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Finney's Measures (2) - Flash (Large) - 20110425 07.16.36AM
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  1. Charles Finney’s New Measures:
  2. American Revivals
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  5. Finney’s New Measures:
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Charles Finney’s New Measures: Helping God Bring Revival Dr. Bud Bence Wesley Seminary at IWU American Revivals 1734 The Great Awakening: Jonathan Edwards George Whitefield 1795 2nd Great Awakening Timothy Dwight 1801 Camp Meeting Revival 1825 Charles Finney 1857 The Holiness Revival Phoebe Palmer 1870 Dwight Moody 1905 Billy Sunday 1946 Billy Graham 1980 Charismatic Renewal Dennis Bennett Charles Grandison Finney 1792- 1875 Presbyterian Lawyer from Upstate NY (Watertown) Converted in 1826 “I have a retainer from the Lord and I must plead his case.” Preaching in canal towns Delivers and publishes “Lectures on Revivals” in 1835 finney3.gif “A revival is not a miracle, nor dependent upon a miracle in any sense. It is a purely a scientific result of the right use of established [methods]. It is impossible for us to say there is not as direct an influence from God to produce a crop of grain, as there is to produce a revival. A revival is as naturally a result of the use of its appropriate measures as a crop of grain is the result of using its appropriate measures.” Lectures on Revivals Finney’s New Measures: Protracted meetings (spring and fall revivals) 2. Praying for sinners publicly by name 3. Extemporaneous prayers by men and women 4. Women testifying in public worship 5. The mourner’s bench (“anxious seat”) 6. The altar call 7. Conversion demonstrated in a transformed life style Charles Grandison Finney 1792- 1875 Writes his “Lectures on Revivals” Pastor of Presbyterian Church in New York City Professor of Theology Oberlin (OH) College finney3.gif
she does in the risen Christ . this is Doctor Bud Bence said Wesley Seminary Indiana Wesleyan University . talking to you in today for a few moments about Charles Finney and his New Measures for Helping God to bring a revival Revival to your church to Revival to your community . or in the case of Charles Finney a revival to an entire section of the nation . . it's interesting to look at the pattern of Revivals in America I in other places in the world they seem to be more spontaneous they simply at different times are an expression of the winds of the holy spirit moving through a particular area calling people to salvation . thank that was the case in the first Great Awakening Jonathan Edwards preacher in North Canton Connecticut out The New England . wrote a book called The surprising work on site he wrote a book called of the faithful narrative or an accurate account of the surprising work of God in the New England colonies Jonathan Edwards Preaching sermons on justification by faith . suddenly discovered that his congregation came alive and in his community came alive . shortly after this Renewal began to happen in New England . preacher from England George Whitfield came to the colonies and began his ministry and in further fan the fires of this Revival so that it became known as the Great Awakening in America . if they did with the American Revolution and it was after that revolution several years later that the second Great Awakening began first in chapel messages delivered by Timothy twice the president appealed University . and then quite uniquely in some ways . springing up in Kentucky in front Here Kentucky in Cambridge near Lexington . in what's become known as the Camp Meeting Revival . and those Camp meetings that many of us of that ended in their life or at least have heard about . all spring from this submarine do a lot of of spiritual energy that seem to come from nowhere . that all changed in eighteen twenty five when Charles Finney . Heather his own experience and began his Preaching . the Revivals that were rather spontaneous . after that became quite organized . and as you look down the screen in front of you in you'll see that about twenty to thirty . sometimes even as far as four years apart . there have been . Alberts of God screen you will in America . quite often associated with a particular person who uses certain strategies . in their ministry . to help God bring about that revival . and that idea of planning and organizing a work of the Holy Spirit really traces back to Charles Finney we want to look at those Measures that he established of . in his own life and wonder if they are still of put the ball in the modern age of proclamation that we have today . Charles Finney was Boring in Massachusetts . it the last part of the eighteenth century . in this family eventually moved west . if you could call New York State West . and they settled in the Upstate New York area near Watertown Pennsylvania . there of . without much formal education . Charles Finney began to study last The Apprentice under a lawyer that was in the town and before long . set for the bar exams and pass them . and became the Lawyer in a little tiny town of North Adams . in upstate New York . he attended the Presbyterian Church was quite accomplished of playing the cello sang in the choir . what Lawyer wouldn't want to be a part of one of the establishment churches . it certainly helps business . the Charles Finney did not have it by his own admission any serious understanding of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ . in a very interesting moment in its life . a group of clergy . I meaning to the plate people came from a Baptist church . indicating that they were being sued by a member of the congregation . they yes . Charles Finney if he would handle the case . Finney consent Indiana began to study for this particular trial . and thinking it would be wise to sprinkle his arguments with biblical passages . he began studying the Bible reading it . the Holy Spirit to work and Charles Denise life . one morning as he was reading the Bible . simply preparing for case . he suddenly . post is viable . walked out of this office locke The Door in in and walked out into an adjacent would be the area . and Gary knell down and he gave his heart completely Jesus Christ . he returned to his office get an appointment