping LORD." His answer is classic: "You alone know." It says that nothing is impossible with God. Israel’s revival depends solely on God’s sovereign grace (Luke 5:12).
When you think something is impossible, just turn to the Lord... For nothing is impossible with God. (Lk.1:37).

2- Preach to the bones!: Then the Lord told Ezekiel to prophecy, to preach to the bones, Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD (Ez.37:4)... Then, again through the prophet, God now addresses the people: "This is what the LORD Sovereign LORD says to these bones."... and the dry bones listened!
We have to do the same... preach the Word of God even when things looks impossible, at time or off time... and something wonderful always happened.

3- The bones become alive with the Word: 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. (Ez.37:7-8).

4- The Spirit: He comes also with the preaching, 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army. (Ez.37:9-10)
The wind, which God equates with His Spirit in v. 14, transforms the Valley of Dry Bones into a vast and vital army. The LORD brings revival through both authoritative preaching and the giving of the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6; 2:13; 1 Corinthians 3:14-18).

5- The Method: It was also prophesied by Ezekiel: 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ez.36:26-27).

Ephesians 2:

This famous vision of Ezekiel is a type of the work of Jesus Christ, as it is well recorded in Ephesians 2.

1- As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins (Eph.2:1)... Paul says it bluntly, you were dead!... death, death!... like old dry rotten bones... you and I were death before Baptism.

2- Jesus saved us, made us alive, 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. (Eph.2:4-5).

3- Alive through Faith... to do good works: Faith in Christ!, that's all we have to do to become alive, saved... but we become alive to do good works!, 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph.2:8-10).

4- Through the Blood of Christ: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. (Eph.2:13).

5- Jesus Preached: He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (Eph.2:17)... that's one of our good works we have to do, to Preach!... what Jesus did, what Ezekiel did.

6- By the Holy Spirit: For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Eph.2:18).

7- The Method... the Church: And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Eph.2:22), I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Heb.8:10).


The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel portrayed to us a preview of the rebirth of the state of Israel in a unique analogy that has become an epic twentieth century miracle of enormous significance... in 2000 years billions have become alive, saved, and doing good works, praise the Lord.

Are your bones tired? Do you feel lifeless? Only God can give us real life. We are dead in our sins until God, through His Holy Spirit, breaths life into us. By the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God was able to bring life not only to the Jews but to all the world. You, too, can have the life of God's Spirit breathed into you. It all starts by accepting the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus Christ. He died that you might be freed from the dead life of sin. Will you not have His life fill you today?... You just have to have faith in Jesus Christ, and the Spirit is eager to come onto you... and you will see wonders, in yourself, in your family, in your church, in your town and nation, and yes, even in the world...