Why Don't we have revivals anymore

I don't know for sure but it may be because they do not draw very many people and people are too busy to be interested.

 

The love of many has waxed gross?

 

Well, he's keeping an eye out for everyone else then!

:laugh:

 

zactly.....:wavey::thumbs::tonofbricks:

 

I suppose we must define revival.

After that, in defining what takes place, how long do the effects of revival have to remain in order for it to be valid?

 

I understand what you're saying. But I think others should define what they mean by revival, as many seem to be against "it" whatever "it" is to them, then they should define what it is and isn't.

Much of the cynicism towards revival that I hear of is that the preacher is "manipulative," that they're against "altar calls" and against it because it doesn't fit into whatever their unsaid model is.

- Peace

 

When I was a kid in the 40's and 50's the only time there were people in the balcony of the village church was during revivals. I doubt now that a revival could fill three rows.

Times change and while we do not change the message we must change the method of delivering the message. I believe we are moving into a new era when the message must be lived out by laymen in the workplace and in their interactions with the lost outside the church. Their lives must be different enough that people will want what they have that gives them a better, happier life than the population at large enjoys. This will not be material thing, but happiness, emotional well-being, a different life. I find this hard to describe, sorry.

We really will have to go to them and not rely on bring them in, in the old sense of the word. I remember the "pack the pew" night. It just would not work now.

 

Would say that the Biblical examples such as Ninevah and Ephesus would show us that its when the Holy Spirit moves upon a group of people ina might fashion, and the evidence is real definite lasting change, that God grants godly repentance, and that person gets "life altering" change of something, that God goes a work to make them something was not before, changed them in area(s), and that chnage tends to 'stick!"

Seems that what we call revivals last from one speaker to the next!

 

"Revivals" were a temporary abboration in the normal state of affairs of the church, started largely by Finney and his spiritual kin, who believed that they could "stir up" affections for God by doing things. Largely emotional and largely without lasting effects as far as I can tell.

The place where Finney and other revivalists preached the hardest and saw the most effect are now some of the most godless places in America! Once they got in mind that some anthropological agency would fire the hearts of man (while claiming Holy Spirit power) they eventually drifted to the logical conclusion -- universalism and anthropological centrism.

 

Aren't they the product/result of the Holy spirit making a sovereign move upon peoples? that when God produces it, that indeed people and culture change, as evidenced by things like Welsh revival?

 

That is not what folks are talking about here. They are talking about some itinerant preacher coming to a local congregation, setting up shop, then huckstering the people for money for a week with 5 sugar-stick sermons that got preached again in the next town.

Never mind that the pastor had to clean up the mess after they left with what usually amounted to a month's worth of offerings and often times the heart of the people who heard a real showman in comparison to their very regular and ordinary pastor.

 

I agree.

Of course the typical modern church uses that same thinking as you stated:

"Once they got in mind that some anthropological agency would fire the hearts of man (while claiming Holy Spirit power) they eventually drifted to the logical conclusion..."​

As a result, there is an abundance of short sighted, believers who flock to false teaching and preferences over truth expressed by the Holy Spirit.

 

Which is generally not "spectacular" but rather, mundane, the same day-by-day, and work...

And, I'm not saying that doing what God requires of us is not the end all and be all of life -- it is! -- but rather that the Holy Spirit gives us the same commandments, the same identities, and the same purposes (work) everyday, for He does not change His mind, nor does He invent some new work or command to be followed. We are to love God with all our being, love our neighbor as ourselves, then go out and make disciples, baptizing them, teaching them, and sending them. Same work, same commands, same same.

It is when someone else blows into town with "secret knowledge" or "spectacular gifts" or some form of preaching that gets everyone ramped up to some emotional high that makes the revival atmosphere exciting and addictive.

 

My definition of revival

A place where a bunch of people get together for a few days, and worship the Lord with singing and preaching. They ruin it at the end of each service with begging and pleading for people to come to a man-made "altar" and receive Christ. "If you're ashamed to confess me, I'll be ashamed to confess you", are the words of choice. If no sinners come forth, they then turn to the church and ask if any christian's christian life isn't "up to snuff", they too, can come and pray at the "altar" for God to bring them closer to Him. They'd say, or do, anything to keep from having a "zero response". This is how revivals go on around here.

 

Thanks!

was thinking more in the line of biblical revival!

Do you see any real difference between a 'revival" as in OP, and say an evangelist coming into town and moving on?

or is that what is in OP here?

 

Acts 2 & Acts 10 would be great examples of true biblical revival......

 

At times, particularly with Finny type thinking, the "revival" meetings were more "evangelical" to the lost meetings and the Baptists adapted such into their "worship" services. It is most unfortunate. Rarely does one hear of the inquiry room or time of inquiry anymore.

When reading of events such as the Great Welsh Revival, it seems that believers were the first impressed by the Holy Spirit and evangelism flowed from the revived.