Give Me This Mountain: Student Revival Week 2022
“God asks for faithfulness from us, not perfection.”
Evangelist Glen Shank brought this powerful reminder during chapel on Monday morning, August 29, the first day of classes in the 2022-2023 school year. Beginning the four-part series “Give Me This Mountain: Claiming Mountains for God’s Glory,” Evangelist Shank, better known as “Shorty”, his lifelong nickname, would bring a total of six messages before the students throughout the week. Each morning from Monday through Thursday, he outlined an additional Mark of a Mountain-Claimer, and Monday and Tuesday evening he delivered the standalone messages “The Portrait of the Prodigal” and “Disciplines of a Disciple.”
The Marks of a Mountain-Claimer, taken from Joshua 14:6-14, proved memorable for the students; each morning, Evangelist Shank reviewed the previously discussed Marks and passed out candy to those who could name them. The four Marks are (1) an outstanding reliance on God’s Word, (2) an outstanding reverence for God, (3) an outstanding response for God, and (4) an outstanding reward from God. Each Mark contained several subpoints outlining what the Mark looks like and how it can be applied to the Christian’s life.
In “The Portrait of the Prodigal,” Evangelist Shank walked the listener through each stage of the prodigal’s journey as outlined in Luke 15:11-24: he was (1) selfish, (2) “stupid”, or simple, (3) stripped, or starving, (4) stunned, and (5) stopped and restored. He called each student to consider where on this path they saw themselves: perhaps on the verge of making a poor choice or suffering the consequences of one. However, hope remains for every prodigal; as Evangelist Shank stated, “God is more ready to forgive than we are to apologize.” Just as the father kept watch for his son every day, so our Father runs to us when we choose to run to Him.
On Tuesday night, Evangelist Shank delivered a powerful call to consider the “Disciplines of a Disciple,” taken from Mark 8:34-38. He emphasized the Christian’s place before God, as a recipient of God’s undeserved grace, and exhorted the believer to choose Christ, deny himself, take up his cross, and follow the Savior. However, Evangelist Shank reminded the listener: “If you’re going to choose to follow Christ, you have to accept that you will be ridiculed.” The life of a Christian, though far better than we deserve, is not necessarily easy; God calls us to “take up our cross” for a reason.
Thursday morning, Evangelist Shank concluded his “Claiming Mountains for God’s Glory” series with a simple question: “Whose approval are you looking for?” As we draw from Christ’s never-ending strength, we must constantly remind ourselves of where it comes from: a God Who loves us and seeks to be glorified through our lives.
The opinions of men will change, fade, and waver, but only one voice will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” when the Christian passes into eternity. God does not demand perfection; all He requests is our faithfulness, and He deserves no less.
To view the revival sermons by Evangelist Shank, visit Maranatha Office of Student Activities on Facebook or Maranatha Baptist University on YouTube.