People Will Pray Part 1

Let us run with endurance, the race with is that before us looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecta of our faith.

There are times of God's special presence in power. These are known as times of revival times when new life comes to the church. Today, an encouraging look back to times when God indeed came to church and words of hope that he'll do so again.

From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is running to win with Dr. Irwin Luser, who is clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line.

Faster, Luther. What is the connection between times of revival and the renewed commitment of a church to pray?

Well, Dave, I think that there is a rather direct commitment and a direct cause effect relationship.

When you look at the revivals of the past, you know that God always, quote, has set his people praying, as some people have put it. And so it's so important for us to pray, but that prayer has to also be a prayer of repentance. It isn't enough that we simply ask God for things. We need to deal with issues in our lives that displease him. You know, the Ministry of Running to Win is dedicated to the whole commitment that we have to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I received a note from a woman by the name of Kimberly who said, I am so grateful that you taught me a few years ago about the seriousness of unforgiveness. I forgave my husband and a few others who offended me. I thank God for his mercy upon me through servants like you. Well, I want you to know that as you listen to running to win today, that this is not our ministry. It is the ministry of the Body of Jesus Christ. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner? That's someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. And here's what you can do to check it out. Go to endurance partners, dot org, endurance partners, dot org or call us said one eight eight eight two one eight nine day three thirty seven. And now, once again, we open our Bibles and we ask the Holy Spirit of God to speak to us about our relationship with Almighty God.

Let's pray together. Father, we thank you so much for what you have done in the past in your sovereign will and purpose.

We pray, do it again and enliven our hearts and give us faith to believe that you can and even that you will.

In Jesus name. Man.

When God comes to church, many wonderful things happen. Oh, I know that God is always in church, but there are times when God does something very special on a wide scale and many people are affected. And when that happens, we sometimes call it a spiritual awakening or we call it revival. It happened in the church in Thessalonica, which we were studying, and to see their impact of a small church upon a whole community and on their part of the world. But it's also happened in America. God has done some unusual things in these United States. Today's message is a little unusual because I'm not going to be giving an exposition of scripture, though, at the end. We will turn to First Thessalonians five if you want to turn there now and we'll be talking about what to do while we are waiting for an awakening. But today, I'm going to tell you the story of America's Great Awakening so that no one faith might be quickened in our hearts. And we might say, my goodness, if God did it, then why can't he do it now? And that we might pray more effectively toward that end. Usually God sends rain to water the Earth, but there are times when God descends a downpour, when there's a cloud burst and there are cloud bursts and history of the mercies of God in order to tell you what happened in Chicago. And you're going to be, I, I hope, pleasantly surprised if you've not known this. I'm going to begin back further and tell you that there were these three great awakenings in American history. And I'm going to give you a thumbnail sketch of all three. First of all, we have the Great Awakening of 17, 40 to 43, 17, 40 to 43. That's known as the first Great Awakening.

Northhampton, Massachusetts Solomon Stoddard is preaching to his congregation and tells them that God sometimes does unusual things and builds their faith. He dies. His grandson, Jonathan Edwards, who was an associate pastor, takes over and he becomes the great revivalist. Jonathan Edwards is known for his sermons centers in the hands of an angry God. It's a very scriptural sermon, but not well-thought-of today. Someone said that when Edwards preached, he was so vivid and solemn that the impression that was made upon them was so strong that this listener said he thought that when Mr. Edwards would close his discourse, right, then the judge would descend and the final separation take place. They expected God to come right there when the sermon was finished.

But Edwards became friends with a man by the name of George Whitfield, an Englishman who preached all over the eastern part of the United States to large crowds. Now we're talking 17 hundreds, no P.A. systems. And he was able to preach to large crowds in the Boston Common. And Benjamin Franklin would attend and even try to see how far Whitfield's voice could really carry right there in the Boston Common in New York, in Massachusetts and other places.

