Running To Win

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith. The city of Chicago felt the rushing mighty wind during the days of DL Moody, the founder of Moody Church. We're learning about those special times when God comes to church. And today, we'll relive those days that happened right here where this broadcast comes from.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line.

Guest (Male): Pastor Lutzer, you're a student of revival, so you know of whence you speak.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Yes, Dave, it's been my privilege to actually witness a revival in Western Canada in the early 70s. It was a true revival. Not just revival services, but people were repenting, they were returning articles that they had stolen, and actually it was affecting entire communities.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: But to refer to the revival that you mentioned in your intro, that really impacted DL Moody. As a matter of fact, if I might quote, and it comes to mind, he wrote to his mother and said, "Mother, there is a revival in this city. I go to meeting every night."

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: And many people think it was that revival that actually thrust him into his great worldwide ministry. And perhaps people have already heard me say this, but many years ago, I decided to go downtown to what used to be Metropolitan Hall, which was so full at noontime for a prayer meeting that there was no room to get in.

Guest (Male): Can you imagine that?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Wouldn't it be wonderful if God were to do it again? Well, as we listen to the message this morning, we will be reminded of the fact that God oftentimes uses churches and situations mightily. And by the way, for a gift of any amount, we're offering a book entitled God's Hidden Agenda, uncovering His good plan in an evil world. Now at the end of this message, I'm going to be giving you some contact info so that this resource can be yours. But for now, let us listen.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: This is the Chicago Tribune of March 25th, 1858. The noon prayer meeting at Metropolitan Hall, I have to pause here. I wanted to go to Metropolitan Hall to see where these prayer meetings were held day after day after day at noon, where people could not get in, and I discovered it no longer exists today. It's across the street from the Thompson Center. And there's a different building there now. But some of us, five or six of us actually went there anyway. We said, "We want to be approximately where the Metropolitan Hall once was." Now listen.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: It was the largest and most interesting that has yet been held. The body of the house, the gallery were filled considerably before 12:00 noon, and at the time for beginning the exercises, the platform, the stairways, the aisles, the entry were all occupied by persons standing up. During the whole hour, the stairs leading down to the streets were filled with persons arriving or retiring, unable to gain entrance for a noon prayer meeting that took place every single workday.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: In fact, I'm sorry I didn't get the quote, but when I was reading it over in the Historical Society, I discovered that one newspaper said that if women wouldn't wear skirts with hoops, I hope that that's the right word, I didn't check on this before, more people could get into Metropolitan Hall.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: to pray. John Wentworth, the mayor of Chicago at the time, stood near the rear of the hall and listened with great attention to all, and later said, "The effect of the present religious movement are to be felt in every phase of society." That is in Chicago newspapers. Someone else says it was the perfect union of all evangelical churches.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: The Chicago Daily Journal of March 20th, 1858 reported that the revival was universal and not limited to a single city or even state, but has spread like fire in every direction. Such an outpouring of religion has not been seen since before the days of Edwards. That happened here in the city of Chicago. And what took place is in May of the year 1859, the prayer meetings disbanded, but they went into the churches.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: The estimate was that 1,800 people were meeting for prayer at noon, and 5,000 in various churches were meeting for prayer in the evening. Now let's do the math. Let's remember our chronology. In 1856, DL Moody came to the city of Chicago, that's two years before the awakening. One of his biographers said that it was this awakening that thrust DL Moody into his revival ministry.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: DL Moody, of course, began, he rented pews in the Plymouth Church, and they kicked him out because they said that these boys that you're bringing in are so rowdy. So he had to begin his own church. But he says to his mother, during this great awakening, "There is a great revival of religion in this city. I go to meeting every night." Remember DL Moody's English, it needed a little bit of help. It is said that he was able to pronounce the word Mesopotamia in one syllable.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: All right. There is a great revival of religion in the city. I go to meeting every night. Oh, how I enjoy it. It seems if God Himself is present. Oh, mother, pray for us. Pray that this will go on until every knee is bowed. And so it is that DL Moody received his thrust into ministry through this great awakening, this prayer revival that took place here in the city of Chicago.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Now, I need to comment that DL Moody was asked to no longer come to the Plymouth Church. He began a Sunday school in a beer hall. Abraham Lincoln stopped by as President-elect. That's how well-known DL Moody was for his children's ministry. And the President-elect didn't want to speak, but Moody says, "I'm sure that he will have something to say." So he spoke briefly to the children. Then he went to Washington to become the President.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: And DL Moody then began a church called the Illinois Street Church. This is the fourth location of the Moody Church since 1864 when it was founded. The first one was on Illinois Street, and then that one burned in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 when Mrs. O'Leary's cow hit that lantern, and the fire began. By the way, a few years ago, I was actually where the barn supposedly was and discovered it's right next to a fire station. So, I don't think they want that to happen again.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: So you have the first one as the Illinois Street, the second one is a tabernacle at Ontario and Wells, which no longer exists, and that was used almost as a clearinghouse to help all the people as a result of the fire. Then you have a church where Moody Bible Institute is today. We have pictures of it, a large church, held about 1500 people, and it had to be torn down when LaSalle Street was widened. And by the way, widening LaSalle Street eventually also affected this building, but that's another story. And then you have them coming one mile north of Moody Bible Institute, and that's why we are here today.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: But all of that as a result of the Great Awakening when God was doing unusual things in the city of Chicago. When people were crying up to God, and multitudes were converted. You say, "Well, Pastor Lutzer, how big was the impact of this revival?" It was huge. A secular historian called it the event of the century. The historian J. Edward Orr wrote, "Because this went to California and Portland, Oregon, and Denver and all over."

