Revival time again

[Reformingstudent]

What is the Reformed position on revival or revivalism? My father in-law (a Southern Baptist preacher) is conducting a revival this week at some country church not far from where we live. My mother in-law wants our son to go and hear his granddaddy preach but I do not want him to as I know what kind of message ( a save your self by coming to the altar) he will be preaching. I am teaching my son the truths of the scripture and he, as young as he is, understands that Salvation is not something we do ourselves but is a work of God's Sovereign grace from start to finish.
I do not want to keep my son from seeing or being around his grand parents, I just don't want him caught up in their idea of what Christianity is. We are going to their church this Sunday (groan) because of mothers day but I am not looking forward to it. Am I wrong for not letting him go to this revival? I just want to protect my son from the wrong ideas my father in_law has. He is a big fan of Finney and has a low view of Calvinism.

 

[Davidius]

Here's an article by Herman Hanko (PRC) on revival, if you have some time to read it.

 

[Zenas]

You're his father. Grandparents do not enter into the equation. You're responsible for his upbringing and if your wife's parents have any problem with that, they are out of line Biblically. They will not have to account for how you raised your son.

I personally wouldn't send my son to a revival. I wouldn't want him exposed to a positive view of revivalism or of the free-will view of soteriology. If your in-laws have a problem with that, tough noogies. He should preach the Gospel.

 

[Reformingstudent]

Here's an article by Herman Hanko (PRC) on revival, if you have some time to read it.

Thanks. I will read it after I get my PC working right again. For some reason it's slow today. Took me forever to log back in. I appreciate that.

Blessings.

 

[Reformingstudent]

You're his father. Grandparents do not enter into the equation. You're responsible for his upbringing and if your wife's parents have any problem with that, they are out of line Biblically. They will not have to account for how you raised your son.

I personally wouldn't send my son to a revival. I wouldn't want him exposed to a positive view of revivalism or of the free-will view of soteriology. If your in-laws have a problem with that, tough noogies. He should preach the Gospel.

Big

I couldn't agree more. Truth is, my son doesn't want to go any way. I would not allow him to go even if he did.

 

[toddpedlar]

Related - suggestions for good books on true revival?

Anyone have the Lectures on Revival of Religion by Ministers of the Church of Scotland (Hetherington, ed., I think ,and more recently Richard Owen Roberts)?

How about Lloyd-Jones's "Revival"?

I've got Iain Murray's Revival & Revivalism, and The Puritan Hope, but could use some other pointers.

Sprague? others?

 

[Davidius]

Related - suggestions for good books on true revival?

Anyone have the Lectures on Revival of Religion by Ministers of the Church of Scotland (Hetherington, ed., I think ,and more recently Richard Owen Roberts)?

How about Lloyd-Jones's "Revival"?

I've got Iain Murray's Revival & Revivalism, and The Puritan Hope, but could use some other pointers.

Sprague? others?

Jonathan Edwards wrote a lot about revival.

 

[jwithnell]

Perhaps grandmother's real concern is that your son hears the gospel? If that is the case, a talk with her about how you are rearing him to know God might meet the bigger issues? Just a guess. Coming from a covenant perspective, I'd not be too quick to dismiss a grandparent's opinions or concerns. But yes, the father has the final word, and I'd not be thrilled with my kids going to a revival either.

 

[toddpedlar]

Related - suggestions for good books on true revival?

Anyone have the Lectures on Revival of Religion by Ministers of the Church of Scotland (Hetherington, ed., I think ,and more recently Richard Owen Roberts)?

How about Lloyd-Jones's "Revival"?

I've got Iain Murray's Revival & Revivalism, and The Puritan Hope, but could use some other pointers.

Sprague? others?

Jonathan Edwards wrote a lot about revival.

Yes, I have his works - both his history of the Great Awakening and his treatise advocating united prayer are very worthwhile. I was looking for other stuff to add to it..

 

[Quickened]

One thing that came to mind reading this thread (depending on the age of the child) is that it could be an event that you could discuss with him about. Perhaps explain your views and maybe what the bible says...

then again he may be too young?

 

[timmopussycat]

Related - suggestions for good books on true revival?

Anyone have the Lectures on Revival of Religion by Ministers of the Church of Scotland (Hetherington, ed., I think ,and more recently Richard Owen Roberts)?

How about Lloyd-Jones's "Revival"?

