The pastor whose sermon sparked a revival, the Asbury Outpouring, Zach Meerkreebs uncovers the main trait that invites the Holy Spirit into believer's lives and sets that passion in motion to reach around the world: Radical Humility.
As Zach Meerkreebs ended his sermon on the campus of Asbury University, he prayed, "Jesus, do a new thing in our midst. Revive us by your love." He had preached from Romans 12: 9-13 and urged students to consider how they love and how God loves them. Before leaving, he challenged, "Do not leave here until you experience the love of God so that you can pour it out." To him, the sermon felt quite ordinary and unremarkable, yet several students remained, praying and worshipping, and others joined them until a crowd formed that grew to over 65,000 and covered the campus and small Kentucky town. As the worshipping and praying continued, for sixteen days and nights, the media began reporting on what came to be called the Asbury Outpouring.
In “Lower”, Zach shares his experiences at the Outpouring and answers his own question, what sparked this revival? Radical humility, he says, is the essential posture for igniting the Spirit. With honest self-awareness, we can engage humility-removing whatever blocks get in the way of its formation in our lives. He describes six attributes that are integral to being humble, including the Crucible into which our wounds and suffering are refined by holy fire, and the Crushing, where enduring the pain of grief alongside Jesus tenderizes our hearts. It's also by Clinging to Him as a daily practice we gain Confidence to move forward, allowing Him to shape us into the Character of Jesus Christ, saturated by lowliness and God's very real, authentic love. With personal stories, Scripture, wisdom from other Christian writers, and key insights he has received in quiet moments with Jesus, Zach shows readers the path to radical humility and a closer relationship with God.
Wrecked by the humility of God, those at the Asbury Outpouring encountered the presence of Jesus and witnessed healings and revived faith and hope, launching a movement that has spread His abundant love across the globe. As we chase humility, we can become love in action, stirring the work of the Holy Spirit everywhere.
