Lots of people connected to Jesus and some of them for the first time. Some say that is what makes it a revival. What, really, is a revival?
Just like your sand volleyball team, about to be buried in defeat, surprisingly rallies to win the match and nobody can believe their eyes. Just like one of your stocks plummeting in value before you go to bed unexpectedly skyrockets overnight, and while most everyone else sold quickly you stayed in the game and can’t believe it worked out so well.
Revived. Recovered. Rallied. An exciting surprise filled with new hope and high fives. That also happens spiritually when a person, a room, a moment is filled with the Holy Spirit. Just like the wind whipping up out of nowhere in the parking lot and slamming your car door into you. Whoa! Where’d that come from? That got your attention!
Jesus puts it this way: “‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:7,8).
Being born again means being born twice—the first birth is your physical birth caused by your physical parents, the second birth is a spiritual birth caused by God the Holy Spirit. This is our parents’ desire, choice and plan, not ours. This is God’s desire, choice and plan, not ours.
If you are born again, it means you are a believer trusting in God who loves you unconditionally, like babies trusting in their parents who love them unconditionally. Did you plan to believe in God? Well, did you plan to be born?
Thousands of people were moved spiritually, and some say that’s what makes it a revival. Christians were getting together to worship like before, but something unusual happened. People were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke the Word of God in special, inspirational ways. They testified to the mighty and merciful work of God changing their lives.
The crowd was amazed, but also perplexed. “What does this mean? What is happening here?” Some skeptics in the church mocked them because they were doing a few things outside the box and against the assumed rules.
Undaunted, speakers took the stage and taught about Jesus as the Friend of all sinners who promises free, unconditional forgiveness. Jesus paid the price of sin’s curse when he died as the promised Savior. Jesus proved that he is really the Lord over all hard problems and bad habits when he rose back to life.
Emotions were expressed in all kinds of ways as awe and appreciation for God. The environment in the room was evident that the Holy Spirit was blowing, changing lives, starting spiritual fires.
I just described three real revivals. One of them took place in the Bible, a true story reported in Acts 2 called Pentecost. Stay tuned the rest of this week, and I’ll tell you the other two as it gets closer to home!
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, God and Lord, pour out your overflowing gift of faith to all who need encouragement, forgiveness and guidance today, including me. Empower my baptism to take greater control of my decisions, conversations and behavior today, greater than I can do on my own. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: I took a dive into the events of Pentecost and how they are truly a revival. Watch this sermon for all the details and an altercation where I get pushed by a lady who comes on stage.