Huge crowds would come. Repentance was everywhere. The conviction of sin was so strong that it is said that when boats came from England, before the soldiers even got to the shore of the United States and hearing what God had done, they were convicted already of their sin. Multitudes were converted as a result of this great awakening, it is believed that perhaps 50000 people were converted, taverns were closed, families were reconciled. And the whole culture, the whole culture of of Northhampton and other places were transformed. Unusual, unusual work of God.

Well, that's the first great awakening. And needless to say, I'm not doing it justice, but we must hurry. The second great awakening we're going to put from 1790 to 1860. And it has two different to aspects, first of all, in the West. I don't know if there's anybody listening from Kentucky, but I've always wondered where Cain Ridge is in Kentucky. That's where camping ministry began. That's where they would hold camp meetings and come to hear preachers. And ten to fifteen thousand covered wagons came for meetings and circuit riders went throughout Kentucky and throughout the West. And a historian says that God confounded infidelity and brought untold numbers to the faith. It's quite a story. And then you get to the West and Timothy Dwight, who is the grandson of Jonathan Edwards, he gives a lecture at Yale University because he's president on why the Bible is the word of God. Seventy five out of the 225 students said Yale are converted and they go home in spring break and they don't go to Daytona. Praise God, they go home to their churches and tell about the wonderful things that God is doing and the marvelous conversions they're experiencing and revivals begin to break out. And that's where you have the beginning of the modern missionary movement. The great revivalists during this period of time was Charles Finnin, who preached in the East. Rochester, New York, would stop everything over there noon hours in order to pray. Finney was the great revivalist. His theology, at points we don't agree with, but he was mightily used of God. By the way, he founded Oberlin College. One day I was at Oberlin visiting.

It's a very theologically liberal school today. It is embarrassed by it, by its heritage of Finnie. And there's a Finnie Chapel in Oberlin that is along the street. It was locked. I couldn't go into it. So I just knelt outside the chapel along the street. I didn't care that other people were walking by. They could think whatever they wanted to know. If somebody actually called the cops, that would be something else. But I said to myself, somebody walking past this chapel needs to give thanks to God for the ministry of Finnie, who is now being evil spoken against in this school. So I knelt to thank God for. I even went.

And visited his grave, which is also in the area. It is estimated that during this period of time, God was working mightily through so many different people and in so many different ways that perhaps a million people came to the faith. But now we get to the third Great Awakening. And that's our focus today, 1857 to 1859. Just two years in which God worked mightily. Well, it began in New York City. And I want to read you the story of how it began.

And then we're going to talk about Chicago here, because this is going to get gooder and gooder as we go along.

All right. It is summer time, 1857, a man by the name of Jeremiah Calvin Lanphier is walking the streets of New York and saying, what can I do here in the business district? He gives out a tract inviting people to pray and we have Xeroxed copies of it on. It is written. How often shall I pray? As often as the language of prayers in my heart, as often as I see my need of help, as often as I feel the power of temptation, as often as I am made aware of my spiritual declension or feel the agitation of a worldly spirit in prayer, we leave the business of time for that of eternity and fellowship with men for fellowship with God. He invited men to pray. September twenty third, 1857. The door is open at the meeting hall. He prays alone for a half hour. But half an hour later, at twelve thirty, about six others show up and they have a prayer meeting. Now, there were other prayer meetings that began before that time and continued as a result of that. But a little later on October 1857, the stock market crashed.

People felt a great need to seek God. Within six months, a total of ten thousand men were gathering daily for prayer in many places throughout New York City that churches were packed. So the prayer meetings were moved to the theaters with some sarcasm. The New York Herald of March 6th wrote said Satan is busy all the morning on Wall Street among the brokers, and in the afternoon and evening the churches are filled, the crowded with saints who gambled in the morning. Now you say, well, what happened? Well, the media began to pick up the story. And so you have the story of Philadelphia. Anybody from Philadelphia? Have you ever heard of Jain's Hall? I don't know if it's still there. But on February the 1st, at a prayer meeting there. There is this report. Three thousand souls at once on one week, day after another at its busiest hour, bowed before God in prayer for the revival of his work. That's Philadelphia. What about Boston? It says to see a thousand men leaving their counting rooms and shops at the noon day hour and flock with one purpose to the place where prayer is made. To see the tone and tearful interest pervading these assemblies is a new thing in this city.

