Working on Reformation, Praying for Revival

   Welcome to Reformation Day our annual celebration of what God accomplished for the church and the world through the likes of Martin Luther, Tyndale, Calvin and their generation. While the Reformation recovered (and its important to understand that the Reformation was a recovery project) several vital doctrines that lay at the heart of Christianity, its also vital to see that the Reformation was, at its heart a revival of faithful Christian worship and life across Christendom. For centuries the Roman church had accumulated accrustations of falsehood and corruption. These corruptions led most devastatingly to the loss of the doctrine of Justification by Faith and with it all manner of other fundamental teachings from the Bible and the Church Fathers. The Roman Catholic church had developed all manner of theological and liturgical innovations over the previous centuries, innovations which had the left the biblical voice of the church unrecovnizable. The Reformation was not an attempt to begin something new, it was a movement to scrape these additions to the Apostolic faith from the teaching and worship of the church, to remove the corruptions and to pursue a renewal of the church throughout Europe. The blood of many saints were spilled in these efforts and the church in the West was split as the wickedness of Rome persisted, refusing the repentance offered in the Reformation. But the Reformers did not seek to simply purify the doctrine of the church. The Reformation entailed a re-examination of the church's relationship to the political rulers as well as a restoration of biblical worship in the liturgy. The liturgy had shifted from the work of God's people, to a ceremonial observance for God's people. The authorities of the church saw all God-ordained authority subsumed under their own. Kings, meant to rule under Lordship of Christ for the good of their nations were subject to the dictates of the Vicar of Rome. 

This work of reformation gave rise throughout Europe to a great reviving work of God. The gospel of God's grace, uncovered by Rome's additions was unleashed that had lost the wonder of the Gospel. The altars were cleared of their thousands of intermediaries and the church rediscovered the glory of worship and the Eucharist. The Scriptures were proclaimed and read among the common folk. Joy broke out in all corners of Europe and eventually England and Scotland. As the purity of the church and her worship was pursued, the Spirit of God blew across this work to revive the faith that had been slowly eroded in the late Middle Ages. All of life was reformed and revived by the Word and the accompanying work of God's Spirit. 

...in our own day.

We live in a day wherein the church desperately needs another work of reformation and, in God's mercy, revival. I was talking to a friend this week who asked me to summarize what I pray God might do in and through our church in our city. I answered, "Reformation and Revival." Revival is a funny word. If one grew up in the south it means a series of meetings held by the church and scheduled several months in advance. A usually fiery preacher comes in and gives "revival" messages for a few nights, complete with long altar calls and some people praying in the back. For others, images of college students singing fervently in auditoriums and arenas with lots of crying, hands raised and the rest. A couple of years ago a lengthy night of worship at several universities took on a life of their own with Christians traveling from all over the country to see what was going on. Some walked away confessing the authenticity of these "revivals" on the basis of what they felt when they were in the room. Others mocked the whole ideas arguing that such emotionalism was being manufactured. In such seasons, I find Jonathan Edwards' work The Religious Affections to be helpful. He argued for a strong "wait and see" posture. Strong emtional responses are no proof of a genuine work of God in revival, nor are they an argument against such a move of God. The fruit of genuine revival is a life marked by repentance, faith and genuine fruit of such faith: obedience. God has used all manner of methods to produce such fruit over the centuries, sometimes quiet and sometimes loud. But do not be fooled by appearances. 

I take "revival" to mean a supernatural work of God wherein he works through his Word and by His Spirit to lead whole churches, cities and even nations to turn from their unbelief and sin, to believe and rejoice in the Gospel, and to bring all of their lives under the authority and reign of Jesus. The most important component in this definition is that revival is a "work of God." It is not our work. We pray for it. We arrange the wood on the altar. But God must light such fires that would burn through our churches, our homes, and our cities. 

