Below is a GREAT video of Tim Keller as he explains a Biblical Theology of Revival. As soon as I listened to (via podcast) and watched this teaching, my heart jumped. Below the video is a brief outline of the whole talk.

 

2 Approaches to revival: 

• Frontier = scheduled revival (revivalism)
• Pentecostal = focus on the coming of the extraordinary gifts (healing, tongues, etc)

 

Biblical Definition of Revival = Intensification of the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit

• Conviction of sin
• Conversion
• Giving of assurance
• Sanctification (holy living)

 

During a Revival (Beautifies the Church): 

• Sleepy Christians wake up (brings repentance, conviction of sin, assurance)
• Nominal Christians get converted
• Hard to reach non-Christians get brought to the faith

 

Theological Marks of Revival: 

• Some version of a sense in which the Gospel is recovered from error (between legalism and antinomianism – the Gospel become center)
• Sense of repentance
• Anointed corporate worship
• Always Church growth
• Extraordinary prayer (beyond the ordinary – praying for kingdom advancement and less on needs)
• NOTE: Keller is not talking about programs

 

How do you get revival? 

• Keller answers – You go after the above theological marks. You seek to recover the Gospel. You ask for anointed worship… And whether God sends it or not is actually up to Him.