HUMILITY IN SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

2 CHRONICLES 7:14

      Shortly after America’s Revolutionary War the spiritual condition of the United States was deplorable. Bob L. Eklund noted, “In 1782, only two students at Princeton University, established originally as a Presbyterian school, professed to be Christians. Harvard had only one professing believer. These and most other colleges had student bodies who joined ‘dirty speech movements.’ Riots were common on campuses. Mock communions were held. One student group stole a Bible from a professor’s desk and burned it.” Astute historian J. Edwin Orr pointed out, “The Methodists were losing more members than they were gaining. The Baptists said that they had their most wintry season. The Presbyterians in general assembly deplored the nation’s ungodliness. In a typical Congregational church, the Rev. Samuel Shepherd of Lennox, Massachusetts, in sixteen years had not taken one young person into fellowship. The Lutherans were so languishing that they discussed uniting with the Episcopalians who were even worse off. The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of New York, Bishop Samuel Proovost, quit functioning; he had confirmed no one for so long that he decided he was out of work, so he took up other employment. The Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, wrote to the Bishop of Virginia, James Madison, that the Church ‘was too far gone ever to be redeemed.’ Voltaire averred, and Tom Paine echoed, ‘Christianity will be forgotten in thirty years.’”

      Then came the revival. Lewis A. Drummond recorded, “Some of the statistics that came out of that awakening along with the effects of the Second Great Awakening are phenomenal in retrospect. From 1800 to 1830 the Presbyterians increased from 40,000 to 173,329; a fourfold increase. The Baptists during the same three decades increased in like manner from 100,000 to 313,138, a threefold increase. Others grew similarly. This growth was preceded by serious losses in the American Church. From 1793 to 1795 the Methodists lost eleven thousand six hundred members. But, with the awakening, Church growth mushroomed. The Methodists had a membership of 1,323,361 by 1850. The Baptists, by the middle of the nineteenth century, increased to 815,212, and the Presbyterians to 487,691. At the same time, Bible and tract societies, the Sunday School movement, young peoples’ organizations and similar evangelical works grew and multiplied.” That is spiritual awakening!

      One of the most anointed evangelists of that era was Charles G. Finney who wrote Revival Lectures. In that classic work he stated, “A revival is not a miracle.” Finney said, “A revival is the result of the right use of the appropriate means.” He explained, “You see why you have not a revival. It is only because you do not want one. Because you are neither praying for it, nor feeling anxious for it, nor putting forth efforts for it.”

      Finney said that a revival is needed 1) when there is a want of brotherly love, 2) when there are dissensions, and jealousies, and evil speakings, 3) when there is a worldly spirit in the Church, 4) when the Church finds its members falling into gross and scandalous sins, 5) when there is a spirit of controversy, 6) when the wicked triumph over the Churches, and 7) when sinners are careless. In 2 Chr. 7:14 the Lord gave to Solomon at night the promise in logical order of spiritual awakening–“humble, pray, seek, turn, hear, forgive, and heal.”

  I. Spiritual awakening is based on divine intervention (“I will”).

      A. God intervenes in conviction.

      Finney said, 1) A revival always includes conviction of sin on the part of the church, 2) backslidden Christians will be brought to repentance, 3) Christians will have their faith renewed, 4) revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians, and 5) when the Church is thus awakened and reformed salvation of sinners will follow.

          1. Conviction comes from the Scripture (Jn. 3:20; Jas. 2:9-10).

          2. Conviction comes from the Spirit (Jn. 16:8).

          3. Conviction comes from the soul-winner (Lk. 3:19).

      B. God intervenes in conversion (Jon. 2:9).

 II. Spiritual awakening is based on human instrumentality (“my people”).

      A. Man is the instrument that might hinder (1 Pet. 4:17).

          1. Abraham in Egypt (Gen. 20:9)

          2. Lot in Sodom (Gen. 18:32)

          3. Aaron at Sinai (Ex. 32:1)

          4. Miriam in the wilderness (Num. 12:15)

          5. Eli in the temple (1 Sam. 3:3)

          6. David and the plague (2 Sam. 24:10)

          7. Jonah in the ship (Jon. 1:10)

          8. Ananias and Sapphira in the church (Acts 5:1)

      Finney stated, “Christians are more to blame for not being revived, than sinners are for not being converted.”

