Revival!

Hello faithful viewers! And I have to say that apparently that number has dropped dramatically over the last few months. I used to get 25-30 views of a new post. Now it's down to 4 or 5. I guess sermons aren't what my audience was looking for. But to you faithful few who remain. Hi.

As I said earlier in the week, we are having revival services this week at Mt. Moriah. Today I am going to start posting my sermons from those services. Here is night #1's message. Enjoy, and feel free to offer feedback.

What is a revival? This may not be a question you ask yourself. Some of you may have noticed I’m full of questions. When I read something, I usually end up with more questions than answers. When I attempt something I approach it with questions. I guess I’m the analytical type.

It may never have occurred to you to ask what a revival is. To me the question was unavoidable. The church where I grew didn’t have revivals, at least not that I remember. I’m familiar with the concept, but the specifics and the particulars escaped me.

The only experience I have with revival comes from movies and TV. One in particular came to mind when I thought about revival. Are any of you familiar with the movie Leap of Faith?

In that movie, Steve Martin plays a con-man. He is a con-man posing as an evangelist. He travels from town to town performing an old fashioned tent revival. He comes out with really flashy clothes, and fireworks going off, and a huge choir singing behind him. Then he whips the crowd into a frenzy by screaming about Jesus (using way too many syllables). The service climaxes with a series of faith healings which is quickly followed by the offering buckets. The crowd eats it up and fill the buckets, but we get to see the behind the scenes stuff in the movie. We see that off stage, Steve Martin’s preacher character is a foul-mouthed jerk. We see his employees talking to the crowd as they file into the seats and then passing information to his assistant in a control booth. She then gives him the information through a hidden ear-piece to convince the crowd that God is talking to him and telling him who needs to be healed.

There’s more to the story than that, but you’ll have to see movie yourself to find out what happens. I will say this, God has a history of working through scoundrels.

That’s not the image of a revival I wanted. That was just a false revival. A theatrical performance by a manipulative showman. He used God and people’s faith in God for his own glory and his own profit.

That’s the basis I began working from as I prepared for a revival. I was not satisfied. I still needed some sort of definition. So I went to a most reliable source. Wikipedia. Are you familiar with Wikipedia? It’s a website that gives information about almost everything. My favorite description of Wikipedia is this, “Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.” That was, of course a sarcastic description. But, Wikipedia has this to say about revival – “Christian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches.” Well, that’s better, but still not very helpful. There’s another entry there, let’s see if it helps. “Revival meetings are a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body and to gain new converts.”

OK, now we’re getting somewhere. And actually this sounds familiar. This sounds…Biblical. So I decided I should look there. When all else fails, right? I thought about this definition in terms of the Bible. One particular story came to mind, especially when I think about those last two phrases: “Inspire active members of a church” and “Gain new converts”.

I immediately turned to Acts chapter 2 the story of Pentecost. What many refer to as the birth of the church. In terms of inspiring members and gaining new converts, it could be seen as the first revival meeting. Let’s read.

Acts 2:1-21

Here we have the first revival of the Church. Actually I guess we could call this the Vival, since it is seen as the beginning of the church. So how can we take this story and use it in terms of the here and now. How does this story guide us through this revival? Through this series of services?

Well, let’s look back at that first Wikipedia entry. “Revival refers to a period of increased spiritual interest or renewal.” That sounds like a goal. It also sounds like something that cannot be manufactured. We cannot have a revival just because we planned revival meetings for August 7-10. Increased spiritual interest and spiritual renewal are not necessarily things that happen on a schedule.

Spiritual renewal can only happen through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit; which is demonstrated in our story. Prior to the scripture we read the disciples are, well, dormant. They see and talk to the resurrected Jesus who tells them to wait. Wait for the Holy Spirit. So they go to Jerusalem, find a place to stay and they wait and they pray and they prepare themselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is only when the Holy Spirit comes to them that they are ready. They are renewed through the Spirit’s presence and the Spirit’s work in and through them. Then they are prepared to, as Jesus told them, “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to all the ends of the earth.

