By now many of you have heard the news of happenings at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Many are calling it a revival, whereas Asbury’s Seminary President is calling it an “awakening.” Either way, clearly God is moving among the students in a unique way.
Much of this revival is a great encouragement to me:
it is student-led
it began spontaneously through confession and repentance
it is focused on Scripture, worship, and prayer
the chapel gatherings are the low production efforts of small worship teams, without any lyrics on screens, and with the lights turned all the way up
other nearby colleges are joining in
classes have continued so that students are “transformed right where (they) live, and work and study”
I don’t hesitate in calling this a revival, despite the connotations that are wrapped up with that term. Throughout history we can clearly see some distinguished marks of a revival:
beginning with repentance
filled with unceasing prayer and praise
a heartfelt hunger for the Lord
an uncommon unity among believers
effective evangelism drawing unbelievers to faith in Christ
All of these are quite evident at Asbury College. Rather than question its genuineness we should rejoice.
In their helpful book on revivals, Collin Hansen and John Woolbridge describe the pattern of revivals as beginning with a corporate recognition of people to see their “failure to live according to God’s good and gracious law. Others begin to see the problem, and they turn from their wayward path. God may hear their petition and answer their cry with revival.”
Another book recounting the Korean revival of the early 1900s describes the move of God in a similar way:
“Then began a meeting the like of which I had never seen before, nor wish to see again unless in God’s sight it is absolutely necessary. Every sin a human being can commit was publicly confessed that night.”
Both the definition and the experience highlight the same truth: revival comes through repentance. Many want to see a move of God in their day, but few are willing to truly repent. Without repentance, there can be no revival, because there will be no new ground for God to take in our lives.
Many will be quick to note the thousands gathered for days on end at Asbury and other nearby schools, but what we can quickly miss is the spontaneous move of God to draw people to repentance following a chapel gathering last Wednesday. This is not a revival of a raucous crowd, but reflective repentance. Again, here’s Asbury Seminary’s President describing it well:
“Sometimes we envision “revivals” as times when people hear fiery sermons and there are big outbursts of emotion. This move of God is marked more by quiet weeping than emotive shouting.”
Isaiah 57 includes an exhortation that the Lord is near to the one “who is contrite and lowly in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 4 invites us to live life without our hands full: “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil.” For God to move there must be space in our lives for Him to take residence. Everyone wants to be warmed by the fire of God’s presence, but few are willing to let go of the things they hold onto. Without repentance our hands are full.
So you want to see a revival in our time? Let’s learn from the students of Asbury: revival only comes through repentance.
Move among us Lord, but first in me. I lay it all down for you.
Maybe this is better said by Francis Asbury: “My desire is to live more to God today than yesterday, and to be more holy this hour than the last.”
May it be so.