The Pastor's Page - 3/24/09
The Difficulty of Praying for Revival
Recently a friend and I were discussing the need of our area, which may exist in every community, for more cooperation between individual churches. True to my cynical nature I pointed out the difficulties involved in that. Perhaps at no other time in history is this cooperation harder to achieve because of the diversity of doctrinal beliefs and social agendas.
One of the principal difficulties is in the very definition that we ascribe to the word revival. For example those in the Charismatic movement generally focus on the restoration of things. Signs and miracles and the restoration of the five fold ministry. But you have to prove there was a five fold ministry before you can restore it.
Others define revival as tens of thousands of people being saved. But what do we do with all those people? How do we disciple them effectively in a culture where most churches average less than a hundred people and the pastor is bi-vocational? How do we cooperate with churches who see the next big move of the Holy Spirit as an embracing of the homosexual agenda of tolerance and inclusion?
This brings us to my principal issue in revival - the renewal of a deep balanced knowledge of the Bible's teachings. This is the greatest need from my point of view for revival, and the greatest hindrance to working together in our local communities. How do we work together when the only thing we agree on is Jesus's name? How do we work together to share God's Word when we aren't even in agreement about what is or isn't God's Word and what it does or doesn't teach about things like prosperity, the gifts of the Spirit, sexuality, healing, and Omnipotence?
One hundred years ago most of the distinctions between different denominations was related to the form of government or the amount of ritual in the service. But they all believed that man was sinful and Christ was the only Savior. Now many have discarded both of these basic fundamental tenets. Not only is this true between denominations but even within them these kinds of debates occur, debates unthinkable a generation ago.
Clearly we need a revival given these acknowledgments of the state of the church in America. Yet as always the challenge is so big that only God can supply this kind of revival. We all must be willing to examine our hearts in the balanced and historic light of God's Word for real revival to come.
Please use the form on the Pastor's page for your questions or comments. Please include the article's title in the message area of the form.