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Look at this paragraph. The influence of the awakening was felt everywhere in the nation. It first captured the great cities, but it also spread through every town and village and country and hamlet. It swamped schools and colleges. It affected all classes without respect to condition. There was no fanaticism. There was a remarkable unanimity of approval among religious and secular observers alike, with scarcely a critical voice heard anywhere. It seemed to many that the fruits of Pentecost had been repeated. Hundreds of thousands of people were converted during the period of about two or three years.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: God sometimes uses visible people, and He did in the first two great awakenings, but this awakening was a movement of the Holy Spirit of God. It was a prayer movement. What are some of the characteristics when God comes to town? What are the distinguishing marks? First of all, you have a strong awareness of the presence of God. Like DL Moody wrote to his mother, "It seems as if God Himself were present."

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: My prayer often for the Moody Church is that when people come into this sanctuary, I pray that they may have an awareness of God. I want you to leave today saying, "Surely God is in that place." An awareness of God.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Secondly, along with that, of course, is deep conviction of sin, deep conviction of sin. There were people during these awakenings who could scarcely function, they could scarcely do their business because so heavy was that sense of conviction over issues in their life that they had not dealt with. You say, "Well, revival must be a very, very sad time." No, it's a very, very happy time.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Because once they were able to get beyond that and not only to understand their sin, but the marvels of God's grace and confess what God brought to their attention and got their personal relationships straightened out between members of the family, members in business, and asked one another's forgiveness. Once all that began to happen, the indisputable mark of the work of the Holy Spirit is always joy. And that overflowed.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Revivals unite and they divide. They unite true believers, but they also divide us from the world. You say, "Well, can we insist on a revival?" No, I don't think we can insist. It's not as if God has to give us one. But I always say, "Let's set the sails in such a way that we can catch the breeze of what God wants to do."

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: What if God wanted to do this in Chicago again? It might look very differently than it did in the past. But isn't God God? Can't we trust Him to do it again?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians and I'm only going to underline certain words in verses 12 to the end of the book. 1 Thessalonians 5. What do we do when we're waiting for revival? Well, we have to be faithful. But look at words like this, verse 12, "Respect those who labor among you." Verse 13, "Regard them highly in love." You think of respect, love. Admonish. Be patient, verse 14.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: See that no one repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. The healing of personal relationships is always necessary. All of these revivals, by the way, were preceded by prayer. Jonathan Edwards was the beginner of the concerts of prayer. We think today, "Oh, a concert of prayer is something new." Edwards began it.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: And then rejoice always. There you have the joy. Pray without ceasing. If you've taken the commitment to pray for a special hour, on a special hour every week, in addition to your regular devotion time, seek God on behalf of your family, on behalf of your church, on behalf of this nation. Who knows but that God may forgive our sins and come in great power and show up and begin to attend church.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: So, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the spirit. And we certainly grieve the spirit because of sin, and God may want to do something unusual. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything to be sure. Don't be gullible just because somebody says, "I have the gift of prophecy." And then give some kind of a prophetic statement. No, no, no, test. That's not being done today. There are those who claim prophecy, but they are not testing everything. Abstain from every form of evil. Now, there's something we can do as we wait for revival to come.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: And then what a lovely prayer, "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it."

