College Park Church

Editor's Note:  What pops into your mind when you hear the word "revival"?  This word evokes a wide variety of images in people's minds, many of which miss the mark when it comes to understanding revival biblically.  During THINK|12 (March 2-4), Collin Hansen will address the topic of revival from a historical and theological perspective.  The conference is free, but you must register here if you want to attend.  In preparation for THINK|12, consider Gary Meeks' helpful post below.

You are a great candidate for revival if...

1. Your prayer life consists of just meal-praying, just bedtime praying or during worship services.
2. You need convinced of why a Fresh Encounter service is important.
3. You find excuses to remove yourself from worship services or prayer services.
4. When in conversations, you gravitate to the more shallow talk of sports, entertainment, the weather and hobbies.
5. You look down on others when they treat sin radically.  You think it's silly when someone gets rid of a television, changes jobs or changes friends because of provisions for the flesh.
6. You see no reason why a constant diet of television and entertainment would be deemed as hurtful.
7. You tolerate your own personal sins of gossip, gluttony, sloth, worry, coveting lust, greed and others, but quickly speak out on the 'really bad' addictions of others.
8. Your identity as a believer is based on your ministry involvement (limited as it is) and what you do rather than what has been done for you in Christ.
9. You are satisfied with merely knowing the Word, and see no reason to actually live it out because you easily hide behind your knowledge of it.
10. You consistently rearrange your schedule because there's a program, movie or sports event that you just have to be at.  On the flip side, you would never re-arrange your schedule for a ministry event, to radically serve someone, attend a prayer time or seek an opportunity to go deeper with Jesus.
11. You think that people that talk about Jesus a lot are fanatics, prone to overkill, are legalistic, don't understand grace and are obviously focusing on works.
12. Phrases like 'igniting a passion to follow Jesus', 'revival',  'a great move of the Spirit of God', 'consecration to Christ' and 'pursuit of holiness' make you feel uncomfortable and you suddenly have a cough or need to go to the restroom when conversations lead to these types of phrases.
13. You look at the poor and needy as irresponsible and deserving of their current lifestyle.  You think they need Jesus just to get them a job or a place to live.  You tend to see people in the natural and in the flesh, instead of seeing them as God sees them.
14. You shun the handicapped and disabled and refuse to be part of ministering to them because 'it's not your gift'.
15. Money, to you, is not a means to glorify God because he owns it anyway.  Money is a means to draw attention to yourself, manipulate others into thinking better of you than you are, and an instrument in your hands to promote yourself and protect yourself in case things really get bad.
16. You want to find solutions to your problems in what the world offers, but would never consider a deeper relationship with Jesus and seeking Him deeper in His Word and prayer.  That stuff is only for the really weak.
17. You get discouraged over failure in your life, but get angry when others encourage you to turn the internet off and open the Word more.  That's just crazy.
18. You love the children's ministries at church and are very happy to let others watch your kids, but refuse to jump in yourself and serve.
19. You are indeed in favor of compassion ministries and expect to be visited when you're in the hospital or in need, but life is very busy and prevents you from doing the same for others.
20. You consider it joy only when a trial is over, but never in the midst of it.  Pleasure and convenience are what you live for and never to be toyed with.
21. You exhibit the fruit of the Spirit only when people agree with you, when lines are short, when you aren't tempted, when there is no conflict and when things go your way.
22. You never confess your sin to the Lord or others.  People cannot know you fail.  What would they think, anyway, that you actually need a Savior???
23. Your conversations tend to focus on things you like talking about, things about you, your successes, your problems that you want others to fix and how you are much better off than others in your office.
24. Worship is something you do only on Sundays for about 30 minutes tops.
25. Praise willingly flows from your lips when you get your way, but never when God crosses your will.  You welcome contentment when enough money is in the bank and there are no major trials going on.
26. You love the Word of God when it talks of promises, salvation, heaven and blessings.  You really struggle when the Word talks of obedience, repentance, blessing others, revival, confession and especially the warnings that not all who say they are believers really are.
27. You tend to camp on theological differences and are very pleased with how your doctrine has shaped up.  You are very thankful that God has allowed you to arrive in your theology and pity those who do not believe the way you do.
28. You are known in your circles as a church go-er and extremely moral.  You are happy that people see you as a good boy or good girl and hopefully they will just leave it at that.  Stuff about Jesus doesn't need to come into the picture, really.
29. You think that Jesus, Paul, John the Baptist and the prophets were too hard on people and needed to encourage others to love themselves more.
30. You are moving more and more towards the tolerance gospel, accepting people for who they are, all religions being on the same page, and have really enjoyed the latest ideas that there is no Hell.  
31. You are very grateful for pastors, elders, counselors and theologians to be at your beck and call when you have questions about the Bible because they really help you since you really just have no time to read the Bible for yourself.  What a blessing they are!!!
32. You delay and delay when you are approached about financially helping someone in need, but are Johnny on the spot when it comes to getting your taxes done to get your refund in the mail.
33. You think that people around the world that aren't Christians should know better.  No wonder they are so messed up and needy if they can’t understand Christianity.
34. You tolerate sin in your life and explain it away as ‘well, that’s my struggle’, without ever really coming face to face with the reality of how grieved God is, what true repentance is and that you are not your own?
35. When in worship, you often glance around and ‘observe’ how others are worshipping, judging them in your heart, questioning their motives or their heart?  The worship style of others is distracting to you.
36. You talk and talk about the economy, elections, politics and social causes, but never pray about them.  You are quick to complain about the government and its elected officers, but never thank God for them and rarely, if ever, pray for them.
37. When you think of the future, you think of how you’ll survive financially, how you’ll get promoted, your marital status, and what your standing in your community will be.  You rarely, if ever, think of preparing for the Lord’s return and standing before Him.
38. Heaven, to you, is the whole reason why you prayed a prayer of salvation.  Repentance for sin, the atoning sacrifice of Christ for your sin and your utter depravity have never really been issues for you.  You came to Jesus only because of His gifts, not because of Himself.
39. Your involvement at your church consists of Sunday morning and any other time that you are in need.  The needs of others, serving, biblical community and God’s call on your life to go have never really crossed your mind.
40. When you think of revival, your first thought is of many others who really need that sort of thing.  It never occurs to you that God is actually after YOU!!!