I want to ask you a question. Is revival still possible today, in what very well may be the last days before Christ’s Church is raptured? That’s a big question and it leads to other questions. So, I would like to spend a little time unpacking and answering these questions, according to Scripture.
Before we get into this, for those who prefer watching and listening to a message, rather than reading a lengthy article, I have prepared a video sermon on this same subject and with the same basic content as this article. You can find that here:
Is revival possible? As we look at the state of the world today, it’s tempting to think it’s too late, isn’t it? I think, consciously or subconsciously, we tend to think so. I recently read an article in which a pastor said that he believes that revival is no longer possible. I respectfully disagree. I believe that thinking like that is dangerous and teaching like that is dangerous. When we believe that something is not possible then we usually don’t even try to do it. Let me tell you something, we are to be about the work of the Great Commission until we die or Jesus comes to get us, which ever comes first.
I certainly do understand where this paster is coming from and those who think like him. If I’m not careful, my thoughts tend to stray this way sometimes too. I mean, look at the state of the world we live in. Look with me at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
1 Corinthians 6
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Here we have this big list of characteristics of the kinds of people who will not inherit the Kingdom of God and the world today is full to overflowing with all these things. We look at this and it is very frustrating. We wonder why these people won’t listen to us. We wonder why they won’t be more like us. We had better be careful about that kind of thinking. Look at the next verse.
1 Corinthians 6
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
We look at these people and we look at how far they have to come and we think it can’t happen, all the while forgetting how far we have come, how far God has brought us. Do we think we are some how better than them? Do we think God can save us but not them? Do we maybe sometimes forget that it is God who does the saving and do we sometimes forget just how big He truly is?
Matthew 19
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
In Jewish culture, it was thought that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing on someone’s life and so, if someone was religious and they had wealth, then it was assumed that they were probably in good standing with God. This is why the disciples were so surprised when Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. There are a lot of things that you can get from this block of Scripture, especially if you back on up to verse 16, but here is the point I want to make. One of the things that Jesus was saying here is that, from a worldly prospective, some people are impossible to save. But Jesus said “with God all things are possible”. We have to be careful how we interpret this. We tend to try to make things in the Bible mean what we want them to mean or not mean. When He said “all things” there. You know what “all” means? It means “all”. From our limited human prospective, some people are impossible to save and, in our power, they are impossible to save. In our power, we ourselves are impossible to save too. But it is God who saves and, with God, all things are possible.
From the Scripture we have looked at so far, revival sounds possible to me.
But wait, I said that we may be living in the last days. I do believe that. I am not a date setter and you should run far, far away from anyone who is. I do not know the day or hour of His return and no one does. However, I do believe that ours is probably the terminal generation and that many of those reading this, who are Christians, will not taste death but will be raptured before that.
Let me give you the simplest and most straight forward reason why I say that. We live in a day where sin and disease and physical conflict run rampant and natural disasters are becoming more and more common. You may say that there have been times when this has been the case for thousands of years. That is true but there is one thing that is also true now that has not been the case for thousands of years. Israel exists today as a nation.
Matthew 24
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
In Scripture, the fig tree is often used to represent Israel. Many end times scholars believe that Matthew 24:32-34 indicates that the generation who saw Israel again come to exist as a nation in 1948 will not completely pass away until the end comes. I tend to agree with that interpretation. It is also possible, but I think less likely, that this is referring to the generation who saw Israel again come to possess Jerusalem in 1967. If either of these interpretations is correct, then we most likely have less than 40 years left, quite possibly less than 20, possibly much less.
It is tempting to think that, if we are living in the last days, then there may not be time for revival. But revival can happen very quickly. In the early church, 3K were saved in one day.
Acts 2
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
In verse 40, Peter referred to theirs as a “perverse generation”. We certainly live in a perverse generation, don’t we? But in verse 41, it says that 3,000 people were saved right then and there. We must remember that, with God, all things are possible
Also, we may be able to slow things down to give us a little more time. God is merciful and He wants us to reach as many people as possible.
2Peter 3
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But we have all of these end time prophecies. Can we influence things that have been prophesied? Can we change God’s mind? The answer is a very definite maybe. I think we can, sometimes. Let’s look at this issue.
