The Participation of Revival

II Chronicles 30:8 states, “Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.”

Why is it hard to get people to go to church? Someone said, “I won’t go to church because hypocrites are there.” They were answered, “So would you rather go to hell with them?” There was a neighbor of mine who I was trying to witness to. Others in the area were also trying to get him to go to church, but to no avail. I stopped by one day to give him a little booklet I thought was appropriate. Instead of taking it he said, “I don’t want to go to church. I don’t want to pay tithe!” I said, “I’m not trying to get you to go to church or give money. I just don’t want you to go to hell.” He became quiet and then began to open up to me about his past, which included church experience. Before long we were praying. Within two weeks, he and his family were baptized. Another neighbor quickly got them into their church, which didn’t matter. Like I said, I didn’t want him to go to hell.

In our text, Hezekiah was saying this very thing. He called them to yield to the Lord, go to the sanctified church, serve the Lord, and avoid the wrath of God. So how did that go? The word went out to Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun. The messengers were laughed to scorn and mocked. That would stop most door knockers. Some from the Northern Kingdom did come however. 

Then we see God’s hand at work in verse 12. “Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.” Now we see God getting into the revival. This happened in Judah, the Southern Kingdom. “The hand of God was to give them one heart.” This points us directly to Pentecost. Luke 24:49 says, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Then we have Acts 2:1, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

Part of revival is being where the Spirit is poured out. There could be a gathering of 120 as in the upper room. There could be just two as when Elisha received a double portion of the spirit of Elijah. Elisha would not be denied, but continually followed Elijah. More than anything he wanted the Holy Spirit. 

We have no idea what God will do in the church—in us— when true revival comes.

After I was saved, as a teenager, I was willing to be a preacher if God called me. I started college as a religion major. In my first term a religion professor, meaning well, helped me to see that I probably wasn’t called. In my junior year I went to a camp meeting. I was disappointed because the man scheduled to preach wasn’t there. Someone else filled his place. At least I was there. I soon found out the Holy Spirit was there. I only remember two sentences from the message: “If you have the Holy Ghost, you’re sanctified. If you’re sanctified you have the Holy Ghost.” The Holy Ghost fell afresh upon me. I left the meeting assured of God’s call for me to preach the Gospel.

“Lord, Lay Some Soul upon My Heart,” a song by Leon Tucker and Ira D. Sankey, should inspire us to invite, and bring, someone to a revival service. Participation is part of revival!