So, You Want A
Revival?



A Fourth
Biblical look at the
Evangelical ‘Back to God’
Movement

So you want a revival?

   The term revival, when applied to spiritual matters, means to bring back to life, to revive a spiritual status previously dormant, to raise the spiritual temperature far above lukewarm.   Some have called it a Great Spiritual Awakening, a true realization of God's presence in the life of His children.   During a revival, God empowers those who preach, as well as convicting those who listen.   The result is many souls saved and truly converted.   Revivals become periods of true repentance.   Sinners see their hell-deserving condition before a thrice Holy God.   Christians see the portion of the world that have ingrained itself within their souls, and feverishly remove it like they would a grain of sand irritating their eyes.
   We get a taste of what revivals are like every time we see the early church described in the Book of Acts.
We find, in one day, there was "added unto them about THREE THOUSAND SOULS" (Acts 2:41).   We see the disciples "Praising God, and having favour with all the people.   And the LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).   We read about Peter and John's willingness to be God's instruments and, "Howbeit many of them which heard the word BELIEVED; and the number of the men was about FIVE THOUSAND" (Acts 4:4).   On and on through those first chapters we see that "the word of God increased; and THE NUMBER OF THE DISCIPLES MULTIPLIED in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7).

   Many evangelicals today are hoping that a revival occurs during their lifetime.   Recent efforts to get ‘Back to God’, by such organizations as the Christian Coalition, Promise Keepers, and others, is adding fuel to that hope.   A recent evangelical publication even stated that: 'Hope is rising, and men are praying, for a river of revival in America.   And believers from all streams of the church are responding.'
   However, the key to having revival is a REPENTANT ATTITUDE, and that means a resolve to do things God's way, according to His Word.   And if evangelicals want a revival, they're going to have to repent of many of their present methods, and steer their ‘Back to God’ movement in the right direction.   For one thing, they have to. . . .

. . .Stop Their UNSCRIPTURAL method of EVANGELISM.

   In Matthew 28:19-20, we find Jesus, on the verge of ascending into heaven, telling His church: "Go ye therefore, and TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.   Amen."   These ‘marching orders’ are commonly known as the Great Commission because Jesus commissioned His church to:

"...TEACH ALL NATIONS..."   Which means to teach people the gospel - evangelize them.
"...BAPTIZING THEM..."   Means to, once saved, make them a member of a local church (1 Corinthians 12:13)
"...TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS..."   Means to disciple them in Biblical doctrine.

   These three commands are all equally important.   You can't just follow one and ignore the rest, as many ‘evangelists’ do when they blow into a town, ‘evangelize it’, and then move on like a rock group on a concert tour.   God's way is not to lead them and leave them, and here's a good reason why:

   The Bible says, when a person is truly saved, "HE IS A NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW" (2 Cor. 5:17).   The Apostle Peter, advising this new creature, says: "As NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD, that ye MAY GROW thereby."   (1 Peter 2:2)   The newly saved person is like a NEWBORN BABE, hungering and desiring spiritual nourishment from God's Word.

   Now, you wouldn't abandon a newborn, leaving him to fend for himself.   Nor does God expect His church to abandon a new creature in Christ.   That is why the Great Commission not only says to SAVE THEM, but also to baptize them into a local church body made up of new creatures like himself.   And once a part of that body: feed them, teach them-DISCIPLE THEM.
   Much of the ‘evangelism’ we see today does little, if anything, to disciple someone who makes a profession of faith in Christ.

   A CASE IN POINT: Often tagged 'the next Billy Graham,' Evangelist Luis Palau has preached to more than 11 million people in 62 countries.   In 1996, during an eight week period ending on Memorial Day, he held a campaign called 'Say Yes Chicago with Luis Palau.'   An Evangelical publication stated that: 'The campaign proclaimed the gospel to some 130,000 people at 75 events throughout the Chicago area.   More than 9,400 individuals made public commitments to Jesus Christ during the efforts.'   There is no mention of whether or not these 9,400 were baptized into a local church body and fed God's Word.
   The article does say: "‘Chicago is a very religious place, but so many are confused and lost,’ Palau preached.   ‘Many people are churched but they don't know what to do to receive Christ.’"   So those 9,400 probably returned to their old churches, which according to Palau, don't know how to teach someone how to receive Christ.   It's safe to assume that those churches couldn't disciple a truly saved person either.

   Compare that with the way the early church did it during their ‘revival’: "Then they that gladly received his word WERE BAPTIZED: and the same day there were ADDED UNTO THEM ABOUT THREE THOUSAND SOULS.   And they CONTINUED STEDFASTLY IN THE APOSTLES' DOCTRINE and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:41-42).   Notice that those who were preached the gospel, and got saved, were baptized into the membership of that local church body, continued in that church and were taught the doctrine of Christ.   This is The Great Commission in a nutshell.

