On October 26, 2024, a one-day conference was held in Chicago, Illinois at the Now Arena. This event was hosted by Mike Signorelli, an “apostle” and pastor of V1 Church in New York, and the event boasted of close to ten thousand people. According to the V1 church website, “Breakers Conference is a movement of warriors contending for revival to come to our cities, freedom to break out in our circles, and salvation to sweep through our regions. Throughout history we’ve seen God move mightily when believers come together, and we are lifting up our voices to the Lord to ask, “Do It Again”. Will you answer the call to stand in a seat and ask God to break open the heavens?

During this eight-hour event, numerous speakers took to the stage to deliver messages about coming into the “birthing room” and those in attendance being like Joseph from the Old Testament. The crowd was encouraged to roar at times and to release a sound to heaven. Healings were declared and cancer cells were commanded to die by a self-professing prophet. People were told to renounce and to participate in mass deliverance from various demons, many of which were attributed to works of the flesh. One of the most prominent messages presented to the people was the idea of “not doing enough” for the Lord, and though it was stated that there were some in attendance who were not saved, there was sadly no Gospel presentation given at any time during the conference. Instead, people were told to be “all in for Jesus, for real”, and one speaker told the crowd, “If you are 99% in, you are still going to hell.”

As I watched this event online with thousands of people gathered in this stadium, and I listened to what was said and done, some thoughts came to mind. Over the years, numerous events have been held like this where people are encouraged to gather and to believe that God will initiate the next great move of His Spirit. People have gathered in fields, buildings, and stadiums to awaken revival and to stir people to do great exploits, and though many of us equally desire to see people passionate for the Lord and for His Word, questions loom in the shadows of these gatherings: is this revival, or is this revivalism? Is this genuine and for the glory of God, or is this manufactured for the glory of man?

I think about the emotions and the adrenaline rush of being among the masses who are charged up and what that does to those in attendance. When people are told that they are not doing enough for the Lord, there is a great temptation to look to the lives of those leading these events and to emulate them. The template for holiness is now found in those who are placed on pedestals upon sand dunes. There is a spiritual high that one experiences from conferences and such, but this high is short lived many times. One thing to consider is that true revival is not about hype or even gathering in a stadium. True revival involves people turning back to God’s Word and to His ways, bringing a great conviction and contrition for sin against the Lord. The hearts of people are humbled and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than being seduced by charismatic speakers and an emotionally charged atmosphere, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the central message because it is the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.

It is a sad thing when an emphasis is placed upon what we can do instead of what Christ has done. Sin at times was rightfully addressed in this gathering. However, the solution provided was not the Gospel but rather what each person can do in being “fully surrendered” according to the standard set by each speaker. Could the Lord work in such an environment? I believe that He could. I do believe that there were people in attendance with sincere desires to see God bring change to their lives and to those in this nation. There is concern, however, that the focus will be placed on the event itself rather than on abiding fruit that glorifies Jesus Christ. Lasting fruit from such events will be the litmus test.

There is also a great concern that the solution offered to sin and rebellion against God was mass deliverance at the end of this event. People were instructed to bind Satan and to essentially cast out sin instead of mortifying it by the Holy Spirit. Once again, the power and the richness of the Gospel was denied to those in attendance when as believers in Christ, we are encouraged to understand that Jesus Christ disarmed and put to open shame the rulers and authorities by triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15). He has brought us out of the domain of darkness and into His Kingdom. We have been forgiven of our sins (Colossians 1:13,14), and we need not fear a demon indwelling us as those who are indwelt by the Spirit of God. There is glorious news within the confines of Scripture, testifying of our Beloved Lord and Savior, and when we meditate on these truths, we are humbled and invigorated.

There is nothing inherently wrong with gathering in a location in hopes that revival will come. Problems arise when people are gathered around fallible men and women in hopes that these leaders will bring the change needed. True revival cannot be orchestrated by the presumed power of men. True revival is not found in a shout or in a goosebump. It is not in the eisegesis of a passage where we are made to be the hero, nor is it in the inflection of a voice in a microphone. These are all the makings of revivalism. But true revival comes in God’s sovereignty, displaying our humility. We bow before the holy God with hearts awakened to our need for Him and our love for Him. We pray and seek His ways and not our own. We ask for His mercy, recognizing this same mercy has been extended to us. We rejoice in His grace that has come through Christ alone. His Word lights the way, pointing all the while to our glorious Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and we rest in His grip and in the assurance of eternal life. We rest in Him, knowing that what He has done is sufficient without the need for modern-day apostles and prophets to “break open the heavens” in a stadium.

Listen to this in-depth episode concerning the Breakers Conference 2024: A Critical Look at the Breaker – The Lovesick Scribe Podcast – Apple Podcasts