Discerning a Movement of God
Everyone’s talking about the revival at Asbury seminary.
Revivals are marked by intense of prayer, confession and repentance from sin, worship and adoration of God revealed in Jesus. Sometimes the power of the Spirit is displayed through miracles and physical manifestations of his presence—people may cry, shake, rejoice, and fall to the ground.
Revivals are a work of God’s grace. And of course, there are excesses and charlatans who manipulate revivals for personal gain. Faith and discernment are required; both cynicism and naïveté are unhelpful. We should not despise revival but test the spirits.
How do we discern a movement of God?
Begin in Acts. It’s the gold standard for understanding how God works in the world.
At Pentecost we find 120 men and women united in prayer, waiting in faith for the coming of the Spirit. Jesus has restored his disciples, teaching them from the Old Testament why the Messiah had to suffer and die and be raised on the third day. He’s laying a foundation for the core missionary task—this gospel for repentance and the forgiveness of sins is going to the ends of the earth. But first they must wait for the power of the Spirit who will turn this motley bunch of disciples into a missionary movement.
Luke shows us what revival looks like—obedience to God’s Word, dependence on the Holy Spirit and faithfulness to the core missionary task. As Acts unfolds we learn that the mission is making disciples and planting churches from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth—every place, every people group—to the glory of God.
Forty days in the Word with the risen Lord was followed by ten days of intense prayer.
They pray, not to summon the Spirit, they pray because Jesus has promised them the Holy Spirit and given them a job to do.
When the Spirit comes, the house shakes, the wind blows, tongues of fire rest on each disciple and they erupt with the praises of God in the languages of a lost world. It’s a reminder that the Spirit is given to bring glory to Jesus among every people group and in every place.
The Spirit falls and the old and young, rich and poor, men and women—every disciple—proclaim the greatness of God revealed in Jesus.
At the heart of this movement is the dynamic Word of God, fulfilling his ancient promises and proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This Word is on its way from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth in the power of the Spirit. And wherever the Word and the Spirit go, the fruit is disciples and churches to the glory of God.
What does that look like? In Acts 2 the disciples connect with people far from God and proclaim the gospel calling them to repent, believe and be baptized. Promising them forgiveness of sins and new life in the Spirit, so they too can be witnesses.
The new disciples are formed into gatherings across Jerusalem and beyond in which they learn to follow Christ. The day of Pentecost ends with Luke showing us what that looks like — prayer and worship, generosity and love, obeying the apostles’ teaching, meeting from house to house, celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Every day the Word went out and God added disciples to the churches.
This is just the beginning. Jerusalem will birth a missionary movement that multiplies disciples, churches and leaders, as the Word continues its journey from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
That’s what revival looks like.