      B. Man is an instrument that must humble (LXX–“shame;” 2 Th. 3:14).

          1. For ways

          2. For wickedness (1 Cor. 15:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:15)

      God is worthy of the humility of mankind (Ps. 113:6). He values humility in His creation (Ps. 138:6; Is. 57:15; Mic. 6:8). Jesus His Son exemplified this humility (Zech. 9:9; Mt. 11:29; Phil. 2:8).

      Humility is the duty of man (1 Kg. 21:29; 2 Chr. 32:26; Ps. 35:13; Jas. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6). If man does not bow self, then God will humble the man (Ex. 10:3; 2 Chr. 26:16, 36:12; Job 40:11, 41:34; Ps. 101:5; Is. 2:12; Ezek. 16:49; Dan. 4:37, 5:20-22; Lk. 1:51).

      Praise is the evidence of humility (Ps. 34:2). The only acceptable service to God is through humility (Acts 20:19; 1 Tim. 3:6). Humility is the secret of unity (Eph. 4:2; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:12).

      Humility is the pathway to honor (Prov. 15:33; Lk. 1:52, 14:11, 18:14; Jas. 1:9). Through faith welcome the tools God uses to lower self (Phil. 4:12). But reject false humility (Col. 2:18-23).

      God takes sides against the arrogant (Prov. 6:16-17, 21:4; Jas. 4:6-16; 1 Pet. 5:5). Presumption is the root sin (Ezek. 28:17; Mk. 7:22; 1 Jn. 2:16). Haughtiness destroys the individual (Ps. 19:13; Prov. 16:18, 29:23). The overestimation of self is the source of contention (Prov. 13:10; Rom. 12:16; 1 Tim. 6:4). Pride stands in the way of salvation (Hab. 2:4-5; Mt. 18:4; 2 Tim. 3:2-4).

      Andrew Murray wrote, “The one infallible test of our holiness will be the humility before God and men which marks us.” He said, “Only this death (to self) leads to perfect humility.”

      Revival will not come without humility. God poured out the Great Awakening in America under the ministry of Jonathan Edwards who wrote the “distinguishing signs” of religious affections (true revival). The sixth sign he called humiliation. The revivalist wrote, “Evangelical humiliation is a sense that a Christian has of his own utter insufficiency, despicableness, and odiousness, with an answerable frame of heart.” Edwards said that saints should “look upon their grace and goodness little, and their deformity great. And they that have the most grace and spiritual light, of any in this world, have most of this disposition.” Calvin in the Institutes said, “I was always exceedingly pleased with that saying of Chrysostom, ‘The foundation of our philosophy is humility.’ and yet more pleased with that of Augustine, . . . ’If you should ask me concerning the precepts of the Christian religion, I would answer, firstly, secondly, and thirdly, and forever, humility.’”

      Evan Roberts was born on 8 June 1878, in the town of Lougher, twenty miles from London. He felt a burning passion to preach. William Davies, a deacon at the Moriah Chapel where Roberts attended warned him not to miss the prayer meetings in case the Holy Spirit came. Davies had prayed for thirteen years for a mighty visitation of the Holy Spirit. On Thursday morning 29 September 1904, Evan Roberts and nineteen other young people including his closest friend Sydney Evans went to Blaenanerch to attend the meetings. Roberts broke down completely when at the close of the service, Seth Joshua led in prayer. The evangelist used the words, “Bend us, O Lord.” The crisis came that would lead to the Welsh Revival and 100,000 conversions. Roberts fell to his knees and cried, “Bend me! Bend me! Bend me! Bend us!

      Something unusual started in Brownwood, Texas, on 22 January 1995. Participants said it’s “the activity of God.” The 8:30 A.M. worship service at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church began typically enough that day–“pretty dead,” according to pastor John Avant. But when the invitation to commitment was extended, a Howard Payne University student asked to share a public testimony. He cried. He read from the book of Joel. He shared His burden. And the people started streaming down the aisles. Half of the people in that service never made it to Sunday School. They stayed on their knees at the altar. Similar outbreaks occurred when the pastor and students shared testimonies of this service. This spontaneous revival resulted in the confession of impurities and the healing of broken relationships.