Our idea of "revival" puts God in a box (pt. 1)
TLDR:
The problem lies in our understanding of what surrender means. We're still clueless
True surrender is forsaking our own carnal mindset and aligning with the Holy Spirit.
Our efforts to emulate the past are based on one assumption: we think we've figured God out.
Our false perceptions of revival may be exactly what is hindering.
You probably hear people say this is revival
Have you experienced revival before? Probably not. But do you know what it would look like?
Chances are, pictures of worship nights come to mind, with people singing their hearts out and crying.
We might have seen all that happen firsthand, yet most will agree that we have not experienced true revival yet.
Everyone's still asking for it, wondering when it will come. But is that all there is to revival? What will it really look like?
The definition of revival is simple. But not so simple
Revival is defined as a spiritual renewal. Our leaders have continually emphasised the prerequisites for revival, and we probably know we need to surrender and give God room to move.
Blah blah blah, the usual stuff. If it was so simple, why hasn't revival come yet?
“...most will agree that we have not experienced true revival yet.”
The problem lies in our understanding of what surrender means. We're still clueless.
Surrender is thought to be getting rid of sin. Live righteously. That might be partially true, but it lacks the full picture.
God doesn't require us to be perfect in character to make moves. That would imply His grace is less powerful than our weakness.
Rather, true surrender is forsaking our own carnal mindset and aligning with the Holy Spirit. God wants to work with us to achieve His goals, so we need to be in full agreement with Him.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Surrender your own ideals and preconceptions, accept God's standard of revival.
Copying the past clearly doesn't work
But what is our "carnal mindset"?
If left alone to our own devices, we will forever only be limited to what we know. Nothing is new under the sun.
“Surrender is thought to be getting rid of sin... but it lacks the full picture.”
We keep looking back to past revivals. ACS Clock Tower (the oh-so beloved history of Singapore), the recent Asbury revival -- we love hearing all the stories.
Makes us feel good about ourselves. We try and draw lessons from these revivals and see how we can engineer the next move of God. It makes us feel in control.
Ministries organise events ("Revival nights", they call it), a crude attempt at emulating the Holy Spirit's work.
We expect God to work in similar ways that we've observed before so we create environments that will supposedly facilitate that.
God, do it again (but only in the way I want it)
In 2019, LoveSingapore organised a huge rally, Celebration of Hope, a year after the 40th anniversary of Billy Graham's visit to Singapore. It was spectacularly well-executed and during the altar call, many people went down to receive Jesus. It all looked pretty cool.
Except that I couldn't help but see a parallel with a story in the Bible. The people of Israel returned to their homeland after the exile and rebuilt the temple of God.
The younger people shouted in joy, but those who were old enough to remember the glory of the first temple wept loudly, such that no one could distinguish between the two.
“If left alone to our own devices, we will forever only be limited to what we know.”
I used to joke (quite irreverently) that Celebration of Hope was 40 years outdated, being a copy of what God did 40 years ago. I wonder if there were any of the previous generations at Celebration of Hope who remembered the past moves of God, and after experiencing the present rendition, mourned what was lost.
Are our eyes truly open? Or are we dreaming?
Our efforts to emulate the past are based on one assumption: we think we've figured God out. We think we know how He's going to act. That was the mistake of the Jews during the time Jesus was on Earth. They thought the Messiah was going to be a political ruler like King David.
No one ever conceived that the strategy of redemption would be done through sacrifice, and as a result, many of them missed an opportunity to know the very Son of God.
Ironically, demons and evil spirits acknowledged Jesus and He had to tell them to shut up.
How many of us will be unable to recognise God's work even if we were staring right at it? (short of being possessed by an evil spirit, I hope)
Time to course-correct
Our false perceptions of revival may be exactly what is hindering God.
Maybe it's the idea that it will only happen at worship nights. Maybe you think that revival will just magically happen and we don't need to do anything about it. Maybe you think that you can only do God's work when revival comes, and not before.
“How many of us will be unable to recognise God’s work even if we were staring right at it?”
Search your heart and ask God what it is that is limiting Him from doing His work.
Part 2 will be up next week, which will be about the ultimate revival.
Reflect:
1. What do you think revival will look like? Where did you get that idea from?
2. What does your church teach about revival? How might that be limiting God?
3. Think prayerfully: What more do you need to surrender to God? What have you still not obeyed Him in?
When God has shown you what you need to do, write it down and complete it immediately. Waste no time in pursuing His goals.
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