Do Baptists still believe in revival?

Which way? Up or down?

I believe scripture when it says in Luke 9:23,24, "And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."

That is revival for a lifetime. Too many are wanting an emotional carnival experience instead of a deep seated walk with God which endures.

 

Yes, I believe in staing in Church as much as I can. I love to have something for my folks also so we have revivals every two or three months.

 

I think like a lot of things people have started to misuse the term and would agree with what has been posted in that when "revival" is spoken of it is used in terms of evangelizing not revival and it is usually with a speaker that sets the emotions on fire after an "emotional" music program has paved the way.

Is revival possible? Yes, but it will be individually and not corporately. Now it could be corporately on a local level as in a church body, but the church as a whole is not headed in a revival direction as far as the kingdom goes.

Evangelizing could catch and upswing again possibly.

 

Well I have to say that I dont like the trend I have seen in this area at least.

We have folks that think revival is shedding a little tears at the altar after having been yelled (fussed) at. Then they feel better, for about 6 months til the next revival.

Evangelists have to have a "gimmick". We've got evangelists that stutter, ones that have been to Hell and back, been in prison and motorcycle gangs, and even one that has no legs and rides on a skateboard hollering out the "Gospel".

Our "revivals" are inward focused, and when new folks come, we dont want to incorporate them anyway. Makes me sick, actually.

Emotions are good and I know that God uses them. He made them. But I am afraid we manipulate them and to what end?

The kind of revival I would love to see is recorded in Isaiah 64 "Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down..."! Revival to me isnt a pep rally in the pews held twice a year. Its a daily pursuit of who He is and how we can honor and serve Him.

(end of sermon, pass the plate now )

 

A revival to me was like the Welsh revivals when people were stopped in their tracks and went straight to prayer asking God's forgiveness...not salvation...forgiveness for their lack-lustre living.

I fail to understand the American use of revival for evangelistic campaign.

If I want to see a good "show" I'll turn the telly on and watch Jimmy Swaggart...Man, can he pound that piano and bring on the tears, dance on the platform,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oh what a good boy am I

Cheers,

Jim

 

We are having revival services at our church this week. What we first had to understand was that we needed to be revived. We realized we had become complacent. We had to pray for several months that God would give us revival and that His spirit would put the fire back in our bellies.

I believe in revival but I don't think revival services actually get it done. It is all about faith and desire to have back what you had and more before you fell asleep.

Revival can only happen through prayer and a renewed commitment.

 

There is (at least I think and have seen) a dividing of modern revivals into two catagories.

Revival - What I think it generally entails: [Of course this is MHO]
1. the God given revelation to the church at our true condition not only as a body of believers but as individuals.

1 (a) This begins with prayer and a serching of the heart within the person and the church as a whole long before any preacher sets his bible down with a message from God.

2. Preaching of the word - reminding them from whence they came - who they are - and where they are going - and in light of these how one who claims the name of Christ SHOULD live before a Holy and Just God who has called them in Love.

3. And committing of ones self afresh unto God, AND a renewed committing to God as a body of beleivers with a fresh heart of service, clear vision of thier purpose, and a renewed strength for the task before them.

The OTHER is what is now being termed as a "Crusade"
1. This is more about what happens AFTER revival has/is taking place within the Church. It is a large scale outreach to the lost - NOT A PARTY

2. It is about showing just how apart and lost we truly are from God in our sin nature. Showing just how Holy a Holy God is, and that in His Holiness He is a just God. Being a Just God who is the righteous Judge He must judge sin and that judgment is without mercy.

3. Show our ineptness at being able to come to Him any other way than that which He has declared from His word.

And all those other things that stand in stark contrast to the Post-Modern view of their goodness and relitive truths.

One is about the chruch getting right,
and then getting about their Fathers business
of getting right out there reaching the Lost.

Being an Evangelist/Pastor it is only MHO though.

Lastly, Hoping someone coming and just preaching will bring revival is a ridiculous concept. It is about the church seeking and preparing itself. The Evangelist is simply an messenger who is (I beleive like a pastor for his own ministry) annointed for this task like no other - that being bringing a message from God that convicts, stirs, encourages and excites you, not about the man or service but God Himself~! Same for the Crusade with one small difference - that being the salvations of the sinners

 

We just finished a great revival!

We not only had lost people saved, but a lot of our members repented of different things and got on fire for God again.

Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me...

 

AMEN MY SISTER! Wait, i thought women weren't allowed to preach? Too bad, you said it better than i could have and probably better than most of us.

 

have been in church my entire life, and have experienced many revivals, I always leave on cloud 9! It is so amazing.. But then, only to find it was mainly emotionalism and guilt placed upon people by some Evangelists preaching, and very rarely does the revival last.. A true revival is a lasting event, and it can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit.

After reading some staggering statistics from Billy Graham crusades I have concluded the pressure to come down the isle and make an emotional decision is not right. Does not it say in the Bible " No man starts to build a house without making sure he has enough materials? No man goes to war without seeing if he has enough troops?" (paraphrased).

While, I still believe in the theoretical possibility of a revival, I have yet to see one. A revival may be a gradual process and not just a week long event, like churches becoming more dedicated to Jehovah and beginning to outreach greater.

God's blessings on you,
Andy

 

What you may see is just the tip of the iceberg. I pastored a church that was involved in a Billy Graham crusade. Afterward, the church began sharing their faith more and discipling people. Several Bible studies were started in the community. Before that the church was almost extinct. Today it is doing very well.

During that time my wife made a phone call to a child whose parents were Mormons. I am sure that girl will never forget when she came forward. The timeline is an eternal perspective not just one point in time.

One of the pastors involved in the crusade pastored a large church in San Antonio and he came to Christ though a Billy Graham crusade.

If we just looked at statistics alone, churches would be low compared to parachurch organizations such as the Navigators. I have seen quite a number of ineffective church members but very few involved in parachurch organizations. Does that mean there is no use for a church or evangelists? Of course not.

 

On the revivals of history (not evangelistic meetings) no plans were made to hold such a meeting. The revivals broke out. For example, one such event in a Welsh Church, the preacher went to the pulpit, but could not speak. He broke down in tears. The church heard confession after confession, and then broke out in song. It had nothing to do with the unsaved, and everything to do with God's people getting right with God and with their neighbour.

I don't think we can plan a revival. It would be just another preaching engagement.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I agree. When people get right with God so often relationships are restored and there is unity in the church.

My wife and I were in a church that week after week for the three years we were there saw God do amazing things. People gave, prayed and loved. That little church became a not so little chuch and became well known in the area.

Whewn God's hand is upon His people they watch in awe knowing that it is not them. They know and understand that God is not mocked by our methodologies and thinking we can do God's work strictly by having the right program or formula.

2 Chron 7:13,14, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."