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: I conclude today by saying, "God is not intimidated by the city of Chicago." Did you know that? He's not intimidated because of our many evils. He's not intimidated because of racism and because of corruption. If God wills it, and if we are available to it, God could show up and begin to change everything.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Let's bow together for prayer. Father, we thank You today that we've been able to recount at least in summary form what You did. Thank You, Father God, for Your blessing upon this city. That at one time Metropolitan Hall could not contain all the people who came to noon prayer meetings. Thank You, Father, that we have statistics that show that the churches in Chicago increased converts and membership across the whole evangelical spectrum.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: We pray, Father God, and we're not sure that we're ready for this, but we pray, Father, sincerely, do it again. Just do it again. In this congregation and others, choose those to whom You give a burden for an awakening. And may they seek You, and may we all seek You and pray and say, "God, let us seek Your face that we might be available for a mighty work of Your blessed Spirit." For those who are here today who have never trusted Christ as Savior, we pray that they may do that, knowing that You are available and You will not turn them away if they come. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Amen.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Well, my friend, this is Pastor Lutzer. I want to ask you a question today, where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? If not, would you receive Him right now through repentance and faith? You need a Savior. We all do. If you are already a believer, I want to ask you, are you really walking with God? How serious are you in your relationship with Him? We're living in a day and age when there are so many different distractions, so many different opportunities to be sidetracked. May God prevent us from those and may He enable us to walk with Him in purity and in deep commitment.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Well, at the beginning of this message, I mentioned a book I've written entitled God's Hidden Agenda. It's really a booklet, but the subtitle is Uncovering His Good Plan in an Evil World. I have to tell you that I remember when I preached the first message which became the first chapter. It's entitled When God Was Alone. I was so overwhelmed by the fact that God exists from eternity to eternity, and this booklet actually helps us see His divine plan from beginning to end. For a gift of any amount, we're making it available, and I sure hope that you have a pen or pencil handy, because here's the info. You can go to RTWoffer.com. I'm going to be giving you that again. Or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. Right now, you can go to RTWoffer.com. Of course, RTWoffer is all one word. RTWoffer.com. And from my heart to yours, thank you so much for helping us even as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Some of the great leaders of the past have skeletons in their closets. This has come to light for a listener named Dean who says, "I'm thankful for Moody Radio and listen to it all the time, especially Running to Win." "I do have one concern, however. In some of your sermons, you quote Martin Luther and seem to hold him in high regard." "I read Luther's book The Jews and Their Lies, and have to say that his suggestions of dealing with Jews were parallel to Hitler's and the Nazi Party's methods." "It's very hate-filled and anti-Christian." "On the basis of what I read, I don't think I could attend a Lutheran church again." "I've been told by my friends that this is a knee-jerk reaction and isn't relevant today. Although I'm not a Lutheran, my mother and mother-in-law are, and I occasionally attend church with them." "I feel it necessary to tell them about Luther's writings and opinions, lest they follow false teachers, no matter how well-intended they seem." "Before I make a final decision, I thought I should contact you and see what you had to say, as this is very important to me."

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Well, my friend, first of all, let me thank you so much for your question. And that's exactly why we exist here on Running to Win is to respond to your needs through the preaching of the Word and the answering of questions to the best of our ability. So, thanks so much. I'm acquainted with Martin Luther. I'm acquainted with these terrible things that he says about the Jews. I've written a book entitled Hitler's Cross, and in Hitler's Cross, I also deal with some of the things that Martin Luther said about the Jews. And they are very awful things, and they are totally unjustified.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: That said, let me make a couple of comments. First of all, Shire in his Rise and Fall of the Third Reich said that there could have never been a Hitler, unless there had first been a Luther. And then he quotes Luther's words. But that actually is unfair. Hitler believed that the Jews should be exterminated and said some awful things because he believed that they were an inferior race. It was a racial issue. Luther made these terrible comments based on theological issues. The Jews were the Christ killers. So there's that difference. The other thing you need to understand is that before he wrote that terrible tract, Luther said some very nice things about the Jews. As a matter of fact, he said, "How can we expect them to be converted unless we are kind to them?" But here's what happened. Martin Luther