Revival is such an interesting reoccurring topic in the church world. I recently heard of one pastor/preacher who implied that he knew how to keep his congregation "stirred up!" While that ability is better than putting people to sleep it also reveals a common misunderstanding about revival. True revival is not a renewal that can come from men but only from God. Revival has more to do with the individual than the corporate. Gypsie Smith never received a formal education yet he lectured at Harvard and was invited to the White House by two different Presidents. He became known as an authority on the subject of revival. He was asked on one occasion why revival seemed to follow him. His answer was simple yet powerful. "Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk, draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle." While big meetings are very exciting, it is very possible that a person can attend such an event and never be personally transformed. It is one thing to be excited and another to be transformed. If a new life does not leave a meeting than the one who arrived, then revival has not occurred. Going back to my thought that revival is more personal than corporate, the personal revival will impact church wide revival. It is very possible to classify an exciting meeting or even series of meetings as revival. It may not be revival. The characteristics of revival are not even primarily the saving of the lost. The saving of the lost follows true revival. Revival speaks of the Church! A powerless church, although possibly exciting, does not win the lost out where they live, outside the church.
I Peter 4:17"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God..."
It will be a very difficult thing for revival from heaven to come to a church with no sense of need for it. There is such an emphasis today on the importance of building people up and keeping things comfortable, happy and upbeat. There is no place in such a church environment for such negative appearing things as conviction of sin and repentance. It is distasteful to even think that the church is powerless and living in a place of remission from the Presence of God. If there is no sense of need then there will be no asking. If the church doesn't have a consciousness of a loss then there will be no seeking. If there is no awareness that the door is closed then there will be no knocking. I have a concern for the church but I don't believe revival will start in leadership or as a program of the church. It will start as it always has, as individuals see their own need and cry out to God in brokenness and God will hear from Heaven. James 4:8 is still God's way to revival.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." May be begin as individual disciples to first see. Then may we ask, seek and knock.