I've got Iain Murray's Revival & Revivalism, and The Puritan Hope, but could use some other pointers.

Sprague? others?

Jonathan Edwards wrote a lot about revival.

Yes, I have his works - both his history of the Great Awakening and his treatise advocating united prayer are very worthwhile. I was looking for other stuff to add to it..

Eifion Evans has written 3 very valuable books on revival: Daniel Rowland and the Great Evanglical Awakening in Wales (Banner of Truth) and Revival Comes To Wales: The Story of the 1859 Revival in Wales (Evangelical Press). No less valuable an account but less profitable subject matter (except for the first two chapters) is The Welsh Revival of 1904.

 

[Pergamum]

I like the older terminology of "Awakening" a lot better.

 

[py3ak]

Tom, I would not only echo what others have said that you are certainly under no obligation to send your son to the "revival" meetings, but you are also under no obligation to alter your church attendance habits because of Mother's Day.

 

[Presbyterian Deacon]

Related - suggestions for good books on true revival?

Anyone have the Lectures on Revival of Religion by Ministers of the Church of Scotland (Hetherington, ed., I think ,and more recently Richard Owen Roberts)? YES

How about Lloyd-Jones's "Revival"?

I've got Iain Murray's Revival & Revivalism, and The Puritan Hope, but could use some other pointers.

Sprague? others?

I have few books on revival:

Boston Revival, 1842 by Martin Moore (Richard Owen Roberts, 1980)
Accounts of Religious Revivals by Joshua Bradley (Richard Owen Roberts,1980)
New England Revivals, Bennet Tyler (Richard Owen Roberts, 1980)
Lectures on the Revival of Religion by the Ministers of Scotland (Richard Owen Roberts,1980)
Revivals of the Eighteenth Century by D. MacFarlan (Richard Owen Roberts, 1980)
Authentic Records of Revivals by William Reid (Richard Owen Roberts, 1980)

It's been 20 years or so since I read them, but here they are!

 

[Archlute]

What is the Reformed position on revival or revivalism? My father in-law (a Southern Baptist preacher) is conducting a revival this week at some country church not far from where we live. My mother in-law wants our son to go and hear his granddaddy preach but I do not want him to as I know what kind of message ( a save your self by coming to the altar) he will be preaching. I am teaching my son the truths of the scripture and he, as young as he is, understands that Salvation is not something we do ourselves but is a work of God's Sovereign grace from start to finish.
I do not want to keep my son from seeing or being around his grand parents, I just don't want him caught up in their idea of what Christianity is. We are going to their church this Sunday (groan) because of mothers day but I am not looking forward to it. Am I wrong for not letting him go to this revival? I just want to protect my son from the wrong ideas my father in_law has. He is a big fan of Finney and has a low view of Calvinism.

I know not that any minister can "conduct a revival", but I do know that it is every true minister's obligation to set forth the Gospel by the Means of Grace. They revive my weary soul.

 

[Reformingstudent]

Perhaps grandmother's real concern is that your son hears the gospel? If that is the case, a talk with her about how you are rearing him to know God might meet the bigger issues? Just a guess. Coming from a covenant perspective, I'd not be too quick to dismiss a grandparent's opinions or concerns. But yes, the father has the final word, and I'd not be thrilled with my kids going to a revival either.

They are sort of odd about things like that. They know we are raising him up to know the Lord but they have a problem with the fact that we are in a Presbyterian Church and not a fundy S.B church. I know they probably mean well in their own peculiar way. He is very strict and very,very legalistic concerning the rules he applies to himself. Most of which have nothing at all to do with Christianity but are mostly just superstition in nature with a thin veil of Christian covering over it.

 

[Reformingstudent]

What is the Reformed position on revival or revivalism? My father in-law (a Southern Baptist preacher) is conducting a revival this week at some country church not far from where we live. My mother in-law wants our son to go and hear his granddaddy preach but I do not want him to as I know what kind of message ( a save your self by coming to the altar) he will be preaching. I am teaching my son the truths of the scripture and he, as young as he is, understands that Salvation is not something we do ourselves but is a work of God's Sovereign grace from start to finish.
I do not want to keep my son from seeing or being around his grand parents, I just don't want him caught up in their idea of what Christianity is. We are going to their church this Sunday (groan) because of mothers day but I am not looking forward to it. Am I wrong for not letting him go to this revival? I just want to protect my son from the wrong ideas my father in_law has. He is a big fan of Finney and has a low view of Calvinism.

