Christ Centred Revival

This week I had a meeting at a church about 20 miles away.  I noticed a poster for a well known conference with this title – Christ-Centred Revival.   Somehow my spirit was grieved.  I sensed there was a not-so-hidden message in this title.

I asked myself, “what is a Christ-centred revival?”  Do they mean a biblical rival?  Do they mean revival without the Holy Spirit?  Somehow I think it is the latter. Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  The book of Acts seems to me to be our best model of true revival.  Is that not really a book about the acts of the Holy Spirit as God’s people were bold in preaching the gospel?  The Holy Spirit (really the Spirit of Jesus) is in our midst today too and I don’t think revival can happen without Him.  But it seems so many in the church are afraid of Him and what He might do.  What a shame.

I recently read the new book about the Hebrides revival in the early 50’s, on the Isle of Lewis.  The book was a summary of interviews with those still living who were in the revival.   The authors asked those people what was the number one characteristic of the revival.  Each person said it was the Presence of God.  Biblically that seems to me to be the Presence of the Holy Spirit – in the meetings, in the preaching, in the music and worship, in the homes, and in the open fields.

AW Tozer has an amazing chapter in one of his books called “The Forgotten One.”  You guessed it.  He was referring to the Holy Spirit.  Tozer (not exactly a wild charismatic) was challenging the church to open itself to the Holy Spirit.  Tozer maintained that He was in our doctrine but not in our meetings.  It is still the same today in so many places.

Can the church in this land be a church that welcomes both the Holy Spirit (His power, His surprises, His convicting power, His miracles) and the Word of God.  I know more than ever that I want us to be a church where the Word and Spirit come together.  Let us honour God — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.