What is Revival

In Psalm 110 and verse 3 we read, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. People often ask me what revival is. First friends, let me say what it is not.

Revival is not protracted meetings in a tent where hot dogs are served and there is an atmosphere of excitement with loud preaching and loud singing and loud praying with the goal of getting some additions to the church. That is not revival but evangelism. Revival is when God shows up in his awful solemnity.

There is a disturbing presence that attends the preaching of his word. Men and women and boys and girls come under conviction of sin and are brought to the very verge of eternity to face the God of eternity. Revival is when the people of God get realigned to a holy God and see their lack.

Their lack of prayer. Their lack of witnessing. Their lack of love to God and their lack of obedience to Christ Jesus.

They are brought out of their spiritual stupor and made alive again. Revival is when the Lord Jesus takes the field and reestablishes his prominence and preeminence in the sanctuary of the house of God. In revival, people are bent down under the awful presence of Almighty God as they are pressed down in repentance and humility toward God.

There is an outpouring of confession of sin as the people of God come clean with God. There's a time of forgiveness towards others where broken relationships are healed and bitterness is washed away. There is great unity in time's revival among the people of God.

The youth do not want to leave the church in time's revival, but stay there at all odd hours, staying in the presence and bathing in the presence of God. In time's revival, many teenagers are savingly converted as they experience the power of God in a meeting and it changes the course of their lives forever. Hearts are set on fire for God and there is a fresh burden for the souls of men.

Witnessing in evangelism takes prominence within the church. Secular things pale in comparison with things of eternal worth. There is a renewed sweetheart love for Jesus.

There is a spirit of prayer among God's people and holiness unto God is desired in one's personal life. In time's revival, there is a renewed interest in preaching and a new reverence for God and singing hymns of worship. In short, revival realigns the people of God back to the heart of God and brings them up spiritually to the level of New Testament Christianity, which in reality, friends, is what normal Christianity should be like all the time.

I'll end this message, friends, by reading you a couple descriptions about revival. The first is from Joseph Kemp. He was the pastor of Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland, the same church where Sidlo Baxter and Graham Scroggie were pastors.

A remarkable revival broke out under Kemp's preaching. He wrote, Quite suddenly upon one and another came an overwhelming sense of the reality and awfulness of his presence and of eternal things. The second quote I want to read you, friends, is about Duncan Campbell while he was on the Isle of Lewis experiencing revival in Scotland.

Listen to his words and I'll close this message as we go to a time of prayer for revival. But here now are his words. The awful presence of God brought a wave of conviction of sin that caused even mature Christians to feel their sinfulness, bringing groans of distress and prayers of repentance from the unconverted.

Strong men were bowed under the weight of sin and cries for mercy were mingled with shouts of joy from others who had passed into life. Great God, we beseech thee to turn your face upon your people and to send forth your grace in a season of revival. We pray, great God, for you to visit your people in these desperate days.

Great God, come among us and revive us and turn us and fill us to be vessels useful to the King of glory. In Christ Jesus name we pray.