Psalm 139
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
Some people use this verse and others like it to support predestination. I don’t believe in predestination. Obviously God can and sometimes does intervene in the affairs of this world but He has also given us free will and He, for the most part, lets the results of our choices stand. Otherwise, our will isn’t really free and no choice we make has any real consequence. We do influence what happens in our life but, of course, God knows ahead of time what we will do and I believe that is in which this verse refers. God is completely sovereign and He absolutely can make any decision He wants to. However, I believe that our actions can and sometimes do change what God does or when He does it.
Look at Jonah and Nineveh.
Jonah 3
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.
4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
After some convincing from God, Jonah was obedient. He preached to the people of Nineveh as God had told him to, the people believed God, they repented, and God did not judge them, at least not at that time. They did not remain repentant and they were ultimately judged and destroyed about 150 years later. You can read about that in the book of Nahum. Jonah’s efforts on God’s behalf were successful. God’s judgement was delayed for a while. We don’t know exactly when God will say that He has had enough and tells Jesus to come get His children but we can evangelize and make disciples until that time and we may even be able to delay that time.
Sometimes, I think we may have the same problem that Jonah had. Jonah didn’t want revival for Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. Assyria and Israel were enemies. Jonah hated Nineveh.
Jonah 4
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
Jonah basically said “see God, I knew they would repent and you would spare them and that’s why I didn’t want to come here in the first place”. Jonah didn’t want them spared. He wanted them judged. I think we sometimes have that attitude. We look at the state of the world. Some of the things we see understandably make us angry. We say “well, God will judge them”, and then we sit back and wait for Him to do just that and we make no real attempt to stop it or slow it down.
Think about something with me. I am very pro life. When a woman has an abortion, she causes the physical death of another human being and that is a sin. There is no doubt about that and I will not try to minimize it. But we have all done bad things, sometimes worse than we would like to think about. I struggled with the call to Christian ministry for years before surrendering to it. In so doing, I delayed the work that God had for me to do and, as a result of that, I may have indirectly caused some people’s spiritual death. Contrary to what popular culture would have us believe, Hell is a very real place and my stubbornness may have helped to send some people there. I don’t like to think about that and, when I do, it makes me shudder. When I think about a woman who has had an abortion, she has unquestionably sinned but, to me, my sin is worse than hers. Am I to now compound my sin by refusing to minister to her, because I don’t like what she is doing or has done? It doesn’t seem to me that I have much room to judge her for what she has done. Remember, such were some of you. And such was I. But God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. We need to remember that. We need to not be like Jonah was or like I used to be. We must not run away from the work that God has given us to do. We should run toward it and embrace it.
When He comes, we must be ready.
Matthew 24
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus said that we will be blessed if, when He comes, He finds us doing the work He has given us to do. We need to examine our life, on a regular basis, to see if we are doing the work He has given us to do. He is coming again, tomorrow, next year, in 20 years, in a thousand years, I don’t know when. But I do know this. When He does come, it would be a sad thing if He finds us just sitting on our hands, when we have the power and the obligation to do so much more.
Before I close, I want to deal with something head on here. This is something that can be a bit uncomfortable to talk about but I feel that I must. It is tempting to write as though everyone who reads what I write is a Christian. I think that is a dangerous assumption that I cannot afford to make.
In this Scripture I just shared with you, starting in verse 48, Jesus talked about what He called evil servants, the people who He does not find doing His work when He comes, and, concerning those people, He spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth when He comes. Ask yourself something. Who is He talking to there? It is tempting to sort of gloss over this in our minds and assume that He is talking about Christians, people who are saved but just not doing what they should. Does that really make sense? For those who know Him, His return will be a very joyous occasion. For those who know Him, when He returns, there will be joy, not weeping. In the Bible, weeping and gnashing of teeth is imagery that is used to describe Hell. Clearly, He is not talking to true Christians here. The true Christians, those who truly know Him, are those faithful servants, the ones He talks about in verses 45 through 47, who He finds doing His work when He comes.
Everyone has their struggles and I do mean absolutely everyone. Even Paul did. Everyone has their seasons of difficulty, when they don’t do what they should, and sometimes those are long seasons. That’s just life and that’s also the Christian life. None of us are perfect. But salvation is more than just praying a prayer and being baptized and going to church. It’s truly giving your life to Him. Ask yourself something. If you take a long term view, from the time you were saved until now, Do you see any real evidence of Him working in your life? If not, have you truly given your life to Him? If you have any doubt about that, you need to spend some time with Him working that out. I don’t want to scare you but I had much rather you be scared for a little while now than you have to endure eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth later.
