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We can say this week that the “Go-Tell” Crusade is “History”, but the question is this, will it now affect the history of our community? I want to say yes and think with me as I offer you a way to see it.

We can’t just look at the “Go-Tell” Crusade as an isolated event because it’s not. It is rather a part of 50 years of prayer and revival movements here in our region, most in East Tennessee. We can actually look beyond that all the way back to July 8th, 1741. Jonathan Edwards had felt he was a failure and spent months locked away crying out to God for help. God came to him in such a powerful way, he had to ask God to stop for fear he would die.

That July morning he walked back to his pulpit and preached, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”. But this morning, his parishioners felt that hell itself was fixing to swallow them, which started the first “great awakening” that shaped our country over a period of 20-30 years.

You’ve got me lost Brother Sheldon, what are you talking about, you ask? As you study revivals and awakenings, you do so by studying how God has moved in the past and measure that by what you see as common denominators in what is called moves of God today. Do the many Crusades and Tent Revivals today have similarities to the successes of the first and second Great Awakenings? Again the answer is yes.

Today in our region, we hear names like Ralph Sexton, Jr, Will Graham, CT Townsend, DR Harrison, and now Rick Gage. These men are not pastors, they are God-called evangelists for seemingly this generation. While their style of preaching might be different, are their similarities between them, the preachers of the great awakenings and even more recent evangelists like Billy Graham and again the answer is a resounding yes.

In the recent Crusade, did you see plenty of youth attend and respond to the invitations giving their lives to Christ for the first time? Check.

Did the messages reach older residents, men and women in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and older give their lives to Christ for the first time? Check. We over look the fact most churches rarely see salvations in older residents.

Are there signs of the gospel reaching people previously who are very resistant to hearing about God? Check.

Did you see entire families come to Christ? Check

Did you see waning church members renew their commitment for Christ and seem to be infused with new zeal? Check.

Have you seen an increase of people that attended the crusade now conscious to share their faith with others? Check.

Were strained marriages and broken relationships healed? Check

Was new excitement generated in local participating churches? Check

Did people feel God called them into missions or pastoring? Check

Was increased unity seen among participating churches? Check

What is the similarities of the names mentioned above? They all have seen all ten signs of true revival take place. Yet the goal is not just revival but Awakening and you then ask what is the difference? Revival is how a Crusade, Tent Event or other venue affects the community today.

A revival builds the fire. An Awakening is how local prayer and church groups keep the fire burning until that move of God permeates society around it.

Awakening is not a 1-5 year effort, but a 10-20-30 year cultural change based on the gradual changes in thousands and tens of thousands of hearts of people who come to Christ and begin to base their lives, their families, and businesses on the unchanging moral values God teaches. Many believe what we see with these frequent revival efforts is the beginning of the next great awakening many believe God promised through decades of prayer.

Originally published on therogersvillereview.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.