   ANOTHER EXAMPLE: an article about Pat Robertson, Christianity Today (8/12/96), states: 'Through his television ministries, Robertson has seen millions of conversions, and today, in overseas venues, he is seeing a far greater harvest than ever before.   (‘Our organization, CBN, over thirty years of ministry had about 2 million people that came to the Lord.   In the last five years we've had 52 million decisions in Russia, Romania, the Philippines, Latin America. . .’).'   An obvious question comes to mind to anyone who reads this: "How on Earth has CBN been able to follow-up on all these ‘conversions’?"   THE ANSWER IS, IT CAN'T, nor could it, even if it wanted to, because since CBN prides itself on being able to reach people in places that have no Bible-believing churches, there would be no place to ‘plug them into’ once they have made a profession of faith.   This is not to say that CBN shouldn't even try to reach the lost, but wouldn't it be more in accord with the Great Commission for them to have an aggressive church planting ministry to go along with their televised outreach?   If they have such a ministry, why isn't it publicized more?

   Follow Paul through his evangelistic/missionary journeys and you'll find him planting churches everywhere he went.   He didn't just blow into town, get people saved, and then leave without establishing a church body for them to assemble in and grow spiritually.   For example, during Paul's first missionary journey, the Bible says: "And when they had PREACHED THE GOSPEL to that city, and had TAUGHT MANY, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, CONFIRMING THE SOULS of the disciples, and EXHORTING THEM TO CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.   And when they had ORDAINED THEM ELDERS IN EVERY CHURCH, and had prayed with fastinq, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."   (Acts 14:21-23)
   This was typical of Paul as he went from city to city, "And so were the CHURCHES ESTABLISHED in the faith, and increased in number daily" (Acts 16:5).   He was faithful in carrying out the ENTIRE Great Commission.

   Now, when one considers examples like these, you have to wonder: are most evangelical leaders ignorant of God's Word?   Don't they know about the Great Commission?   Do they know about it but don't care and try to explain it away?   Or, as shocking as this may sound, ARE THEY EVEN SAVED IN THE FIRST PLACE?   This last question is not unreasonable when you consider that Jesus Christ warned that: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.   MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?   And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat. 7:21-23).
   Read that sobering scene again, and pay particular attention to the words: "HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME?"   To Prophesy means to preach, and tragically Jesus will tell some preachers that they are not truly saved.   And if they're not, what does that say about the people they supposedly led to Christ?   Are they saved themselves?   How many of Palau's 9,400 actually got saved?   How many of Robertson's 52 million were truly converted?
   Unfortunately, due to the lack of follow-up, we'll never know, and neither will those millions that were led.   Any false professions they made will not be weeded out thanks to the negligence of those evangelists, and many others like them.   Many of those that were led will find themselves standing before God one day, only to hear Him say: "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat. 7:21-23).   And that's one very important reason why God wants the ENTIRE Great Commission carried out.   In fact, let me relate to you my own experience with the ‘no follow-up evangelism’ prevalent among Evangelicals.

   Some years ago, while watching the Trinity Broadcast Network (a CBN clone), I made a profession of faith.   A Television evangelist led me in that profession, and then urged me to let him know, by phone, of my ‘glorious conversion.’   I called and after being read a pre-written, mechanically dictated, congratulations by a volunteer phone operator, they took down my address in order to send me some material.   When their envelope arrived, it contained a salvation certificate, an NIV John-Romans, and of all things, a pre-addressed envelope requesting a love offering.   There was no address of a good Bible preaching church for me to plug into; my discipleship was left up to me.   A month later, another letter arrived.   There was no 'how are you doing spiritually?' or, for that matter, any Bible literature of any kind.   It was just another self-addressed envelope with a reminder to send the love offering.
   A year later, I attended a true Bible-believing church where my false profession was exposed.   And when I got TRULY saved, the first thing that church said was: God wants you to join this local church body so you can grow spiritually.   As a new creature in Christ, that made perfect sense to me.   Looking back, I know that, if left solely up to TBN, I would not have realized my false profession, and I, too, would be hearing Jesus say: "I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat. 7:21).

   Friend, I hope you realize that the ‘Back to God’ movement we see around us will never experience a true, God-sent, revival if it continues to ignore, among other things, God's command to carry out the entire Great Commission.   I hope you realize that there is a possibility that many of its leaders are not even saved.   But even more importantly, if you are an evangelical, I pray that you will "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith..." (2 Cor. 13:5)
   Are you sure that you are saved?   Did you make a profession of faith under a condition similar to one of the examples that we talked about?   If you did, are you a member of a true Bible believing, Bible teaching church?   Have you grown spiritually since?   Are you a new creature, and have old sins passed away?   If most of what you have just read is new to you, then that is a good indication that you're not being fed properly.
You could be living with a false profession and not realize it until you hear Jesus say one day: "I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat. 7:21).

Please read the plan of salvation located on the back [below].
And if you have any questions, contact the address indicated.

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IF You were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).

BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.
And Jesus, referring to sinners, said that He:
"shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity [sinners]; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."   Matthew 13:41-42

SECONDLY, you must realize that there is NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   Ephesians 2:8-9   Baptism, good deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are all examples of good works that cannot save you, because: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us," Titus 3:5.

THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   (Rom. 5:8- 9)   THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.
"if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   Rom. 10:9

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