Intro
On February 3, 1970, God’s glory came down in the chapel service at Asbury University in Wilmore Kentucky, near Lexington.i This proved to be one of several manifestations of the Spirit as the Jesus Movement Revival spread across America.ii The Jesus Movement was the greatest revival that has happened during my lifetime. It included the Charismatic Renewal. I have experienced two revivals: the Jesus Movement and the Brownsville Revival. Both powerfully impacted my life. Many Christian leaders today are the fruit of those two movements.
Is God doing it again?
On February 8, 2023, God’s glory came down again in the chapel service at Asbury University. That manifestation of God’s presence continues as we speak. I went online and experienced some of the worship myself. Such a sweet presence of the Holy Spirit!
Over the last 50 years, many people have cried “Revival” when it was simply a service blessed by the Holy Spirit. I appreciate what God did in each of those meetings. But when you have personally experienced revival, you know the difference.iii This work of the Spirit at Asbury feels authentic. It certainly resonates with my spirit at a subjective level. My friend, Keith Collins, went there and then shared his experience. He talked about the weightiness of God’s glory in the meeting. Keith knows what revival is. He was actively involved in the Brownsville Revival. I trust him as a man of God who does not hype things.
On New Year's Day this year, God told me this is a year for holy optimism. I preached a message with that title in January. Of course, every year should be a year for holy optimism for God’s people. But there are times when God is emphasizes something. I believe our faith should rise to a level of great expectations for the days ahead. I hope what is going on at Asbury will stir us to press into God ourselves.
When I think of revival, I think of a move of God that profoundly impacts society. It includes the refreshing of God’s people, but it extends to a significant harvest of lost souls. It’s too early to call Asbury event a revival. But it is certainly a refreshing from the Lord and may blossom into full revival. We need more precise terminology when talking about the works of God. Revival means different things to different people. For some it is a week of scheduled evening services with an evangelist. I personally reserve the term for a move of God characterized my conviction of sin, repentance, salvation of lost people, lasting impact on the society as a whole, along with the refreshing and renewal of God’s people. By that definition, it is too early to call the moving of the Spirit at Asbury a revival, although I am calling it that simply because that is the way people are referring to it.
In Acts 3:19 Peter talked about “times of refreshing.”iv The word translated “times” is kairos. In this context, it means an “opportune time.”v Are we entering an opportune time? If so, Ephesians 5:16 tells us to be “redeeming the time [kairos].” The NIV translation is clearer: “making the most of every opportunity.” When God is moving, it is time to jump in with both feet!
A special time of refreshing is upon us characterized by the manifest presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19 says, “times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” His presence is weighty at Asbury right now. We desire that same weight of glory where we are as well. I have definitely noticed an increase in the anointing since New Year’s Day in our own church. To ensure that manifest presence of God increases, we want to do exactly what Peter said to do in Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Peter was talking to Jewish leaders who needed to be converted. This verse has specific application for the nation of Israel and the end of the age. But there is a principle here that is applicable to you and me as well. To invite refreshing from the Lord, we may need to repent of some things—we may need to turn from some things that are grieving the Holy Spirit and hindering the full realization of His will in our lives. May the Lord show us what those are so that we can deal with them by His grace. May He help us to open the door wide for His manifest presence in our own lives. In His presence is fullness of joy. In His presence we are refreshed. We are empowered for holy living. We are empowered for service.
So, what should the manifestation of the Spirit at Asbury inspire us to do? Let’s go to 1 Kings 18 and identify some principles that will help us answer that question. Our text begins in verse 41. Prior to that verse there has been a draught for three-and-a- half years. It has come as a judgement on the nations sin, especially the worship of the fertility god, Baal. In 1 Kings 18:1-40 Elijah has confronted and defeated the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel. The people responded in verse 39 by humbling themselves and acknowledging the Lord as God. That repentance has invited a time of refreshing from God.
Follow with me as we read 1 Kings 18:41-46.
