7 CAUSES OF
REVIVAL
We all know that revival is needed. After decades of decline, those in positions of religious leadership have not reacted to the major problems causing Christian decline. Specific problems like high attrition, lonliness, and the loss of our youth now threaten a catastrophic demographic crisis. Governmental and societal pressures are crushing Christian culture. Ordinary Christians must rise up now to discuss our root problems, help develop solutions, and promote courageous reformers. The good news is that Christians have faced this exact problem in the past and overcome. God is always ready to help us! God's people simply need to adapt timeless revival methods to our current context. Revival rarely trickles down from ossified institutions. Revival moves upward from the people that God has chosen.
1 REVIVAL LEVEL DEVOTION
Every great revival begins with a renewed committment to prayer and devotion. Christians must urge our leaders to increase corperate prayer, add prayer services, call for fasting, and promote a return to Biblical obedience. These practices accelerate spiritual breakthroughs. Elevated devotion unlocks the door to revival.
2 REVIVAL LEVEL
DISCIPLESHIP
We need to increase intellectual confidence among believers. Christians must regain our convictions in the proofs for God, the resurrection of Jesus, the reliability of scripture, and our heritage. Our youth need to be raised with a thorough understanding of Christian apologetics and polemics against hostile ideas which corrode the family, church, and nation.
3 REVIVAL LEVEL RELATIONSHIPS
Strong Christian friendships provide vital energy to withstand oppression. Both large and small group tactics have failed to build community. New techniques are needed to create durable friendships. Breakthroughs in group science can foster new ways to promote bonding between people, prevent cliques, and integrate new people. The church must function as a surrogate family in fractured societies.
4 REVIVAL LEVEL FAMILIES
Thriving families are a foundational to Christianity. Now is the time to rebuild our homes, where faith is passed to the next generation. Many tools exist to revive family life. Christians need to create self-sustaining communities that train young people, help them start families, and provide economic opportunities.
5 REVIVAL LEVEL EVANGELISM
Breakthroughs in apologetics and outreach make it easier than ever to confidently lead others to Christ. Evangelism training deepens our own faith while it grows the church. Christians can implement new strategies in church growth, outreach, social media, marketing, the arts, media, business as well as education.
6 REVIVAL LEVEL LOVE
Jesus taught that love should begin within the faith family. Christians need to care for each through tangible and consistent ways. Some effective churches spend about eighty percent of their time caring for needs among their own church members. Supportive churches effectively meet the needs of their own disabled, elderly, unemployed, imprisoned, and suffering members. These churches develop caring reputations which combats the negative image of superficial Christianity.
7 REVIVAL LEVEL HOSPITALITY
Most churches have not learned how to effectively integrate new relationally. Many churches contain a core group that feels loved while the majority of members feel alienated. This creates high turnover. New tactics like assigning sponsors to new members can help brings accountability to the assimilation process. All members need to feel apart of a sizeable group of church friends as they grow in their faith.
The 4 Levels of Revival
Revivals can pass through a nation quickly with little influence, or they can transform the church, society, and other nations for centuries. The impact and duration of revival depends upon several factors. Every generation produces revival leaders. Every generation also produces opposing leaders who are dedicated to destroy the church politically, finacially, culturally, or even militarily. The church always stands as a barrier to those who want to dominate the world with other ideologies. That is why the Bible says in James 3:2, that Christians must be wise and cunning. We must challenge adversaries in the realms of faith, education, government, and business or else our influence will be extinguished. During times of history when faith impacts the world, God raises up leaders who understand how to empower the church and bring Christian influence to the culture.