One of the things unique about studying revival, is that people see revival through so many lenses. The end is the same: God being fully glorified on campus. The means, however, are very different depending on which lens you see revival through. Each lens is a valid viewpoint on revival, as are all of the various means toward which people with that lens seek revival. Confusion often arises, however, when we do not understand each others’ viewpoints
For the next three weeks I would like to share a little bit about each “revival lens” as I understand them. In so doing, I hope to bring understanding that leads to respect for each viewpoint. After all, we need each of them for full scale revival! I hope you would take a minute to leave a comment too, as this can be a profitable dialogue.
Revival Lens #2: Proclamation and Professions
What they expect to see
People with this revival lens expect thousands of people put their faith in Jesus. They expect worship services to be filled with seekers desiring to hear God’s word and respond in repentance and faith. They expect Christians to be awakened to God call on their lives, making them active in evangelism and mobilized in mission. The results is whole regions being saturated with the gospel message, new churches started, and more missionaries sent.
What they do to get there
People with this lens practice planning and training as a means to revival. They seek God for reformation in the church, a change in theology, practice, vision, and culture. They see their geographic region as one mission field and seek to mobilize believers into every part of their community. They host larger gatherings for teaching, equipping, and mobilizing. They long to see the Body of Christ sharing the gospel and are likely to be involved in missional communities.
Favorite Scriptures
II Chronicles 34-35, Nehemiah 8-9, Jesus going to the lost in the Gospels, and Acts 2-4
Is this your lens?
If so, what would you add to what I have written? What other scriptures inform your viewpoint of revival?