At the October 2010 Annual Council of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,* several actions were taken, but one item in particular was the focus of this gathering. This was not a major policy issue or an emphasis on a program. Rather, this item was a call for revival and reformation. Some may say, “This isn’t new, I’ve heard this before.” But before you stop reading, give me a few moments to expand upon this and then you’ll be ready to respond.
Yes, we can correctly state that this call for revival and reformation does not come as a new plea, but the truth is, just because someone repeats something does not mean that the item cannot be considered important. We repeat many good things—anniversaries, birthdays, family events, church celebrations, to name a few. Such events bring us joy. Likewise, the call for revival and reformation should also bring us joy. The roots for this call are in the Bible and throughout the history of the Christian church. Whenever God’s people have responded, the church has been blessed.
In this issue, you will find helpful material on this topic: an urgent appeal, initiatives, broadcast information, and resources, for example. However, in this editorial, I want to focus on two aspects of revival and reformation. Without them, the spiritual impact of this emphasis will be minimal.
The Word of God
In any revival and reformation, the Word of God must be central both to the church and to each of us personally. We have observed individuals who, with great enthusiasm and zeal, tell others what the message of the Bible means to them—and indeed that constitutes the essence of true witnessing. Many of the psalms exhibit how personal God’s message should be for us. Martin Luther, among others, found hope in the psalms because, in them, he met a loving God who had a message for him. That is still so today.
Second, the communication from God must be central in our preaching. At times, we have all been guilty of using the Scriptures as a way of getting our message across, and in doing so, we failed to communicate the message of the Word itself. On more than a few occasions, I have heard sermons that contained many biblical references. The message sounded biblical; but, in reality, biblical passages were used to buttress the message the speaker wanted to communicate. Sadly, the speaker was convinced that the message was from the Bible.
May the Lord keep us from using the Bible to communicate our personal views, no matter how important we think they are. Instead of using the Word for personal purposes, we must—under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, fervent prayer, and much study—effectively preach the Word.
It is personal
As pastors, we sometimes find it tempting to focus on the “church” whenever we think of revival and reformation. And certainly, the church is involved, but in the process we can easily leave ourselves out of the equation. This temptation centers on reviving and reforming others while we continue our own less than stellar spiritual journey. We may also find it tempting to assume that the spiritual road we have traveled resembles the same road that others must travel. This perspective focuses on us, not on God—it focuses on who we think we were and who we are now. These approaches can lead to the dangerous experience of self-praise. The real question, however, remains, How does God see me?
William Miller, the great Second Advent preacher, provides a good example of the personal nature of revival and reformation. Although he grew up in a Christian home, he eventually became a critic of the Bible. Through a series of events, he started studying the Bible and experienced personal transformation. This transformation led him to become a powerful preacher of the Word of God. In his sermons, he did not focus on his previous disbelief or on his current spiritual exploits. Rather, in his sermons we sense his spiritual transformation. His change came because he allowed God to change him—not because he proclaimed his transformation.
Revival and reformation: we need them. Once we personally experience them, we can then—and only then—proclaim God’s transforming power while blessing others in the process.
* The Annual Council is the full meeting of the General Conference Executive Committee. Usually this large body (approximately 300 from around the world) meets once a year.
