Revival: A Surprising Move of God pt. 3
Welsh & Azusa Street Revival
A “Lord, . . . bend me!”
1 Out of the embers of the Layman Prayer Revival, that saw the conversion of William Booth, D.L. Moody/Ira Starkey.
a D.L Moody was a pioneer of international crusades, leading thousands to Jesus with his tent crusades.
b In the late 1800's, Moody went to Britain/Wales and Revival fires were burning in the U.K. in the years leading to what is called the “Welsh Revival.”
aa The Welsh Revival would last for nearly two years but it’s impact is still felt in every Spirit-Filled church, Pentecostal movement, when people travail in prayer in conviction.
bb The Welsh Revival last from September 1904 to June 1905, saw over 100,000 converted to Christ.
2 As history has taught us, before God moves, his people are praying.
a Two years before the Welsh Outpouring, there was call for the people of God to cry out to Him for revival.
aa In 1902, Dean David Howell, wrote an article, just one month before died, describing the situation in the churches:
“The preaching, is is said, is able, scholarly, interesting, and instructive; it is however accompanied with but little unction and anointing . . . The terminology of former ages, such as conviction, conversion, repentance, adoption, mortification of sin, self-loathing, and such like, has become to a great extend foreign and meaningless . . . But what of the remedy? . . . the principle need of my country and dear nation at present is still spiritual revival through a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”
bb Howell’s message left an impression, caused the church’s ears to be pricked.
b Ironically, the earliest signs leading up to Global Revival, is traced to the U.S., where a pastor by W.S. Jones (First Welsh Baptist Church, Scranton, Pennsylvania) became broken before God.
aa He got hungry for God in his own life.
bb Before his heart was stirred he was preaching effect, after he preached for results. (Impress his hearers/ effecting their hearts.)
cc Jones resigned his pastorate and went to Wales in 1897, (where God was already beginning to move through men like Joseph Jenkins) and came back to the States . . . his encounter infected other preachers to get together and pray for revival.
c One of the focuses of these praying preachers here in America (and congregations) used one verse in particular as their focus, “I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH.” -Joel 2.28
B Meanwhile, in Wales, Joseph Jenkins was preaching a simple message, “What does Jesus mean to you?”
1 Never had the preachers seen the Holy Spirit so powerfully manifested among the people. (On 9/20, he wrote he couldn’t leave the building until 12AM to 1AM. Try to close the meeting but the Holy Spirit kept breaking out again.)
a At one of his meetings was a coal miner named Evan Roberts.
aa As a child Evan took a bible everywhere, dreamed of revival, as a coal miner, he was reading his bible in the mine and scorched his bible at 2 Chron. 6, Solomon was asking God for Revival. Roberts saw this prophetic when he became world known. (Pictures)
bb On Thursday morning, Jenkins was preaching and closed his service with this prayer, “Lord, bend us.”
cc Roberts went to the front of the church and prayed in anguish, “Lord, bend me.”
dd “I felt ablaze with a desire to go through the length and breadth of Wales to tell of my Savior; and had that been possible, I was willing to pay God for doing so.” -Evan Roberts
b Immediately, Roberts began to speak in churches of how God had changed his life.
aa He and his buddy Sidney began to pray for 100,000 souls . . . and an opportunity to preach at his home church.
bb He was allowed, but only after regular services: 17 people stuck around. (Can you imagine how discouraged that made Roberts?)
c Two days later, he’s preaching at a town not far from his home church, four requirements of revival.
aa You must put away any unconfessed sin;
bb You must put away any doubtful habit
cc You must obey the Holy Spirit promptly.
dd You must confess Christ publicly.
d Within a week, the town was changed . . . meetings lasted until 4 in the morning.
aa Revival begins with prayer & testimony as its fuel.
bb Within months, Roberts was preaching all across Wales, giving testimony.
cc Welsh Revival called the singing revival because of the importance placed upon music, singing.
2 The rally cry of the Welsh Revival, “Bend the church, save the world.”
a The cry was heard all around the world and the Pastor of FBC LA, Joseph Smale traveled to Wales to see the revival firsthand.
aa After returning home, he told them of what was going on a half-world away and 200 came out of their seats and wept in penitence before the Lord.
bb He began to hold daily services (afternoon & evening), for 15 weeks the members sought earnestly for the power of the Holy Spirit & His gifts.
b At that point the church board complained about the move of the Spirit . . . Smale left and started his own church.
C On the other side of LA, a black preacher from Centerville, Louisiana had arrived and began to host prayer meetings, at a house, seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit by evidence of speaking in tongues.
1 Before long, people & congregations from all over were coming to this house seeking the infilling. (Even Smale and his new church attended)
a When the front porch collapsed, William Seymore, rented the former Stevens African Methodist Episcopal Church at 312 Azusa Street.
aa The church had been used as horse stable and an apartment building.
bb Junk lumber and plaster littered the large room.
b The press got hold of what was going on at Azusa Steet.
aa 300 to 350 in a 40x60 whitewashed wood framed building. Often times people outside the building.
bb Black, white, rich, poor, interdenominational . . . people wanting God.
cc “There was no pride there . . . In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors, God took strong men and women to pieces, and put them together again, for His glory . . . The religious ego preached its own funeral sermon quickly.”
2 Similar moves of God began around this time in Topika, Kansas
a There was no stage, no pulpit, just pews (usually a plank on top of empty cases that nails came in.)
b God sent a revival fire that signaled the birth of the Pentecostal movement. . . full of excesses . . . sure.
aa During the revival people where healed, saved, chains released, people freed from demonic oppression.
bb People got saved, the church was energized.
3 What I think God was wanting to do was to send Holy Spirit Revival to the group that called themselves, “People of the Book.”
a People who could have dealt with excesses, doctrinal errors through the lens of Scripture.
b But because FBC LA rejected the move/blessing . . . so scared of wildfire, they missed out on the real fire of revival.
aa May we not have that fear, apprehension, . . .
bb Pride, traditionalism kills the hunger/throws a blanket over new things.
cc Not that new things are by default better than old things. I want oily things! New wine.
D I want to beg God for the revival we forfeited as Baptists in1905.
1 God gives us another shoot at Revival, outpouring, renewal.
a We welcome revival more than we worry about wildfire.
b Lord, bend me. What would you have us do? Let your spirit be poured out on us.
2 Pour out more on this army of Joel.
a Who is not scared . . . we are hungry.
b We are not ashamed . . . we are dry.
c The well is dry . . . send rain.
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