The Need for Revival in My Time

Introduction

It doesn’t take much for us as a nation to get caught up in the political melodrama of national elections, constitutional challenges, and dark government conspiracies. A social media post here, a catchy phrase there, and the viral theme of “real change is needed” rises like a tsunami wave sweeping across the landscape of our nation. The need for change is promoted in a variety of ways – reform, tolerance, advancements, new directions, cutbacks… whatever it takes to achieve “real change.” That is, whatever has the potential to make the biggest splash in this social media-driven world in which we live. When new leaders take the helm with charismatic words and enticing promises, we feel it’s finally here – real change. But, when words don’t lead to action and empty promises are all that’s left, we wonder, “is real change possible?”

Even in our churches, we long for real change. We need something genuine and meaningful. But all too often, the real change we seek is realized only superficially through updated music programs, contemporary services, convenient leadership and even changing the truth of God’s Word. All of which leads to a feel good Christianity that looks and feels different, but doesn’t satisfy the innermost desire to experience the real change that comes through a close personal walk with Jesus Christ. The idea of submission to God’s leadership, obedience to His Word and conformance to the image of His Son no longer match our ideas of real change. Our humanistic values replace heavenly values and we’re left out of balance and wanting; wanting change that we can’t comprehend.

The problem is that real change won’t happen without revival. Revival won’t happen without repentance. In all of the conversation about change, those two words aren’t often spoken – repentance and revival. Sadly, therein lies the problem. Without bringing those two words up, “real change,” meaning change for the better is only a pipe dream in our already clouded vision of what is best for us.

There are a couple of reasons that come to mind that help me understand why repentance and revival aren’t mentioned much these days. The first reason is that repentance is hard and inconvenient – and revival won’t happen without it. What makes repentance hard is that it requires a strong decision to change. These days, both strength and decision are rare, so making a strong decision to change is quite the challenge. It’s much easier to go with the flow even if that means that we’re caught in a whirlpool that’s pulling us down deeper with each passing day. Repentance is also hard because of the cost of admission – not the kind of admission that we pay for when we go to a ball game or a concert, but the admission that leads to recognizing our faults and the errors of our ways; the admission that there is One who knows better than we do and that we need to get behind His plan. That cost of that admission is our pride and that’s a steep price to pay.

The second reason that helps me understand why we really don’t change involves revival. Revival is a cure that’s almost impossible to achieve when we ignore the symptoms and don’t heed the diagnosis. The symptoms are all around us every day. We read about it on the web, see it and hear a sensual saturation of streaming media that has become the center of our days. We live surrounded by all of the sensuality, having carnal knowledge of the world and enjoying every tasty morsel we can devour. Sure, it leads to heartaches, broken lives and eventually a dead end. But, getting there is all the more fun with a buffet of choices that please the flesh. The symptoms that call for revival are dark, disguised and deadly – the characteristics of sin. But in general, seeking spiritual revival is not a priority for us because what once was sin is now a way of life, an addiction and a wicked habit. Our eyes have adjusted to the darkness, we are duped by the disguise, and living among the walking dead is more desirable than life. Sin has become socially acceptable in today’s culture. Things we would never have imagined seeing in public or on television are now commonplace. Laws have been implemented that allow and even protect sinful activities that would have been criminal only a few decades ago. With sin being so natural, it’s hard to see that we need a supernatural revival to bring real change.

Understanding these two things makes it seem that all hope is lost… but that’s not the case. There is a remnant… there always is.  Even the remnant, those who would still call the Bible the Word of God and Truth, those who would consider God’s way higher than man’s, those who would worship the Creator much more than the creature, needs revival. Even the most devoted Christians, who experienced Spiritual rebirth at the time they were saved by Jesus Christ, lose some of their “liveliness” over time due to the influences of the world.   (Undeniably, this is a problem for me as well as for others.) This causes the fire that burned so brightly at the time of salvation to diminish and reduces our ability to be salt and light for this world. When this happens, spiritual revival is a necessary thing. We can’t expect “real change” without it.

Where do we start? Or, more appropriately, where do I start?  I must first turn away from my ways through repentance and by hearing and heeding the word of God so that I would follow Him and not the world. Then, I can seek revival. So as much as I would like things all around me to change, complaining won’t accomplish much. But, I can initiate change on my own – “real change” that comes from repentance and revival. It starts with me.

