“There are evils in all our churches which can never be removed but by such a work of grace. There are thousands of the young of both sexes to whom we have no access, and who can never be reached but by the Spirit of God descending on them with almighty power, a power that goes forth only when the church is greatly impressed with a sense of existing evils, and when it comes with fervent entreaty to a throne of grace to ask the interposition of the Almighty arm. In ordinary times, the world, especially in cities, presents such scenes as these. None pursue a solitary, scarcely any one an independent, course of evil. One form of sin is interwoven with another; one countenances another; one leads on another; and all stand opposed with solid front to the Gospel of Christ. The world is arrayed in hostility against God; and not even on the flanks of the immense army can an impression be made; scarce a straggler can be found who can be brought under the influence of the Gospel. Meantime the church slumbers; the mass of professing Christians feel no concern; and if here and there an active Christian is seen, his efforts are solitary and unaided; he is without counsel or concert with others, and he makes no impression on the combined evil around him. In such scenes we are not to wonder that sin triumphs, and that the world moves on undisturbed to death.”
Albert Barnes – the Theory and Desirableness of Revivals; chapter 2, page 58
Posts Tagged with Revival
Desirableness of Revivals
On Sunday, January 13, 2019 I will begin an examination of six historic sermons by American theologian, Albert Barnes. In 1838, Barnes delivered six sermons to his church and later published them as lectures and a book entitled, “the Theory and Desirableness of Revivals”.
Join me in person at Eastside Baptist Church on Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. as we examine Chapter one (sermon one) “the Theory of Revivals”. If you live outside of the Twin Falls region and unable to gather with us in person and it doesn’t interfere with your churches evening gathering, consider joining us online HERE with our live streaming. The examination will later be archived if you miss it.
Also, this week on Tuesday between 10 and 11 a.m I will host an online discussion with some pastor friends in other places to consider the arguments Barnes makes for Revivals. I’ll make that link available soon. Be looking of that on Monday or Tuesday morning (when I learn how to do it.)
Let the Clouds Pour Down Righteousness
Beginning on January 6, 2019 I will begin a “New Year’s” journey with several people at Eastside Baptist Church.
During the weekly Sunday night gatherings at Eastside I will examine 6 historic sermons by Albert Barnes entitled “the Theory and Desirableness of Revivals.”
Join me on Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. beginning January 6, 2019.
If you would like to read the book (collection of 6 sermons) with me you can download the e-Book here: The Theory and Desirableness of Revivals
If you are not able to gather with us on Sunday nights we will stream the gatherings here every Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. mountain time or you can find the archived gatherings the following week.
Consider this with me as we seek the pouring out of the Spirit of God upon us in our day.
Drip down, O heavens, from above,
Isaiah 45:8
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
And righteousness spring up with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
The Tale of Two State Governors
Last week, August 16, 2017 Oregon Governor, Kate Brown, signed HB 3391 giving all residents in Oregon the burden of paying for all abortions.
Today, August 25, 2017 South Carolina Governor, Henry McMaster, signed executive order removing the burden from all tax payers of paying for abortions and defunded Planned Parenthood and all abortion providers of all public funds. (Official Executive Order)
I expect several things will begin to happen:
- Gov. Kate Brown will be declared a hero and Gov. Henry McMaster will be villainized.
- The state of Oregon’s new law will likely stand because it came through the House. South Carolina’s executive order will be overturned soon because it was an executive order.
- The state of Oregon will win bids from ESPN, the NBA, the NFL, to host major sporting events guaranteed to bring millions of dollars to the state economy and South Carolina will begin to see the same entities and other businesses “black ball” the state.
- Christians/Churches in both states will be called upon to endure with grace while given the pleasure of suffering for the sake of the Gospel.
- Most of the nation will forget about both within a short amount of time and other unprecedented “progressive” actions will become “normal” and historic defenders of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will continue to be labeled “narrow minded bigots”.
May God raise up a prepared people to speak into this day with gospel clarity. May the church repent of her laziness. May communities hear a faithful preaching people and repent.
