神赐下复兴，并让祂的百姓共同参与，其中另一原因是祂承诺透过祂的教会来工作，而不是在教会的背后操纵。你可记起我较早前曾说过，我们对教会的看法会大大影响我们对复兴的看法，现在我必须重申这一点。

教会是神在世界的代表，神透过教会去彰显自己的旨意，向世界展示神国度的模样。神承诺透过教会，而不是绕过教会工作。无论祂的百姓变得多么的委靡不振，祂都不会违背这承诺。若神愿意行使祂的主权，祂大可以不理会任何人，在教会衰微时突然临到。但我们也知道，除了主权外，神还有其它属性──爱和尊重就是神的其中两种属性。

若要在圣经中选择一件令我印象最深刻的、关于神与人交往的事，那就是祂十分尊重祂所委派去掌权的人，尽管他们没有如祂所愿的去执行任务。其实，神轻易的就可以将旧约那些没有服从祂吩咐的君王和祭司消灭，但祂还是有耐性、有爱心地让祂的子民去参与并实现祂的计划。倘若神可以如此慈爱的对待祂那地上的百姓──以色列，那我不能想像祂不会照样对待祂那属天的百姓──教会；神必然会确保教会在每一个属灵计划中都有代表及参与的机会。

Another reason why God takes great care to involve His people when He initiates a revival is because He is committed to working through His Church - not behind her back. I said earlier, you might remember, that our view of the Church will greatly influence our view of revival, and now I must make the point again.

The Church (so I believe) is God's agent in the world through which His purposes are demonstrated. She is here to model the kingdom of God to the world. God is committed to working through her and not around her, and no matter how lethargic His people become, He will not withdraw from that commitment. If God wanted to exercise His sovereignty (and nothing else) then He could burst in upon His Church in times of declension without regard to anyone. But, as we have seen, there are other characteristics in God beside sovereignty - love and respect being just two.

If there is one thing above all others that impresses me about God's dealings with people in the Bible it is the fact that He greatly respects the authority He establishes, even though that authority does not act in the way He desires. It would have been easy for Him to have swept aside the Old Testament kings and priests who failed to do His bidding, but patiently and lovingly He worked to involve them in His purposes. If God did that with His earthly people, Israel, then I cannot conceive of Him doing any less with His heavenly people, the Church. He will make sure the Church is represented and involved in every single spiritual project in the universe.