A revival "signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death."1
How can the Seventh-day Adventist Church experience revival? What practical steps can you, as an Adventist pas tor, take to initiate revival in your church?
Newspapermen traveled from London to Wales to report firsthand on the marvelous happenings of the great Welsh revival at the turn of the century. On his arrival in Wales, one of them asked a policeman where the Welsh revival was being held. Drawing himself to his full height, the policeman laid his hand over his heart and proudly proclaimed: "Sir, the Welsh revival is in this uniform."
If my church is going to be revived, I must be revived. Unless something hap pens in me, not much will happen through me! Unless God does something for me, He will do little with me. Revival will begin in our churches when we as preachers cry out, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10). When our hearts are polluted by sin, we are not prepared to participate in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that God longs to send us.
Biblical calls for revival
In Bible times, when Israel drifted away from God's ideal, He sent prophets with straightforward, burning messages calling for revival. At a time of external piety but inner rebellion, the prophet Isaiah cried out, "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isa. 1:16, 17).
Each prophet's call for revival had similar elements. It contained an urgent appeal for a return to God combined with a practical call to repentance for the specific sins that had severed that relation ship. Hosea lovingly appealed, "Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up" (Hosea 6:1).
The prophet Joel earnestly called his people to an inward spiritual revolution that would lead to an outer joyful obedience to the will of God. "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil" (Joel 2:12, 13).
Joel's appeal was for wholehearted, not simulated or halfhearted, service. In contrast to an external form, Joel called his people to turn to God with their in most souls and to fix all their affections on Him. As Gregory of old put it: "In whatever degree our affections are scattered among created things, so far is the conversion of the heart impaired."
Latter-day calls
Once again in the latter days God's people allowed the outer husks of religion to replace the kernel of living faith. During the years prior to the Minneapolis conference in October 1888, God powerfully called His people to revival. Once again God used the agency of the gift of prophecy. Through Ellen White this call for revival pointedly addressed the church's need. God's voice spoke to God's people. Notice these clear statements penned in 1887, listed here in chronological order:
"The observance of external forms will never meet the great want of the human soul. A mere profession of Christ is not enough to prepare one to stand the test of the judgment."2
"There is too much formality in the church. . . . Those who profess to be guided by the word of God may be familiar with the evidences of their faith, and yet be like the pretentious fig tree, which flaunted its foliage in the face of the world, but when searched by the Master, was found destitute of fruit." 3
"We want by living faith to grasp the promise, and say, God has said the blessing is mine; I must have it, and I believe I shall have it; and keeping the mind on Christ, holding firmly to Him, and at the same time surrendering ourselves to Him, we shall find that Christ will come in. We shall have His presence abiding with us." 4
One of Ellen White's strongest appeals for revival and reformation was published in the Review and Herald, March 22, 1887, under the title "The Church's Great Need." This article has been re printed in Selected Messages, Book 1, pages 121-127. "A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work." 5 "We have far more to fear from within than from with out. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church itself than from the world." 6 "Divisions, and even bitter dissensions which would dis grace any worldly community, are common in the churches, because there is so little effort to control wrong feelings, and to repress every word Satan can take ad vantage of." 7 "There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another awakening, great or small, to the end of time." 8 "Let the church arise, and repent of her backslidings before God. . . . We have not the first reason for self-congratulation and self-exaltation."9
Recognizing the spiritual impotency that had resulted from widespread pride, formality, and a love of the world, Ellen White called the church back to a living experience with Christ. She particularly appealed to the ministry. Ministers were powerless to lead God's people to the fountains of living water when their own hearts were as a parched desert. If their own spiritual baskets were empty, how could they possibly share the bread of life with a hungry world? Many of our ministers were argumentative. They were able defenders of the faith, but lacked deep spirituality.
The church needed a revival. One month before the October Council in Minneapolis, Ellen White wrote, "They [ministers] cannot rely upon old sermons to present to their congregations; for these set discourses may not be appropriate to meet the occasion, or the wants of the people. There are subjects sadly neglected, that should be largely dwelt upon." 10
What were these sadly neglected subjects? "Show to your hearers Jesus in His condescension to save fallen man. Show them that He who was their surety had to take human nature, and carry it through the darkness and fearfulness of the male diction of His Father, because of man's transgression of His law; for the Saviour was found in fashion as a man."11 Jesus was to be the focal point of all revival. Without a fresh view of the living Christ, revival was impossible. Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
Not everyone present at Minneapolis that autumn experienced revival. Many were content to cling to the external forms of Christianity. But there were those who were willing to listen as the message of righteousness in Christ was proclaimed. As Jesus was lifted up, they were drawn to Him. Hearts were touched. Sins were renounced. Lives were changed. Repentance, confession, and earnest prayer prepared the way for revival. The Spirit was poured out, and the ripples of that revival are still felt today!
