Revival Ground Zero - Need

In Search of Revival

I’ve heard about revival ever since I was a little kid. There is a segment of the Church that seeks revivals. Asbury College is an example. It began in a routine Wednesday morning chapel and continued for 16 days. It attracted hundreds of college students, the media, church leaders, and those from as far away as Russia and Japan. There were many reports of life change, salvations, and re-dedications to Christ.

In the mid 90’s there were two Pentecostal revivals, the Toronto Blessing and the Brownsville Revival. Years ago, I spoke to a pastor who went to meetings at the Toronto revival. He went apprehensively with no expectations but was hit by the power of God. He had been in the Navy and stayed drunk much of the time. He said that the feelings that he experienced could only be described as “drunk in the Spirit” but he was fully aware of everything going on around him.

The evangelist Steve Hill had been a missionary planter in Argentina and had experienced a long-lasting revival in that country influenced by Carlos Annacondia. Steve Hill then went to England where the Toronto Blessing had affected the Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican Church. The vicar prayed for Hill and Hill felt he had received an anointing. From there Hill went to an Assembly of God church in Pensacola, Florida. This revival began on Father’s Day 1995. Steve Hill had shared the story of his transformation. This sparked repentance, miracles, salvations, and charismatic experiences. It is estimated that 1.7 million people visited. Over 108,000 responded to altar calls. The New York Times called it “the largest and longest running…revival in America in almost a century”.[1]

What will God do next?

Revival Happens When God Gets Our Attention

There is a passage in the book of Acts – the story of the greatest revival ever – that has had me thinking. It is a story about a man that had no ability to travel to a revival. In fact, he had no expectation of anything special happening but ended up completely transformed:

Acts 3:1–10 NIV

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Think about this man’s life. Lame from birth his simple routine was to be brought to a gate called Beautiful, how ironic. Well, it hadn’t been up to this point but it was about to be. It was about to be ground zero for a revival in his life.

Ground Zero(s) for Personal Revivals

Remember that they found him at the Beautiful Gate. It has also been called the Golden Gate and the East Gate. The Beautiful Gate represents the coming of Christ. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord depart from the temple at the East Gate (Ezek 10:16-22; 11:22-25), and the Lord will return to the city the same way (43:1-5). So, we have every reason to associate this gate with the coming of the Lord and to remind ourselves to "abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28).

I Don’t Have What You Think You Need

Acts 3:6 (NIV)

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, …”

As I think about revival, I think about the problem that many of us have. We don’t know what we need. It was certainly the problem of this lame man. He was at the gate begging for money. That was his immediate concern, but his need was really 2 levels away. Peter saw the greater need.

At men’s meeting yesterday we were talking about the traps that we fall into. These traps are the desires for comfort, significance, and control. For example, Adam and Eve were tempted to go around God’s commands to meet their desires. They could have had anything except the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Today’s society wants to go around God’s truth to get what it wants.

Today society wants to go around God to get what it wants. God’s model for marriage isn’t sufficient. God’s gift of gender identity isn’t sufficient. God’s directives on assembling together for church is a mere suggestion. Over and over again we replace God’s commands with our desires. We don’t know what we really need so we don’t experience what God has for us.

Thomas Aquinas was greatly respected by the Pope of his time period, Pope Innocent IV. Aquinas went one day into the pope's chamber, where they were counting large sums of money. The pope turned to Aquinas and said: "You see that the church is no longer in an age in which she can say, Silver and gold have I none?" "It is true, holy father," replied Aquinas, "nor can she now say to the lame man, Rise up and walk!"[2]

…BUT, I Do Have What You Don’t Know You Need

I think at ground zeros of revivals, we will find that men and women were made aware of their True needs. Peter continued…

Acts 3:6 (NIV)

“…but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

In 2016 I taught through the book of Acts. At that time, as we looked at this passage, we found that this lame man was an example of the need for salvation.

Jesus understood His ministry and Luke makes it clear. While Matthew, Mark, and John refer to the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth, Luke records the message of Jesus:

Luke 4:18–19 NIV

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The healing of the lame person captured the essence of that plan in history — God’s attention to this lame person becomes a model for God’s invasion into the lives of those that are hopeless, sitting at the gate Beautiful in the ugliness of their sorrows.

I think that revival must begin with recognition of a need.

Cindy and I had the privilege of getting to work with Wayne and Kathy Benson last fall. From 1996 to 2000 they led a revival that swept through the church resulting in thousands responding to Christ, accompanied by dramatic healings and deliverances. I remember him telling me that it began unexpectedly on a Wednesday night with a man standing up in the service and crying out in repentance. He saw his need. God responded and a Spirit of repentance swept over the congregation.

What is Your Need?

Don’t just throw out the first thing that comes to mind. That would have gotten money for a meal for the lame man. He needed so much more…and so do you!

Jesus was always meeting someone’s unexpected need:

Samaritan woman – equality in the Kingdom of God

John 4:23–24 NIV

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Woman caught in adultery – freedom from condemnation

John 8:7–11 NIV

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Nicodemus – born again

John 3:3 NIV

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

The Samaritan woman learns that she has equal access through the Spirit in the Kingdom of God. The woman caught in adultery learns she is no longer condemned. Nicodemus learns that he must be born again.

You have needs too. You need food on the table – God wants to teach you that He is your Provider for more than just food. You needemotional stability – God wants to show you that He is your comforter and He has provided for you the gifts of the Spirit. You have a need to feel valued – God wants you to know that you are made in His image. Whatever you feel you need, God wants to provide and give you more.

I think (a) ground zero of revival is our need.

Revival Meetings and Meeting a Revival

Is revival an event we drive to see, or is revival something significant that happens in me? I lean toward ‘meeting a revival’ when the Spirit moves on me.

I love the response of the formerly lame man…

Acts 3:7–8 NIV

Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

I’ve said it, and you’ve probably said it as well, “Our nation needs a revival.” It is certainly true, but more than our nation…we need a revival! We need to acknowledge our needs to the Lord and allow Him to do whatever He will.

[1] https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/legal-and-political-magazines/brownsville-revival [2] Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.