Why Is Genuine Revival Important for the Church in our Generation？ — Alan Baker

The Church’s Numerical Decline and Need for Revival

I think everybody knows that as they go into churches, they see the churches getting smaller and smaller numerically. We are dying. We are slowly dying. And so we need to have a move of God. The fact that we are dying, less people coming in the kingdom of God, and less following wholeheartedly after God, less sense of holiness, we need a sovereign move of God.

New Converts as the Measure of Genuine Revival

And also, I say the barometer for any true revival is individuals coming to the kingdom of God. That is becoming an abnormality in the church in the West. I travel quite a lot and speak in different places, and some churches I find there's very few individuals coming to the kingdom each year, which breaks my soul.

Breaks my soul. And if I feel that, how much does the heart of our Heavenly Father see that? And also, because less than 3 of the church in the West is evangelising, if we don't evangelise, we don't reach out, how can we see revival?

Repentance, Rededication, and the Meaning of Revival

Because revival essentially is souls coming into the kingdom of God. There's repentance, there's a turning around, and there's a rededication. Often we have revivals and we say that's a rededication to God.

I don't really believe that's a true revival. A true revival is individuals turning from their lifestyle and then coming into the kingdom of God, repenting and living a life wholeheartedly and committed to serving the Lord.

That's revival. And often the seedbed for revival is tears. There's a brokenness, there's a rendering of the heart. And that's another thing we don't see in the church in the West. There's very few tears.

Tears, Brokenness, and Spiritual Transformation

Often we have sermonettes, we have organised plans, but very few tears. And tears are the seedbed for revival. We need to be aware of our condition and as we're aware of our condition spiritually and bring that before the Lord, then he changes us and makes us into his image.

Christ’s Mission to Bring the Lost into God’s Kingdom

And what's the purpose, the mission of Christ? It is to see those who are lost brought into the kingdom. So that's why I believe revival is important, particularly in the West. And there's a falling away as well.

The Worldwide Falling Away and Urgent Need for a Move of God

There's a falling away which is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. And so we need to be aware of that. And more people are being born, so less people come into the kingdom of God, so we definitely need a move of God.