Welcome to the World of a Pastor also known as Pastoral Theology Course Notes Lesson Nine

Dr. John Waters

Index to Lessons Lesson One Lesson Two Lesson Three Lesson Four Lesson Five Lesson Six Lesson Seven Lesson Eight Lesson Nine Lesson Ten Lesson Eleven Lesson Twelve Lesson Thirteen Lesson Fourteen Lesson Fifteen Lesson Sixteen Lesson Seventeen Lesson Eighteen Lesson Nineteen Lesson Twenty Lesson Twenty-one Lesson Twenty-two Lesson Twenty-three Lesson Twenty-four Lesson Twenty-five Lesson Twenty-six Lesson Twenty-seven

Revival and Personal Work By Dr. John Waters There are many people waiting for mass demonstration of the Holy Spirit in revival such as Pentecost or the Moody Revival or the Welch Revival. They are overlooking the fact that God starts with individuals. God can give revival by starting with one person. If that one person is sold on living a dedicated life to Christ and soul-winning, he will experience revival in his own soul, and his enthusiasm will infect others toward revival blessings. Finney ran into trouble with the predestinators who were waiting on God to do everything, and they wouldn’t move a muscle. He had to attack their fatalistic doctrine to get the people to stir their hearts up to seek God’s face in repentance and faith. When they got stirred up and began to pray, the Spirit of God honored their faith and began to bless in great revival. Now, we know the “arm of flesh” can profit nothing, and we are not advocating “fleshly” efforts; but Christians are commanded to “stir up the gift within them”, and this lies in the realm of the spirit. So, the spirit of a Christian properly stirred up by the Holy Spirit and directed by the Word of God can get the flesh in subjection and going in the right direction to revival and soul-winning. Isn’t it strange that so much energy can be directed at church work in general—which must be done—without pleading as an excuse “we must wait on the Lord” before we do it. Do not misunderstand us, we are for “waiting on the Lord” for His will, His direction, and His power; but when His will is made plain, then what are we waiting for? He has told us plainly to “Go ye” into all the world with the Gospel, and He has promised to be with us and to back us up. Then, why should we let our laziness deceive us, under the guise of “waiting on the Lord”. After all, He has done His work on the cross and in the resurrection, and sending forth the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that many who cry out, “You’re going in the flesh” are letting the flesh deceive them, and they are “staying home in the flesh” too, thus failing to win souls at His command with His presence.

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Contact writers:
Dr Dennis Carter, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC
Pastor Steven Mays, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Laurens, SC