There’s something else this passage shows us. And it’s going to be our focus for the next 3 nights. There are really three separate revivals going on in this story. First there is a personal revival within each of Jesus followers. That leads to a revival within the church. That in turn leads to the revival of their community.
Revival started first and foremost with the Disciples. The previous 2 months of their life had been a roller coaster of activity and emotion. First they experienced Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem – what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday. The people gathered and waved palm branches shouting Hosanna! I’m sure that left them feeling pretty good about their standing. Then Jesus stormed into the Temple flipping over tables and chasing merchants away. The good feelings were probably starting to fade. Then they gathered for the Passover meal and Jesus rattled off something about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. OK, now we’re just confused. Then came Jesus’ arrest, torture, and execution. The disciples scattered. They ran away, scared to death. The exhilaration of Jesus entry into Jerusalem just a week earlier was completely gone, likely forgotten.

But then early Sunday morning some of the women that travelled with them came running into the room, out of breath, panting out some nonsense about an empty tomb, a missing body, a resurrection? Then they saw Jesus themselves. Maybe now they are starting to understand. The excitement is starting to return. Following Jesus ascension, the disciples could only wait. Perhaps they were growing impatient. I’m sure they’d rather be out doing something, especially Peter, he always seemed to have a reaction.

Now, along comes the Holy Spirit. Filling them, working in them & through them. Changing them from scared, hiding, impatient men to men speaking boldly of Jesus and the message of the cross. They began to preach, not just boldly, but in languages they’d never spoken before.

The Holy Spirit brought a change in them. The Holy Spirit revived and renewed their lives and their desire to serve Jesus!

Through the revival of the disciples, the church underwent a revival as well. After the coming of the Spirit, the church began to fulfill its mission. Jesus gave the disciples a mission. Go make disciples, baptize them, and teach them. Now, empowered by the spirit they are prepared to do just that.

Through those actions, they are prepared to bring revival to their community. Let’s look back at Acts.

Acts 2:37-47

In just a few minutes, or maybe hours, 3000 people proclaimed Jesus as their savior and were baptized. Following that those around them noticed the difference. Look at verse 43. Everyone around them was in awe of the work of the Spirit done through the disciples. Jesus’ followers were revived and renewed by the Holy Spirit. That, in turn revived the church. They spent time together at the temple. Praying & worshiping together. Breaking bread together; in other words sharing the Lord’s Supper. This time of spiritual renewal caused revival in their community and “day by day the Lord added to their numbers.” People around them were so moved by what they saw that they knew they wanted to be a part of that group.

To me, this is what revival looks like. This is how revival progresses. It begins with the individual, spreads to the church, and then spreads throughout the community.

Over the next 3 nights we’re going to look more specifically at each of these steps. What does it mean to have a personal revival; to experience spiritual renewal? What about the revival of a congregation? What should a church be & how can we be that church? And finally, how can we let that revival spread throughout the community?

It begins, though, just as it did on the day of Pentecost, with the Holy Spirit. So, let’s invite the Holy Spirit. Invite the Spirit to begin working in you. Each of us is called by God to something. Through our time together this week I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you as you seek that call.

And I can’t end without saying this: So far I’ve been talking to those who have chosen to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. That may not be you. You may not have made that choice. Let me say this: God offers grace to each of us: good, bad, and otherwise. And it is just that, an offer. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are offered the free gift of salvation. It’s offered to all, but it has to be accepted. If you have not, you can choose now to live as a disciple of Jesus; to accept God’s gift of salvation. Just admit you are a sinner in need of saving, repent, and accept the gift of Jesus.

We’re going to pray. Here’s what I want you to do. Take your hands and place them on your lap like this as if you are offering yourself to God, open to the transformative work of the Spirit. We are inviting the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

Prayer: Loving God, I offer myself to you. Send your Holy Spirit work in me. I know I am called by you to work, to serve, to minister, to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Guide me by your spirit as I seek that call. Amen.
Sing. Altar prayer.