that afternoon with the Deacons from the Baptist church . and when they arrived . he made his rather famous statement . I have a retainer from the Lord Jesus Christ . and I must plead his case and not yours . he continued to practice law for a while enough to provide for his family . but his main passion now became Preaching . without any formal theological education . he was not all that welcoming the Churches of bacteria New York . so he took to Preaching in schools houses in bars in people's living rooms whatever he to give an opportunity to share this good news that one could be saved through Jesus Christ and his work on the cross Finney would pick up those opportunities . before long he began to have a reputation as a very eloquent speaker . unlike Jonathan Edwards who preached doctrinal sermons on justification by faith . Charles Finney The lawyer who did not have many theological training . to simply told Bible stories . some passages in the Bible particularly narrative story its feeding of the five thousand raising of Lazarus and telling the stories in rather spellbound being in convincing ways . he began to see results from its ministry people where we're coming to Christ . before long Churches actually began to ask him if he would preach in their orbits . and then he began to move . from the little town of North Adams to Watertown New York . and then down to the Erie Canal . starting in Utica New York he was to Syracuse to Rochester to Buffalo . following the pattern of the newly built . the newly constructed theory canal that stretched all the way from Albany to Buffalo . in each of the cities where he would begin to preach transformation took place . we reached the city of Rochester so dramatic was the work of the Holy Spirit in that city . the Te . City voted itself dry . alcohol the beginning of the prohibition movement actually was Finney impact upon the city of Rochester . prostitutes were out of business . I'm two states the City Hall at noon was close so that there could be a per Meeting of the mayor and the leading citizens of the community in the city hall . Denise . remarkable success . as is a revival less . prompted people to ask him how does it work . what do you do . and therefore knee team thirty five . he was invited to a church in New York City and there he delivered and then later publishes Lectures on Revivals . in his Lectures on a revival . Cheney took issue with Jonathan Edwards concept of the surprising work of God . the RevivalsFinney's proposed was not a miracle . it was in fact Carefully is orchestrated series of steps he called them his New Measures . here's what he wrote . in this . . or here's what he pretended in one of his Lectures on Revivals . you'll be reading it for me this week . he says the revival is not a miracle nor dependent on a miracle in any sense . it is a purely scientific result of the right use of established methods . it's impossible for us to say that there is not as direct an influence from God . to produce a crop of grain . is there is to produce a revival . the revival is it's naturally a result of the use of its appropriate measures is a crop of grain is the result of using its appropriate measures . the protests in simple terms to you . what five or is there going this Praying goes into its living room gets down on its knees and start asking God to surprise him with a good harvest in the fall . you just don't do that . of course going Sense The Sun God sends the rain . you can't have . the harvest of grain . we know God being in the picture . but you're never going to have a harvest of grain . if you don't get out of the living room and do something . you've got a two out . cultivate the soil play and deceit . fertilize the fields . take care of the weeds and and you the hardest . it's a scientific process . and Finney begin to propose or did propose . you'll and I could have revival in our congregations . or in our communities . if we simply followed certain successful strategies . Andy outline the strategies in his New Measures . first of these New Measures was . you need to set those aside a particular time in your Church where you focus upon the fact that God is coming to a new of the congregation . you need to have a revival . Baghdad term of having a revival comes from Wesley is New Measures he called them Protracted meetings that simply means stretched out meetings . when Finney would come to a particular Church to conduct a revival . it had a specific beginning point . but he would have no ending until the Holy Spirit can find the we knew . and in the movement had passed Finney might stay in the congregation in a particular location for week he might stay there for months having meetings every night . focusing upon God's green Doing work . among the people and he said you need to do this infection need to do this twice the year . in your congregation you should have us Bring Revival . and you should have a fall revival . and you should bring in an outside speaker an evangelist . the pastor has a wonderful ministry of teaching the Word . and of of counseling to people and leading the congregation . but of pastors primary mixing up focus is not to bring about spiritual retool that is done by people who are trained and called by God to this particular ministry . and so . growing up in the Wesley an Churches employee I can remember spraying and fall Revivals said might Church . I remember because I lived in the parsonage posting some rather spectacular interim Matic speakers who would be invited to come to our Church . people began to come week we would start once Sunday and we would come Finney the next Sunday . in time . remove from to Revivals a week to one Revival the tube Revivals c year took one revival in here . in and they didn't stretch from Sunday to Sunday they usually started Sunday in Finney Twins day Or began on Friday night and seen each time Sunday . and then even chilly it was decided we really are only getting the choir . we're Preaching to the choir when we have these kind of Revivals and a faded . some of you probably ten churches were you cannot remember the outside speakers coming in . and and speaking for several evenings in a row in but we would call a revival probably some of you and in this course . still have