Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: law 7b revival maximisers

The Law of Revival
Methods &
Maximisers
Pages 449-486
Wednesday 24 November 2010

The essence of the Law of
Revival is these 3 words:
“Revive the heart”
The teacher should
encourage an ongoing
personal revival in students’
lives

Wilkinson starts by saying this method
is revolutionary and works to bring
people who are hardened in their sin
back to the Lord.
The method is based upon his study of
revival in Scripture where he sees they
all follow the same path with only a
few minor differences. It is designed to
produce lasting results and as such
each step has to be accomplished
before moving onto the next.
Remember revival is delicate and an
act of grace - treat it in that way
Revival Method

Repent
Penitent
Contrition
Reprove
Persuade
Censure
Revelation
Passage
Command
-ments

Repent
Penitent
Contrition
Recommit
Promise
Commit
Restore
Perform
Celebrate

Step 1: Revelation
Revival is needed because people
have disobeyed the Lord - sin
If you know a person has sinned it is
your responsibility to lovingly go to
them and restore them. First they
have to see the Bible
teaching on their situation,
and sin - diagnose their
disobedience to the Lord, no
emotion or opinion just what the
Bible says - hit the nail repeatedly
until they do, expose their sin
Revelation
Passage
Command-
ments

Step 1: Revelation
Revival is needed because people
have disobeyed the Lord - sin
If you know a person has sinned it is
your responsibility to lovingly go to
them and restore them. First they
have to see the Bible
teaching on their situation,
and sin - diagnose their
disobedience to the Lord, no
emotion or opinion just what the
Bible says - hit the nail repeatedly
until they do, expose their sin
Revelation
Passage
Command-
ments
Ask, for example,
“Can we agree that on
the basis of these Bible
passages that we have
studied that X is sin?”
Focus them on the Bible not
their own behaviour

Step 2: Reprove
Once they agree the Bible says it
is sin they have to personally
agree their behaviour is sin - this
is a crucial bridge between
revelation of God and repentance of
the student.
“I have sinned” becomes their
confession.
God uses 4 reproving agents -
our conscience, the Bible and the
Holy Spirit. And us!
Reprove
Persuade
Censure

Reproving someone means to
sharply criticise them or reprimand
them. It involves confrontation, and
includes saying something is right
or wrong, acceptable or
unacceptable.
Parents should do it.Teachers
should do it. Pastors should do it.
Society should do it. Instead much
of modern culture says anything is
acceptable.
Biblically we have to think of what
and how we reprove - discipline
should bring about growth
Biblically look at Paul with the Corinthian church,
JTB and the multitudes, Jesus and the religious
leaders. Look at God with his people in Numbers
and Deuteronomy.
God approves of rebuking in love
and so should we.
2 Tm 4:1-2 In the presence of God and of Christ
Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view
of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of
season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great
patience and careful instruction.

Step 3: Repent
This is the turning point - revival
hinges on repentance.
Repentance = metaneo = to change one’s
mind or perception - used in 3 ways;
1. Express remorse for an inappropriate
act/attitude
2. Express a change of heart when a
non-Christian turns to Christ
3. Express a change of heart when a
Christian changes mind and then
behaviour for personal disobedience
Repent
Penitent
Contrition

1. Repentance must include conviction
Conviction has convince at its heart -
to conquer something a person
thinks or believes and replace it with
something different.
In sin a wrong thought pattern needs
replacing with a biblical one. E.g.
Adultery takes place when a person
thinks they will be happier, more
pleasured, in an immoral relationship
rather than in the covenant ﬁdelity
God commanded. God has lied.

Such patterns become strongholds
in a persons mind - usually there
are a number of them each spilling
lies into a persons mind.
Adultery might include; unresolved
anger, unforgiveness, bitterness,
grudges, sexual issues...
The best way to resolve this is
through prayer - 2 Cor 10:3-5
When repentance takes place in
the mind revival will take place in
the life

2. Repentance must include contrition
Contrite = to feel deeply and humbly
sorry for ones sins- it is an emotional
part to the thinking aspect of
repentance.This shows a tenderising of
heart - and also allows the person to
‘feel’ forgiven as well as know they are.
The people in Nehemiah chapters 8-9
David in Psalm 51 (esp. 3-4, 16-17)
Depth f sin should be reﬂected in depth
of contrition - we should encourage
people to feel the pain of their sin.
King Josiah in 2 Chron 34:27 -
Because your heart was responsive
and you humbled yourself before
God when you heard what he spoke
against this place and its people,
and because you humbled yourself
before me and tore your robes and
wept in my presence, I have heard
you, declares the LORD.

2. Repentance must include contrition
Contrite = to feel deeply and humbly
sorry for ones sins- it is an emotional
part to the thinking aspect of
repentance.This shows a tenderising of
heart - and also allows the person to
‘feel’ forgiven as well as know they are.
The people in Nehemiah chapters 8-9
David in Psalm 51 (esp. 3-4, 16-17)
Depth f sin should be reﬂected in depth
of contrition - we should encourage
people to feel the pain of their sin.

3. Repentance must include confession
The person should confess sin not only to
you and to the Lord - but also to others
affected by their action.
Confession is important because at
this point the person humbles
themselves, assumes full
responsibility for their actions and
openly recognises that they must
seek forgiveness from God and
others.
Speciﬁc sins should be mentioned not just
a general prayer - this shows full
understanding of sin has taken place.

