Our reading is Acts 2:1-4. The text is clear: it was Pentecost. To the Jewish world, Pentecost meant it was fifty days after Passover. Comparable to America’s Thanksgiving Day, it was a time to celebrate the harvest. To the Christian world, it meant that fifty days had passed since Jesus’ resurrection. It also meant that ten days had passed since Jesus ascended into heaven. Obeying Jesus, the disciples remained in Jerusalem and waited. On Pentecost, the waiting ended. The Holy Spirit was unleashed upon all believers, no longer reserved for spiritual or political leaders alone. Those who had gathered were transformed spiritually. Lessons they had struggled to understand suddenly became clear. Things they had been unable to do now seemed easy. It was an amazing moment. I believe the words of our reading only cast a shadow of the actual event. Nevertheless, the first revival in the history of the world had begun, and the church was born. I am happy to report there have been other revivals.
According to American evangelicals Elmer Towns (born 1932) and Douglas Porter (1929-2024), there have been nine great revivals since Pentecost. This is their list:
The Pre-Reformational Revival (1300-1500) led by John Wycliffe (1328-1384), and John Hus (1328-1384), who called for church reform. It is often viewed as the bridge between the medieval church and the Protestant Reformation.
The Protestant Reformation (beginning in 1517), led by figures such as Martin Luther (1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564), challenged the authority and practices of the medieval church and emphasized the primacy of Scripture and salvation by faith.
The First Great Awakening (1727-1750), led by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), George Whitfield (1714-1770), and John Wesley (1703-1791), emphasized personal conversion, heartfelt religion, and powerful evangelistic preaching. The movement swept through Britain and the American colonies, renewing churches and inspiring widespread religious enthusiasm.
The Second Great Awakening (1780-1810) was fueled by frontier camp meetings and widespread evangelistic preaching. The movement sparked significant growth in church membership across the United States and emphasized personal conversion, revival meetings, and active Christian involvement in society.
The General Awakening (1830-1840), led by Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875), emphasized revival preaching, personal conversion, and evangelistic outreach. The movement helped expand missionary activity, encouraged social reform, and contributed to the spread of evangelical Christianity both in America and abroad.
The Layman’s Prayer Revival (1857-1861) began in New York City during a financial crisis and quickly spread across the United States. Ordinary businesspeople and community leaders gathered for prayer meetings, sparking a widespread spiritual awakening that led to renewed faith, church growth, and evangelistic outreach.
The Welsh Revival (1904-1905) was sparked by Welsh evangelist Evan Roberts (1878-1951). Characterized by fervent prayer, passionate worship, confession of sin, and transformed lives, the revival spread rapidly throughout Wales and inspired similar movements around the world.
The World War II Revival (1935-1950) was marked by renewed evangelistic fervor during a period of global crisis and recovery. Leaders such as Billy Graham (1918-2018) and Duncan Campbell (1898-1972) called people to personal faith, repentance, and spiritual renewal, contributing to a resurgence of evangelical Christianity in the years surrounding World War II.
The Jesus Movement Revival (1965-1970) gave birth to contemporary Christian music, large youth gatherings, and new forms of evangelistic outreach. Emerging among a generation of young people searching for meaning and spiritual truth, the movement spread throughout North America and beyond, leaving a lasting impact on worship, evangelism, and church life. I am a product of this revival.
Many believe our time is ripe for another revival, and they may be right. We are surrounded by troubling news. I have grown weary of negative political advertising, predictions of economic doom, and reports of international unrest. Even my local news is filled with stories about data centers and artificial intelligence, subjects I do not fully understand. So why hasn’t revival begun? God is not the problem, we are the problem. Too often, the lives we live fail to create the atmosphere in which revival flourishes. Throughout Scripture and throughout the history of God’s people, revival has come when hearts were prepared to receive it. Consider three essential conditions found in our reading. for revival.
First, they experienced revival because they obeyed Jesus. In Acts 1:4, Jesus commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait. They obeyed. For ten days they waited before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Their own plans and agendas were not more important than the will of Jesus. Consider what might have happened if the disciples had left Jerusalem. They would have missed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. Their obedience positioned them to receive what God had promised. Before God changes a church, a community, or a nation, He often begins by changing the hearts of individuals who are willing to say, “Lord, not my will, but Yours be done.”
Second, they experienced revival because they cared about others. Acts 2:4 tells us that the disciples, who were Galileans, began to speak in other earthly languages as the Holy Spirit enabled them. When we examine the list of languages in Acts 2, we discover that people from across the known world were represented. That is remarkable because their world was filled with ethnic, cultural, and religious prejudices. Yet the Holy Spirit came in a way that demonstrated God’s concern for all people. The Holy Spirit did not come merely to bless the disciples. He came to empower them to tell others about Jesus. Revival is possible when we are concerned about others.
Third, they experienced revival because they were willing to pay the price. Beyond our reading, Peter stood up and addressed the crowd. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he explained what was happening and boldly proclaimed the message of Jesus Christ. The people listened and responded. Acts 2:41 tells us that about three thousand souls were saved that day. That was a wonderful blessing, but it also brought great responsibility. Following Jesus has always come at a cost. The promise of heaven is glorious, but until we reach heaven there is a price to pay for being a disciple of Christ.
Christians around the world continue to suffer for their faith through violence, government oppression, legal restrictions, social rejection, and discrimination. The early disciples understood this reality. Discipleship requires commitment, courage, and a willingness to put Jesus above personal comfort and convenience.
On New Year’s Eve 1739, John Wesley, and several of their friends gathered for a “love feast,” which became a watch night of prayer as they welcomed the New Year. At about 3 a.m., Wesley wrote, “The power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground.” The Holy Spirit was moving, and revival broke out in that little corner of the world.
That event happened 287 years ago, which leads to an interesting question: Is revival still possible? The answer is yes. Welsh author and journalist Howard Spring (1889-1965) once wrote, “The kingdom of God is not going to advance by our churches becoming filled with people, but by people in our churches becoming filled with God.”
