"What is needed is something that cannot be explained in human terms. What is needed is something that is so striking and so signal that it will arrest the attention of the whole world. That is revival.
Now we of ourselves can never do anything like that. We can do a great deal, and we should do all we can. We can preach the truth, we can defend it, we can indulge in our apologetics, we can organize our campaigns, we can try to present a great front to the world. But you know, it does not impress the world. It leaves the world where it was. The need is for something which will be so overwhelming, so divine, so unusual that it will arrest the attention of the world . . . .
'Authenticate thy word. Lord God, let it be known, let it be known beyond a doubt, that we are thy people. Shake us!' I do not ask him to shake the building, but I ask him to shake us. I ask him to do something that is so amazing, so astounding, so divine, that the whole world shall be compelled to look on and say, 'What is this?' as they said on the day of Pentecost."
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival, pages 183-185.
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4 comments:
Shake us!!!
Amen to you both, John, Dr. Ortlund.
My hope and prayer is when,
not if.
Martin Lloyd Jones' teaching on the Spirit seems strangely absent from evangelical preaching, and John Piper has noted.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1462_A_Passion_for_ChristExalting_Power/
But if we can't earn or manipulate God toward revival, what are we to do outside pray, long and hope; and can we like Jones, be fully satisfied in God if our eyes and ears never see revival in our lifetime?
Thanks, Gaye. Three passages come to mind:
1 Kings 8:17-19
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Psalm 46:10
God bless.
Gaye, thank you for the link to Piper on Lloyd-Jones. It was interesting to read not only for MLJ's thoughts on revival, but for Piper's valuable observations about how MLJ may have partially quenched the Spirit.
I became a Christian in 1970 in college in the early days of the Jesus Movement, which, despite various problems of the time, I consider to have been a true revival and movement of the Holy Spirit. I saw transformed lives, joy in Christ, love for each other and dependence upon God.
I agree that we cannot earn or manipulate God toward revival, and I have some other thoughts to share.
One thing I noted in the MLJ quotes and Piper's remarks was no mention of the great attesting sign that Jesus gave in John 13:35 and twice in John 17--that our love for one another and our oneness and unity would convince the world that we’re His disciples and that He is the Son of God.
This leads me to think of a couple of ways in which the Spirit is quenched by the church.
Over the years I have seen a real lack of seriousness about the command to love one another. I'm not talking about doctrinal disagreements, but about the many ways Philippians 2:1-4 has been ignored and disobeyed within the church and not just by members, but by leaders.
The second thing I have seen is a real lack of corporate prayer within churches--to seek God's face, to advance His kingdom and to earnestly pray for one another--prayer which acknowledges our utter dependence upon Him. We have lived in several different places and I can count on less than the fingers of one hand the churches we have seen with true, effectual time set aside for meeting together for prayer.
In my opinion, too often love has been replaced by programs and dependence on God has been replaced by having correct theology. Now I do believe in organization and I do believe that we must strive to accurately teach and understand the Word, but we have lost sight of the purpose.
It has been dismaying to me to see a drift from first love. I have seen God at work in small places and pockets, but I long to see Him mightily at work.
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