In the first chapter of Acts, Luke shares how Jesus ascended into heaven, and then afterwards he turns our focus toward a room. “It is the Upper Room in Jerusalem, and it is just weeks after the resurrection of Jesus. One hundred twenty believers are praying and waiting. All they know is that two things are going to happen: 1.) the Holy Spirit is going to come upon them; and 2.) they are going to receive power.”(1)
Outside, the festivities of Pentecost were going on. “The unpromising prayer meeting continued on raw obedience. It took grit and courage to stay in the Upper Room . . . Inside: sober and vigilant saints. Outside: a party cranking up. Inside there is supplication; outside, the festive sounds. The exterior laugher and fun seemed to mock them and taunt them into thinking life had passed them by” (pp. 48-49).
“Then everyone heard it! Out of nowhere, a hurricane! A mighty roar that effortlessly drowned out the sounds of the party. The Holy Spirit roared onto the earth and into the church. The spotlight of history was ripped away from the now unimportant feast outside and it turned to the newly-born world-changers” (p. 49). “The believers poured out of the upper room and stunned tens of thousands milling around outside their door . . . Each person heard his own language being spoken by those who couldn’t possibly speak it . . . [It is no] small wonder that [thousands of] new believers were added to their number within minutes of the miracle. They had reached critical mass” (p. 49).
Our message this morning is based on a book by the evangelist Mario Murillo entitled, Reaching Critical Mass: How You Can Start a Revival. The keys necessary to behold a Pentecost-style revival can be observed in 2 Chronicles 7:14; and I want to invite you to stand with me in honor of God’s Word as we read this well-known verse together. Here’s what the Word says: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
God Seeks a Core – “If My People”
The statement “if My people,” is the first key to experiencing revival; and the main concept is that “God Seeks a Core.” “When [God] said, ‘If My people,’ He was making a timeless statement. When He judges the affairs of mankind, He looks first to see what His people are doing.” For example, “Before the angels entered Sodom and Gomorrah, they went to Abraham. They first inquired of the man of God” (p. 17).
“God’s decision to spare a nation is based upon finding and purifying His people.” “The very first stage of revival is to establish a core. Every city [or region] needs a group that will set itself aside as a living sacrifice. These are those who want to identify themselves in God’s presence as being totally available” to Him. “These people aren’t rebels; they aren’t out for personal glory.” “They simply care; [and] they only want revival” (pp. 18-19).
Jesus’ voice thunders across the centuries, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). “The promise is that it will be done! It can literally start with only two [people]. They need no great talent, except to totally agree on what needs to happen” (p. 19). The Lord is looking for a revival core with the conviction that “God is going to give us this city!” (p. 19). They are in agreement that God can turn this city or this nation around.
“There is in our God an intense desire to find His revival core.” We read in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” “So, what is it that He looks for?” He is looking for “the element of desperation to do something about the way things are.” “The [core] group exists to bring revival” and “each one is there for that reason” (pp. 20-21) – and that reason alone.
“The phrase ‘if my people’ proves that revival is in part a matter of choice . . . To believe that it is completely outside of our choice to ever have revival does not glorify God. In fact, it plays into the hands of Satan by producing a passive church that senses no responsibility to its generation” (p. 25). We must keep in mind that “the blood of a whole generation is on our hands if we walk away and pretend that the evil isn’t there or that God doesn’t want to use us” (p. 23). The statement “if My people” “means that the people who are God’s possession have been identified,” (p. 23) so what are we going to do about it?
“The eyes of the Lord see everything, but they focus on what is going on with His people. Let us come before Him now, aware of our total helplessness. Let us announce that we are His people and that we do not fear our time, but we fear the Lord; and we have come to stand before His presence on behalf of a new demonstration of His glory on the earth” (p. 27). Just as Isaiah’s journey to share the Word of the Lord to his generation began with the cry of “Here am I! Send Me” (Isaiah 6:8), in the same way, revival “begins with that long-awaited cry, ‘Lord, we are your people!’” (p. 25).