Reformation is the work of arranging the wood for the fire. It is the work to purify the teaching of the church, to teach, to worship, to pray. It is the work to see that the word we proclaim, is in fact, Christ's Word and not our own innovations or subtractions. It is the application of the Word to every area of life - from our own piety, to the life of our families, to our work and our politics. It is the diligent effort to purify the church's worship, the church's doctrine, and the church's relationship with the city around her. We pray for revival. We do the work of reformation. We want to see every part of lfie, for all people, lived under the total reign of Christ. This cannot happen across our city apart from a work of God. But what the church can do is to structure her worship in accordance with the Word, to teach the law and the gospel in accordance with the Word, and apply God's word to every part of life, leaving nothing alone. 

So, what does Reformation look like at Trinity...

Reformational Worship

Worship is always about God. It entails the covenant people of God gathering in God's presence to renew covenant with Him. It is the people who sing. It is the people who confess their sins and are assured of their pardon in Christ. It is the people who gather at God's covenant table for bread and wine. We believe that the worship of the church is central to everything else God is doing in the world, so the gathering of God's people on Sunday is central to our life as a people in Denver. Our children are included in this offering we bring before God each week so they are with us when we sing, when we confess our sins and when we come to the table. Our singing should reflect the great songs that God has given us in his Word, so we sing Psalms, we sing hymns and we sing in the power of the Spirit and the faith that He gives us. We want our worship to be free of Romish innovations adding layers of corruption to the worship of God's people. We also want our worship to be free of all modern corruptions as well. The worship of the Roman churches prior to the Reformation had separated the work as well as the blessings of the liturgy from the people. The priests worshipped while the people looked on. Much modern worship does the same. A dark room with screens pulls ones' attention away from the precious reality that we gather as a church, a covenant community, creating the illusion that its just you and Jesus. A professional band drowns the singing of God's people, moving the locus of these offerings to "priests" whom do all the worshipping for us. Children are shuffled from the room in the name of age-appropriate learning, training us to think of worship as an educational experience rather than offerings brought before God and the blessings of God poured out on His people. Worship is assessed on how it made me feel, rather than on its objective beauty, its truthfulness, and its faithfulness to the Gospel itself. The wood arranged rightly means a people gathered in the name of Jesus, bringing their offerings in song, confessing their sins, believing God's Word and expectant that God will keep all His promises. 

Reformational Preaching and Application

Christ is Lord of everything. His Word must be taught and His word must be applied. We have grown far too comfortable with heady doctrine that has no feet on it. When revival comes, it always comes with feet. It brings repentance, faith and obedience to every square inch of life. The gospel of God's grace in Christ is believed, yes. But also, men lead their families and lead in civic life with courage and boldness. Wives submit to their husbands and fill the world with beauty and fruitfulness. Children are given Christian educations. Businesses refuse to bend the knee to DEI, the feministas, or any other godless agenda. Sexual immorality is cut off. Generosity abounds. Hard work and excellence in the work done throughout the city is pursued. The grounds for revival will always entail the preaching and application of the fullness of God's Word. The wood arranged rightly will entail a Word that shapes and directs all of life, not just our pieties or our theology, but our politics, our businesses, and our homes.

Reformational Church Life

Ephesians 3 tells us that Jesus has given gifts to his people in the form of pastors and teachers - men, called by God to shepherd God's people - to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded them. For much of modern church life, pastors and elders have functioned more as business managers and celebrities rather than as shepherds of God's people. The elders of the church are given by God for the sake of counseling, comforting, disciplining, and leading the church - to do so, they must actually know the people they lead. They must confront sin, they must counsel with compassion and courage, and they must demonstrate a joyful hospitality. The wood arranged rightly will entail shepherds who faithfully love God's people and disciple those under their care, helping all to faithfully follow our Lord and to trust in His good mercy. 

And so, we pray for revival and we prepare for it through a church life marked by reformation - reformed both from the corruptions of the papists and the corruptions of modernity. We seek a city that is Christian, filled with the mercy and righteousness of God, and pray that God might come and move even here.