It's not an intellectual acknowledgement. Because not only did He want the confession of Him as Lord,He also wanted a profession of the Lordship in his life. I am the potter, you are the clay. Notice, the commission to service came after the renewal of the heart. Revival must begin inward before it can be done outward.
Revival comes through The Holy Spirit.
Be full of the Spirit. The Word does not harden, it only reveals. It is the individual who hardens the heart by rejecting. The King was coming then. The King is coming again.