I know not that any minister can "conduct a revival", but I do know that it is every true minister's obligation to set forth the Gospel by the Means of Grace. They revive my weary soul.

The problem is though, not many here in this part of the country I'm in know what the "true" Gospel is. I fear my father in-law has no idea what the Means of Grace are and in fact I'm almost certain that he knows nothing about true Salvation. The man is very neurotic and has a tendency to be very self righteous and legalistic. I do not say this to sound disrespectful of the man or to put him down but if you had ever seen a caricature of what unbelievers think of fundamentalist, he's an example of why they do. The man needs help but can't get it in his head that Grace is not a half and half deal. You know, I do my part, God does His and we meet somewhere in the middle. He will not accept the fact that he can not save him self. He will not trust Christ Alone for his salvation. Sad indeed.

 

[Reformingstudent]

I like the older terminology of "Awakening" a lot better.

Me too.


The Awakening Hour

 

[Reformingstudent]

Tom, I would not only echo what others have said that you are certainly under no obligation to send your son to the "revival" meetings, but you are also under no obligation to alter your church attendance habits because of Mother's Day.

I know. But to keep some peace between my wife and her family I thought just this once it would not hurt anything. They were upset because we did not visit them at easter, and to them it was as if we had commited the unpardonable sin.
I consider this as part of my mothers day gift to my wife. She gets to see her mom on M-Day and all is peacful in the valley.

 

[kvanlaan]

Nothing really new from this quarter, but I would strongly echo some of what was already said. While you should honor your father and mother, you must remain faithful to Scripture first and foremost (and it sounds like that may mean keeping your child out of a revival meeting.)

Your child is your ministry, your foremost responsibility, and your legacy as a father - that's HUGE. So making a big deal about what enters the 'ear gate' and the 'eye gate' is nothing more than your responsibility. I feel rather strongly about this as we have much the same situation - some family members feel we're a little over the top with how we raise our children and what we 'feed' them with regards to intellectual and spiritual sustinence. As long as extra-scriptural legalism doesn't enter into it, I can't concieve of being too careful.

 

[Archlute]

What is the Reformed position on revival or revivalism? My father in-law (a Southern Baptist preacher) is conducting a revival this week at some country church not far from where we live. My mother in-law wants our son to go and hear his granddaddy preach but I do not want him to as I know what kind of message ( a save your self by coming to the altar) he will be preaching. I am teaching my son the truths of the scripture and he, as young as he is, understands that Salvation is not something we do ourselves but is a work of God's Sovereign grace from start to finish.
I do not want to keep my son from seeing or being around his grand parents, I just don't want him caught up in their idea of what Christianity is. We are going to their church this Sunday (groan) because of mothers day but I am not looking forward to it. Am I wrong for not letting him go to this revival? I just want to protect my son from the wrong ideas my father in_law has. He is a big fan of Finney and has a low view of Calvinism.

I know not that any minister can "conduct a revival", but I do know that it is every true minister's obligation to set forth the Gospel by the Means of Grace. They revive my weary soul.

The problem is though, not many here in this part of the country I'm in know what the "true" Gospel is. I fear my father in-law has no idea what the Means of Grace are and in fact I'm almost certain that he knows nothing about true Salvation. The man is very neurotic and has a tendency to be very self righteous and legalistic. I do not say this to sound disrespectful of the man or to put him down but if you had ever seen a caricature of what unbelievers think of fundamentalist, he's an example of why they do. The man needs help but can't get it in his head that Grace is not a half and half deal. You know, I do my part, God does His and we meet somewhere in the middle. He will not accept the fact that he can not save him self. He will not trust Christ Alone for his salvation. Sad indeed.

Tom,

My sympathies go out to you. I have a brother who lives a life of legalism under thoughts that he is living the Gospel, and it is very difficult to get through to him. He is beginning to change, but it has only come with consistently living before him a life that has been informed by the knowledge of God's true grace in salvation.

The best you can do is to live and speak this way, and pray that God would grant he and you other relatives who live under a misrepresentation of Christianity a true knowledge of the saving grace of Christ, in all of the fullness of a knowledge of justification and His imputed righteousness. Only after that would it be wise to begin thinking about introducing these topics into conversation or suggesting reading material. The groundwork of sincerity must be laid first, or the latter will quickly be rejected as an attempt to "get them over to your side".

My prayers go out for you and for them.