Revival (Section 3) WHAT A REVIVAL OF RELIGION IS (From Charles Finney’s Lectures)
Theme Scripture Habakkuk 3:1 -2 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
2 O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
02421 chayh (khaw-yaw’) to live, have life, remain alive, be quickened
To revive, be quickened from sickness, discouragement, faintness, death
Introduction
--- Religion is the work of man. It is something for man to do. It consists in obeying God.
--- Excitement is required. But as yet the state of the Christian world is such, that to expect to promote religion without excitements is unphilosophical and absurd.
--- Men being so reluctant to obey God, will not act until they are excited. For instance,
how many there are who know that they ought to be religious, but they are afraid
that if they become pious they will be laughed at by their companions.
I. REVIVAL IS NOT A MIRACLE
A. A miracle --- Divine interference, setting aside, or suspending the laws of nature.
All the laws of matter and mind remain in force.
B. A revival is not a miracle such as being above the powers of nature.
C. A revival is not a miracle. The miracle was one thing; the revival that followed it was quite another thing.
Acts 8:5 -17 (Read)
A revival is as naturally a result of the use of the appropriate means as a crop is of
the use of its appropriate means. Let a man tell farmers that God is a Sovereign, and will give them a crop only when He pleases. They would starve themselves and the world to death.
There is a natural law and a spiritual law of sowing and reaping.
Prov 22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity:
Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.
John 4:35 -38 (Read)
II Cor 9:4-7 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. 6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Galations 6:7-8 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
II. WHAT A REVIVAL IS
A. A revival always includes conviction of sin on the part of the Church. In a true revival,
Christians are always brought under such conviction; they see their sins in such a light that often they find it impossible to maintain a hope of their acceptance with God.
I Peter 4:17-18 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
When God brings judgement upon whole nations, he generally begins with His own people. M. H.
Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one’s will to God in deep humility. Charles Finney
B. Christians will be brought to repentance. A revival is nothing else than a new beginning
of obedience to God.
God has enabled us to know that we may obey.
Romans 5:18 -19 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 6:16 -19 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
II Cor 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
C. Christians will have their faith renewed. This will lead them to labor zealously to bring
others to Him.
Psalms 119:139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
John 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
II Cor 9:2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
Zeal against sin should constrain us to do what we can against it in our places, at least to do much the more in religion ourselves.
D. A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 4:21-24 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
E. When the Churches are thus awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow.
The worst of human being are softened and reclaimed, and made to appear as lovely specimens of the beauty of holiness.
III. THE AGENCIES EMPLOYED
A. The agency of God is twofold: by His Providence and by His Spirit
1. By His providential government, He so arranges events as to bring the sinner's
mind and the truth in contact.
2. God's special agency by His Holy Spirit. Having direct access to the mind, and
knowing well the whole history and state of each individual sinner, He employs that truth which is best adapted to his particular case, and then drives it home with Divine power.
B. The agency of men is commonly employed.
Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
C. The agency of the sinner himself.
1. Sinners respond to several types of messages.
a. A sinner man who lives daily with a Christian wife must turn his mind
away daily. He feels a sermon ringing in his ears all day long.
I Peter 3:1 -6 (READ)
b. A sinner reads the Christian's mind in his eyes. If they are full of anxiety and worry, etc. a sinner reads it. If they are full of the Spirit of God, sinner a sinner reads it.
The ungodly are often led to conviction simply by seeing the countenance
of Christians. Relate story of Finney and the factory. (pages 10 -11)
2. The whole drift of a revival, and everything about it, is designed to present the
truth to your mind, for your obedience or resistance.
IV. REMARKS
A. Revivals are not miracles that come periodically as God decides to rain on us.
B. Revivals are bought about for the most part by naturally employed means when we
decide to work and pray.
C. Finally: I have not commenced this course of Lectures on Revivals to get up a curious
theory of my own on the subject. I would not spend my time and strength merely to give instructions, to gratify curiosity, and furnish people with something to talk about. I have no idea of a preaching about revivals. It is not my design to preach so as to have you able to say at the close: "We understand all about revivals now," while you do nothing.
Will you follow the instructions I shall give you from the Word of God, and then put them into practice in your own lives? Will you bring them to bear upon your families, your acquaintance, neighbors, and through the city? Or will you spend the time learning about revivals, and do nothing for them? I want you as fast as you learn anything on the subject of revivals, to put it in practice, and go to work and see if you cannot promote a revival among sinners here. If you will not do this, I wish you to let me know at the beginning, so that I need not waste my strength. You ought to decide now whether you will do this or not. You know that we call sinners to decide on the spot whether they will obey the Gospel. And we have no more authority to let you take the time to deliberate whether you will obey God, than we have to let sinners do so. We call on you to unite now in a solemn pledge to God, that you will do your duty as fast as you learn what it is, and to pray that He will pour out His Spirit upon this Church and upon all the city.
