Revival in a church is often referenced as a period of growth and an influx of new converts; but technically a revival has nothing to do with new growth. Revival is the restoration of the Church. It’s the act of coming alive again. Of course, when the church is alive and on fire for God - as she should be - that is when new growth occurs. Revival and new growth go hand in hand which is why they are often referred to interchangeably.
I encourage you to read the book for yourself - it's only 13 chapters and can be read in one sitting. In the meantime, here are some lessons, I believe, we can learn from Nehemiah about revival today.
1. Revival is birthed in sorrow. Nehemiah 1:4-11
Upon learning of the deterioration of Jerusalem and the plight of his brethren, Nehemiah mourned for God’s people. He spent months in prayer, fasting and interceding for Jerusalem. In verses 6-7 of chapter 1 he repented not only for his sins but also for the sins of his fathers’ generation. We often get it wrong when looking to start a revival. We look for a way to inject a burst of energy into our congregations through new programs, remodeling, better music, a guest evangelist, etc. Of course, none of those things are bad; but, revival is conceived in a prayer room and is birthed in loneliness, repentance and intercession. There’s no short cut. There’s no way around it.
2. Revival is often accompanied with Divine provision. Nehemiah 2:4-9
Nehemiah had a burden and a desire to see Jerusalem restored to its former glory. He had no means to fix the problem but he prayed and fasted and God provided direction. In addition, God used a Persian king to supply Nehemiah with everything he would need to get started on this God-ordained project. All of that time spent in a lonely prayer room allowed Nehemiah to become finely attuned to God’s voice and when the time was right he obeyed and God came through for him. When God is ready to get something done, he will move heaven and earth to see it accomplished. We only need to be ready to obey.
3. Revival is characterized by a unified effort. Nehemiah 2:17-18, 4:6
Nehemiah cast his vision to the people and they eagerly made it their own and got to work! I have said before that nothing strengthens a marriage like working together to achieve a goal. The same can be said for a church. When a pastor casts a vision for the church and the church gets behind that vision and works together to achieve it, gossip, infighting, and jealousy dramatically decrease and unity blossoms. It’s no longer important who is in what position or who gets recognized. Comparisons stop as each person takes their eyes off of others and puts them on that common goal. What is now important is that I’m doing everything that I can to contribute to the accomplishment of the vision of my pastor.
4. Revival never comes without some opposition. Nehemiah 2:19-20, 4, 5:1-13…
When God’s people began to accomplish God’s purpose the enemy became angry. Anytime that God begins to move among his people there will be some upset apple carts. You can take that as a sign that things are going right. Not everyone will see what God is doing. Not everyone will catch the vision of the pastor. That’s ok. Continue in obedience. Continue to do the work that God set before you. Continue to be in submission to your pastor. God’s side is always the winning side, no matter how it looks in the moment.
In Nehemiah 4:8-9, we see that the people set a watch against the enemy. I don’t believe that it’s God’s will for us to sit passively by as the enemy ransacks our churches with false doctrine, rebellion and back-biting. I believe his people should take an active role in defending his church. Of course, we don’t use carnal weapons to do so. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. We must be vigilant. And when we see something that tries to destroy the work that God is doing we fight God’s way: Pray. Defend your pastor. Defend Truth. Teach the younger generations godly truth so they can reject false ideas. Cut off toxic friendships and relationships. This is how we fight the enemy.
5. Revival is characterized by rebuilding and repairing the walls. Nehemiah 3
Nehemiah and his workers focused their efforts on rebuilding the wall that surrounded the holy city. Why? Because the city was left unprotected without it. The enemy could continue to ransack the city and take whatever they wanted. In addition, those walls were a clear marker of safety and protection to God’s people. To go beyond the walls was to make oneself a target, but once inside, they knew they would be safe.
Our holiness standards and lifestyle convictions serve many purposes. One of those purposes is they provide a barrier around God’s people. They protect what is inside and send a clear message to those outside that this is where you need to be. A godly, biblical revival is always characterized by the strengthening of convictions rather than loosening or letting go of them. Show me an apostolic church that actively, consistently preaches and teaches the core doctrines and convictions of the Bible and I will show you a thriving revival church. A church where standards and convictions are gradually being let down or lessened is a church that is well on its way to becoming unrecognizable.
6. Submission to Spiritual Authority. Nehemiah 7:1-2
The people already respected and obeyed Nehemiah, recognizing that he was God’s appointed leader over them at that time. In chapter 7 we see him appointing other leaders, and restoring the priesthood and the Levites to their God-ordained positions of service. God has given his Church a divine order of authority as well and a revival church understands the protection, the blessing, and the power that comes from being submitted to God and to the under-shepherd that he has given to the church-the pastor. This is a concept that is all but lost on our generation. They think of a pastor more as a “suggester” of ideas from which they can pick and choose what suits them. They view the pastor like a politician from whom they can withdraw financial and public support if they don’t like what he says on a particular subject. They think they have a right to correct him and instruct him instead of it being the other way around. We are on dangerous ground when we think we are wiser and more spiritual than the pastor that God gave us. A revival church understands that a pastor is given to the church - by God - to cast the vision, to guide, and to correct God’s people.
7. Revival is characterized by a renewed love of Scripture. Nehemiah 8
Upon rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and reestablishing the God-given order of society, the people returned to the Law of God. They listened intently as it was read before them and then they went to work applying its principles and concepts into their lives. They reestablished the feasts, the sacrifices - everything that was laid out in the scriptures. Upon hearing the scriptures read and explained they realized the ways that they were violating God’s law and they repented. They did not have their own personal copies of scriptures then, but we do now. We don’t have to wait until we gather at church to hear the scriptures read and explained. We can read them in the comfort of our own homes. How blessed we are! When God’s people take a personal responsibility to read and study the scriptures, revival is not far from them. A personal, in-depth knowledge of the scriptures is vital for keeping God’s people on fire!
8. Revival is often accompanied by a renewed understanding of heritage. Nehemiah 9
The people renewed their knowledge and understanding of the history of Israel. They rehearsed their history of deliverance, disobedience, and the consequences. The quote “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it” comes to mind. Thankfully, the Church can do the same thing by reading and understanding the New Testament. The New Testament is mostly the birth of the Church, its early history, the problems it faced and apostolic instruction concerning those problems. When we understand where we came from it keeps us from repeating the mistakes of the early church and propels us forward in revival.
9. Revival comes with renewed understanding of Covenant living. Nehemiah 10
The people now had a better understanding of God through the scriptures and they renewed their commitment to live by the terms of the Covenant that God made with his people. This meant that they committed to living their lives according to his instruction and principles and in return, they could expect the blessing, favor, protection and help of the Lord in their time of need. When God’s people walk in covenant with him, his blessings are poured out on them.
When we are born again of water and spirit we enter a New Covenant with Jesus Christ. When we live according to the terms of that covenant by walking in the Spirit, we, too can expect God’s favor and blessings upon our lives. We do not have a perfect life, but we do have peace, knowing that all things work together for our good. We do have joy unspeakable and full of glory. And we do have power to be witnesses for him.
I want to be a catalyst for revival in my church and in my generation. I want to be a contributor to the Kingdom and not a hindrance. And I want the will of God to happen because of me and not in spite of me. May we, as God’s people, have a renewed burden and desire for God to move in our generation and do everything we can to see it happen. In Jesus Name.
