The Church in Revival

After devoting several decades on preaching and teaching on revival, it astounds me how the subject of revival is still vastly ignored by pastors and misunderstood by many. My Ph.D. is in the study of revival, and I have written many books on revival, which cover the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening and other moves of grace, where God was pleased to pour out his plentiful effusions of grace and revival and spiritual awakening. About twenty-five years ago, a friend of mine visited the so-called Toronto Blessing, which was revival.

He said one man on stage roared like a lion, while another minister on stage was doubled over in laughter. My friend said this laughter swept through the crowd until everyone there was in hysterical laughter, rolling over on the ground. My friend was a Pentecostal believer who got carried away by this huge audience, and he told me it was God at work in revival.

Several years later, after this Toronto Blessing, the former vineyard pastor of the Toronto Blessing published an article repenting of the deception and said the work was more of a satanic deception than true revival. The pastor said that the fruits of that Toronto Blessing were apostasy and heresy. I believe the reason why my friend was so deceived by this experience was that he had no real understanding of historical revival, and he lived in his emotions.

But there is still great ignorance of what true revival is, and most ministers are lacking in the study revival. And therefore, if Satan were to begin another false work today, many churches would be caught up in it and deceived. And I believe that the church in her sad spiritual declension is paving the way for Antichrist to come.

A church in the midst of revival does not exhibit weird behavior like people barking like dogs, or roaring like lions, or having twitches that give them the heebie-jeebies, and it certainly isn't people rolling in the aisles with laughter. When God shows up in revival, there is a holy solemnity that brings true heartfelt conviction of sin and repentance from sin, and it is accompanied by a reverence for Almighty God. Fruits of revival are holiness in the members of the church and in the lives of Christians.

A new sense of service to God is exhibited, and a rubber-meets-the-road brand of evangelistic efforts begins where Christians who are now on fire for God go all out for God after the lost, seeking them in the highways and hedges and bringing them in with the gospel of the Son of God. In short, the church in revival resembles New Testament Christianity. Those who are saved in revival spend their life on the out-and-out for Christ and the gospel.

Revival is like heaven on earth and time stands still, while all secular work is set aside, while men and women and boys and girls are gripped with eternity and the God of eternity. In Psalm 110.3 we read, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. That's what revival is, friends, for when God takes the field, all of our human props are kicked out from beneath us and we are cast upon God's Spirit while God refreshes His church and reestablishes His prominence and preeminence in His sanctuary once again.

I believe the most important work a pastor can occupy himself in these last days before Antichrist appears is to immerse oneself in the study of revival, to learn how God has moved in former times in revival so we will be able to recognize it when God sends it again. How can we pray for revival when we don't really understand what revival is? Revival isn't evangelistic efforts to grow your church membership. In fact, the opposite often happens.

When revival comes, it may split your church right down the middle. You may be ejected as the pastor, as Jonathan Edwards was fired by his own congregation, who saw mighty revival. When God shows up in revival, He cleans house.

There is brokenness and conviction and repentance and restitution. I'll always remember a story Duncan Campbell told of an elder who got up in the middle of his sermon and walked out the back door of the church and did not return for the meetings for four days. When the elder returned, he explained to Campbell of his absence.

He said, Oh, while you were preaching, I heard a little dog bark. Duncan Campbell replied, I heard no dog bark. The elder said, Oh yes, a little dog barked.

For I remembered when I was a youth, I stole an expensive puppy from a local farmer, and I sold it for a large sum of money to another farmer in another village. The stolen puppy barked while you were preaching, and I got up and left. The next day, I drove out to the farm where I had stolen the dog, and the farmer had died, but his daughter still owned the farm, and I confessed my sin to her and made restitution for the cost of the dog with interest through the years, and I made her take the money.

Then the next two days, I was occupied trying to locate the family to whom I sold the dog to, for they had moved away. Finally, I found them and confessed my sin before them and made restitution to them as well. Then I came back here to church, and I can tell you, I never have had such a peace with God.

God is alive to me again. Well, that's revival, friends. When God comes in revival, he comes in conviction of sin, and lives are changed for here in eternity.

It is my prayer that the people of God will take the time to learn about revival so they will have a better understanding of revival, be able to pray for revival better, and to be more equipped to understand revival if God in his mercy should send it again. Let us take the time to seek God earnestly in these last days, and to pray that in his mercy, he will send revival in our midst once again. Let us pray.