“Then Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.’ 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, ‘Go up now, look toward the sea.’ So he went up and looked, and said, ‘There is nothing.’ And seven times he said, ‘Go again.’ 44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, ‘There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!’ So he said, ‘Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
From that passage I want to talk about:
1. What Elijah heard in verse 41.
2. What Elijah did in verse 42.
3. What Elijah had his servant do in verse 43.
4. What God did in verses 43-46.
This provides a framework for us to consider how we might respond to current events happening in our nation. Let’s consider
I. WHAT ELIJAH HEARD (vs 41) “Then Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain’”vi
At the time he made that statement, there was no rain. There had been no rain for three-and-a-half years. There was nothing in the natural to indicate rain was on the way. It took faith to make that prediction. It took courage on Elijah’s part. If the prophecy did not come to pass, Ahab would us that as a basis to condemn Elijah as false prophet.
Where did Elijah get the faith to make such a bold statement? Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” He heard from God: “there is the sound” – “there is the sound of abundance of rain.” He heard a heavenly sound that others were not hearing.
Why was Elijah able to hear that sound? 1. His spiritual ear was turned toward heaven. He wanted to hear. He was available to hear. He was not busy with other things. In short, God had his attention. Hearing begins with a choice: a willingness to hear anything God has to say—a commitment to do anything He tells us to do. We cannot pick and choose what we are willing to hear from God. We must be just as willing to hear correction as encouragement. We must be just as willing to hear the sound of draught as the sound of rain. There must be operating at that level of surrender.
To hear we must pay attention. To hear we must discipline ourselves to listen. We don’t just ask God for things. Petition is a valid expression of prayer. But we listen for His instruction as well. The answer to our request may come as we obey His instruction.
We must resist the lure of worldly distractions—distractions that may entertain our flesh but also divert our attention from the heavenly sound. We are more likely to hear God when we are reading his word than when we’re listening to worldly news. We’re more likely to hear from God when we’re praying than when we’re playing. It’s not wrong to play, but our priorities must be right. We must be seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
To hear we must consistently obey. When God speaks to us, our responsibility to do what He says accompanies that. “To whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48). It is a privilege to hear from God, but with it comes responsibility as well. Elijah heard the heavenly sound because his spiritual hearing had become sharpened through obeying God’s instruction in the past. It took a lot of courage to confront Ahab in 1 Kings 17:1 and tell him there would be no rain. Ahab and Jezebel were ruthless leaders. They murdered many of God’s people. Killing Elijah would not have bothered their conscience at all. But when God told Elijah to confront Ahab, what did Elijah do? He did exactly what God told him to do.
A major obstacle to hearing God today is my failure to obey in the past. If we won’t do what God has already told us to do, we cannot expect to hear more until we do it.vii Are we doing everything God has already told us to do?
Elijah was able to hear “the sound of abundance of rain” when many others could not hear it. Now let’s look at
II. WHAT ELIJAH DID (vs 42) “So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.”
There is an obvious contrast here. “Ahab went up to eat and drink.” He proceeded to indulge his own desires. Elijah we up to the top of Carmel to pray. “He bowed down on the ground.” He humbled himself before God. He isolated himself from distractions. He sought the Lord. He had just finished a demanding confrontation with the prophets of Baal. He deserved a rest. But he climbed to the top of the mountain and prayed.
He was not passive concerning the revelation God had given him. He did not sit back and wait for God to bring the rain. He asserted the will of God in prayer. He prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.”viii His prayer was for the execution of God’s will on earth. That will had been declared in heaven. Elijah heard the promise. Then he “prayed in” the promise.
The text describes his posture of prayer: “he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.” Why is this posture reported in the passage? What does it indicate? It indicates an all-out focus of intercession. It is intense. It is travail for the fulfillment of God’s will. It is a birthing of the promise through intercession. Now let’s look at Elijah’s persistence in this prayer.
