Have you ever fainted? I did once, in a cafeteria. I had taken my sons and daughter-in-law to dinner while my wife was out of town. Standing in the line, I began to feel queasy. By the time we started selecting dishes, all I could think of eating–and holding down–was jello. At the table, I asked the waitress if they had a couch where I could lie down. They didn’t. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back under the table being attended to by two physicians who had been dining at the next table. Later, my son Marty teased, “Dad, if we had gone to Taco Bell, there wouldn’t have been no doctors at the next table!”
I was doing a wedding once where the bride fainted. At first, I thought she was just swooning against her beloved father, but then she dissolved into a pile at the groom’s feet. The best man carried her to the church parlor and laid her out on the carpet and someone broke a capsule of smelling salts. She opened her eyes and said, “Oh, mother, I’ve embarrassed you in front of all your friends.” Mom said, “Hush.” I asked if she wanted to cut short any of the wedding material. She said, “No, not after all the planning we’ve done. But talk fast.”
In the church the word “revival” often refers to a series of special meetings, usually with an outside singer or speaker. However, the word itself is summed up in what someone did for me under the table and the bride at church–to bring out of a state of unconsciousness and restore to full alertness.
We’ve all seen Christians and entire churches that had fainted in a manner of speaking, and desperately needed reviving. They were not conscious–not of the Lord’s presence, His power, or His will. They were unconscious and unfeeling of the needs and opportunities all about them. They went through the motions of living, worshiping, and ministering, but they were comatose. They felt no joy and no anguish. They were almost dead, and desperately in need of reviving.
All over the world, God’s people need reviving today. Here’s why…..
1. The ground grows hard and resistant. Break it up. Hosea 10:12 and Jeremiah 4:3.
2. Our light grows dim. Shine it up. Matthew 5:16.
3. Our fire grows weak. Stir it up. II Timothy 1:6.
4. The workers grow tired. Build them up. Galatians 6:9.
5. The world grows attractive. Give it up. I John 2:15.
6. Our worship grows stale. Liven it up. John 4:24.
7. Our soul grows dirty. Clean it up. I John 1:9 and II Timothy 2:21.
8. Our eyes grow dim. Open them up. Ephesians 1:18.
9. Our heart goes astray. Offer it up. Romans 12:1.
10. Our prayer grows mechanical. Tune it up. Matthew 6:5ff.
11. Our giving grows miserly. Give it up. Luke 6:38
12. Our faith grows weak. Power it up. Hebrews 11:6.
The Lord Jesus once sent a love note to a church in the little Asia Minor town of Sardis. He spared no punches as He told them the truth about themselves:
“I know your works. You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you.”
That’s Revelation 3:1-3, and it’s obvious that God sees our lack of spirituality and the absence of life as a serious matter.
The inimitable Vance Havner used to remind God’s people that revival is not an abnormal state for the Lord’s church, but the way things ought to be all the time. In fact, he said, we’ve been subnormal for so long, if we ever got normal again, we’d think we were abnormal.
Today let’s pray for the Lord to revive His people and His church. Starting with me and beginning with my church.
Dear Bro. Joe,
So glad you are finished with your treatments. I am also thankful that you are doing as well after them as you are doing. I pray your energy will soon be back to normal too.
Thanks for the wonderful message this week. They are all good, but I really got a lot out of this one. I appreciate you.
Thank you–Irma Glover
Great revival reminders. Also looks like a very good sermon series. May try it soon.
Thanks,
Paul
Great revival reminders. Also looks like a very good sermon series. May try it soon.
Thanks,
Paul
I would like to tell you about my bad experience with “revivals”. I am afraid these type things go on more than we know.
Back in the 70’s we were memebers of our neighborhod Baptist Church. I was a cradle roll Baptist. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour when I was 17 years old. My wife and I were married in the Baptist Church where we grew up and we were always very active memebers, Sunday School teachers, the whole bit. We moved across town to the neighborhood church I am talkings about.I was a grand place to worship and very close fellowship wise. We were about 450 members. My wife and I were both very active. We were there every time the doors were open and many times I was the one unlocking and opening the doors. We had at least one revival meeting during this time that I can remember. It was very moving and I felt renewed in my faith afterwards. After that is a diffierent story and the reason for this email.
The church was doing well and growing. Pretty soon we built a new building and we could now seat 1200 for services. Things looked good for a time. I was elected a Deacon. I was about 28 or 29 at the time.
We had decided to have 2 revivials each year before I was elected to the board of deacons. Apparently the word had gotten around that our church gave large “love” offerings to the preachers who came for the revivals. We had a stack of resumes for “want to be called to preach at your church” traveling preachers. It was amazing. These guys gave a list of their requirements such as private dressing rooms for himself and his “minister of music”, first class air fares, rentals cars, hotel rooms, meals, and minimum “offerings”. This was show business. God was not in it and I was mad as could be.
Apparently this was the way things were done. At that time there was, and I have no reason to believe it has changed, a large pool of guys calling themselves preachers running around the country putting on their traveling salvation show, making large paydays and the general memebers churchs they go to for their shows have no idea they are being had.
No one except me appeared upset by this craziness. Shortly thereafter we left that church. We are now Episcopalians. The national church has its own problems which I do not want to go over again. However, at my parish church of about 350 regular attending souls I have never felt closer to out Lord and Saviour. WE are very happy there. You can feel the presence of the Lord there and we don’t do revival meetings.
You might be interested to know that the Baptist church I left no longer exist
Dr. McKeever,
Amen!! to this message! I know in my own life the ups and downs of my closeness to the Lord. I also know the HUGE difference it makes when I am “prayed up” and are walking close to Him…I just have a boldness and tremendous faith in my Lord that nothing can shake….And I am fully aware that when this changes, it is I, not Him, who moved….I often think about the wonderful changes that would take place in our churches and the world if ALL believers stayed in an intimate relationship with the Lord all the time! We have the awesome opportunity to do this ,and yet we let the world dictate to us our priorities, our feelings, and consequently our actions. Thank God He doesn’t abandon us when we disappoint Him or I’d be in BIG trouble! So glad your dad had a great birthday! And married 71 years!!! How wonderful!
God bless you!
Claire
P. S. My husband Steve says AMEN to your message, too!
Dr. McKeever,
Amen!! to this message! I know in my own life the ups and downs of my closeness to the Lord. I also know the HUGE difference it makes when I am “prayed up” and are walking close to Him…I just have a boldness and tremendous faith in my Lord that nothing can shake….And I am fully aware that when this changes, it is I, not Him, who moved….I often think about the wonderful changes that would take place in our churches and the world if ALL believers stayed in an intimate relationship with the Lord all the time! We have the awesome opportunity to do this ,and yet we let the world dictate to us our priorities, our feelings, and consequently our actions. Thank God He doesn’t abandon us when we disappoint Him or I’d be in BIG trouble! So glad your dad had a great birthday! And married 71 years!!! How wonderful!
God bless you!
Claire
P. S. My husband Steve says AMEN to your message, too!
P.S.S. Do you happen to know Sammy Wilson of Mantle Ministries? He is based in Chattanooga TN.