Lessons from the Jesus Revolution

I had the sheer joy of going to see the new movie The Jesus Revolution this weekend with my wife. It is a movie based on a book of the same title written by pastor and author Greg Laurie who was present during the “Jesus Movement” that spanned from the end of the 1960s into the early 1970s. There can be no mistaking that it is very fitting that it has come out right at a time that a new revival is sparking on college campuses and even some churches around the country. As many are taking note of what is presently happening and making various comments about it, I thought that I would share some insights into some lessons that can be gleaned from this movie.

Hungry Souls Are a Catalyst

The first thing that can be for certain is that it is in great hunger that revivals are birthed forth. In the case of the Jesus Movement, it is apparent that this hunger, while seemingly associated by many in the church as a drug-induced rebellion was perceptively interpreted by others as a cry for help and a pursuit of truth because that truth was not being found by other means, including the very churches that knew the truth.

It is through hunger that God can move because there is an acknowledgment that people have come to the end of self-exploration and ability. God desires people who will admit that they have a need that cannot be fulfilled in any other way. It’s interesting that in the film Jonathan Roumie, who is also known for playing Jesus in The Chosen series, plays the character Lonnie Frisbee mentions to Kelsie Grammer who plays pastor Chuck Smith that the young people he sees are in a place of desperation. Desperate people express that desperation in ways that appear insanity to those who believe themselves to have it all together. In the case of Chuck Smith, it was having his eyes opened by Lonnie that caused him to see his own hunger and something that was being missed within his church.

Humility Goes a Long Way

It takes a level of humility to acknowledge that you’ve closed yourself off from much of what Jesus has said he came to fulfill. Chuck Smith had to acknowledge that he had been like many in his church that did not understand those who were seen as hippies and could not imagine them in his church until he encountered Lonnie. Lonnie opened his eyes to the hungry and it humbled Smith.

In the case of the revival at Azusa Street in the early 1900s, it was the revelation that the Holy Spirit had been ignored despite the vast portions of New Testament scripture dedicated to the person, power, and purpose of this part of the Godhead. Those who were humble at Azusa looked beyond segregation and denominational barriers to the great longing of the Spirit.

Egos Can Quench Revival Fires

Anytime that a revival grows, one way that the enemy attempts to wreck it and quench the fire is through the ego of people. You can look at many of the past movements in America’s history and link their eventual ending or fizzle to people who tried to make it about an individual or the suppression of an individual.

In the movie, you see a moment where Chuck Smith recognizes that there was a problem developing and his spiritual wisdom cautioned him that what God was doing could easily be derailed if the ego that he saw arising became a stumbling block. When I saw this part of the film my immediate thought went to 1 Timothy 3:6 where Paul advises Timothy about the governing of those who have the desire to be leaders in the church. Chuck saw his own error and moved quickly to ensure that no one's ego did not extinguish it.

Revivals Need Good Watchmen

We initially see Chuck Smith as a watchman when he is confronted by the church board who opposed many of the changes at Cavalry Chapel. Their hearts and eyes were still closed to what God had revealed to Smith. Smith’s small gradual steps from having these early “Jesus Freaks” sit on one side of the church all the way to the moment where he washed their feet as they entered the church, became the gradual stoking of the flames that enabled a small fire to turn into something much larger.

Chuck Smith’s wisdom and care proved him to be a good watchman. Revivals need watchmen who can steward well its growth, fan the flames, and set things up for reformation. In Chuck Smith’s case, you see the shift that takes place, not only in the church he pastored but also where it needed to grow beyond the capacity of his own ability. His ability to see the potential in a young Greg Laurie helped ensure continued growth and development for a generation.

God Always Favors the Misfits

I mentioned earlier that one of the main characters, Lonnie Frisbee is played by the actor Jonathan Roumie who plays Jesus in the Chosen series. In the Chosen series, he is known for a line where he says, “get used to different.” It’s also known that in the series you begin to see there is something about misfits that God loves and shows favor to. Those so-called Jesus Freaks were the very ones God was looking to so that He might awaken something that had been lost by a stagnant church.

I believe that we’re seeing a similar move in the revival that has recently been sparked at Asbury College. I believe that one of the things that it is signaling is the acknowledgment that God still has a place for the misfits. This revival is not being led by celebrity pastors, evangelists, and big named bands. It’s being led by the hungry students who wanted to see God move in a way that they had not seen but had been hungry to experience.

If there is anything that I could hope for, is that along with the desire of watchmen and stewards who will guard this fresh revival, I pray for the eventual reformation that is founded upon love.