Introduction

The Psalmist's earnest plea to God, "Wilt thou not Thyself revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in
Thee?" (Ps 85:6), is the agonizing heart-cry of vast numbers of God's people all over the world. The failure of modern materialism and religious secularism to satisfy the spiritual thirst of humanity has wrung from the hearts and lips of many within the church the cry of the prophet, "0 Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2b). Many modern prophets, both religious and political, are telling us that our civilization is doomed unless we have moral and spiritual reform. Such reform will come only with spiritual revival.

Much confusion exists relative to the relationships and distinctions between revival and evangelism. Indeed, for the most part the two terms are used interchangeably and synonymously. However, they do not convey the same meaning when properly understood and used. James Hastings (Dictionary of the Bible) says that "to revive is literally to come to life again." Webster defines revival as "to restore or return to consciousness or life; to raise from languor, depression or discouragement; to render or become active, operative, or flourishing again." The Random House Dictionary of the English Language defines revival as "to quicken or renew in the mind . . . to return to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, or a flourishing condition."

Revival is for the church, the people of God. Evangelism is for the unconverted-the non-Christian. Revival is the renewal of life in the church. Revival is the Spirit of God speaking to the church. Evangelism is the impartation of life to men who are dead in trespasses and sins. Evangelism is the church speaking to unconverted men. Revival must oft come to the church and the individual Christian. Evangelism is an initial work directed toward the conversion of the Sinner. Revival begins from within the church. Evangelism extends from the Church to the unconverted. Without spiritual revival the church will die.without evangelism men will remain in sin and progressive degeneracy Initially, revival restores lost or languishing spiritual consciousness in the life of the Chnstian. To the Christian believers in the church at Ephesus (as perhaps other churches of Western Asia Minor) Paul wrote, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you ' (Eph. 5:4). At yet a later period Christ directed a message to this same people, who had been born in dynamic evangelism, but had lapsed, in which he said, 'I have this against you, that you have left your first love' (Rev. 2:4). With the loss of relationship with Christ always goes fear of the consequences and ultimate unconcern, indifference, and eventually, worldly conformity. Under the impact of the Spirit of God in genuine revival there comes an awakening, a consciousness of what has been lost, sorrow for the loss, and diligent effort toward recovery.

Again, spiritual revival restores lost relationships. The Psalmist spoke as a follower of God when he said, "He restores my soul." Sin and backsliding impair man's relationship with God and complicate the whole course of life. Revival restores grace to the soul of truly repentant man and brings him again into the joyful favor of God. Sin and backsliding disrupt the peace and fellowship of the church.

They divide fellow-Christians and families, setting them at variance. Sin separates; grace unites. Sin beclouds; grace clarifies. Sin deadens; grace enlivens. While lost spiritual ground or grace does not necessarily mean lost relationship, it may-and will-eventuate in such if the condition is not corrected by revival and return to God. Lost relationship with God, however, always means lost grace. Esau sought in vain for his father's blessing in the absence of the birthright (see Heb. 12:16-17).

Broken and mutilated fellowships may be repaired and restored by spiritual revival. It was to Christians that James wrote, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed fthat the breaches in your fellowship may be healed" (Jas. 5:16). Broken fellowships preclude divine acceptance. Said Jesus, "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way, first be reconciled to your rother, and then come and present your offering (Matt 5:23-24).

Beclouded, distorted, and perverted spiritual perspectives will be corrected when the church experiences true revival. The Psalmist suffered from such a faulty perspective of life and religion, and had actually become envious of the wicked, almost to the point of renouncing his faith in God, "until," he says, "I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived..."(Ps. 73:17). In the year of Uzziah's death the situation was depressingly dismal and discouraging, even to the soul of the prophet, until he experienced a renewed revelation of God, as expressed in his own words, "I saw also the Lord," and then exclaimed, "The whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa. 6:1-3, KJV).

Revival will restore the vitality of God's people. When his prayer of penitence had reached the point of saving faith, and he realized that spiritual restoration had become a gracious reality in his life, the Psalmist exultantly exclaimed, "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear" (Ps. 40:3). To the Christians at Rome Paul wrote, "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Jesus Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you" (Rom. 8:11). The restoration of spiritual victory in the life of the Christian is a most gracious and welcome fruit of revival. Little wonder that the unconverted see so little of attractiveness in the lives of God's people when they are as powerless before the pressures and enticements of the world as was Samson in the lap of Delilah with his locks shorn. While professed Christians are slaves of sin, they have nothing to offer unsaved people that will liberate them from their bondage to Satan.

Spiritual revival inevitably restores spiritual zeal and activity to the people of God. The Psalmist confidently predicted that when his forgiveness and deliverance should come from God, "Many will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord" (Ps. 40:1-3). When David came to the climax of his quest for restoration from his fallen state, he rested his case with the Great Judge, in confidence of forgiveness, and cried out, "Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee" Psa 51:13).

The unconverted world will feel the impact of the witness of the Church when the church experiences revival. Spiritual powerlessness becomes spiritual powerfulness under the energy of God's Spirit restored to the hearts of God's people.