Revival and reactions

 

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”  But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” Acts 2:12-13 ESV

            The power of God the Holy Spirit has been the sufficient provision of the Church in all of its works, and the One behind all its victories even from the day of Pentecost. And from that very day there have been mixed reaction to each outpouring of the Spirit. In the centuries following Pentecost even the Church has been divided in its response to what we might call revivals.

            As we see in Acts 2 the masses must take note. Do not overlook this point, for what we find in it is a wonder which the world cannot reproduce or easily explain. You see something beyond this world has broken into the midst of the world in a spectacular way. God has manifested Himself amongst His people powerfully drawing attention back to Himself.  Let us consider that prior to this event the Church seemed fairly irrelevant. Jesus was presumably dead to most, or at the very least gone away. The apostles and the rest of the believers were secluded in their own place waiting and praying. For some days it may have seemed business as usual, but then in God’s own time the usual patterns are disrupted.

            At this disruption we find many turned to God having clearly seen Him through the empowered preaching of the apostles. This is in and of itself enough reason to consider revival a thing worth having. The Church is grown, and brought into relevance, gaining an audience in the place of power to proclaim the way of God in Christ by the Spirit. This too is desirable.

            However, there will be those who seek to dismiss the whole thing. They will label it drunkenness, or mass hysteria, or whatever term will enable them to push it aside. Believers might faulter here in two ways. Firstly, we might love order and control so much that we despise the Spirit when He breaks in among us this way and excite things. If this be so we have loved our order and not God’s, and our ways rather than His ways: a situation which must give us the serious pause. Secondly, we might care too much what the worldlings think of us quenching the Spirit for fear of being seen as drunk or hysterical. Instead, we should follow the example of Peter answering slander with right explanations. This is the work of Apologetics and it is needed in its right place.

            Finally beloved, some will say this work of the Spirit happened just once, but a further reading of the book of Acts will prove that the Spirit moved like this again, and a survey of Church history will show He has moved in this way from time to time throughout the years. Therefore, governed by the word of God and seeking first His glory we would do well to seek a fresh revival.

Prayer

            Our Father may we know the work of Your Holy Spirit and esteem it as we ought. If it be Your will, may we know the outpouring of Your Spirit in our time as our brethren have known it before; that we might see You more clearly, that the world might remember You, that many might come to You, and that You might be greatly glorified in all of it. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Songs

Brethren we have met to worship

Come, O come Thou Holy Spirit