There is a solution… it lies in the Scriptural principles of that verse. It involves the following:

• The preparation for revival
• The path to revival
• The promise of revival
• The products of revival

Experiencing Personal Revival – O Lord, Let it Start with Me…

I’d love to change my world…

Growing up as an unsaved teenager in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, I was part of a generation that eagerly sought to change the world. I caught the “change fever” but never felt I knew how to affect the change I sought. I wasn’t alone feeling that way. In fact, a relatively popular song from that generation had a chorus with these lyrics: “I’d love to change the world / But I don’t know what to do / So I’ll leave it up to you…” ¹ That refrain echoed a response to each of the preceding verses that described rather vividly the perceived rapidly declining state of the world and of humanity at that time. That secular song rang true to me in my youth and left me feeling hopeless and at a loss regarding what the future might hold.

Now that I’m a Christian, I’m reminded of that refrain as it is unwittingly echoed by me and other Christians who feel hopeless as we try to deal with the issues of a culture that seems to be leaving God behind in the pursuit of human satisfaction. While we don’t sing the lyrics, we live the lyrics with our inaction and our passivity. We feel compelled to say individually “I’d love to change, but I don’t know what to do…” This results in a church that appears hopeless, separating itself in word but not in deed, trusting in programs and political action rather than seeking holiness and impacting a needy world with real change… all because we aren’t willing to admit that the change must start with us… by seeking revival through genuine repentance.

Could it be that the wishing and hoping of a once lively and world-changing church that is characterized today more by apathy than activity will leave a legacy desiring revival but being satisfied staying the same? If we examine our church congregations, we find widespread evidence that the church cries for revival with our voices, but we aren’t seeking revival in our hearts. In fact, we often use the excuse of “not knowing what to do.” That excuse leads to inaction and becomes an infection that denies the truth – a truth that reveals that God gives the church power to overcome or change the world. To remedy this infection, God’s formula for revival must be followed from His Word.

God’s Word shows us that there is a need for revival and it provides a path to revival. If we genuinely consider our need for revival in the church and the desperate state of our culture, as well as the dangers lurking for future generations in the church, we as individuals and corporately as the church, would act now to take the steps necessary to travel the path to revival God provides in His Word.

Here are a three key passages from God’s Word that relate to the steps and the path to revival…

From these  passages, we can find the following:

1. We Must Prepare for Revival

Preparation for revival requires:

• Demonstrated faith or trust in God for revival (Isaiah 57:13)
• Genuine repentance with a contrite heart (Isaiah 57:15)
• Honest humility and submission to God (Isaiah 57:15)

2. We Must Follow the Path to Revival

The path to revival is through persistent prayer – that is, a genuine pleading with God demonstrating a personal desire for revival.

From 2 Chronicles 7:14, we see the requirements for such revival-fire prayer:

• Humility
• Focusing on God’s will and not our desires
• Repentance

3. We Will Experience the Promise of Revival

God gives us three promises of revival from these passages:

• Revival of spirit – this produces a genuine wholehearted love for God and all that He desires for one’s life. (Isaiah 57:15)
• Revival of heart – this produces a genuine tender-hearted love for people coupled with the realization that God loved mankind so much that He gave His only begotten Son . As a result, revival gives us an urgency to spread the gospel to those in need. (Isaiah 57:15)
• Revival of work – this produces a willingness to get involved in the work of the church by using our spiritual gifts, our physical abilities, and our God-given resources to meet the needs of the ministry. (Habakkuk 3:2)

4. We Will Realize the Products of Revival

Revival isn’t just a spiritual state that has no tangible results. It is a real, practical state that we can live in with renewed purpose, drive and focus. When we experience revival, we will realize the things that revival produces in a real, tangible way. Here are a few of the products or results that we will see as we experience personal revival:

• Reading God’s Word – reading the Word is no longer a chore, it is a joy and a faith-proving experience that leads to action
• Praying consistently – prayer becomes a ceaseless and instinctive endeavor, much like breathing
• Seeking and doing God’s will – self is left behind as kingdom-purpose becomes a priority
• Attending God’s house for church services and activities – gathering together as a corporate unit and assimilating into the body of Christ is viewed as a way of life not an obligation
• Loving God’s people – being a part of God’s family means more than being part of the world; it means being a part of His family. It means not harboring bitterness and loving with a spirit of humility and meekness, forgiving trespasses and showing grace to others.
• Doing God’s work through the ministry – serving the King is its own reward… who would have thought that God would choose me for a time such as this?

There are more results that I could list, but for the sake of space and time, I’ll stop here. It’s time for me to change my world starting with changing the world in me… through repentance and revival.

¹(Lyrics are from “I’d Love to Change the World” written by Alvin Lee and recorded by Ten Years After from the album A Space in Time ©BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC.)