What is "revivalism"?

Sorry to not be that helpful, but here is a link with a ga-zillion articles that probably convey what your friend was thinking:

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/topic/revival.html

Do a search on the page for "Finney" and you'll see a couple of articles related to him.

 

I agree with your friend. If you compare true revivals like the Great Awkening and the Welsh revival, to those of Finney and others that have adopted many of his methods, you will see stark differneces in results. Ture revivals had lasting results and were God-centered, and full of a rich theological heritage.

The revivalism of Finney, while seeming to produce many desicions in fact did not. There were no lasting spiritual effects and many of the churches dried up.

Ian Murray wrote a book titled "Revival and Revivalism" that does a good job of showing the differnece.

 

While I don't know about the particulars, we don't have any evidence of these things going on at IFB Mole's church. And while it's true that only God brings revival, there's certainly no harm in a congregation having a week-long series of meetings with the intent to seek God and commit to live for Him. So they're calling it "Revival" - at worst, it's just the wrong word.

Sometimes we get a little too technical for our own good.

IFB Mole, God bless your church, and I hope He does bring revival starting there and reaching all the way into mid-Missouri! Also, I know excuses when I hear them...and that's what it seems your friend is doing.

 

The brother is technically correct, I think. But I'd also guess, maybe in a lighter vein, bein' as you said "...he started going off that..." he maybe he just came up wid' an excuse, or just found a new and creative way to say 'No!' We can and do disagree. We don't have to be disagreeable when doing so. At times, I could learn from my own advice.
Ed

 

A wise brother, at the time a menber of my own home church, a few years ago was approcached by a friend who said, "I see you all are having a 'Revival'!" His wise (and somewhat wise-acre, as well) response was, "We're Having a meetin'; ask me in a year whether or not we had revival." Good advice. BTW, if you do happen to get an excess of 'Revival', you could send a little of it to old Kaintuck! We here, like with Jello(R), always have room for more!
Ed

 

I am curious why ya'all think there is such a thing as "revival"? Like can you point that out in the Bible anywhere - or I can even narrow it down to the NT? thanx

 

I may be confused about any objection to a revival. I was saved at our church's summer revival in 1985. We had guest preachers and Baptist evangelists every night for one week. I was only 9 but it woke our church up. We spent a week with extra worship and prayer. It has always been my experience when belivers spend some extra time with the lord you will recive blessings. For me it has always been a time to refocus and strengthen on my relationship with the Lord. There are always moutain top moments and we always have to come down from the moutain.

 

Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Hosea 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Revival must begin in the hearts. In the passage above, we see a cry for repentence. Revival is not just an overnight thing either. In the passage we see revival coming in the third day after the people's turning from sin and turning to God.

 

I think people may be trying just a bit too hard. It seems to me that this is nothing more than a reason to shout and proclaim “WE’RE BETTER THAN YOU!” We all know that what we mean by the word “revival” and most Christians easily get the message. We are seeking to revive our particular congregation through more regular worship and teaching. We are seeking to revive ourselves through more dedication. And we are seeking to revive the community through an outreach and more opportunities to have behinds in pews.

To claim that this is something wrong just because it doesn’t meet up with your own definition of “revival” is trivial and a needless division in the Body of Christ. No, the revivals held by your local church don’t necessarily meet up to the great works of the Holy Spirit in those cases mentioned. However, I will not place a limit on my God and tell Him that a revival that we hold isn’t going to produce a harvest. Sorry, my God is able to work in all situations, and the more opportunity we give Him, the greater the things we will see.

 

I believe that passage is a prophecy concerning Jesus. The word "revive" means to live again.