As If It Depended on Me

Charles Finney was a New England lawyer who became a widely-known and highly-sought-out revivalist. He lived during the years of 1792-1875. He became the president of Oberlin College in Ohio in 1850 where he continued to write extensively on the subject of revival. Let me show you an example of what he would write.

Suppose you were to go to a farmer and tell him that God is sovereign. He is so sovereign that He will give them a crop only when it pleases Him. So don’t waste your time plowing, planting, or even working the field because that would be taking the work out of God’s hands and it would interfere with His sovereignty. Suppose the farmer believed every word you told him. Let me tell you what would happen. The farmer would yield no crop. If all farmers would stop toiling their land, the world would eventually starve.

The results would be the same if the Church was persuaded to stop spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. If the Church was convinced to stop praying for revival, then we would send the message that we are satisfied without the move of the Holy Spirit. If we just got caught up in the routine of life, then we would be supporting the thought that there is no connection between the means and the end. If the Church lived like it didn’t matter if we prayed for revival to come, then we would see generation after generation without hope or any thought of being changed by God. The means has a major impact on the end. The devil’s most successful means of destroying the soul is to get the Church to think the means does not impact the end. The connection is as clear in the spirit realm as it is when a farmer sows his grain.

What if revival depended on you? Don’t get me wrong. We don’t determine if revival is going to happen. God is the one who brings revival. But, God has chosen to use us as themeans of revival. It is when we pray and believe and show God we are serious about seeing Him move in our church, that He is willing to answer our prayer by manifesting Himself in our lives, our families, and our church. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Would you pray with me as if it depended on your prayers for revival to break out in our church? I want to invite you to come every morning or evening from 6:00 – 7:00 to the church for prayer. There are plenty of resources to help you know what to pray as you arrive in the sanctuary.

Remember that revival services begin this Sunday morning during our regularly scheduled worship celebration. There will be services on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. in the sanctuary andMonday at 6:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center with a chili and potato bar for the whole family. Tuesday and Wednesday services will be in the sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. Child care is being provided for nursery and toddlers age four and under each service. Elementary age children will enjoy a special speaker on Sunday night for a “Superhero Sundae Sunday,” and Wednesday night for “Wacky Pizza Wednesday,” then they will be in the service with us on Monday and Tuesday. The teens will share each service with us as we plan to grow together.

Put it on the calendar and pray for God to take us on a Holy Spirit driven ride of our life. There is something for the whole family for you to make this a priority.

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike