How to launch a city-wide revival in your region
HOW CAN WE LAUNCH CITY-WIDE REVIVAL?
What follows is a step-by-step process to starting revival in your city.
The cost is great and those who are willing to pay that price are few. While many are willing to enjoy the fire, it’s a rare breed who are ready to ignite the flame.
From my book 20 Elements of Revival, based on Acts 2:
ELEMENT ONE: AGREEMENT
We must be radically locked in to the mission and running with love and passion with others on the team.
Schisms, gossip or a casual commitment are not an option in this first step. The call is to the upper room of radical intercession as we contend together for an outpouring.
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Joel 2:5-9 (ESV) 5 As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. 6 Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. 7 Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. 8 They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted.
ELEMENT TWO: RADICAL DEVOTION OF TIME
As God develops city churches across the planet it will become normal for believers to be together most every day.
This is not for fellowship alone, but rather for strategic planning, prayer, warfare and other works of Kingdom advance.
I find it amazing that Churches are eliminating services in response to a very demanding American lifestyle.
If we are to experience revival, we must fight that spirit and once again, as in the previous generation, be in the Church every time the doors are open- and the doors should be open night and day!
Acts 2:1 (NKJV) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
ELEMENT THREE: EXTREME SPIRIT-FILLED ATMOSPHERE
This is not a seeker sensitive movement, but rather a believer driven ministry of extreme Holy Spirit activity in the HOUSE OF PRAYER.
The unusual manifestations of the presence of God will be expected when he comes as he is and does what he wants! To tone down the atmosphere is to, in effect, ask the Holy Spirit to settle down and give us control of the environment.
Acts 2:2-3 (NKJV) 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
ELEMENT FOUR: EVERYONE IS FILLED
This is a clear indicator of God’s desired function and atmosphere for his church. It is a Holy Spirit driven entity and the model based on this chapter in Acts shows that every person was filled. The baptism of power should not be deemphasized, but rather it must be a primary focus.
Acts 2:4 (NKJV) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
ELEMENT FIVE: INTERNATIONAL FOCUS
The focus of participating in an international outpouring of the Spirit of God will keep us broken, bold and intentionally filled and refilled with power.
To be presented with an international responsibility simply demands that we discover the power of lengthy, persistent prayer. Revival launching here will be felt internationally!
Acts 2:5 (NKJV) And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
ELEMENT SIX: IT WILL BE MESSY AND CULTURALLY BIZARRE
As we take everything that has preceded this point in ministry–all of the fire and agreement and prophetically established plans of action–we can expect people to look at us with wild confusion.
When it goes public, it will be a strange and unique invasion into their world.
Acts 2:6 (NKJV) And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
ELEMENT SEVEN: A DECLARATION OF GOD’S WORKS
As we are consumed with the Holy Spirit, declarations of God’s goodness, his power and his works will bellow from deep within us night and day. This will come not from intellectual knowledge but rather from revelation experience of his infused power.
You’ll notice that up until this point in the establishment of the first Church that there has been no mention of the ministries that we identify with the local Church experience. No teaching, no evangelism, no Sunday school, no small groups. It hasn’t been time for them. It has been premature.
Remember, the development of a Church must be established on the presence of the Holy Spirit, prayer and an intensely prophetic focus. Everyone must be filled, endowed with power and boldness and ready to move out.
I can imagine based on the next element that they were so full of the power and life of the Holy Spirit that they were stumbling and groaning and stuttering and crying out as mad men and women! It wasn’t a teaching environment at this stage, but it was a time of declaration!
Acts 2:11 (NKJV) …we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”
ELEMENT EIGHT: MARVELING AND MOCKING
Do we expect conflict? We should if God is doing strange and wonderful things through us. A message of reformation, power encounters, extreme challenge, opportunities for offense and visibly uncomfortable moves of the Holy Spirit will draw many and repel many.
This is where the rubber meets the road. Do you see now why an attempt at relevancy at this point actually works against the biblical flow of Church development? If what happened in the previous element was as earthshaking as it should have been, then what will be experienced in this element will be a great evidence of being on track. You will start to see people coming to you with extreme excitement on their faces.
These people will be thrilled to have found someone who has the guts to initiate true reformation. The flow of the Holy Spirit will be amazing and people’s lives will be tangibly touched in dramatic ways. However, you must prepare yourself for great resistance–again from both Christians and non-Christians. It will possibly be the very people that you crave affirmation from that will distance themselves from you.
Acts 2:12-13 (NKJV) 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” 13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
ELEMENT NINE: BOLD PREACHING AND TEACHING
To attempt to start a ministry at this point doesn’t make sense when we understand what Peter was doing. He was using the unique move of God that exploded out of the upper room as an opportunity to explain it and the Kingdom of God to everybody who witnessed it.
So, when ‘revival’ has broken out, and God is showing up in an unusual way, we will have the opportunity to teach and explain all that is happening to those who are listening.
Acts 2:15-16 (NKJV) 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.
ELEMENT TEN: PROPHECY, DREAMS AND VISIONS FOR ALL
We are all to prophecy, dream and have visions. An extreme atmosphere of Holy Spirit activity day after day in the city church will result in very easy experiences in the supernatural. Angelic visitations, revelations, declarations and other experiences and encounters will be normal.
I find it interesting that the first sermon that the people heard was one on the ‘extreme supernatural’. Most beginner classes, or pre-believer messages, seem to stay far and wide of any such focus. However, the first Church was birthed supernaturally without apology.
Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV) 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
ELEMENT ELEVEN: PREACHING SALVATION
It is appropriate to hold off on mass evangelism strategies until this point is reached. When the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully, the supernatural is experienced continually, revelation is clearly received and the prophetic flow of God is exploding in and out of us, the message of salvation will then be preached with the necessary power and effectiveness. Many will get saved at this stage of a city church plant.
Acts 2:21 (NKJV) And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
ELEMENT TWELVE: REPENTANCE
Only a powerful move of the Holy Spirit can cause mass repentance in a city church. The result of following the order of the establishment of a church in a city is mass repentance, healing, deliverance and freedom!
This step should flow naturally out of what everybody has experienced thus far. An extreme move of the Holy Spirit simply results in a great fear of God, a craving of holiness and a continually repentant heart. The difference between the lost and those who are flowing in the Spirit of revival will be extreme- more so than black and white.
An unapologetic call to holiness, repentance and hunger for the purity of God will consume the atmosphere. A radical John the Baptist type of call will resound- Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand!
This is not a seeker sensitive movement at all–but quite the opposite. It’s aggressive, confrontational and prophetic.
The previous preparation of the atmosphere that started picking up speed in verse one of Acts Chapter Two will result in and demand nothing less than a declaration of death to self, the embracing of a bloody cross and the brokenness of a desperate soul as he looks upon the face of Jesus.
Acts 2:38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
ELEMENT THIRTEEN: POWER ENCOUNTERS
Salvation will be quickly followed by baptisms in the Holy Spirit. People will encounter God in extraordinary ways.
Acts 2:38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
ELEMENT FOURTEEN: GROWTH
Teaching is a necessary part of continual personal and corporate growth. It’s a perpetual need for strategic advance, maturity and equipping. Teaching will enter into a more important role at this stage of church growth.
Now it’s time to teach! Why? There are new soldiers awaiting their instructions. Up until this point, the ‘upper room team’ was made up of maturing and intensely focused people. While there should certainly be an element of training at that stage, it will be very narrowly focused. In the early stages with the upper room team training sessions are more like strategy meetings than traditional teaching services. You teach on what you need to accomplish in the next mission.
It may seem like the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit is de-emphasized in this phase, but whatever you do, don’t allow this to happen! Not only must this phase result in a school of learning, it must be a school of burning! Gather together the flock and teach them to be fire-breathers! Training in everything from prayer to the prophetic to holiness to who they are in Christ must be continual here.
Acts 2:42 (NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
ELEMENT FIFTEEN: FELLOWSHIP
We must avoid the mistake of birthing a city church on relationship instead of mission. Fellowship is a consequence of a Holy Spirit birthed church, not a strategy to build the church. It is a wonderful atmospheric reality as opposed to a foundational support system.
It’s unrealistic to presume a social structure can grow a Church. To attend a conference on small group strategies and then attempt to implement that strategy with the expectation that church growth will suddenly explode is unrealistic. Small groups cannot be a propellant for explosive growth, but they can be a net to catch people who come in as a result of explosive growth.
Acts 2:42 (NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
ELEMENT SIXTEEN: PRAYER
Along with teaching and fellowship, prayer is a common daily activity both corporately and personally. At this stage, every believer should be maturing rapidly in disciplined prayer, fellowship and growth in the Word.
Here’s a critical barometer for you. If you have done a good job following God’s original design for the launching of a Church, you will see everybody in prayer all the time.
If you don’t, there has been compromise and impatience somewhere previously in the process.
Again, let me state this very clearly–in the ancient and emerging model of the City Church based on Acts Chapter Two, it will be absolutely normal for literally every person to be involved in ten, twenty or more hours of prayer every week!
If we are filling our seats with people who don’t crave God in prayer, it’s a failed mission.
I find it sadly interesting that a majority of Christians shrink back when the topic of prayer is discussed. I believe we have done a poor job of explaining the idea of salvation to people.
Saved people don’t crave principles, ideas or methods for successful living. They desperately crave encounters with their Lover.
Acts 2:42 (NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
ELEMENT SEVENTEEN: FEAR OF GOD
This is a critical barometer for a church. If the church was birthed in fire, and was maintained in fire with an international focus and an extreme mandate to facilitate an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the fear of God will permeate every part of the ministry.
If the fire and the fear is absent it may be necessary to cancel programs, eliminate special events and call the body together nightly for intense intercession and pressing into God’s presence.
Jesus modeled an expressive and all consuming prayer life. “Vehement cries and tears” were offered to his Father. These days we don’t hear such emotion in our Churches as much as we should. When this type of atmosphere rules Sunday, many people may not come, or maybe they will, but one thing is certain–the job will get done.
Acts 2:43 (NKJV) Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
ELEMENT EIGHTEEN: SIGNS AND WONDERS
Another barometer. Contending with passion, declaring the Word and stepping into impossible missions will result in a regular flow of signs and wonders. Anything less will compromise the mission as the mission will require a continual miraculous flow through everybody involved.
I often hear people ask why we don’t experience signs and wonders to a greater degree here in the United States. After reading this book, I believe the answer becomes much clearer. On a national level, we are still in the very early parts of Acts Chapter Two.
We haven’t arrived to the “signs and wonders” part yet. It’s when we are praying 24/7, unified, together continually, filled with the Holy Spirit, experiencing the manifestation of the presence of God and all of the other important elements of a City Church, we will then experience a regular flow of signs and wonders. Signs and wonders are primarily for the lost–to prove to them that this crazy lifestyle depicted in this book is the way to go! Being with God continually with other zealots is the plan of the ages!
As the power of God explodes out of a people who have paid the price of extreme participation in a missional society, others will have no choice but to look and crave!
Acts 2:43 (NKJV) Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
ELEMENT NINETEEN: EVERYTHING IN COMMON
What started in unity in verse one has resulted in community. An intentional devotion to the city church body will be a mark of a healthy and growing church.
Acts 2:44 (NKJV) Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common…
ELEMENT TWENTY: DAILY PARTICIPATION CORPORATELY
A reformation of participation is needed in the church. If we start a church correctly, with everybody in one accord and in one place, we will continue correctly. We must ensure ministry continues night and day. We will find ourselves, along with our friends and families, so consumed with the mission of Kingdom advance that most everything else will be reprioritized. It will be normal to be together nearly every day or night of the week to pray, to worship, to minister and to participate in the strategic advance of the church. As with revivals of old, people will line up hours in advance just to find a seat for the service. If this is to be the end result of a city church, it must be started this way–together continually experiencing the presence of God and receiving his instruction for Kingdom advance around the world.
Acts 2:46-47 (NKJV) 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