III. WHAT ELIJAH HAD HIS SERVANT DO (vs 43) “and said to his servant, ‘Go up now, look toward the sea.’ So he went up and looked, and said, ‘There is nothing.’ And seven times he said, ‘Go again.’” According to Jewish tradition, this servant was the widow’s son whom Elijah raised from the dead in 1 Kings 17.ix
Elijah is praying in faith. He is looking for and expecting the answer to come. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” It is ineffective to fall into a kind of dutiful prayer that says the words, but doubts the prayer will be answered. Elijah has heard the heavenly sound of rain. He knows that he is praying in the will of God. He expects God to answer his prayer.x But notice the answer does not come easily. Six times he is disappointed. Six times he might be tempted to say in his heart, “This is not working.” Six times he could have simply given up. Do you see the test of his faith here? His commitment to the will of God is tested. He had to persevere in prayer.
Remember the story Jesus told in Luke 18? Jesus illustrated the value of perseverance with his story of the widow and the unjust judge. She just kept coming until she got the answer. She commended for her persistence. Luke introduces the story with this statement in verse 1: “Then He [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” Have you prayed for something for a long time and still haven’t seen the answer? Don’t lose heart. Keep on praying.
James comments on Elijah’s perseverance in prayer.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:16-18).
We could easily look at Elijah’s heroic deeds and admire what he did but fail to understand his life as an example for us. God wants you to know that your prayers matter. The devil will try to neutralize you by saying, “Others may do this, but you cannot; you have too many flaws; you have too many unresolved issues.” No, says James, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” The KJV says he “was a man subject to like passions as we are.” James is presenting him as an example for you and me to follow.
But how is it possible that imperfect people can prevail in prayer before a perfectly holy God? We have perfect holy High Priest in heaven who makes our prayers effective before God’s throne of grace. Hebrews 4:15 assures us of that: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Trusting our High Priest, what are we to do? “Come boldly to the throne of grace.” Not brazenly, not arrogantly; but come with an all-out confidence in the sufficiency of the cross. Pray knowing that “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.”xi
Hebrews 10:19-22 adds this word of encouragement: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness [NIV says confidence] to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus [that’s the basis of our confidence; what Jesus did on the cross in our behalf], 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Our confidence is not in our own performance, but in His work in our behalf. We live to please Him in every way we can.xii But our authority to petition the Father in prayer rests in our great High Priest, Jesus.
Six times Elijah sends his servant to look for the answer. Six times he is disappointed. Six times the servant comes back saying, “There is nothing.” Seven times Elijah tells him to “Go again.” Seven time Elijah is saying, “Let’s keep believing for this.” Now, let’s examine:
IV. WHAT GOD DID (vs 43-45)
In verse 43 God sent a token of the coming rain. “Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, ‘There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!’”
That is a far cry from the “abundance of rain” Elijah is believing for. Maybe that little could bring a few sprinkles of mercy. But how can a cloud like that bring an “abundance of rain”?
Would Elijah interpret it as another disappointment? Would he criticize such a small token of hope? No, he embraces it as a sign of the coming abundance. He responds to that cloud in faith.
How does all this relate to what’s happening in our lives right now? How does it relate to the title of this message: Responding to the Asbury Revival?
I view the current revival at Asbury as a token of good things to come. I rejoice to see what is happening there. I am especially encouraged that this move of God is breaking out among our youth. Psalm 33:11 assures us, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.” God has not forgotten the emerging generation. They have been relentlessly attacked by Satan. They have been bombarded with cunning lies and horrific temptation. But “the counsel of the Lord stands forever,” The devil has sought to destroy them, but God will have the last word. His purposes will prevail. “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him” (Isa. 59:19).
I am believing for an outpouring of the Sprit that will heal our youth; deliver them from every evil work of Satan, and launch them into the greatest harvest this world has ever seen.xiii Do not criticize the “cloud, as small as a man's hand.” It is from God. Let it inspire you to believe for the full outpouring of revival. It is a sign that the “abundance of rain” is coming and coming quickly.