The Attitude That Gains Entrance – “Will Humble Themselves”
The statement “will humble themselves,” is the second key to experiencing revival; and the main concept is “The Attitude That Gains Entrance.” “What is this attitude that gains entrance? Shouldn’t we just pray and believe God for revival? Absolutely not! You can’t instantly shake yourself from a sedentary Christian walk and casually waltz into prayer and demand a revival from a holy, awesome, [and] all-consuming God” (p. 30).
“If my people, God says, in effect, will sober up and realize what they have done and what they must now do” (pp. 30-31). This “sobering up” happens through humility; in coming to grips with the fact that there is a deep need – as individuals, as a church, as a community, and even as a nation – and, in considering ourselves, we must acknowledge that we don’t have it all together and that we have actually fallen short. This is called a return to sanity.
“In Luke 15:17, Jesus illustrates the return of sanity in the prodigal son. ‘He came to himself,’ Jesus says,” and “the prodigal’s attitude is precisely what . . . gains entrance to God. He realized that his father’s servants were eating better than he, a full-fledged son, was eating! His temporary insanity gave way to fiery resolve. ‘I’m going home,’ he determined. ‘I am willing to do anything for my father’” (p. 31). Someone once said the definition of “insanity” might be stated as “doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.” Like the prodigal, we have to come to a place where we realize that what we have been doing and working at has failed at ushering in the desired result, which is revival.
“True humility has many vital features, the first of which is a deep realization of need. We must experience the full agony of what we have lost and what our true condition is before God” (p. 31). “Whoever knocks on the door of God must pound [on] it with the convincing force of someone who has seen the tragedy and can’t bear to let it continue” (p. 33). “God looks for someone who has been sobered, [and] humbled to a sorrow and conviction for which there is no relief except one . . . revival” (p. 33).
“Humility is also a determination to act. We must not arrive in the holy presence of God empty-handed. We have come with our best. Before Him will be laid our talents, time, and priorities” (p. 33). We must reach a place where we are willing to let go and surrender ourselves unto God’s purposes.
The last thing to note is how humility will lead us to reject hidden sin. “The Bible says, ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, He will not hear me’ (Psalm 66:18, KJV). David, while repenting in prayer, said, ‘Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts’ (Psalm 51:6 KJV). Harbor a secret sin and you will not be heard. Jealousy, lust, bitterness, gossip, pride – you name it – you must make it right prior to entering God’s presence for revival” (p. 36). “God doesn’t require that we enter His presence without weakness and faults. But we must not be actively practicing or harboring sin. Wherever you are convicted by the Holy Spirit, you must make it right. Go see people, if necessary, to clear the air” (p. 36).
The Birthing Prayer – “And Pray”
The statement “and pray,” is the third key to experiencing revival; and the main concept is called “The Birthing Prayer.” “Revival is born out of an act that we loosely refer to as prayer.” In what we call revival prayer, “a person presents himself before God to give birth to an act of God in his city,” (pp. 40-41) small town, county or region.
Allow me to share a brief example of birthing prayer. In 1 Kings 18:42, we read, “And Elijah went up to the top of [Mount] Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.” “When he prayed for rain, Elijah literally assumed the position the Jewish women assumed in order to give birth” (p. 41).
“The first characteristic of [birthing prayer] is that it is focused . . . We have to come to worship and pour out our deep grief over a specific evil, in a specific place, at a specific time” (p. 41). “The exertion of revival prayer that gives birth is immense. That is why a person devoid of a deep heart-rending compassion for a specific city or area will not survive to see revival born” (p. 42). They will give up, get discouraged and lose faith; and should revival appear as the result of others who have been fervently praying, the individual who had given up will not even recognize revival when it comes.
“The second quality of [birthing prayer] is that we radically change our way of knowing when to stop . . . When a woman enters a hospital to give birth, she gives up her right to a time limit. She is there to give birth. The object is to take all the time that is needed to bring forth a new life. We aren’t praying to get something off our chest, we are trying to penetrate and unleash power on a wretched situation. We are not punching a time card; we are pouring onto God the travail and misery of our times” (p. 42). 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we are to “pray without ceasing,” and Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
“The third aspect of [birthing prayer] is that it is also a military act . . . Ephesians 6:12 says that we wrestle against principalities and powers. We are in a state of war against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. They have rank, and it is clearly revealed in Scripture that they control specific geographical areas. There are many definitions for revival. Yet, there is one that is central: revival is the deafening of the local demonic authority by prayer. Jesus referred to [the demonic authority] as the strong man” (pp. 43-44). He said in Matthew 12:29, “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?” In both Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,” telling us that we have the power of heaven backing us for binding the demonic authorities if we travail in birthing prayer.