Prescription for revival
The prescription for revival is clearly outlined in 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." When on my knees I see the perfect sinless righteousness of Jesus, I realize how wretched I am. "What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself." 12 In the light of His perfection, my lack of commitment, my love of the world, my attachment to things earthly, my human way of viewing circumstances is all the more apparent. In deep repentance, I exclaim, "Jesus, cover my deformity by your spotless righteousness. Do for me what I could never do for myself. Change me! Lift my mind above the earthly! Turn my thoughts into heavenly currents!"
Genuine revival is not rooted in the impulses of the moment. It is not based on a short-lived, sensational emotional ism. Genuine revival is based on heart felt prayer and earnest Bible study. In 1887 Ellen White wrote: "Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and ear nest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer." 13
We cannot expect revival when our hearts are more inclined to television co medians than prayer. We cannot expect revival when we are more interested in the morning sports page than morning devotions. We cannot expect revival when our violation of the message of health reform has clogged our brains so that we cannot discern the voice of the Spirit. We cannot expect revival when our minds are filled with thoughts of fashion rather than with thoughts of the spot less robe of Christ's righteousness.
When church socials with sugar-laden cakes attract a full house and prayer meetings attract two or three faithful, can we expect a revival? When our church board meetings degenerate into power struggles between opposing factions rather than strategy sessions for winning the lost to Christ, can we expect revival? When our sermons cost little in Bible study and prayer and are prepared between phone calls on Friday night, can we expect revival ?
We cannot expect revival unless we honestly face the fact that there are in consistencies between the church's preaching and its practices. We cannot have revival unless we recognize that both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy call for a surrender to the living Christ, who will totally revolutionize our lives.
We cannot expect revival if we as individuals or as a corporate body follow practices that are clearly contrary to what God has revealed through His inspired prophets.
There is a price for revival—not be cause God is unwilling to give it to us freely, but because we are unprepared to receive it. The price of revival is the same today as it has been in all ages: repentance! earnest prayer! confession of known sin! a re-emphasis on Bible study! time in the presence of our Lord! There are no shortcuts. There are no easy solutions. The price of revival is intimate, living, daily fellowship with Jesus. Spending time in His presence, we shall rejoice to do His will.
Revival will come!-All heaven is ready to do great things in behalf of the church that hears God's last call of mercy to a dying world. "Before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children." 14
When God has a fully dedicated people, He will pour out unlimited power. The Spirit will descend. The latter rain will fall! The loud cry of the third angel, which began in the revelation of Christ, our sin-pardoning Redeemer, will illuminate the earth with the glory of God.
Reorder your priorities! Nonessentials can wait. Without further delay, dedicate a portion of your time each day to fellowship with Christ. Ask God to re veal attitudes in your life that are not in harmony with His will. Ask the Holy Spirit to impress you with specific areas in which you are violating His counsel. In genuine repentance, surrender those areas. By faith, claim His pardon. Believe He accepts you now! Receive His power for victory. Make a new commitment to using the gifts He has given you in service. Plead with God for latter rain power for effectual, convincing, and loving witness.
If you want your church to experience revival, organize prayer groups of five to seven people. Together seek God for spiritual renewal. Read together the section in Selected Messages, book 1, entitled "Revival and Reformation" (pp. 119-152). Invite all the members of the prayer group to spend time on their knees alone meditating on the closing scenes of Christ's life. There are six chapters in the Bible especially on the death of our Lord: Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19. Combine this thoughtful meditation with studies from the last 28 chapters of The Desire of Ages, beginning with the chapter entitled "The Law of the New Kingdom."
Through a vital connection with the living Christ, you and your church can experience revival. Jesus was the Way in 1888. He is the Way today. There is no other.
1. Selected Messages, book 1, p. 128. Footnotes in this article refer to the writings of Ellen G. White.
2. Review and Herald, Jan. 25, 1887, p. 491.
3. Ibid., Feb. 15, 1887, p. 97.
4. Ibid., July 12, 1887, p. 433.
5. Selected Messages, book 1, p. 121.
6. Ibid., p. 122.
7. Ibid., p. 123.
8. Ibid., p. 124.
9. Ibid.,p. 126.
10. Review and Herald, Sept. 11, 1888, p. 578.
11. Ibid.
12. Special Testimonies, Series A. No. 9, p. 62.
13. Selected Messages, book 1, p. 121.
14. The Great Controversy, p. 464.