Churches Winters least one defiantly year . but this is important Finney said he would be horrified to find that there are pastors who now think that they are Ministry on Sunday morning . they're teaching ministry is really going to produce a of a stretch . Boeing of the Spirit through the air Congregational . and God enough to simply invite people to come to some special effects . this revival is designed to bring sinners . two point of salvation . and the way we do that Finney said is we've got to be able to get there is a group of people believe truths . and pray for sinners publicly and pray for them by name . heavenly Father we pray for Bob Jones . it doesn't come to Churches wife comes faithfully . we pray that the Jones will come to know Christ . we pray for Billy Smith Billy Smith is a teenager in our congregation who stripping away from the Lord use to come to Sunday school and use meetings but we don't see him anymore All God moves in upon Billy Smith . and you would identify a list of people . and you'd have prayer meetings where you would be praying for the specific sinners . how Finney would save Ken God really move in people's life if there is not genuine intersection and an interception is not some birdshot bless all the people who don't know Christ . gotta be a rifle shot . take the individuals that you know are in need of spiritual salvation when you look scientific Age and identify them by name . furthermore . you're not going to give the keys kind of question if prayers using some prayer book or some prayer that you take out on Friday afternoon . if you're going to preach on Sunday . if you're going to pray pray from the heart . and probably hearing continues Revivals sent a tradition that followed from that . we see the end of that kind of formal prayer . the target Diffuse crafted by someone and put in print in the book in these red Wesley would have read almost all of his prayers . even at the end of the service says he would probably pick up a prayer book and read and appropriate printer . Nelson You sing pray from your heart . in these prayers should be offered by men . a and contrary Meeting . there's nothing wrong with women joining in these prayers as well . in fact Finney Well beyond that to indicate that women could also testify in public worship services . when God was moving why would it only the . that the minister could speak what would only be that men could speak . couldn't women stand up in the in the congregation and share publicly what God was doing in their life . forget Timothy and women being silent in the church when men must have the opportunity to proclaim What guards could Word is to them . first Finney did not go so far is to let women preach . Denise focus would have been upon women testifying in Praying but that in the eighteen hundreds was a remarkable for a few breakthrough of of the gal experience speaking . why not let women share the good new is what is happening in their life . insight by the end of its life when you . churches began to actually ordain women . to the ministry in give them the right to use the pulpit . Finney was fully in support of this move . and interesting Lee enough in the very area where Finney was Preaching is Revivals . you will find today The National Monument where the beginning of the women's rights movement . the Te movement that you've actually lead four women being able to vote in elections women to be able to have Writes Property inequality with men in our society that was not a group of quote liberal . people who saw the value of women it actually wasn't all goes of thing These New Measures of Revival women . have a valid ministry . in bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ . two others . what is probably most significant of a of a new as it was the mourner's bench . when you attend church or Te would set aside two rows Diffuse down on the front . the the front left hand side of the congregation . and here he would encourage people coming to the service who did not know Christ . To said . if you brought visitors to of Finney revival . you would take him down to the front in the S and is secure close to where the speaker was speaking . can you imagine that . he today these kind of people would be clustered in the back use of the church . no you came down he said of the front . SEC its record in any number of people came to fame These Revivals services and asked where the front seats word because tonight was tonight . they wanted to get say . there's call them mourner's bench because here you would be mourning for years since before you were through . one of the outspoken critics of the nice Measures some of Finney trying to in his words manipulate Revivals wrote a book called This is the actions c . this is where people come in and Finney will make them very very uncomfortable very very anxious in his style of Preaching . what appeals to roast . from the church . you remember what he needs occupation was before he came to know Christ . he was a lawyer . and this is the jury box . down here says in the front right where I can present the case for Christ . and when we have Finney spree sending a convincing case for why you want to . that's Jesus Christ into your life . I'm going to ask you to make a decision . what Lawyer would ever stand . a group of people polled after the trial vested in the closing arguments and say I want you to think about this for a while when you've come to a decision whether to come back to the courthouse Levis know what you think the public can go to that . the jury retired to before you leave that building . before you go home . you have to make a decision you have to come to a verdict . and Finney one of God to be visible and demonstrably . this is no quiet slip away . CBO on coffee later this week . Finney Preaching in the church look down on the front and saw what altar rail . traditions at that time always had communion at the Altar method is Presbyterian Episcopalian people did not take communion in their seats they became forward and and they know to derail that extended across the front of the church and what better place . what better place Finney said . for YouTube deal before your maker . and as for retention in salvation in your life so I'm going to ask you at the close