Signs of Revival

Many are talking about revival and asking questions. Are we experiencing revival? Is our nation experiencing a mass mourning process or are the American people simply rubbernecking another American tragedy? Time will tell, but I pray for revival in our world.

The murder of Charlie Kirk has garnered many conversations and at some churches, a crowd of people. During vigils and memorials, we have seen a great deal of prayer, clear Gospel presentations and Christ-centered worship. I hope that we are seeing the beginnings of a revival, but it will only come as God desires.

There is certainly interest as people have lauded the vigils and the large crowds, but the American church has equated godly success with the gathering crowds. For too long we have wrongly defined the success of the church.

Randy C. Davis, executive director-treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, has said, “What if we define success on who goes [out from the church] rather than who attends?” What would “going” look like?

In his book “Looking to the Past for Lessons about Prayer,” Thomas Kidd reminds us that historically “revival depended not on more human effort, but on an outpouring of God the Holy Spirit. God did not need the church to pray to send revival, but fervent prayer for God’s rescuing power was often the first sign of revival”

The apostle Paul stated, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3: 6-7). The psalmist wrote, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it" (Psalm 127: 1).

What are signs of revival?

1. Awareness: People will have a growing awareness of their proximity to God. We need God because we are sinners. Sometime in life we must have a realization that we are dead in our sins and need a Savior (Genesis 3:15; Romans 3:23). Moments of tragedy most certainly can be used to cause this awareness that we are far from God and need relationship with Him.

2. Repentance: People will have a growing desire to repent. If there is no desire for repentance, then there will be no reviving of the soul. As God draws us to Himself, we will develop an insatiable desire toward repentance (Luke 15: 7). We will be disgusted by sin and weep about it (Matthew 5:4). True believers live a repentant lifestyle (1 John 1: 9).

2. Worship: People will commit to worshipping God. Worship will not be seasonal but a lifestyle. The effect of a repentant life is worshipping a God whom you now understand you do not deserve. The worship of the Lord will be spiritual and involve adherence to truth (John 4:24).

3. Great Commission focus: People will commit to evangelizing and discipling other people. In a true revival, the life of the believer is transformed and activated for service. The believer will lead a self-sacrificial life and will obediently serve others through evangelism and discipleship (Matthew 28: 18-20; Luke 19:10).

Revival can happen for one person or a community of people. Revival must begin with, and come from, the Lord. Although believers should live such a life that a person can follow them into relationship with Jesus, revival must be a season where we desire to look more like Jesus and not simply like a well-known Christian. Time will tell if we are about to experience true revival, and I pray that the church captures the moment in a meaningful way to lead people toward the cross.

(Edited by Chris Turner and Laura Erlanson)