Gospel-Centered Revival

Transforming revival is first and foremost about the glorious Gospel of Christ heralded and proclaimed in this generation

A key question that we like to ask in each of our regions is this, “What would it take to see a genuine move of God initiated and sustained in a geographic area?”

We are convinced that transforming revival is first and foremost about the glorious gospel of Christ heralded and proclaimed in this generation.  God is calling his church to embrace the gospel again, living grace-addicted, truth-filled, Jesus-exalting lives. The Gospel is the good news that God’s kingdom power has entered human history through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As John Piper writes,

“The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous King, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy!”

Daniel Montgomery shares three aspects of the gospel, the kingdom, the cross, and grace…

• The gospel of the kingdom is life with God under God’s rule. 

• The gospel of the cross is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus by which God accomplishes our salvation, rescues us from his wrath, incorporates us into his people, and inaugurates his reign in the world.

• The gospel of grace is the wonderful news that God accepts us, shares his life with us, and adopts us as heirs of his kingdom not because we have earned it or deserve it, but because God chooses to give all of this freely at Christ’s expense.^[1]

The gospel is not what God requires. The gospel is what God provides! The gospel is not an imperative, demanding things you must do. The gospel is an indicative, declaring things that God has done. The gospel is not about human action. The gospel is about divine achievement. The gospel is not a moralistic Do. The gospel is a merciful Done. The gospel informs, controls, and energizes all we do. Our ministry values—worship, prayer, discipleship, community, and mission— are all the fruit of the grace that God has given us in Jesus.

May this gospel, this great news EXPLODE in every region of the world!

The gospel is the center of the Bible, and it ought to be the center of our lives, homes, churches, ministries, spiritual disciplines, songs, parenting, marriage-everything! The Christian life is formed by the glories of the gospel-it’s patterned and powered by the gospel of grace in all of life-for the rest of life! We don’t worship the gospel, we worship the God of the Gospel, Jesus Christ. The gospel is God’s act of turning scoundrels into saints, turning sin seekers into people who know and find their utmost satisfaction in God. Dave Keesling put it this way,

As JA Medders writes,

• We worship Jesus because “he is the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb. 1:3)

• We harp on the gospel because “for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21)

• Our hope is wrapped up in the truth that “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5)

• We center our lives on Jesus because “we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over him” (Rom 6:9)

• We sing, pray, sacrifice, and follow Jesus because, “there is one God and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2:5)

• We have confidence in life, and death because of Jesus, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever! Amen” (Gal 1:4-5)

• We walk with joy and no condemnation because, “he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin, and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (I Peter 2:24).

• Jesus is our great reward and love because, “in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7)

• We go on gospel mission because “the saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’” (I Tim. 1:15)^[3]

Hunger

I believe the process of transforming revival in the nations is triggered when our appetite for God’s presence through the gospel of grace trumps all other hungers. As Leonard Ravenhill wrote, 

“The only reason we don't have revival is because we are willing to live without it.” 

He was famous for exposing our idol-driven lives when he stated,

“Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?"

True revival experienced by many throughout human history was always accompanied by extraordinary conviction of sin, fear of God and his judgment, revelation of God’s love and mercy, confession, deep repentance and people inquiring, as on the day of Pentecost, “What must I do to be saved?”

God is especially attracted to an environment of humility, brokenness, desperate spiritual hunger, repentance, grace-empowered obedience, and urgent united prayer. Duncan Campbell summed up revival well when he wrote, 

“Revival is when men in the streets are afraid to speak godless words for fear that God’s judgment will fall!  When sinners, aware of the fire of God’s presence, tremble in the streets and cry out for mercy!  When (without human advertising) the Holy Spirit sweeps across cities and regions in supernatural power and holds people in the grip of terrifying conviction!  When every store becomes a pulpit, every heart an altar, every home a sanctuary, and people walk carefully before God!  This, my beloved, is truly REVIVAL FROM HEAVEN!”

Revival is Jesus-centered!.It is gospel driven. (Acts 19:10, 17).  Revival challenges the status quo and changes the spiritual atmosphere until a community is ‘Saturated with God.’

Extraordinary Prayer

It goes without saying that prayer is the incubator and furnace of revival. As AT Pierson wrote,

“There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.”

Revival is preceded by extraordinary prayer.  As Matthew Henry remarked,

Edwin Orr, one of the great scholars of revival was asked once,

“Does prayer make revival happen?  He responded, ‘No… but it does make it possible’”

As A.W. Tozer wrote in an article entitled, “There is no Limit to Revival,”

“There is no limit to what God could do in our world if we would dare to surrender before him with a commitment that says, ‘O God I hereby give myself to you, I give my family, I give my business, I give all I possess. Take all of it Lord—and take Me! I give myself in such measure that if it is necessary that I loose everything for your sake, let me loose it. I will not ask what the price is. I will ask only that I may be all that I ought to be as a follower and a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let’s position our minds and hearts before the bonfire of God’s all-consuming Son, the Lord Jesus, asking for greater revelation of Who He is, where He is headed, and how He is blessed.  Let’s ask the Lord of the Harvest to thrust out laborers into the harvest fields of our region (Matt. 9:37).    Let’s ask for a glorious Gospel Explosion to erupt for his renown!

— Dr. Jason Hubbard, International Prayer Connect

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^[1] Daniel Montgomery, Proof

^[2] Byron Paulus, OneCry, 140

^[3] J.A. Medders, Gospel Formed, 26-27