3. Repentance must include confession
The person should confess sin not only to
you and to the Lord - but also to others
affected by their action.
Confession is important because at
this point the person humbles
themselves, assumes full
responsibility for their actions and
openly recognises that they must
seek forgiveness from God and
others.
Speciﬁc sins should be mentioned not just
a general prayer - this shows full
understanding of sin has taken place.
See the process:
1st conviction - the mind is
changed
2nd contrition - the heart feels
remorse
3rd confession - the will
acknowledges responsibility

Step 4: Recommit
Focus changes now from
the past to the future - this
makes sure the victory
endures.
The longer a sin has been
committed the greater the
resolve needs to be to rely
upon the Holy Spirit.
Recommitment takes
place, a promise is made,
in order that
commitment will follow.

1. Recommitment must include conﬁrmation
“How committed are you to
stopping this sin that you just
repented of?”
There needs to be a strong positive
response, a conﬁrmation of how
they will face temptation and
commitment to obeying the Lord.
If this is not done you know what
happens the next time they are
tempted!
Remind them of 1 Cor 10:13

2. Recommitment may include covenant
To help a student stand against
temptation it might be helpful to
make a covenant - e.g. Jos.
24:24-25
In Biblical situations making a
covenant or taking a solemn
oath was common after
repenting of major sins,
reestablishing a pledge of
obedience to the Lord.

3. Recommitment should include consecration
Now you might use the fact that a
student has taken a step towards
God to encourage them further:
1. Challenge them to go further
in the areas which tempt them
2. ...to walk deeper with the
Lord in devotions and prayer
life
3. ...to more complete
obedience to the will of God in
all areas of life

Step 5: Restore
Remember God desires
restoration of people
after sin - Wilkinson
suggests 3 ways this can
happen:

1. Restoration may include compensation
Jesus commanded us to be
reconciled to our brothers:
Matt 5:23-24
Students must do what is
needed for reconciliation to
take place, it may require
returning or repayment - this
includes action even if they are
the wronged party.
This requires determined action
- it is not easy.

2. Restoration must include cleansing
Compensation is towards
others, public, past - cleansing
is about our own lives,
personal, present.
1.Take away “temptation
triggers”
2. Instal “Commitment
cultivators”
Both include: friends, places,
events, media etc.

3. Restoration should include celebration
Luke 15:10 - In the same
way, I tell you, there is rejoicing
in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner who
repents.”
And the Prodigal Son: Luke
15:22-24
Celebrate!

Revival
Maximisers

Revival is the inrush of God’s Sprit into
a body which threatens to become a
corpse.
DM Patton
Waiting for revival is no excuse for not
enjoying personal revival
Stephen Olford
The best way to revive the church is to
build a ﬁre in the pulpit
DL Moody

1. Realise that revival is
needed by most Christians
most of the time
Wilkinson estimates that
in evangelical churches
around 50-80% of
Christians are out of
fellowship with the Lord at
any one time.
This applies equally to
students!
Therefore make revival a
top priority in your
teaching

Look at revival and you
see that somewhere a
faithful remnant are
praying for it.
2 Chron 7:14
Pray for revival in your
own life ﬁrst - then
encourage your students
to do likewise
2. Earnestly seek revival
through intense and persistent
private and public prayer

Look at revival and you
see that somewhere a
faithful remnant are
praying for it.
2 Chron 7:14
Pray for revival in your
own life ﬁrst - then
encourage your students
to do likewise
2. Earnestly seek revival
through intense and persistent
private and public prayer
Persistent pupillary
membrane (PPM) is
a condition of the
eye involving
remnants of a fetal
membrane that
persist as strands of
tissue crossing the
pupil.The pupillary
membrane in
mammals exists in
the fetus as a
source of blood
supply for the lens.

Different students respond
differently! When someone has
disobeyed disciplining them will
depend upon the person.
In class - pray for one another
in small groups, have a
discussion panel, use skits to
highlight issues - make it
meaningful for your students.
3. Vary your delivery
according to your students’
spiritual response

Revival liberates people from
sin - but also empowers them
to stay out of sin and remain
in fellowship.
Spiritual disciplines are deep
truths which act as a
foundation for spiritual life -
Wilkinson summarises these
‘secrets’ in this way:
4. Instruct your students in
the knowledge and practice
of spiritual disciplines

Revival liberates people from
sin - but also empowers them
to stay out of sin and remain
in fellowship.
Spiritual disciplines are deep
truths which act as a
foundation for spiritual life -
Wilkinson summarises these
‘secrets’ in this way:
4. Instruct your students in
the knowledge and practice
of spiritual disciplines
1. Read your
Bible every day
2. Walk by
means of the
Spirit
3. Pray without
ceasing

The call for revival needs to
be clear and with a sense of
expectancy and urgency. It
might well be difﬁcult and
challenging for people, fear
might creep into their
hearts - so we must invite
them to return to the Lord
with courage and
unwavering resolve
5. Verbalise the ﬁnal call for
revival clearly and
expectantly

Revival is directly
opposed by our enemy.
All sorts of traps have
been laid to try to make
you fail.
2 Cor 2:11 - in order
that Satan might not
outwit us. For we are not
unaware of his schemes
6. Anticipate revival to be
accompanied by intense
spiritual warfare

Will you lay yourself before
the Lord as a person through
whom he can work revival?
Will you transfer information
or transform individuals?
7. Lay yourself before the
Lord as a clean vessel
committed to revival

Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: law 7b revival maximisers

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Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: law 7b revival maximisers