of the service to come fold . Lin Yes Te Deum Neal p . and in the public does moment of decision . Make and neuter Ex into your life . so powerful was this concept of decision . the Billy Graham one of the last great revival is that we've had . titled his TV broadcasts the hour of decision . the power of decision . the gospel most recent to be presented in the way to be so convincing that you either accept the truth of what you've heard or you walk away from that . and no teachers leaving the Sense of God in the upper to the Te you had four salvation . later on . revival is we discovered ending a nice piece of music to this altar call works very well . for the two the evangelist Dwight Moody it was softly and and really Jesus is calling come home come home . he who are we Re come home for Billy Graham . it was just to sell Yum without one plea . I think to this day every time I hear that particular song . I find this deep conditioning within the that says it's time to get up body your seat . it's time to go forward but I've done that so many times in my childhood and adolescence when there was an altar call giving . we don't do that . continued . the question is Finney would ask . if you walked away from using the the strategy still measures that are most effective for bringing people to Christ . and finally the last to beat Measures that that you will going to evaluate . in a few minutes is that . one Duke was comforted demonstrates this Conversion by a transformed life . Jesus does not have secret disciples . and in one one two in once one decides to be a disciple of Christ . you will see a different lifestyle . you will see fathers to treat children differently . you will see teenagers who don't run with the crowd . lives separated of very visible Christian life . you are not just quote state Spirit Chile . you are coming first . in terms of how you live your life . I remember Jack mangled . coming to the altar as one of these Revivals service is when I was a child . he attended church occasionally with East life that he was not a believer . and I to suppose by using these very Measures his wife Edith persuaded him one night to come in here think the evangelist injecting . in remarkably . at the end of service . to the amazement enjoy of this entire congregation the small congregation Jack night Gil stumbled out of the season . in came a week into the altar . and that's Jesus Christ into its life . and then very quietly . but dramatically I remember the moment well . Jack reached into his pocket and you the shirt pocket and pulled out his pack of Camel and made them very carefully on the Altar stood up and said . I'm not smoking . check nine Guild IV few years ago some thirty five years after he had passed Jesus Christ and was life . and during that entire time . he had no problem with tobacco the rest of this line Finney believe that people could be comforted in and they would be no more problem with tobacco or alcohol . or dancing or whatever else for what coach a war where the U What twenty movies a whole list of things to become associated with this revival is movement that says not only . the Spirit in with transformation than a person's life that there is an outward transformation as well . in we should expect people . we should expect those who come to a moment of renewable and revival in their life to be able to give witness to specific areas of their life . how likely nine Dwight . White Deum nineteen context . maybe not some of the old ways that might have been a part of of nineteenth century America but is there still a place to ask . it is a revival comes to your congregation . think you are going to see visible differences in people who are part of the church . and Finney . Writes is Lectures on Revivals . and interesting early enough . six comes in his desk if you would like to be the pastor of one of the March Presbyterian churches in New York City Finney accepted the position . move . upstream in and still priest his Revival still gave altar call but didn't know in one of the most pristine just churches in the country . and then a few years later he was asked if he would become the Professor of theology at a newly formed College Oberlin College . College which took him and demonstrated his transformed life . Oberlin College . one could be both male and female . in be enrolled in the program's African Americans were welcomed into this particular school . at the height of the questions of abolition and what were we going to do with slavery . it became a radically transforming kind of institution . literal a nice days because it was so radically committed to making the world a Christian place in and manifest in Christian education . you know anything about Oberlin College . it kept its liberal tradition . abandoned its Christian group . commitments . I visited the campus just last year because I wanted to see the school where Finney was . one of the leading professors and founders went to the chapel . the windows have all been replaced now with the Christian symbols and then removed in each of the windows tell represent some world religion Islam . Buddhists . of wood every and Christian still left of the use Phoebe is probably one of the most radically liberal institutions . in of all of the United States right now . he came is to Professor of theology and trained . but so dramatic . in his concept . there you could literally change the world for Christ . by the use of peace appropriate measures to one with use in their life . so the question before you now is go back and look at that slide with the seven measures that are listed there . I think irrelevant . Revivals something of the past . Word EU seat at least one of those things you'd say . I think there's still benefits to using this measure . in my congregation in my ministry . I suspected you go through that list you might find one of those that you'd say I'm not sure this works anymore Mr Finney . it may have worked in your time and in your setting . it's not for me so we'll evaluate those particular measures . and then later on in this week will last the deeper question . but sweet to win state two you get that response that you need to give to me . wishing you a good week in your ministry . for the kingdom of Jesus Christ . the day .