In our current teaching series: “Crossing the Line” we have examined why the Law of God is fundamental to the presentation of the Gospel to redeem a person from sin. We have also seen examples of how the modern presentation of the Gospel has turned into life enhancement instead of repentance for breaking the Law of God and trust in Christ that results in life change. In an effort to explain how the church deviated from a God-centered presentation of the Gospel to a man-centered presentation of the gospel, I will be blogging during the week of Feb. 14 on the pivotal changes in American revivalism and how it has effected the way most churches present the Gospel today. To start us off, let me give some background to How the West was Won…

Charles Grandison Finney was converted in October 1821 through the ministry of the Reverend George W. Gale. Finney had initially opposed the Gospel preaching of Rev. Gale when his ministry began in 1819 in Jefferson County in Western New York. Finney attended church during his four years while being an apprentice of law in a local attorney’s office, but thought religion was for the weak and needy. He was known to be “a forceful, independent individual” who did not need religion. However, Charles soon felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit for his rebellion against the God of the Universe. After his conversion, Charles Finney was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in June 1824. Finney was zealous for the conversion of the masses and worked hard as a frontier missionary for over two years.

Within two years of zealous preaching, Finney was receiving invitations to preach in churches in Western New York. Finney preached in Rome, N.Y. that had a population of 4,000 and over 500 were added to the churches by the time Finney was finished. From Rome, Finney was invited to speak at the First Presbyterian Church at Utica. Then, Finney was invited to speak at the largest church in northern New York – The First Presbyterian Church in Troy. It was during this time that Asahel Nettleton wrote a letter to be circulated among ministers to warn against “the irregularities and confusion introduced into revivals at the West.” Although Nettleton had not mentioned Finney, it was clear that the way Finney was conducting his evangelistic services was in view.

Soon after, a friend of Finney, Charles Sears, who had been converted around the same time as Finney, was shown a letter written by Finney rebuffing the warning of an older minister against using or aiming at excitement to promote results in his evangelistic meetings. Finney replied to this gentle admonition by advising this older minister that the real problem was his own “cold heart.” Sears reminded Finney that

“the great instrument of its [a revival] progress is Prayer, that exhortation and warm and appropriate appeals be made to the understanding and conscience, that the truth should be exhibited in its most impressive light and if God does not bless that, it is because he has no intention to display his grace.”

Sears went on to remind Finney that it was their duty to expose counterfeit revival. Sears went on to express:

“very serious doubt of the genuineness of that revival [in Western New York] which is conducted upon the principle that no degree of animal feeling is too great and that every excitement, however raised, is to be cultivated and cherished.”

There is no record of a reply from Finney to the warning of Sears.

Monday – Who can argue with results?