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HISTORY OFREVIVAL
BY IRENE MCGOUGH
HISTORY OF REVIVALS.
The 18th Century Awakening:Can we learn anything in 2007 from therevivals of old?
Evangelicals feel frustrated because of all that has been going on in societyin recent years. English and American evangelicals in 1730 felt much thesame way. Years of political and social effort had not succeeded in bringingreform. Amazingly though within a decade they experienced what is nowcalled "The Great Awakening," during which time their nations' political andsocial cultures were radically impacted by Christian values. How was this possible?
CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN THE REVIVAL
Prayer.
Evangelicals in the 1700s learned that corporate prayer was a prerequisite for outpourings of God's Spirit. The revivals in many places were preceded by days of prayer and fasting. JonathanEdwards believed that corporate prayer was more effective than just the combined prayers of individuals. Prior to Pentecost we cansee the evidence of this so look at thisverse. Act 1:14 These all continuedwith one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women andMary the mother of Jesus, and with His brother.Can you see that they were united in prayer?
Leadership.
God raised up leaders to guide the movement. JonathanEdwards was the theologian of the awakenings and his writingswere a powerful influence even until the end of the followingcentury. Jonathan Edwards was no stranger to revival. When hewas just twelve years old (in 1715) the church his father, Rev.Timothy Edwards, pastored experienced a “remarkable stirring and pouring out of the Spirit of God resulting in an unusual number of
conversions (for these days) and many more awakened to thecondition of their souls.” He wrote in his History of the Work of Redemption that whenever true Christianity seemed to be on theverge of extinction, "God granted a revival and sent some angel or prophet or raised up some eminent person to be an instrument of their reformation." George Whitefield was a dramatic and powerful orator, able to deeply move audiences with his sermons.John Wesley was an administrative genius who established anextremely effective small-group structure of "class meetings"which kept the revival fires burning..
Doctrine.
Revival preachers back then focused on the greatReformation doctrines of justification by faith and the atonement.They emphasized God's judgment and then his grace.
Emotionalism.
The revivalists unashamedly appealed to people'semotions. They felt that their listeners' problem was not a lack of knowledge but a need to take action. They abandoned the formalityof notes and preached as the Holy Spirit led.. Harry S. Stout says,Whitefield preached as though there were no tomorrow. Acontemporary reported, "Sometimes he exceedingly wept, stampedloudly and passionately, and was frequently so overcome, that, for a few seconds, you would suspect he never would recover; andwhen he did, required some little time to compose himself." After Whitefield preached at Northampton, Edwards' wife, Sarah, wrote,"It is wonderful to see what a spell he casts over an audience by proclaiming the simplest truths of the bible. I have seen upwards of a thousand people hang on his words with breathless silence, broken only by an occasional half suppressed sob." Edwards alsowept during Whitefield's sermon..
5.
Music.
They found that a powerful anointing came through Worshipmusic, because singing hymns in praise of the Lord stirred people’shearts.6.
Open-air meetings.
Whitefield preached in open spaces where largecrowds could gather. Wesley took the message to jails, inns and ships, aswell as outdoors. They did not just gather in holy huddles behind closeddoors.7.
Persecution.
At times these preachers faced fierce opposition fromhecklers, gangs of attackers and the press.
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