Critical Mass – “Seek My Face”
The statement “seek My face,” is the fourth key to experiencing revival; and the main concept is “Critical Mass,” which focuses on reaching the place in our spiritual life that will explode in revival (p. 47). The term “critical mass” has to do with nuclear power. “To have a chain reaction you must first find the element that is capable of sustaining a chain reaction. This is called fissile material. The only known elements of this kind are uranium and plutonium. These elements are rare but you don’t need much” (p. 51). Likewise, committed believers are rare and you don’t need many of them to have a spiritual chain reaction.
“In our country right now, scattered across the land, probably unknown even to themselves, is that core of people that God esteems as being capable of sustaining a spiritual chain reaction. As long as they stay apart, Satan rejoices. But a signal has gone out that the time for Christians to live in isolation is over, that it is high time to put aside petty doctrinal issues, and restore fierceness to our times of prayer” (p. 51).
A “picture of spiritual fission is seen in the [account] of Gideon. God told Gideon his army was too large. Imagine that! It goes against all principles of war. In only two realms do you decrease the size in order to increase the power – nuclear power and spiritual awakening . . . God was telling Gideon that not all his men were fissile material and to get rid of all who could not sustain a chain reaction” (p. 53). And “wasn’t the Upper Room a case of critical mass? Although Jesus had thousands of admirers in Jerusalem; the real nuclear material was only 120” (p. 53) committed believers.
But reaching critical mass is not just about finding the raw material. The material has to undergo a change. “In nature, fission will not happen unless a minimum amount . . . of fissile material is present. Critical mass is that minimum amount. But there is also purity in that moment. The [group of committed believers] must allow itself to undergo a dealing of God that resembles an atom being brought to fission” (p. 51).
“The power is in the nucleus of the atom. That is why we speak of nuclear power. That power is trapped within the atom until the proper principle is used to release it. The nucleus is surrounded by a negative electron cloud and something must penetrate that cloud and agitate the nucleus. What does this is a neutron beam. That beam bombards the atom until the nucleus starts to respond. The physical characteristics of the nucleus completely change. It is known as critical mass” (p. 52). “That cloud is the greatest obstacle to fission, just as its spiritual counterpart is the greatest barrier to revival. What we seek is nuclear power, in the sense that there is something in us that must be released” (p. 52).
Let’s look at Gideon and his army again. His victory over the Midianites was a parallel to critical mass. “As they surrounded the camp at night, Gideon ordered each man to place a torch in a clay pot. At Gideon’s command, they were to simultaneously shatter the pot and reveal the burning torch within. The impact was astonishing! The Midianites lost heart and ran for their lives, sure that they were being attacked by an army of tens of thousands” (p. 53).
“The negative electron cloud, the clay pots of Gideon, and our old nature are precisely the same thing – a barrier. A barrier that keeps something out and holds something in” (p. 54). And the thing that is trying to get in is the neutron beam; or rather, the glory that radiates from the very face of God. “Reaching critical mass is about seeking the face of God . . . From God’s perspective, seeking His face is the same as seeking His glory” (see Exodus 33:18-20)” (p. 52). And “only the glory of God will bring your revival core to critical mass. Settle it in your heart that as God warned Moses that if He saw God’s face it would mean death, so will our exposure to the glory mean the death of pride, lust and anger. It will shatter the barrier. It will bring revival!” (p. 54).
Dark Night of the Soul – “And Turn From Their Wicked Ways”
The statement “and turn from their wicked ways” is the fifth key to experiencing revival; and the main concept is the “Dark Night of the Soul” (p. 57). “Another key similarity between revival and nuclear fission is a strange phenomenon that occurs right before the atom splits. The nucleus actually depresses. Scientists observe that the neutron bombardment which seemed to be changing the nucleus, now shows no sign of reaching critical mass. Nothing seems to be happening” (p. 57).
