Mark 6:30-34, 53-36
“Get Ready For A Great Awakening!!!”
By: Rev. Kenneth Emerson Sauer, Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church, Newport News, VA
As most of you know, our son Ben has been at Governor’s Honors School for the past three weeks.
Three weeks ago, Jeanne, Ben and I had to rush from Church in order to get Ben to Richmond by the 1:30 starting time.
And last Sunday was parent’s day, and once again we found ourselves rushing from church so that we could spend a little time with him before he had to be back for curfew.
Why Sunday?
Has it become so ‘taken for granted’ that people just don’t attend church anymore that not a second thought is given to scheduling such events on Sundays?
There are also a great number of people who are forced—in a sense—to miss church altogether because they have to work on Sundays.
Most stores, and restaurants, and many, many businesses are open on Sundays.
Often children’s soccer games, baseball games and so forth are scheduled during the time that most churches have their worship services.
Of course, if we were to just sit around and blame the world for these problems…it would be mighty self-righteous and naïve of us.
Last week I was speaking to a colleague of mine who told me that through much of the eighties into the 1990’s the pulpit of his church was filled with preachers who literally did not believe in Jesus Christ, Heaven and Hell…
He said to me, “It’s amazing that there is anyone left in this church.”
In the 1700’s there was a Christian Movement that held the attention of the entire English-speaking world, it’s called the Great Awakening.
Perhaps only the Reformation or the apostolic age itself could surpass the spiritual fervor God poured out at that time.
All the preachers that God used to usher in this time…whether they were highly educated ordained clergy or not were people who stuck with sound doctrine, they had a fervor about their faith, and they strove to give their lives 100% to Jesus Christ!
And here lies the key.
Before the Great Awakening struck…the spiritual and moral conditions across the land was foul with corruption and crippled by moral decay.
The people in the ruling class were mainly people who…well…believed in some kind of supreme power…if they were religious at all.
The preaching from the pulpits at that time was quite cold, and the primary concern was that no one should show any sign of being “enthusiastic” about religion.
Meanwhile, public behavior had become extremely outrageous.
For example, the ‘gin craze’ was in full swing in England. Everyone was making their own liquor.
The effect, according to the Bishop of London, was that gin made the people what they never were before—cruel and inhuman.
In those days, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.
Street children and the insane were treated cruelly, gambling was everywhere, and stage productions were obscene…even by today’s standards.
The point is that a Great Awakening was just as improbable then, as it may seem today.
Jonathan Edwards, a man who played a great role in the Great Awakening in America is quoted as saying: “Time after time, when religion seemed to be almost gone, and it was come to the last extremity, then God granted a revival.”
He always insisted that there would be times of conflict, remissions and lulls between the sovereign outpourings of the Spirit.
A decline in the spiritual and moral character of our nation, according to Edwards, is to be interpreted as a preparation for an even greater outpouring.
And so, although in the year 2003, we may just throw up our hands and ask the question: “Where is the world going too? Is there any hope?”
Well, the answer is: “Yes!”…
…a great and resounding “Yes!”
In 1 Samuel Chapter 3, before the Lord called Samuel we are told: “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.”…
…But by the end of that Chapter we are told “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground….And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.”
Why was this?
It was because Samuel was speaking the Word of God…
…and whenever and wherever the Word of God is spoken…
…There is conversion, revival, the world is turned on its ear and a Great Awakening takes place.
Are we speaking the Word of God?
I’ve had people tell me that out of all their acquaintances…they are the only ones who go to church or take their children to church.
Let’s face it—a very large percentage of those living around us…
…of the children we see riding their bikes and skateboards…
…of the folks living in big houses and driving fancy cars…
…of the folks living in modest homes and driving older cars…
…our co-workers, neighbors, classmates, friends and family members have not heard the Word of God!
What are we going to do about it?
In our Gospel Lesson for this morning we find Jesus very busy.
“So many people were coming and going that” Jesus and His apostles didn’t “even have a chance to eat.”
“So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”
Why all this commotion?
Why were the crowds flocking to Jesus in such an overwhelming way?
Could it be that The Word of God was being Preached, people were being saved, and therefore the world was being turned on its ear?
At the beginning of the Great Awakening, a preacher named George Whitefield became converted.
