Longing for Revival

Are you aware that the church is in need of a revival? Are you praying for God to do a powerful work of revival and awakening in his church? Drive through the small towns in the south in the spring and you will notice the numerous church signs advertising “Revival”. According to Noah Webster in his 1828 dictionary a revival is, “Renewed and more active attention to religion; an awakening of men to their spiritual concerns.” According to this definition is it possible to “have” a revival by calling people to church over the course of a week or more to awaken men to greater spiritual concerns and to stir them up to a more active attention to their religion? A more fitting word that should be put on these church signs is “Revivalism”. There is a historical record that shows us the difference between revival and revivalism.

The first Great Awakening took place in America in 1734-35 most notably under the preaching of such men as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. It seemed to die down for a time then the fires of revival began to burn again in 1740-41. Jonathan Edwards describes the beginning of the awakening in December of 1734 with these words, “It was in the later part of December (1734) that the Spirit of God began extraordinarily to set in, and wonderfully to work among us; and very suddenly, one after another, five or six persons were to all appearances savingly converted…The news of it seemed to be almost like a flash of lightning upon the hearts of young people all over the town, and upon many others…The one thing in their view was to get the kingdom of heaven, and everyone seemed to be pressing into it.” Notice that Edwards describes this awakening or revival by noting the work of the Spirit of God that set in and wonderfully worked among them. It should be noted that this took place around the preaching of God’s Word and an earnest yearning and pleading with God in prayer. But as noted by Edwards it was “the surprising work of God”, and not a calculated work of man.

In the beginning of the 19th century America experienced its second Great Awakening. This again was a surprising work of God that took place in America through the preaching of God’s Word by mainly Calvinistic Baptists and Presbyterians. However, the influences of Methodism and a brand of Presbyterianism under Charles Finney changed the shape of this awakening in the middle of the century. It was under the influence of Methodism that the roots of revivalism grew. The Methodist movement not only shaped the practice of revival but the theology as well. They encouraged mass meetings, the recording of the number of conversions, and the use of the “alter call” or the invitation to come forward. This is the beginning of human means of producing the spiritual results of purported revival. These methods were “improved upon” by the Presbyterian minister Charles Finney in what came to be known as “new measures”. Finney’s new measures for producing spiritual revival were undergirded by Arminian theology. He believed that man had the ability to spiritually respond to the call of the gospel in himself. Therefore he would use whatever means necessary to stir man up emotionally so that he would use that ability to come to God. This practice and theology spread in the east and began to spread into the “frontier” of America, and became the common understanding of revival. Revival became a work that man could plan and through his own means produce the kind of spiritual results that God was pleased with in his creatures. Revival became revivalism.

The view of revival as a sovereign powerful work of God through his ordinary means of grace became a thing of the past and from this has grown the roots of modern evangelicalism in America. However, from those roots has grown a tree or a church that would acknowledge a need for awakening or revival. But it is not revivalism the church needs but a surprising work of God where he comes down to turn the hearts of the church and the unconverted to himself for his own glory.

Why does the church need this reviving work of God today? Borrowing Richard Owen Roberts words, “The crippled Church, looking more like a dying refugee camp than a militant and victorious army, needs once again the manifest presence of Christ in its midst.” We need the living and glorious Christ in our midst to bring upon us conviction of sin and a powerful release from the chains of our corruption. We need his powerful work through his Word and Spirit to change us deeply and to spread its saving effects all around us among all ages. The church will never have the power in herself to deal rightly with sin, to see deep and lasting change affected in her mind and heart, to pursue holiness, to rescue a dying and sin cursed world. There are thousands of sermons preached every week with seemingly little impact. There are hours of praying with little discernable effect for the church and the world. There are numerous works of personal witnessing in all areas of life each week with little effect seen for the kingdom of God. We need the work of God’s reviving and awakening to come upon us like the celestial tsunami that showered down from the heavens this week. Those in Alaska and parts of the north were able to see its effects. We read about it and hear about it and we long to see that glory. Let us plead with God to bare his mighty arm, and draw near to his people with his glory through his powerful Word and do a surprising work among us. Let us pray and practice his ordinary means of grace and wait in earnest for his reviving work.