Active vs. Passive Revival

Question: How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?  Answer: Only one, but ninety-nine to stand around and say “I could do that”.

That’s one of the silly jokes I learned back in music college, and I think of it every time I come across Matthew 14:22-33.  

You’ll recognize the scene.  

The twelve were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, and had been battered by the waves “for the wind was contrary.”

Jesus came to them, walking on the sea, which was met with alarm and fear.  After reassuring them that He was Jesus, and not a ghost, Peter called out, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to you on the water.”  And He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.

But the other disciples stayed in the boat.

Peter walked on water.

But the other disciples stayed in the boat.

Peter WALKED ON WATER!!!

But the other disciples stayed in the boat.

And then I go back to the ninety-nine guitarists standing around saying “I could do that.”  

That passage should have read that all of the disciples got out of the boat and walked on the water with Jesus, but it was only Peter.  

Perhaps the other disciples were content to merely watch the miracle.  Perhaps they weren’t interested in being A PART of the miracle.

And perhaps that describes most of us most of the time.

Ouch!

We can pray for miracles; we can pray for revival; we can pray for a mighty, “earth-shaking” move of the Holy Spirit – but if we’re doing it from the boat, we ought to lower our expectations.

God invited Abram to leave behind the land and people he knew and then to sojourn with God into a new land he would later be shown.  Abram accepted the invitation and moved before he knew his destination.  (Gen. 12:1-4)

The Israelites had to first step into the Jordan before the waters were parted. (Josh. 3:15-17)

Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had to first stand up for their beliefs, refusing idol-worship in Babylon (which got them thrown into the fire, by the way) before they experienced the miracle in the fiery furnace.  (Dan. 3)

And Jonah had to first preach in Ninevah before he got to witness the miracle of revival. (Jon. 3)

Revival…

Did you know that the word “revive” literally means “to restore to life”?

That sounds an awful lot like the Gospel message, and the central theme of Jesus’ mission, doesn’t it?

“I have come that you may have life abundant.” (John 10:10)  “The water I give him will become in him a well springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)  “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35)  “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63)  “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (John 1:4)

Indeed one of the major objectives of the Incarnation was to show us the way to live – the way to truly live, wide awake and full of abundant life.  It’s no coincidence that the early church referred to themselves as followers of The Way.

Part of what it means to be a follower of The Way (following the examples and teachings of Jesus in our every day lives) is to bring revival wherever we find spiritual death.  In fact, to experience this revival in one’s life is a very good description of what we mean by the word “salvation”.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

This brings us to a critical revelation, revival isn’t something we should be asking to happen in the Church (for indeed to be in Christ is to be revived, full of abundant life and light), but rather it’s the spiritual “job-description” of the Church.  

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20)

“Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph. 5:14)

So let us pray for the continual spread of revival – not in the Church, for it is (or ought to be) full of life and light (salvation) – but revival in the world around us – that people would “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

And this is no passive revival that we can observe from the boat.  

This is an active revival that requires us to step out of the boat and rely on Jesus.