Attributes of Revival

The Book of Nehemiah has long been used as a compelling thesis on the idea of revival. Along with the Book of Ezra, they paint a historic picture of God bringing his people out of Babylonian captivity and back to their rightful land to re-establish God’s kingdom. But what actually is revival and how can we learn from Nehemiah to plant the seeds of revival once again in this current world.

First, we have to understand what revival truely is and conversely what it is not. Dictionary.com gives these six definitions of revival:

1. restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.
2. restoration to use, acceptance, or currency:the revival of old customs.
3. a new production of an old play.
4. a showing of an old motion picture.
5. an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.
6. an evangelistic service or a series of services for the purpose of effecting a religious awakening:to hold a revival.

Clearly, for the purpose of our discussion, definitions #3 and #4 are not relevant definitions. In religious circles, definition #6 is what we mostly think about when we use the term “revival.” However, it is a very short-sighted way of looking at this concept or idea. In truly trying to gain an understanding, definitions #1 and #2 begin to get to the essence of what real revival is all about with definition #5 being the product of such a revival. So, if we understand that at the essence of the term “revival” is the idea of restoration, then we must also admit that to be restored something had to be lacking. If one is restoring life then before you can restore you have to accept that there is no life. If one is restoring “to use” then that which is being used, at one time, did not work. To restore to consciousness, vigor, strength, etc., all of those things had to be lacking in their former state. So is it too far fetched to say that, in the church, when we use the term “revival” that at best we are lacking and, at worst, we are dead. In either case, we are in need of restoration? An awakening comes only when restoration is at work.

In this post, and those to come as part of this series, I will use the Book of Nehemiah to look into this definition of revival and to see how, historically, God restored his people and therefore his kingdom and how it can apply to us today. I will not try to exhaust every aspect of the writing of Nehemiah. Rather, I wish to focus on four (4) attributes that stick out as important to achieve biblical revival. The four attributed are, as follows:

1. The Burden
2. The Work
3. The Struggle
4. The Reformation

This type of biblical revival can be applied to us today both individually and collectively. In fact, if we obtain this type of revival individually then it can’t help but to grow into a collective “awakening.” In other words, if, individually, we are revived then when we come together, as a body, the church can experience revival in its truest form.

Let’s be clear, God’s church or the church of God is victorious. In the Book of Ephesians, Paul states the following:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5: 25-27

This is the current state of the church of God; not relying on the past and not waiting on the future. Do not get hung up on the acknowledgement of the church of God. We could have just as easily acknowledged the “church of the first-born” (Hebrews 12:23) or the “church of Jesus Christ” or even the “church that was in their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19, Romans 16:5). However, Paul does speak of the church of God in several passages (Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 10:32, 1 Corinthians 11:22, 1 Corinthians 15:9, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:13, 1 Timothy 3:5) not as a denomination but as a”body” of believers that were (and still are) committed to God through Jesus Christ. The question is not whether that church needs revived. The real question is “are we a part of that church either individually or collectively”? Just because we go to church does not necessarily mean that we are a part of God’s body. Furthermore, going to church does not guarantee that we don’t need revival.

In Revelation 3: 14-22, John speaks of the “church” of the Laodiceans. That church probably had lively services; they may have had praise and worship leaders; they may have even had great speakers. However, Jesus told them that their lukewarmness made him sick enough to want to vomit them out of his mouth. They believed that they were “rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” They felt that they were, as the current phrase goes, “on fire.” They, in their own minds, did not need revival. However, Jesus told them, “knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” In other words, they were sorely lacking, in Jesus’ eyes, and needed to be restored. Reading the rest of the passage, our Lord did not want to leave them in that state because of his love. Instead he offered a remedy for their restoration (Revelation 3: 18-19). He desired revival in their lives.

Have we received the remedy and been restored to our rightful place in God through Jesus Christ? Or are we, much like the church of the Laodiceans, blind to our conditions and don’t believe that we need any help. “We are on fire”! We have our worship leaders; our beautiful singers; our praise bands; our dynamic speakers; our “small groups” and our mission boards. Again, the true church and the local congregation are not necessarily the same. It’s only when we acknowledge our honest condition (without all of the trappings) and allow Jesus to come in to make us overcomers, that the local congregations (including individuals) become victorious or as John states, “to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” That is what revival is all about!