Asbury Revival, Francis Chan & Putting God in a Box

The Asbury Revival and the Need for Discernment

Now, I want to spend a few minutes on the subject of the Asbury Revival, Francis Chan, and putting God in a box. You've heard people talk about this, that, oh man, that guy, he just, he puts God in a box.

Well, okay, so what about the Asbury Revival? I'm sure you've heard about it the past week and a half. People have been talking about Asbury University and how a revival has broken out. Even mainstream media outlets, I think Tucker Carlson on Fox News reported about this.

So it's getting national and even international coverage. Basically, there was a chapel service and some students stayed afterward in order to pray, share their testimony. Of course, the rock band is playing the music and that just went on all night and people have stayed ever since.

People have been there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It started, it went viral on social media, the news, local news picked it up and then national news picked it up. So that of course just brings in an even bigger crowd and now it's just packed full every day.

So it's revival happening at Asbury University. So the first question that people were asking, they were asking, is this real? Is this real revival? And of course, that depends on how you define the word revival.

If you mean by that, that a group of people are getting excited about singing songs to God and there's an electricity in the air and people are fired up for God and attendance numbers are way up. If that is how you define revival, then sure, I suppose this would qualify as revival.

But for it to be real, I think a few things have to be present. This is pretty basic. For a real revival to take place, there must be number one, genuine repentance and number two, genuine conversions.

You know, people could repent and come to Christ and people who maybe already know Christ who have been backslidden would repent and get right with God. But that's what it would require for it to be true revival.

Now, listen, maybe that's happening. I'm not denying that that's happening. Matter of fact, with all the people that have been in and out of the place, I'm sure that's happened to somebody. But as far as the overall result or the fruit from this, time will tell.

So a lot of people believe that, oh, this is a move of the Holy Spirit. This is true revival. But there are others who see revival as something bigger, something that spreads, something. And this is how I would view biblical revival, that it's something that would turn a whole region or maybe the whole nation back to God.

It would be something on a larger scale than just one church or one location. So part of this depends on how you define revival. Either way, as is with anything, you know, this is true. You will have people who defend whatever it is you're talking about.

There's going to be people who defend it. Then you will have the critics. So many people, they see a video on YouTube or Facebook and they automatically accept that, oh, this is definitely a powerful work of God, the Holy Spirit.

And anyone who would question that, oh, they're bad or they're just putting God in a box. So that's one reaction. And then the other side, they're a little more skeptical about it. So some people, they fully accept it automatically.

Then there's other people are like, well, hold on a second. I'm not so sure. Let's let's check it out. Why would someone be hesitant? Because let's face it. Hopefully every true believer wants to see revival.

I think we can agree on that. We all want to see revival. But why would someone be hesitant? Well, it's because, well, just if you've lived this life long enough, you know that it helps to be skeptical sometimes and not just buy into just any report that you hear.

But the Bible tells us in first John chapter four, verse one, the scripture tells us to test the spirits to see whether or not they are of God. And first Thessalonians 521 tells us to test all things and hold fast to that, which is good.

So my first response when I heard about the Asbury revival was not to automatically dismiss it because, again, I mean, I want to see revival as much as the next person. But my initial reaction was, OK, time will tell.

I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon. I've learned my lesson with that kind of thing before. But let's be discerning. Let's be discerning, but still hopeful. So let's see what takes place before. This is, I think, the attitude we should have before we start to form any opinions.

We need information. You know, when someone just gives their opinion when they know nothing of what they're talking about, that's foolish. So before I started to form my opinions, I needed more information.

Reports of Repentance, Openly Gay Worship Leaders, and Catholic Participation

Well, now it's been going on for, I don't know, almost two weeks. More information is coming out. And I think you have to say there does seem to be some positive things. God appears to be working in the lives of some of the people there.

I don't doubt that that's happening. God's always at work. But on the other hand, there are also some reports that gay students are open and affirming people are involved in leading some of the worship.

I mean, if that's true, which I've heard at this point, I've heard multiple reports that that is happening, that they're leading worship. Not that they're just in attendance, because anyone can be in attendance, but they're leading worship.

If that is a true revival, that would be the type of thing people would be repenting of. So that's the first thing. There's also some reports of Catholics being involved. Okay, so now I want to be clear.

I am not anti-Catholic. But I am anti-Catholicism. Roman Catholicism as a religion. I'm not against the people, maybe the hierarchy, but the teaching, it's not biblical Christianity. So here's the thing.

Asbury is a school that comes out of a Methodist or Wesleyan tradition. Charles Wesley was the founder of that movement. And Charles Wesley is on record saying that he believed the Roman Catholic Church had a different gospel.

Wesley was one of the main Protestant leaders of the last 500 years. So Wesley is on record saying that he believed Rome had a different gospel. And Charles Wesley, remember, this is a Wesleyan school.

Charles Wesley is also on record with his statements basically amounting to the papacy he believes is the seat of Antichrist. Now, you may agree with that. You may not. But it's worth pointing out for this reason.

When a so-called revival is breaking out, and it includes people that maybe have a different gospel, or it includes people that are open and affirming, obviously, there are going to be people who question that, whether or not it's a true work of God, the Holy Spirit.