All right. What about the city of Chicago?

A news man said here in Chicago. And this is the Chicago Daily Press. Now, I need to tell you that 15 years ago, I walked across the street to the historical society and spent a couple of afternoons looking at old microfilms of the newspapers here in the city of Chicago. And what they had to say about the revival. And I wrote a little book on the topic, and I'm going to be reading from it, but I can't give you the title of the book because it is out of print. And I don't want anyone saying I need a copy. I have only about five or six left. I hope that someday I'll enlarge it and have it reprinted. But across the street in the historical society. Here's a quote and then I'll give you some others. It says, Writing from a news point. This is the Chicago Daily Press. Eight newspapers in those days, two of them in German. By the way, it says, writing from a news point, the prominent topic of thought and conversation in Chicago, in our streets, in our places of business and in our homes is the subject of the religious awakening now in progress in this community. And it is all absorbing. It is upon the lips of Christians and of unbelievers. There are no scoffers, few who sneer publicly and openly at what is transpiring without excitement, without noise, and cannot be called fanaticism. The remarkable thing about this revival is it had no great leader, no Finnie, no Edwards, no Whitfield. It was known as the businessman's revival because it was led oftentimes by a pastor. The prayer time was led by a pastor. But generally speaking, anyone could lead it. So it had no great names attached to it and therefore there was very little criticism of it. Now, let's look at the newspapers. This is what I discovered across the street at the Historical Society. This is the Chicago Tribune of March 25th, 1858, the noon permitting at Metropolitan Hall. I have to pause here. I wanted to go to Metropolitan Hall to see where these parameters were held. Day after day after day at noon where people could not get in. And I discovered it no longer exists today. It's across the street from the Thompson Center. And there's a different building there now. But some of us, five or six of us actually went there anyway. We said we want to be approximately where the Metropolitan Hall once was. Now, listen. It was the largest and most interesting that has yet been held, the body of the house, the gallery, were filled considerably before 12 noon. And at the time, for beginning the exercises, the platform, the stairways, the aisles, the entry were all occupied by persons standing up during the whole hour, the stairs leading down to the streets were filled with persons arriving or retiring on, able to gain entrance for a noon permitting that took place every single workday. In fact, I'm sorry I didn't get the quote, but when I was reading it over in the Historical Society, I discovered that one newspaper said that if women wouldn't wear skirts with whoops, I hope that that's the right word. I didn't check on this before more people could get into Metropolitan Hall to pray. John Wentworth, the mayor of Chicago at the time, stood near the rear of the hall and listened with great attention to all. And later said the effect of the present religious movement are to be felt in every phase of society that is in Chicago newspapers. Someone else says it was the perfect union of all evangelical churches. The Chicago Daily Journal of March 20th, 1858 reported that the revival was universal and not limited to a single city or even state, but is spread like fire in every direction. Such an outpouring of religion has not been seen since before the days of Edwards that happened here in the city of Chicago. And what took place is in May of the year. Eighteen fifty nine. The prayer meetings disbanded, but they went into the churches. The estimate was that one thousand eight hundred people were meeting for prayer at noon and 5000 in various churches were meeting for prayer in the evening. Now, let's do the math. Let's remember our chronology. In 1856, Deal Moody came to the city of Chicago. That's two years before the Awakening. One of his biographers said that it was this awakening that thrust D.. L. Moody into his revival ministry deal. Moody, of course, began. He rented pews in the Plymouth church and they kicked him out because they said that these boys that you're bringing in are so rowdy. So he had to begin his own church. But he says to his mother, during this great awakening, there is a great revival of religion in this city. I go to meeting every night, remember Deal Moodies English and needed a little bit of help. It is said that he was able to pronounce the word Mesopotamia in one syllable. All right. There is a great revival of religion and the city I go to meeting every night all how I enjoy it, it seems if God himself is present. Oh, Mother, pray for us. Pray that this will go on until every knee is bowed. And so it is that deal. Moody received his thrust into ministry through this great awakening, this prayer revival that took place here in the city of Chicago.

