Continuing our series celebrating the centenary this year of Dr Lloyd-Jones, here we print an extract from a series of sermons preached in 1959 in the anniversary year of the Revival of 1859. The passage was Exodus 33 7-11 and it is printed in the book Revival published by Marshall Pickering.
You will always find, as you read the history of these movements of the Spirit in the long history of the Christian church, that generally the very first thing that happens, and which eventually leads to a great revival, is that one man, or a group of men, suddenly begin to feel a burden, and they feel the burden so much that they are led to do something about it.
History's lesson
Look at the great history. Look at the Protestant Reformation, that mighty movement, where did it come from? How did it originate? I know that there were precursors even of that - Wycliffe - John Huss and others - but, you see, the real thing happened when just one man, Martin Luther, a very ordinary kind of monk, suddenly became aware of this burden. And it so burdened him that he was led to do something about it. Just one man, and through that one man, God sent that mighty movement into the Church.