Revival (12/6/10)

Shalom,

 

    Please begin by reading Isa 62:1-5.

 

    What do you think of when you hear the word revival?  Edwin Orr is called an "authority" on the subject of revival.  He reported having seen two churches in a town in America that were both advertizing revival meetings.  One displayed a sign saying "Revival here every Monday night!"  The other had this sign: "Revival here every night except Monday!"  This is one example of how loosely the term revival is used today.

    We must consider the fact that a true revival begins within the Body of Christ.  Lost people can't be revived, they were never spiritually alive in the first place.  Only people who have been alive in Christ can be revived.  The great blessing of revival is that it usually spreads to the lost with an awakening of their need for a Savior.  When the people within the Church show forth the fruit of repentance and the joy of their salvation, the lost are likely to get caught up in or drawn toward the improved spiritual atmosphere.

    Church historian James Buchanan defined revival as "the imparting of life to those who are dead, and the imparting of health to those who are dying."  But that comes short, it's not enough.  Jonathan Edwards, part of the First Great Awakening in America, explained it as "God's major means of extending his Kingdom."  Edwin Orr probably came closest to getting it right: "It's a movement of the Holy Spirit bringing about a revival of New Testament Christianity in the Church of Christ and its related community."  I agree that a revival within the church should also affect the surrounding community.

 

    One thing is clear, almost as soon as you try to define the word revival, you find yourself trying to describe what a revival is.  This at least shows that revival isn't only a theoretical thing.  It's also and most certainly not a theological idea for academics and historians to debate over.  Revival is intensely practical and it always has drastic and profound results in the places it happens.  A man involved in the Azusa Street Revival described it simply as "a community saturated with God."  Even though a true revival is in the hands of the Holy Spirit, almost every person alive has their own definition of what one entails.

    In Isaiah 62 the prophet declares that he'd go on preaching until the city that's now indistinguishable from the surrounding nations and peoples becomes "a royal diadem in the hand of your God."  He also said "the nations will see your righteousness."  A place where Yahweh has been ignored and rejected will eventually return to being filled with his glory.  Verse 1 offers a beautiful picture.  "I will not keep silent... till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch."  These are glorious visions of what can be, and should be when we seek the Lord our God with deep longing and passion.

    There's no hope for revival in our midst if we don't recognize that Isaiah is preaching to us.  Outwardly there may be many good things in the Church today, but inwardly there is a rottenness based in love for the world and its ways.  Within too many of our churches there's a general carelessness, a lack of deep surrender, and a trivialization of holy things.  Our churches are divided and quarrelsome, arguing over fine points of doctrine and personal distinctives.  Too many of our leaders are overly proud of their reputations and working hard to build their own empires instead of Yahweh's.  Generally speaking, Christians think and behave like the world and are afraid to act differently so as not to be considered a "fanatic."

 

    Psalm 85:6 says, "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?"  David's asking for a revival.  He distinctly asks for Yahweh to revive Israel.  He wanted a divine work to be done as opposed to a human effort.  He didn't want Israel to stir itself up, he wanted Yahweh to send down a work of his Spirit.  This should be the focus of our prayers, too.  If we depend on a traveling evangelist to show up and raise the spiritual atmosphere we've pinned our hopes on human strength.  We need to prayerfully seek the Holy Spirit's intervention and manifestation within us and throughout our communities.

    Many of us have been brought to salvation in Christ and into the Church through some kind of revival.  Even where we can't say this there's definitely evidence of a refreshing or renewing.  But in various ways we've all been affected and benefitted from genuine revivals.  Some historians say that English society was saved by the Wesleyan Revival in the 1700's.  What came about due to the diligence and passion of John Wesley and his fellow workers brought peace to the land and avoided chaos.  Our world needs the same kind of work done today, or we may find ourselves slipping into some very evil times.

    The Church of Jesus Christ should believe in revivals.  Many have been born into the Kingdom through their effects.  Many have been nurtured and matured, raised to higher spiritual levels through them.  Nothing can stand in the Church's way when revival power comes, bringing refreshing and recommitment to the believers, and pouring out salvation and awakening on our communities.  In a true revival both saint and sinner are affected.  Even sinful institutions have been changed.  Real revival brings glory and power to the whole community.

