The Nature of Revival

I mentioned to you, on Sunday, that I will be preaching a revival in Palacios, Texas from May 7 to May 10. I asked you to be praying for me, and for the church, as we seek the face of God. However, it is not for Trinity Baptist alone that we need to be praying, but for our church as well. One thing we know about the church in America, as a whole, is that we need a revival. As I have been preparing for this revival, it has caused me to consider the true nature and result of revival.

Simply put, revival is when God visits His people, in an extraordinary way, to bring a newness of life. This seems to happen when people become acutely aware of their sin and truly repent. It is this repentance that allows for a season of refreshing. In fact, Acts 3:19 offers this exhortation, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” The formula is so simple, but seemingly lost on the church today. We like our lifestyles, we hate admitting when we are wrong, and we have an emotional, psychological, or scientific reason for all our sin. Would we not be better off to simply repent and trust God?

Jonathan Edwards, the great 18^th century preacher, offers the following five marks of revival. First, Jesus will be exalted. Second, The Holy Spirit will move to convict of sin, create a fear of God, reveal our need for a Savior, and to put God’s grace on display. Third, The Bible will be held in high regard. Fourth, sound doctrine will be taught and preached. And Fifth, a love for God and man will be evident. When God moves, these markers will be present.

I hope that we will make revival a matter of prayer. I’m not talking about revival in the sense of a series of services, but true revival that will sweep our land. I pray for the kind of revival that will cause thousands, if not hundreds of thousands to come to the Lord. I pray for the kind of revival that will awaken the sleeping giant that is the church. Will you join me? Will you pray that God will move in our land? Are you willing to pray that He will move in your life first? When we begin to pray toward this end, we can trust that God will answer in His own way and in His own time.

Honored to be your pastor,

Darrell