What causes revival in the Church?

What are the vital ingredients for church renewal? What causes church growth? We can learn a lot from history.

Christianity is the one religious faith that experiences explosive growth in the most unlikely places. The first place was the Roman Empire. How on earth did this tiny, suffering church grow to conquer the empire and become the greatest religion in the history of the world? What happened in the first century has happened numerous times ever since throughout the globe. For example, in the last 100 years we have seen Korea go from less than 1% Christian to 40%, and has become home to the largest local congregations in the world. In 1978 China had fewer than a million Christians. Today the number is well over 100 million. Africa had 15 million Christian a hundred years ago. Today? 600 million. This kind of explosive growth has appeared all over the world all through history. It is clear that the basic explanation is that there is a Holy Spirit Who moves in certain people groups in a spectacular way. There are no adequate sociological explanations for these outbreaks of Christianity. But what are some of the conditions that often exist when these great revivals of Christian faith take place?

Historically there are at least five conditions that precede revival:

First, the proclamation of biblical truth, particularly the Gospel. Romans 1:16 says that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and that has continued to be the case for 2000 years. Only where the Bible is proclaimed, read, translated, studied, and believed is there renewal and explosions of Christian faith. In Ephesians 1:13 the Apostle Paul tells the Ephesians that the conversion of Ephesus began when the Gospel of truth was proclaimed.

The Second condition that precedes renewal is prayer. The very first Christians in the very first church devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching and to prayer. In two thousand years nothing has changed. Prayer continues to be an indispensable element of renewal. Personal prayer, congregational prayer, informal gatherings for prayer, formal gatherings, all night prayer meetings. A.W. Tozer wrote a book entitled “Born after Midnight” arguing that often revivals are borne along by believers who are willing to have prayer meetings that last past midnight.

The third condition that precedes revival is a willingness to confront people for their sin. In Acts chapter two, in the first sermon of the early church, Peter tells his Jewish audience that they were guilty of crucifying the Messiah. His audience then falls under conviction of sin—the text says they were cut to the heart—and they pled with Peter; “What shall we do?” In John 16 Jesus tells his disciples that the Holy Spirit will soon be coming and when He does He will convict the world of sin. Renewal and revival are always preceded by a certainty that people are sinful and lost and in need of a Savior.

Fourth, renewal is preceded by a strong sense of the holiness of God, and a renewed commitment to the Lordship of Christ in every area of life. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life^[g] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Renewal is conditioned on the premise that people are losing their lives for Jesus’ sake and allowing Him to give them real life. This real life then explodes into these Awakenings we see all through history where thousands give their lives to Christ.

Fifth, renewal only comes when Christians develop a hatred for the values of the current culture. In Luke 16:15 Jesus said that that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. I have shared this verse with many Christian leaders and often they don’t like it. They have a hunger to please the people of their age, to impress them with their intelligence and sophistication. But there will be no renewal until we denounce what is highly esteemed by the people of this world.

Throughout history when the above five conditions occur revival often follows. Renewal is a decision made by Almighty God. You can’t just push a few buttons and produce one. But you can create the conditions in which an awakening to the things of God can occur. We must resolve to create these conditions in our own hearts, in our family, and in our congregations. Proclaiming truth, prayer, confronting sin, a sense of the holiness of God, and rejecting the values of the age are conditions that precede the renewal of the church.

What does the church look like when a renewal is under way? In my next video I take up that topic.

Thank you for listening. May our God bless you this day in a mighty way.

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More Resources: “How Christianity Triumphed,” https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkHlTST983SpujnPAjgOE2AsDzsEBKkxh