Respond in the same way Elijah responds in verse 44. He says to his servant, “Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.'” There is an outpouring of rain on its way. It will be such a flood of rain, Ahab, that you had better start for your destination immediately. Otherwise, the rain will stop you.
Let’s review Elijah’s faith response. He heard in the spirit “the sound of abundance of rain.” He prayed in the spirit for the rain to come. He believed for the complete fulfillment even though the first sign of its coming was small. He heard and he pressed fervently for the fulfillment of God’s will.
God honored his faith in verse 45. “Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.” I love the way verse 45 begins, “Now it happened.” The heavy rain followed quickly. I am believing for the heavy rain of the Spirit to follow quickly behind this little cloud at Asbury. This is a year for holy optimism. This is a year for expecting great things from out God. Do you hear the thunder roar? Do you see the lightening flash? Are you ready for an outpouring of the Spirit that will change everything?
Verse 46 adds an exciting finale to the story. “Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins [NLT says, ‘tucked his cloak into his belt’] and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” When God sends revival something marvelous happens to the people of God. They are empowered to do things they could never do before. I watched that happen in the Jesus Movement and during the Brownsville Revival. Like a powerful ocean wave that lifts the whole ship, a move of the Spirit will lift all God’s people above their previous level. Daniel 11:32 talks about the evil that will be going on in the last days, but then it says, “but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (KJV).
Elijah is doing an amazing exploit here in our text. He is outrunning the chariots of King Ahab. As king, Ahab had the best horses in the land. It is a 16-mile trip from Mount Carmel to Jezreel.xiv “The hand of the Lord came upon Elijah,” and he outran Ahab’s chariot. Imagine that. In that downpour of heavy rain, Ahab is driving his chariot as fast as can. Suddenly in his peripheral vision his sees something running past him. He can hardly believe his eyes. It is Elijah outrunning the best horses in the land. It was all possible for Elijah because “the hand of the Lord” came upon him.
Exploits were done by the Early Church after the Holy Spirt was poured out on them because the hand of the Lord was upon them. Acts 11 talks about the persecution and scattering that came after Stephen’s death. An increase in the anointing often brings greater persecution. It often results in head-to-head confrontation with the wicked. But verse 20 tells us the Christians were preaching Jesus. Then in verse 21 we find this phrase about the hand of the Lord: “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.” That’s where true revival takes us. It causes us to preach Jesus and bring in the harvest. “A great number believed and turned to the Lord.” When that is happening, we are in revival. Thank God for the times of refreshing that is being experienced. May it inspire us to believe for such an outpouring of the Spirit that God’s people turn this world upside down or I should say right side up with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s ask God to make us a part of that. Let’s make ourselves available for that. Let’s lay aside any distraction that would rob us of that. Let’s ask God to expose and free us from anything that would hinder our full participation in this great opportunity that is before us.
ENDNOTES:
i “History: 1970-1979,” Asbury University. Accessed at https://www.asbury.edu/about/history/1970-1979/.
ii Edward E. Plowman, “Whatever Happened to the Jesus Movement.” Accessed at https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1975/october-24/whatever-happened-to-jesus-movement.html.
iii Many Christians cannot discern the difference between a Holy Spirit revival and the excitement of a crowd or emotions generated by good music. We need leaders who know the difference.
iv All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
v Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Iowa Falls, IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1994) 805.
vi This rain could not come until after the prophets of Baal were defeated. Otherwise, credit for the rain would have gone to Baal.
vii Cf. Matt. 25:21-23; Luke 16:10.
viii Luke 11:2.
ix Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament, Vol. VI (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans), 20.
x See 1 John 5:13-17; Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: 2019), 367-380.
xi First John 1:7. See Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: 2019), 24-38.
xii Cf. 2 Cor. 5:9.
xiii Cf. 2 Chron. 7:14.
xiv Kenneth L. Barker, gen. ed., NIV Study Bible: Fully Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011) “Study Note at 1 Kings 18:46” by J. Robert Vannoy, 578.
