A revival can be expected when Christians are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to carry it on. They must be willing to sacrifice their feelings, business, and time to help the work. Ministers must be willing to expend their energy. They must be willing to offend the impenitent by plain and faithful speech and perhaps offend many members of the church who will not repent. They must take a stand regarding the revival , whatever the consequences. They must be prepared to go on with the work even though they risk losing the affection of the impenitent and cold members of the church. The minister must be prepared, if it is the will of God, to be driven away from the place. He must be determined to go straight forward, leaving the event in God's hands.
I knew a minister who had a young man working with him on a revival. The young man preached the plain truth, and the wicked did not like him. They said, "We like our minister, and we want to have him preach." They finally complained so much that the minister told the young man, "Such and such a person, who gives so much money for support, says so-and-so; Mr. A also says so, and Mr. B likewise. They think it will break up the church if you continue to preach, and I think you had better not preach anymore."
The young man left, but the Spirit of God immediately withdrew from the place and the revival stopped. The minister, by yielding to the wicked desires of the ungodly, drove the Spirit away.The minister was afraid that the Devil would drive him away from his people. So, by trying to satisfy the Devil, he offended God. And God so ordered events that in a short time the minister had to leave his people after all. The minister tried to go between the Devil and God, and God dismissed him.