    Early American Methodist preacher Peter Cartwright said: "The glory of Methodism has ever been the revival.  If she forfeits that, she has lost her peculiarly distinguishing feature as well as true work and noblest heritage, and becomes poor indeed.  Giving up this she will cease to be blessed in herself and a blessing to others.  There are few more painful sights than the spectacle of a Methodist congregation patterning in various ways after some cold, worldly, ritualistic church.  It argues the forgetfulness of her origin and training, the ignoring of the secret of her past success, and the laying down of her mighty weapon of glory and victory."

    Couldn't we lament this way over many of the churches that surround us.  Where is the hunger for the presence of the Father, Son, and Spirit to be manifested in our midst?  Where is the desire to see the lost saved and backsliders returned to active faith?  Why do we think that the things that attract crowds in the world should be used in our churches?  Have we also "ceased to be blessed.. and a blessing to others?"

 

    Authentic ministry can get very messy.  You know, we might start to attract the "wrong" kind of people.  Alcoholics and prostitutes and various sorts of ungodly sinners may begin to attend our services.  The church floors might get more dirt and spills on them.  The parking lot might get full, and litter may be scattered about.  But then how do you explain that we're called to be shepherds and that sheep are messy critters?  If we're really going to see people changed and transformed by their encounter with Jesus we're going to have to get a little, or a lot, dirty.

    Talking so openly about sin just might make some people uncomfortable.  But then that lack of tolerance for real ministry must also be overcome.  People will ask, "what about added noise and congestion?  Can you imagine that people who supposedly have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb would try to keep other sinners from finding the same relief and peace?  But the complaints continue:  Someone might park in "my" space.  Someone might sit in "my" pew.  Someone might do something "out of order."  Oh my.

    How have we gotten so far off track?  Why do we struggle so with the Holy Spirit's activity in our midst?  Don't focus on what could go wrong, look at these possibilites: Someone might get gloriously saved.  Someone might get miraculously healed.  Someone might experience Jesus in an exciting new way.

 

    Prayer is the key here.  If we want to see revival and spiritual awakening, we must pray.  We must seek Yahweh's vision for the work in our areas.  We must cry out for the salvation of the lost.  We must stand against demonic strongholds, maybe we just need to admit that we have to fight against these evil principalities.  We need to ensure that we've done all we can to be fully cleansed and made righteous through our relationship with our Lord Jesus.  To have a true revival we need the Holy Spirit's help, and that's best obtained through strong prayer efforts.

    Don't be afraid of the power of prayer.  Many people are afraid for one of two reasons.  1) They worry that they won't hear Yahweh's voice.  2) They worry that they might hear Yahweh's voice.  If you're concerned about not hearing, repent and seek him with all your heart.  If you're afraid of what you'll hear, that Yahweh may expect you to do something unusual or out of the ordinary, repent and seek him with all your heart.

    We need spiritual discernment.  Bringing together all the data and debating the issue is about personal power and influence.  That's the way too many of our church boards and councils operate.  Discernment is about surrender.  Discernment says, "It's Yahweh's Church, so he gets the final say."  Our Father in heaven also has veto power, he can overrule our human plans.  Voting promotes winners and losers.  Discernment is about hearing the Spirit and obeying the directions we perceive.

    It's not the pastor's or the leader's job to have a vision for the church or fellowship.  Yes, the leadership should be leading in the discernment process, but Yahweh gives the vision and the whole fellowship needs to discern it.  It's not about whether it's likeable or acceptable to the majority, but whether or not it's true to what Yahweh desires for us as a body.  Does Yahweh desire to bring revival?  Of course he does.  He knows best.  Let's not try to bring it about in our own strength or through our personal efforts.  Let's trust our Father to guide us and speak to us through the Holy Spirit.  Then let's obediently follow these heavenly instructions to bring about revival and awakening.

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike