今天我们要开始研读一个新的主题──从天上赐下的复兴，这无疑是圣经其中一个最伟大的主题。我说「从天上赐下」，因为真正的复兴不是源自教会的正常活动，而是由天上所赐的。

当然，关于这个主题有很多不同和互相冲突的观点，所以我在开始时要先讨论一个问题，我相信没有基督徒对这问题会感到困难──神的心中有没有一些比我们现在所能看到更伟大的事情？写到这儿我不禁在想，你的回应是甚么？那些有幸作为有动力的教会的成员，或者积极参与布道的人，和那些处于属灵死水中的人可能会有不同的回应。但我个人认为，事实上无论你所参与的崇拜或事奉的群体在属灵上是多么有活力，神都能够做更伟大和更奇妙的事情。我们的神所拥有的能力，是我们这一代的教会没有完全经历过的，我相信每个基督徒都会认同这一点。

虽然我们不能忘记，神赐下恩雨给祂的教会，但我们同样不能忘记，赐下恩雨的神也可能赐下洪水。事实上，复兴就是这样──神的圣灵如洪水一样浇灌祂百姓所身处的一个地区或社群，激起冷漠的心，令很多人确信和归向祂。历史上神的复兴发生在不同的时期和地点，而正如白天之后必有黑夜一样，神的复兴必定还会再发生。

We begin today a study on what is without doubt one of the greatest themes of Scripture - . I say "heaven-sent" because real revival is not something that springs up or out of the normal activities of the Church but something that comes down to us from above.

There are, of course, many different and conflicting views on this subject, so I want to begin by looking at a question which I imagine no Christian will have any difficulty in facing: Has God got something bigger in His heart for us than we are at present seeing? What is your response, I wonder? Those who are privileged to be part of a vibrant church, or are actively involved in evangelism, might respond differently from those who find themselves in a spiritual backwater. But the truth is (in my opinion) that no matter how spiritually alive the community in which you work and worship, God is able to do greater and yet more wondrous things. Our God has reserves of power which we, the Church of this generation, have not fully experienced. Surely every Christian believes that.

Although we must not be unappreciative of the fact that God is obviously sending showers of blessing upon His Church, we must not forget either that the God who sends the showers can also send the floods. In fact, revival is just that - God flooding a locality or a community of His people, stirring up the complacent, and producing the conviction and conversion of a great number of people. It has happened at various times in various places throughout history, and as sure as night follows day it will happen again.