Revival
Very often in Church, we hear prayers asking God to revive the church and breathe life back into it throught a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit! But when you think about it, this suggests that revival is a work that belongs solely to God, and that we are mere bystanders in the process! Surely not? for if we are the living Church, the body of the Lord Jesus, then more is required of all of us and we need to play our part!
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
But what exactly is revival?
Not an easy question to answer for sure, as there are many elements or fruits that become apparent when revival does take place, So, to try and answer the question we need to identify the things that take place when revival does blossom!
First up, it has to said that 'Christian revival is a Holy Spirit inspired spiritual re-awakening in believers' that's marked by renewed':
- committment to faith,
- repentance of sin,
- and a deep desire to spread the good news of Jesus (Evangalism)
In the past, revival stirs-up during periods of intensified worship, whereby people, after hearing God's Word, commit their lives to Christ, and through that in time their local community is also moved and transformed!
We can do nothing on our own! so, yes the Holy Spirit is the prime mover who breathes revival into the body which is Christ's Church, but He doesn't move alone, He moves in and through us, His Church!
What are the Key elements of revival?
A Voice to Proclaim! by this I mean, charismatic figures; those blessed by the Holy Spirit and by whom God has chosen to speak His word by preaching and teaching the Good News of the Gospel! (akin to hen's teeth!, now all you preachers out there, dont take offence as there's only been a handfull of revivals in the last 200 years, you just need to pray harder that youre chosen next!)
Worship Leaders, Musicians and Singers, who through their gifts of praising God in communal worship awaken souls, raising the joy that releases a genuine desire to praise God with real emotion from the very seat of our souls, the heart itself!
The Message! to be proclaimed is simply that God, Our Father want's us to return into a right and proper relationship with Him. And so, all of us need to accept his offer of 'Personal salvation' that's only found through His Son Jesus Christ! When we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, our lives become transformed into his likeness, as He cleanses us by his blood and clothes us in His righteousness! The actual words of the message spoken must be prompted by the Spirit!
Repentance and Confession of Sin. All of us have sinned, Paul tells us this in Romans 3:23,
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
So, we need to repent of our sins, confessing them to Christ and seeking His forgiveness from them. When we do this we are reborn, like new creatures, made new in Chirst, and with the Holy Spirit living inside us to help us, we can live the rest of our earthly lives free from the power of sin that corrupts!
Moral and Societal Reform. Very often signs of revival are revealed in the local society as old vices loses their grip on peoples lives. Addictions, like drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, etc, through tbe power of Christ become things of the past as lives are transformed and made new. These people are part of the church and therefore should naturally come together as the Church, the body of Christ. In this we are to support one another and help each other out in real and practical ways. Just as ithe early church did when Christ ascended to the Father, and the Holy Spirit breathed on the Church!
Acts 4:32
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
Acts 4:34
that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
Acts 4:33-35
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Church was like this today? Perhaps if it was, we'd see more instances of revival taking place, like some of the rivals that have already taken place such as;
First Great Awakening of (1730's- 1740's) led by Jonathon Edwards (American revivalist preacher) and George Whitfield (English Anglican who helped found Methodism and the evangelist movement.
Second Great Awakening (1800-1830's) Mainly a Protestant revival that took place in America, England, Scotland and Germany
Welsh Revival (1904-5) in which the simple statement 'I love Jesus Christ with all my heart' made by Florie Evans is said to have inspired the revival that filled the chures of Wales for years!
Azusa Street Revival (1906-1915) Took place in Los Angelos California led by William Seymour. The message of those saved was; 'I am saved, santified and Filled woth the Holy Ghost'
Ashbury University revival (Feb 2023) A short lived revival that lasted only a few week that wasa sparked by students who spontaneously remained in a chapel service and continued to worship, The revival attracted up to 15000 visitors a day.
But for the seed of Revival to grow, I believe that it need three things in order to thrive; humility, prayer, and a willingness on our part to be transformed into the likeness of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
If we do this then the Holy Spirit will personally reviving each of us!, then our churches will be filled to the rafters as others see the transformation that has taken place in us!
So, open the doors of your hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to personally revive you! Then you'll see what God can do!
Have a great week, and God bless,
Trev.