“That is also what happens right before a manifestation of God’s glory. The revival core will be praying and sensing a rising tide of power and expectancy. [And then] all of a sudden, you hit a brick wall. The power is gone. God’s presence seems to have lifted . . . This is the dark night of the soul” (pp. 57-58). Maybe you’ve entered a place where nothing seems to be happening; and like that nucleus, you are in a depressed state, if you know what I mean. “It will take everything within you to keep moving. The sobering fact is that many who have reached the dark night of the soul have retreated,” and “eternity will reveal a long, sad history of revival near-misses” (p. 58).
“Scientists respond to a depressed nucleus by intensifying the electron beam, and resolve to do so until fission occurs. They commit to keep moving, not relying on any physical signs. That is precisely what we must do to see the end of this night.” So, “Why does God allow this dark night?” “Our [heavenly] Father realized that those through whom He works to bring revival receive great praise from the church and awesome attacks from Satan. A person lacking humility won’t survive the praise of men, [and] a person without perseverance won’t overcome Satan” (p. 58).
“Just as a scientist turns up the force of the neutron beam even though he sees no results, so true revivalists will turn up their prayer during the dark night of the soul. If the children of God demonstrate that they won’t go by what they see or feel, God will know that He has vessels that can be trusted with revival. In the heat of battle, they will not rely on circumstances or feelings to keep them on a straight course” (p. 59). You see, “the only thing that will hold us when the nucleus depresses is a pure heart of love for the lost and a true desire to see God glorified, [and] God wisely observes that anyone who survives this night is rightfully suited to invade enemy territory” (p. 59).
The Lord said, “If my people . . . will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways.” “It would seem that by this [fifth] stage, God would know we have abandoned our sin. The issue, however, is something deeper; it deals with our ways . . . To turn from our wicked ways doesn’t just mean to repent of our sins . . . We need deliverance from our ways” (p. 59).
“In repenting of sin we rid ourselves of evil, but in the dark night of the soul we surrender the things we dearly love, things we can’t readily identify as being in conflict with God. Here, the issue is not right and wrong, but high and low purposes of living. Spiritual awakening is not simply getting rid of sin; it is giving God what He wants” (p. 61). “For fire to fall and consume the sacrifice it must be innocent and without blemish; but most of all, it must be on the altar to stay” (p. 61).
“The nucleus of the atom depresses right before fission and in that lies another key parallel to revival – the nucleus explodes from that depressed condition. It does not split when it looks inflated and energetic, but rather when it is shrunken and lifeless. Revival comes out of nowhere by sovereign timing. The prayer core is ready to fall from exhaustion, but hangs on by its confidence in the faithfulness of God” (p. 62). The Lord “detects that special quality that can be rewarded with revival . . . [And when He does] angels receive their invasion orders. The prayer core looks up and sees the glory coming. The roar of God is about to be heard in the land once more!” (p. 62).
Time of Reflection
In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” That power was unleashed at Pentecost and poured out on those upper room prayer warriors, and it resulted in three thousand souls being added to the church in one day (Acts 2:41)! Something to mention is how the word for “power” that the Holy Spirit would pour out (Acts 1:8), is the Greek word dunamis, from which we derive our English word “dynamite.” A move of God will break forth in explosive dynamite power when we get serious in praying for revival.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In closing, I must point out that this same admonition applies to receiving salvation from our sins and eternal life. If you are someone whom God is calling by name this morning, He is saying that if you will humble yourself before Him, turn away from your sin and towards His face (which is called repentance), then He will hear from heaven and will forgive your sin and heal your spirit. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
In addition to confessing your sin, you must also call upon the name of Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord of your life. We read in Romans 10:9-11 and verse 13, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’ . . . For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved’.”
NOTES
(1) Mario Murillo, Reaching Critical Mass: How You Can Start a Revival (Martinez, California: Fresh Fire Communications, 2011), p. 47. This sermon has been compiled from numerous quotations found in Murillo's book. From here on, all citations will be within the text.