He began to preach twice each Sunday, and thousands of people began to flock to hear him.
Soon he was preaching every day of the week, and people nearly rioted to hear him.
His messages were simple, direct, and he taught the basic doctrines of being born again or being justified by faith.
The people had not heard this explained clearly before, and it was like a lightening shock to their hearts!
Whitefield was declaring…not his message…but God’s: “You must be born again.”
Whitefield saw the people as sheep without a shepherd.
One February, when it was freezing cold, he went through the settlements and huts where the coal miners lived.
He found 200 people who were willing to come and hear him.
Whitefield spoke graphically about how much Jesus loved them and how in a cruel crucifixion He died for them…
…just to save them from their sins.
And as he preached about Jesus’ love and salvation for them, he started to notice pale streaks on the blackened faces of a few miners.
Soon all their dark faces were streaked with white strips formed by tears…
…as the Gospel of Jesus convicted all of them one by one.
The next Sunday he preached there again. This time there were 10,000 people in the crowd.
It is estimated that he preached to over 2 million people in one summer…right before he set sail for America!
And this was before the days of loud speakers, and huge sports arenas!
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
When we go about our daily routines…do we have compassion on those who have not heard the Word of God?
Do we realize that we are literally surrounded by large crowds of people who are like sheep without a shepherd?
And if so, what…if anything…do we do about it?
The majority of Seminaries these days…which are shouldered with the task of teaching future ministers how to be ministers…
…are filled with scholars and professors who are not clergy members, and are not necessarily Christians.
Many of the classes which are offered treat the Bible and Christianity as just some other Book and some other movement.
At the seminary I attended I was blessed in my second year to take a course on Evangelism that was taught…not by a Scholar or even someone with a Doctorate.
Instead, the class was taught by a woman who was part of an Evangelical Christian motorcycle group…of all things.
She taught us how to share the basics of the Gospel.
I remember one particular day…
…when a young student brightened up and declared, “This is amazing!!! Why haven’t I ever heard this before?
Why haven’t I heard this at my church?”…
…and this was spoken by a guy who was studying to become a preacher!
The next year, he started up a Group for Evangelical Christians on campus.
Now if a person who is studying to be a pastor has not heard the Gospel clearly explained before…what about your average Joe that lives down the street?
One day an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Has our neighbor heard the Word of God?
Do we love them enough to speak It to them?
Do we have this much compassion?
John Wesley wrote that we are to “earnestly grieve” for those who do not know the Lord.
Those who truly “love their neighbors as themselves”…”desire nothing other than the salvation of their souls.”
Wesley writes: “Do you love your neighbor as yourself? The Lord God fill your heart with such love for every soul, that you will be ready to lay down your life for the sake of others!”
This is what Jesus did.
This is what many of the first apostles did.
This is what we are called to do.
Don’t worry if you feel as if you are not educated enough…don’t worry if you don’t feel as if you are an eloquent speaker…
…because if you speak the Word of God…if you teach others God’s basic and simple plan of salvation you will see that people will be saved!
…Because God’s Word is living and active…
…and God will honor His Word!
God’s Word is all we need!
It is all anyone and everyone needs!
Remember the Words of the apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth…
“When I came to you brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”
Whenever we resolve to know nothing accept Jesus Christ and Him crucified…the Holy Spirit gives a great demonstration of God’s power.
The human race is born in sin.
And the wages of sin is death and hell.
But the gift of God is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord!
That is all we need to know!
That is all we need to say!
And that is exactly what this world needs to hear!
The world is so ripe to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ explained to them clearly…
…just open the paper…
…just turn on the evening news…
…just drive down the streets and open your eyes!!!
The time is perfect for a Great Awakening!!!
People are aching to hear the Truth!
Our society may have numerous creature comforts, but we have never had a higher rate of depression and hopelessness.
Do we have enough compassion to leave this place and tell the sheep about the Great Shepherd…the Only One Who can cure them of every ill?
We are so very blessed at Parkview United Methodist Church.
So many of us know the Way to salvation…
…now all we have to do is allow God to use us to tell others about it!
Let’s get ready for a Great Awakening!
What better place to start than Parkview United Methodist Church in Newport News, Virginia
