“Revival” took place in Bible times, though they don’t seem to have used that word. Think about it for a moment, though. Where else would we use the word revival?

I think about a lifeguard at the beach. He pulls a person from the water and struggles to revive them. The firefighter or paramedic who pulls a person from a fire or accident, then tries to revive them.

The philosopher and mathematician Pascal set about to investigate whether there were anything to the conflicting claims of Christianity and atheism. His search led him to center on the resurrection. He saw that the seminal moment for either faith was the resurrection for the Christian and the spontaneous generation of life for the atheist. He reached the conclusion that he believed in Christianity because he could believe that something that once was alive could be alive again easier than he could believe that something that was never alive could come to life.

I bring that up because I think that’s a good explanation of what we want to have happen at our revival. We would like to revive the people around us, perhaps bring in “new” people to worship with us and revive the spark that may have once been going in their lives (or ignite a spark for the first time), but our primary focus is to re-ignite the spark in us.

If you look at scripture, you’ll find that that’s often how God worked, too. Ezekiel was asked to do some crazy things (like lie around in the dirt either naked or in his underwear—depending on the translation you read) in an effort to wake up the Israelite captives—with no mention of waking up or converting the captors.

Jesus said he came first to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24). The apostle Paul, when he came to a town, went first to the synagogue to preach and teach.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (ESV)

But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven. (BBE)

There was a time when a church having a revival meant something different. Sometimes, I think we remember those days and even try to recapture them when the reality is that they are LONG gone, probably irretrievably so.

Do you remember what I’m talking about? There was a time when a local church would hold a revival and people from all over town would come. Maybe it was in a big tent on the edge of town, or maybe it was just in the church’s regular building, but the place would be packed. And everyone in town would talk about the revival and even some people who hated it would still go back.

I don’t think it’s that people were necessarily better back then (though they might have been). It was mainly that they had less to do. A revival was an event in a time where events were far between.

But look at us now. On any given week we’ve got Little League games and choir concerts and club meetings and movie theaters and 200 channels of cable and high speed internet and adult-ed courses at the community college and … on and on.

The people of this world don’t want a revival as one of their entertainment options. In fact, what they want is a break from all this stuff but they’re too committed to take one.

That’s all right. Don’t lament. I hope we can get friends and family to come visit our revival. I hope you’ve invited someone (offer to pick them up and take them out to eat afterwards if that’ll help). And if your friend comes, make them feel welcome and we’ll help you do so.

Let’s go back to that word, though: revival. Revival—true, lasting revival—is going to have to start with us!

Acts 1:5-8
And when they came together, he gave them this order: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?" Jesus said to them, "The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (GNB)

Jesus brought the faithful (and committed) together, charged them up, then sent them out. That’s the purpose of our revival here.

I have here some rechargeable batteries. And here is a recharger. When these batteries are in the recharger, they’re not doing me any good. In fact, they’re really not even batteries. In the recharger, they’re just another appliance sucking up electricity.

What I want them to do, what these batteries were made for, is to be taken out of the charger and put to use. I can stick them in a flashlight and make a dark room brighter. I can stick them in my CD player and listen to music. I can put them in my electric shaver or a clock or any number of useful tools and appliances. Their time in the recharger is necessary, but it’s when they’re out of the recharger that they serve the real purpose they were created for!

Just like you. Just like me.

Some people say they are Christians because they go to church. That’s like my little cylinder here saying it’s a battery because it fits in the charger. We go to church for instruction, encouragement and recharging so that we can go out into the world and be Christians!!!

What do I DO with this?
Get re-charged.
Go out into the world and BE a Christian!

Comments? email me at martha917@yahoo.com