Standing Corn in a Harvest Wind — E.A. Johnston

The Burden for Revival and the Loss of a Praying Generation

I have carried a burden for revival with me for several decades and in that time I've had the privilege to pray with many men of revival who also shared that burden to see revival in our day. There's a generation of preachers who have died and gone to glory and these men have left a void behind them because these men knew the urgent need of revival and they spent their lives on their knees praying to see revival.

Spiritual Self-Reliance and the Need for Revival

But many pastors today, friends, see no need to pray for revival because their church is run on money and manpower. They can get along fine and grow their church without God. To show you what I mean, I was standing in line in my cap and gown years ago getting ready to receive my Ph .D. from seminary and as I stood there I asked a pastor next to me who was from another city.

I asked him if he and other pastors in his town gathered regularly to pray for revival, to come to their churches. And he looked at me strangely and he replied, Why? Why do we need revival when our church is on the grow?

Listen, friends, if God doesn't come in revival in a muddy outpouring of His grace, then all we can expect in this country is ruin and judgment. My message today, friends, is on the subject of revival and the desperate need for it.

Revival as a Harvest Wind

I was recently re-reading a biography on the life of D .O. Moody and I want to read you a quote from that book right now, friends, for it sums up to me what revival is. The statement is from a man who was converted under Moody's preaching during a great revival in Scotland.

Listen to this man, John McNeill, as he looked back over the years and thought on the revival of Great Britain under D .O. Moody in 1874. Listen to his words. Across all these years, my heart still candles at the glory of that time.

I got my soul and my Savior out of it. I feel like crying out to the dwindling survivors of that generation. Crying out to remind themselves of that mighty Russian sweep. When all over the land the souls of men were bound before the Lord like the standing corn in a harvest wind.

I like that description of revival, friends, for it sums up in the title of my message to you today, a standing corn in a harvest wind. And my text can be found in the book of Psalms. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends.

We will be in Psalm 110 and verse 3. Let me read that to us at this time. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Listen to me, friends. When God shows up in revival, he comes with such a force and influence that bows the hardest hearts of men.

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Like that man said of the moody revival. All over the land the souls of men were bound before the Lord like the standing corn in a harvest wind. Wouldn't you like to see God move in revival like that, friends?

I sure would. More souls can be saved in a month of a God-sent revival than many years of steady evangelism. Many of the pastors who saw revival in former days are dead and gone. It's been 158 years since this nation has seen a spiritual awakening, and the church is saturated with the pervading presence of the Almighty.

The 1858–1859 Prayer Revival

The last national awakening in this country occurred in the year 1858 to 1859, and it began in New York City under the prayers of a layman by the name of Jeremiah Lamphere. He had a burden for the working men and women in the city, so he started a weekly prayer meeting at the noonday hour.

The first day only four people showed up to pray, but in a few weeks, friends, there were over 200. Then God sent a powerful revival that not only shook New York City but the entire nation. Soon every major city was having noonday prayer meetings where thousands were being saved like standing corn in a harvest wind.

Pride and Prayerlessness as Barriers to Revival

The main reason, I believe, we are not seeing revival in our day, friends, is twofold. The church at this hour is full of pride and self-reliance, and the other reason is our prayerlessness. I know a remnant in this country that consistently prays for God to send revival, but they are a mere handful compared to the masses of church members who see no need for revival.

But God hears desperate, burdened, importunate prayer. He doesn't pay much attention to careless prayer that is self-focused. Listen to me, friends. A congregation will mirror their pastor. If you have a praying pastor, then chances are you will be a praying bunch of people.

Pastoral Example and Congregational Spirituality

If your pastor is a joke-telling, back-slapping, shallow individual, then the church members will more than likely be spiritually shallow and frivolous as well. If the pastor is focused on praying for revival and reaching the lost with the gospel, then his church will reflect this in the members as well.

The point I'm trying to make is we are not seeing revival today because most of the churches have compromised themselves with the world and are full of spiritual pride and self-reliance. God will not walk in the midst of such a back-slitting people.

Humility Before the Holy God

Listen to Isaiah 57 15. For thus saith the High and Lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Like I said, spiritual pride is a major hindrance to seeing revival until the leaders in our churches humble themselves before the Lord and establish regular times of prayer and call their people to repentance and humility before God and desperately seek his face and turn from our wicked ways.

Joel’s Call to Repentance and Fasting

The same thing is going to happen. We'll be playing church like usual on Sunday morning. But God looks on the heart of man and our need of him and our sincerity in seeking him. Listen to these verses, friends, from the book of Joel, found in chapter 2, beginning with verse 12.

Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him.

And then, friends, God instructs his wayward people in this passage from Joel to blow a trumpet, to sanctify fast, to call a solemn assembly where the spiritual leaders set the example and lead the straying people of God back to God.

Spiritual Leaders Weeping for the People

Listen to verses 17 and 18. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them.

Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people. Then and only then, friends, will we get God's attention and his favor in an outpouring of his Spirit across this land in a powerful revival that could shake this nation from coast to coast where untold thousands are saved like standing corn in a harvest wind and the heart of a nation is turned back to the God of the Bible.

Let us pray.