Because the Holy Spirit, one of the names for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. And I would also add the Holy Spirit gives us discernment. The Holy Spirit doesn't make you gullible. So the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.

So if these reports are true, and obviously, it would all depend on that, but many people who had been there, eyewitnesses, they said, yes, some of this stuff is happening from the stage. So if that's true, which it appears that it is, the question becomes, how can a Holy Ghost-inspired revival include open and affirming people along with a false gospel?

I mean, that's a good question, I think. It's not to discount everything that's happening. I also mentioned Francis Chan, Asbury Revival, Francis Chan, and putting God in a box. What does Francis Chan have to do with this?

Well, Francis Chan is going to be at Asbury. I think he's planning to visit there tomorrow and hold an intercollegiate day of prayer, some event that's been planned for a long time. He planned that visit to Asbury before the revival started.

Now, that's important because this is either a huge coincidence or it gives insight to what's really going on. Francis Chan is associated with IHOP, that is the International House of Prayer, formerly associated with the Kansas City Prophets, and they are known to have a strategy for revival, which includes 24 -7 worship.

And that's exactly what's happening at Asbury. So, I mean, that's quite a coincidence, or again, it gives you insight into what's really happening. Francis Chan is one of those people who wants to bring everybody together, Catholics, Methodists, everybody.

Evangelicals, bring everyone together. And Francis Chan, you can go on YouTube and he admits this. He talks about this. None of this is conspiratorial. Francis Chan admits all of this. Francis Chan, a couple of years ago, he flew to the Vatican and had private meetings with the Pope.

And ever since that time, Francis Chan has been trying to get evangelicals to abandon their doctrine so that they can come closer to Rome. Francis Chan advocates for less preaching. Stop making such a big deal about this salvation by faith alone thing and the Catholics or faith plus work.

Less preaching, less doctrine, more unity. Less preaching, less focus on doctrine, more of a focus on the Eucharist. So, that's what Francis Chan is doing. And now, Chan is going to Asbury where there's some Catholics involved in this revival.

Chan, tomorrow, is going to be the main speaker. And it just so happens the revival is planning to end. I think it's ending today or ending tonight or they're going to clear out the building and then Chan will speak tomorrow to lead an event to sort of wrap it all up.

Well, that's what's being reported. So, if you take all that into consideration and the Bible tells us we are to test the Spirit, the point is you can't really blame someone for being cautious. That doesn't mean that nobody's life has been touched by God during all of this.

But a genuine revival brought about by the Holy Spirit, is that really going to include Roman Catholicism, Pope Francis, or open and affirming or just openly gay people leading worship? I don't see how you can unify with a group of people who clearly have radically different beliefs than that of biblical Christianity.

If a church has a different gospel, if people are bowing down to graven images, which that's not happening at Asbury, or if they're open and affirming, if they have beliefs that contradict the Bible, how can all of these different groups come together and have fellowship?

I mean, that's a good question. Ephesians 5 .11 says, "...and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.". How can people filled with the Holy Spirit have fellowship with those who affirm same-sex marriage?

Again, if this were a true revival, those would be things that would be repented of. But, you know, when people start talking like this, I just know the instant reaction. I've seen it online. People say, well, you are just putting God in a box.

God Cannot Be Limited by Human Expectations

Okay, putting God in a box. What does that mean? It means you're limiting God, that you're saying that God can't do this. Well, let me remind you, there are some things that God can't do. I mean, I put God, the only box that God is in is in the box of truth, the box of Scripture.

Let's remind people, there are some things that God won't do, right? But there are some things God can't do. God cannot lie. God cannot deny Himself. God is not going to go against. You know, the Father isn't going to say one thing and then the Holy Spirit is going to lead someone to do the opposite.

The Holy Spirit isn't going to inspire something in Scripture and then lead someone to contradict it. And I want you to hear me on this. I would certainly never say that the Lord couldn't cause a revival to happen at Asbury.

God most certainly can bring revival to Asbury University or anywhere else. The question is, is He doing that? Not, can He do it? Is He doing that? The point is, if someone is doing what Scripture says and they are testing the spirits, that is not putting God in a box.

It's being discerning. But God is not going to go against what He has already revealed in His Word. So, the bottom line is this. Be careful. Christians, if I can give you any advice, it would be, be careful.

Be discerning. Test the spirits. Test all things. Hold fast to that which is good. If in a couple years from now it's clear that many people were converted to Christ and they endured in the faith and there seems to be some good fruit that came from Asbury and all of this, then praise the Lord.

But if it was just a flash in the pan, or the whole thing turns out to be contrived, it is just further, you know, and it just further contributed to doctoral compromise. Well, there you go. Either way, Jesus said in Luke 16 verse 18, He said, The sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

As believers, we need to be discerning. We can't be gullible. We cannot be naive. Jesus said we are to be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves. Let's pray for revival. Let's hope some good things are happening.

I believe some good things probably are happening, but test the spirits. Don't be led by emotion or what you wish to be true. We need to be led by God's Word and God, the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Word.

Again, the Word says, 1 Thessalonians 5, 21, Test all things, hold fast to that which is good.