We hear about its promised coming over and over throughout
the pulpits of America. It is promoted as the answer and solution to all of
society’s ills as a nation. Now, this antidote, seems to be the last hope for a
society that is slipping more and more into self-indulgence. What am I talking
about – revival.
How would you define “revival?” Our perception of revival
will conclude what evidences it needs to prove to oneself that what I’m looking
at, is or is not a revival.
But what does revival look like
· People running to an altar to
be saved
· Lots of physical commotion
during a church service
· A feeling that you get
· The decibel level of the
preacher’s voice
· Huge numbers in attendance
Or is it none of or all of the above mentioned things? The bible
has documented revivals throughout history and gives insight concerning
evidences of their existence.
2nd Kings 18 and 2nd Chronicles 29
walks us through a revival from beginning to end. King Hezekiah assumes the
reigns of leadership at 25 years old over the people of Judah, the southern
kingdom of Israel.
2nd Chron. 29:4-6
4 And he brought in the priests and the
Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, 5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites,
sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your
fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done
that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken
him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and
turned their backs.
First, the
king gathers the spiritual leaders and lays the responsibility for spiritual
change upon their shoulders. He demands that they take the lead in repenting
and reassuming their God ordained calling of representing God and his message
accurately.
29:11
My sons, be not now negligent: for
the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye
should minister unto him, and burn incense.
This
is a necessary component of revival! Spiritual leadership is required by God to
not be like Aaron of old and give to a fleshly people what they want, but
rather give to God what he wants. Remember the story of the golden calf? Aaron
had the power to lead them into a deeper appreciation of what God was doing on
the mount but instead chose to compromise and give the people what they wanted.
Instead of revival they fell into sin and idolatry. Ultimately, who was
responsible - Aaron!
When
King Hezekiah got the Levitical leadership consecrated and committed then
revival was going to be forthcoming. How can I be so sure? Because leadership
is the power of influence and becomes the pattern for those entrusted to their
care. In the New Testament there is a verse that says “the blind leading the
blind and they both fall into the ditch.” What if the one leading was not
blind? It speaks for itself.
Hezekiah
did something else that need never to be a forgotten component of revival. He
restored the Passover. The King
refocused the people’s attention to the lamb. If we have any hope for revival
in America today, the spiritual leadership of the land must bring the church
back to focusing on the Lamb that took away our sins. The importance of this is
beyond words. When a person focuses on Jesus
· His
mind will be at rest
· Sin
loses all appeal
· Self
loses its importance
· Maintains
the reflection of and the example of Christ
· Becomes
and influence to all around him
I would ask you to read 2nd
Chronicles 29-31 which chronicles
this revival that is one of the greatest in history. I couldn’t get into all
aspects of here due to the word count but let me list some of my observations
and see if you come up with the same or more after reading it.
1.
Leadership recommitted themselves
2.
Worship restored to focusing on
God
3.
The Lamb becomes the center of
the message
4.
Sin and idolatry removed with a vengeance
5.
Ministers are supported financially
6.
A love and hunger for the Word
became resident in all the people
Physical commotion, shouting,
loud preaching, numbers… is not true evidences of revival. Unless people are changing
from their allegiance to the world back to God in complete consecration, then
all of the afore mentioned is nothing but a cheap temporal thrill. Don’t settle
for brass when you can have gold!
GotQuestions.org has
provided one of the best definitions I have found concerning revival.
Revival refers to a spiritual reawakening from a state of dormancy or
stagnation in the life of a believer. It encompasses the resurfacing of a love
for God, an appreciation of God's holiness, a passion for His Word and His
church, a convicting awareness of personal and corporate sin, a spirit of
humility, and a desire for repentance and growth in righteousness. Revival
invigorates and sometimes deepens a believer's faith, opening his or her eyes
to the truth in a fresh, new way. It generally involves the connotation of a
fresh start with a clean slate, marking a new beginning of a life lived in
obedience to God. Revival breaks the charm and power of the world, which blinds
the eyes of men, and generates both the will and power to live in the world but
not of the world.[i]
As we say here in
south central Pennsylvania “that’s hitting the nail on the head!” 
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