Sermon Title: “What Does Revival Look Like?”

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Text: Psalm 85:1–13

Delivered at Forward for Christ Baptist Church in Luray, VA 22835 (September 28, 2025)

Local Message Highlight
If you are searching for a Bible-preaching church near Luray, VA, this message from Psalm 85 answers a real question with real Bible: what does revival actually look like? Revival is not a date on the calendar. It is spiritual life restored in God’s people. The sermon calls the church to seek the Lord for renewed hearts, renewed joy, and renewed obedience.

What This Sermon Covers
From Psalm 85, the message lays out clear marks of revival. First, revival produces a turning: turning away from sin, pride, bitterness, and anger, and turning to the cross, humility, joy, and forgiveness. Second, revival creates a people willing to hear what God will speak, through faithful church attendance, personal Bible reading, and prayer, as God replaces distraction with peace. Third, revival causes truth to spring up everywhere, mercy to be shown because God has shown mercy to us, and righteousness to be restored as believers follow the Lord’s steps. The message closes with a strong call for believers to seek revival personally and a clear Gospel invitation for the lost to come to Christ.

Why Visit Forward for Christ Baptist Church in Luray, VA?
Forward for Christ Baptist Church is a King James Bible-believing church serving Page County and the Shenandoah Valley with clear preaching, traditional worship, and a desire to see souls saved and believers strengthened. If you are looking for a church family that loves the Word of God, prays for revival, and lives to lift up Christ in the community, you are welcome here.

Questions and Answers

Quick sermon takeaways from Psalm 85:1–13, built for clarity and easy reading.

What is the main point of the 9/28 sermon?

The message asks, “What does revival look like?” from Psalm 85 and shows that revival is not a scheduled meeting, but spiritual life restored in God’s people. When the Lord revives, believers turn back to Him, hear His Word with fresh submission, and live with renewed truth, mercy, and righteousness.

What does “revival” mean in this sermon?

Revival is something that was dead being brought back to life. The sermon applies it personally: even in a church that is doing well, believers can have areas of their spiritual life that have grown cold, and Psalm 85 shows God can restore what is lacking.

What is the first visible mark of revival in Psalm 85?

A turning. Psalm 85:4 says, “Turn us, O God of our salvation.” The sermon stresses that revival starts when God’s people turn away from sin and stop making peace with what God calls wrong.

What did the sermon say we must turn away from?

The message calls for turning away from sin, pride, bitterness, and anger. These things choke spiritual life, hinder the work of God in the church, and keep believers from walking in the joy and freedom God intends.

If we turn away, what should we turn toward?

The sermon points believers to turn to the cross, humility, joy, and forgiveness. Instead of clinging to pride and grudges, revival produces a heart that looks to Christ, walks low, rejoices in salvation, and releases others through forgiveness.

What does Psalm 85:8 teach about hearing God?

“I will hear what God the LORD will speak.” The sermon explains that revival includes a willingness to hear God through His Word, through faithful worship, and through prayer, instead of letting distractions and noise drown out His voice.

How does God respond when His people are willing to hear Him?

Psalm 85:8 says God “will speak peace unto his people.” The sermon emphasizes that when believers fix their hearts on the Lord and listen to Him, He replaces the noise of distraction with peace, because Christ is the Prince of Peace.

What does it mean that “truth shall spring out of the earth”?

Psalm 85:11 describes truth spreading like a spring that keeps flowing. The message applies this to revival: truth becomes visible everywhere, God’s Word is honored, and believers stand firm on Scripture instead of letting error creep into their lives or the church.

How do mercy and forgiveness fit into revival?

Psalm 85:10 says, “Mercy and truth are met together.” The sermon stresses that revival produces mercy: treating people better than they deserve, because God has shown mercy to us. That includes forgiving others and refusing to live in revenge, bitterness, or division.

What is the invitation at the end of the sermon?

The message calls believers to humble themselves and seek revival personally, then bring that hunger to the church so God can work in the community. It also extends the Gospel to the lost, urging anyone without Christ to turn to Him for salvation.

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