I remember as a child attending revival meetings at my home church in Webster City, Iowa. They were always just what we needed. When I was a minister myself in Jenks, Oklahoma we had terrific revivals. Two of our best speakers were Tom Moll who was preaching in Cleveland, Oklahoma and Gerald Zuck who had held several ministries. Gerald could life the roof off with his sermons.
Our folks always left each night wanting more. The music was always uplifting and brought a measure of joy and smiles for everyone.
One year while I was preaching at River Oaks, I was invited to hold a revival for my old home church. Seeing many of the people who had taught me in Sunday School, had me in youth groups, trips, going back to the place where I was baptized was a trip.
But as the days came and went so was the destiny of the revival. Just like the home phone connected to the wall of a house both passed away.
Oh, some tried different ways to have a “revival”. How about a Friday through Sunday meeting? Or some tried the one-night revival. How about every two years? Before we knew it the revival meeting was on life-support. Why? Well people got busy…too busy to revive their spirit. Lack of interest. After all you can watch any kind of revival on your phone. Church leaders spoke about the lack of relevancy. Time issues of putting a meeting together.
Or maybe people of all ages fail to see that a revival is not having revival in the church. It’s interesting given all the turmoil people are suffering; economy, crime, drugs, grocery prices, what appears as a broken political system, the nuclear family crumbling, people are weary, anxious, scared.
So where are people beginning to turn for help? GOD.
Could we be headed to a spiritual awakening? It’s time to answer the Holy Spirit’s wakeup call!
Think about the potential of a revival of the church. Will we answer the Spirit’s call?
Here’s a good starting point for “Revival” in the church. I believe the following truths are necessary for revival to occur.
Wake Up to the Power of Prayer
When prayer becomes the engine, not the caboose, of our ministry efforts then our churches become an unstoppable train that advance the Gospel in unimaginable ways. I Timothy 2:1-4
Wake Up to the Need of Holiness
God only serves church revival on clean plates, so we must purify our hearts! If there is sin in the camp, we need to address it. If there is sin in our lives, we need to confess it and repent. (You do know that to repent means to express Godly sorrow not just saying “I’m sorry.”)
Wake Up to the Necessity of Faith
Hebrews 11:1 says the following, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
We can experience ‘revival’ if we live a faith that God uses to purify our hearts. And when we like this our prayers will have an everlasting impact!
Like Daniel, the angels who deliver the answers to our prayers could say to us, “As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.” Daniel 9:23
Wake Up to the Potential of Youth!
We shouldn’t underestimate young people as a potent agent of revival. Teenagers come to Christ quicker and can spread the Gospel faster and farther than adults. So the quickest way to revive a church is through the youth. That’s why I challenge any church to unleash their potential by getting them to make and multiply disciples.
Youth ministry is strategic. Every great awakening in the history of the United States has had teenagers on the leading edge.
It’s time.
It’s time not for another meeting. It’s time for “Revival”.