Reformation – An Ongoing Work
Is there a difference in revival and reformation?
Fundamentally, yes.
Where they feel similar, the work of revival is what God brings and the work of reformation is what God empowers men to do.
500 years ago Martin Luther ignited a movement that we now call the great reformation, but he was not the first, only or even (hopefully not) the last reformer. As I’m preaching through the books of the Kings the historian lays out seasons of both revival and reformation in the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
- Revival means there is an awakening of people to their spiritual concerns, a return or recovery of a state of neglect. Restoration of life.
- To reform means to change from worse to better; to amend; to correct; to restore to a former good state. To remove what is bad or corrupt. To abandon that which is evil or corrupt, and return to a good state. To be corrected
One can see there is similarity and even could be misinterpreted for each other. Maybe even fair to do so. But reform is more the activity done by those who have been revived.
Anyone with settled habits or vice will seldom reform. When there are many who don’t want to reform the reformers will be faced with great opposition. If a reformer is not aware of this he may likely give up too early on the reforming work while waiting for the profound work of the Holy Spirit in reviving those who have settled into their habits and vice.
Reforming work is very slow work. Many times the reformers are silenced, removed, ridiculed, mocked, slandered, hunted, etc. It is a blessed sight to see the Holy Spirit move in the hearts of men and women today in many places who are aiming at the same reforming work in the Lord’s church. There is a revival of sorts of expository, biblical preaching in our day. It will require more revived preachers to sustain the reforming work.
Church, we must call out from among our churches more reformers. Reformers equipped and informed of the hardship that is before them.
LORD’s Day Sermon, September 18, 2016
Repent
While preaching through the Kings at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, I’ve come to 2 Kings 18. In this chapter there is the sweet sound of revival. It is clear from the very first few verses that true revival will require an active work; hard work of removing, destroying and breaking. But if the actions of removing, destroying and breaking the idols we so love is done without repenting of the sin that drives us to love idols we are only dealing with behavior modification and not dealing with the motivation or the cause that drives us to disobey God.
Here is a three minute clip from the sermon from LORD’s Day, July 24, 2016:
Here is the full sermon:
Revival (tBC015)
BridgeCast: November 24, 2015 (tBC015)
Links from today’s podcast:
- Vance Havner – Messages on Revival
- Revive Us Again – William Mackay
Judgement Begins Here
Is there anyone here that can say, “I’m as good as I wish to be.”?
The longing for revival comes while on that narrow and difficult path. Like many, I hear people talk about revival but I wonder if we know what revival even implies.
If the church really wants revival, then church, pursue it biblically. I don’t know of a place in the land where revival is not needed.
I live in a land where rain is rare. It has been raining for the past several days, but it won’t be long and everyone in southern Idaho will be talking about how long it has been since it last rained.
There may have been a day in the past when the church enjoyed the ‘raining’ of the Holy Spirit, but perhaps you are in a region where it has been a long season since the refreshing rain of the Holy Spirit has touched the hearts of man.
The following is not an exact quote of Richard Owen Roberts, but close.
Not so many years ago, in Wales, there were enough seats in church houses for every inhabitant in the land and not so many years ago every seat was occupied. But now, you go into a typical community of 8,000 residents. Of the fifteen church houses in the city and the farming community and you’ll find eleven of those churches with roofs caved in, the windows broken out, turned into bingo halls, or converted into auto garages.
Of the other four church buildings that remain open: One is the Anglican church, there are five elderly women over the age of 80 who attend services there once a month. One is the Presbyterian church that lost all track to the gospel over forty years ago. Another is the Evangelical Church, maybe the largest church, but is being split by Pentecostals. And the last church is the Baptist Church, and it’s being controlled, not by God, but by the Masonic Lodge.
taken from “Revival Theology” Richard Owen Roberts 45min mark
Obviously this is not true of every community, but his observation is of the overall spiritual landscape of a land where once an outpouring of the Holy Spirit was far reaching.
Oh for the rain from heaven once again!
—————
the full message from Richard Owen Roberts