Well, this is Pastor Lucerne. That's been my privilege to be a pastor here in the city of Chicago. As you know and I have studied this particular time of prayer and revival that thrust D.L. Moody into his ministry.

And we all pray that God will do it again. But he does it person by person. I have in my hands a letter from a mother who says my daughter got radically saved while incarcerated. And then she goes on to say that she heard a sermon that I preached on the blessings of coming from a broken family. Well, I probably emphasized what God is able to do as a result of a broken family. Of course, we never justify broken families. Be that as it may, this mother wanted me to know that the program is touching lives everywhere. Thank you so much and thank you for those of you who stand with us as we continue to share the word of God. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner? That's someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Check it out. Go to endurance partners, Dodge Auriga Endurance Partners, dot org, or you can call us said one eight eight eight two one eight nine DS3 thirty seven.

That's one eight eight eight two one eight nine two three thirty seven.

It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Leuser a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Today's question, Dr. Luser comes to us from Patrick, and he lives in North Carolina. He says, I'm 83 years old and made a profession of faith.

In 1951, I believe I went through a period of reformation, but I'm not sure I was regenerated. My behavior has changed, but I have been looking for the assurance of salvation for over 50 years. I've heard you say saving faith is the deep settled conviction that what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us is all that we need to stand in the presence of a holy God. I believe that. But I'm not sure that I've ever appropriated that for myself. Many years ago, a preacher told me I was going by my feelings. Maybe so, but I can't stop looking within. The Bible says the spirit bears witness with our spirit. I want that witness. I know I'm a sinner and I'm lost unless I've been genuinely converted. I have some faith, but I'm not sure it's saving faith. I need a real work of God in my heart.

Can you help me or Patrick? I'm so glad that you wrote and I wish that we could have a cup of tea together and then we'd be able to dialog regarding your spiritual journey. And I might be able to find out a little bit more as to why you continue to doubt. But here's what I'd like to suggest to you. It is possible to be genuinely saved and still have doubts. Visualize an airplane. Two people are sitting next to each other. The one has never flown before. In fact, this happened to me. Young woman had never flown before. She was so scared, she said. Is it going to be as bad as a roller coaster? She had to be. And I said, I sure hope not. Now I've flown many times. So she was filled with doubts. I was confident we both arrived at the same time in the very same way there are Christians who have doubts, but they have believed in Jesus and they are saved. I trust that that is true of you. And in order for you to find that faith. Remember, the Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. I encourage you to continue to cleave to the promises of God, the promises that I'm sure you know so well about salvation and the assurance of faith. And what you need to do is to recognize that as you submit to God and as you claim those promises. I pray that light will break into your soul. The ministry in the witness of the spirit will be there and you'll have the assurance that you belong to God. Final footnote to this. I've discovered that those who have grown up with a great deal of emotional pain sometimes struggled more with assurance of salvation. And that's understandable. They've gone through such a topsy turvy experience in their childhood, perhaps, and that begins to work its way out. And they find it difficult to fully trust and to fully believe. But keep believing, keep trusting. The promises are there for you. And I hope someday, Patrick, I'll see you in heaven.

Thank you, Dr. Luser. And thank you, Patrick, for your honest question.

If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our Web site at RTW, offer dot com and click on Ask Pastor Luter or call us at one eight eight eight two one eight nine three three seven. That's one eight eight eight two one eight nine three three seven.

You can write to us at running to win 16 thirty five North Lascelle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, six oh six one for Running to Win comes to you from the Moody Church in Chicago. Next time, more on the history of revival in America and in particular, Chicago, which is the home of running to win. Thanks for listening. For Dr. Irwin, sir, this is Dave McCalister.

Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.