Are America and the church ready for revival? Let me make this much more personal. Are you ready for revival?
While I feel confident in saying most Christians would agree we’d like revival in America, I’m far less confident that almost all Christians would agree on how we get there. How do we alter things on this age of declining church memberships, fewer people identifying as followers of Christ, and where the identical divisions that divide our nation also divide our churches?
The answer is revival, but what does that even mean? Whatever you’re thinking that it’s, revival could also be far different from what chances are you’ll realize.
What Is Revival?
Revival is when the people of God turn their hearts to God completely. They turn away from sin and the things of this world and their desire is to serve God fully, aligning their hearts, minds, and lives with what he desires. As much as we expect revival begins when other people change, revival begins when you and I change. That’s why revival doesn’t begin with a change within the culture. It begins with a change within the church, which then influences the culture.
We have fallen for the concept if we alter laws and policies, that can bring “religion” back to America. My friends, laws and policies may bring religion, but they won’t bring revival. In God’s kingdom, the whole lot happens inside out. Change the center, then you definitely change the person, then you definitely change the land. Laws and policies have the ability to alter the condition of the land, but they can’t change the condition of the center. That’s why revival begins within the hearts of men, and that is where so many have gotten it improper.
To give it to you straight, revival has nothing to do with what is occurring on the earth but the whole lot to do with what is occurring within the church. If the Spirit of God isn’t moving the way in which you desire, or if the gospel isn’t going forth the way in which you would like it to, you can not blame the world for that. Sharing the gospel and making disciples falls to us, not them. So, in the event you long to see revival, don’t start by looking elsewhere. Begin by searching your personal heart.
What Would Revival Look Like?
When you think about what happened within the book of Acts after the Holy Spirit descended, it gives you a beautiful picture of revival. Consider these words from Acts.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was full of awe at the numerous wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had the whole lot in common. They sold property and possessions to present to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to fulfill together within the temple courts. They broke bread of their homes and ate along with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and having fun with the favor of all of the people. And the Lord added to their number every day those that were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).
Notice the things these believers were dedicated to:
- The word of God
- Fellowship
- Prayer
- The move of the Holy Spirit
- Unity
- Caring concerning the needs of others greater than their very own earthly possessions
- Building community
Also, notice the result. God was adding every day to the number who were being saved. That appears like a revival and awakening to me.
I’m going to ask you many questions below. Your answers to those can determine in the event you are truly ready for revival.
Is the word of God and obeying Jesus an important priority in your life?
Do you care more about your discover in Christ, than your identity as an American?
Are you committed to prayer and surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Are you willing to unite around your belief in Jesus as a substitute of your political affiliation?
Do you wish to cope with the hard issues that also affect the body of Christ? Things akin to race, economic status, nationality, denominational identity, politics, or anything that causes division within the body of Christ.
Will you commit to seeing people the way in which Jesus sees them?
Do you care more concerning the things of heaven than about your possessions here on earth?
Here is the purpose of those questions. When revival happens in your heart, then you definitely begin to live like Jesus, act like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and concern yourself with the things Jesus concerned himself with. Loving and obeying Jesus becomes an important priority in your life. When I take a look at the church in America, we’re concerned about plenty of things. I just don’t know if living like Jesus is high on that priority list. Is there no wonder why people reject our gospel and there is no such thing as a revival?
The Wrong Path to Revival
Sadly, I’m inclined to imagine that many think revival will come based on who’s within the White House, the halls of congress, the governor’s mansion, the mayor’s office, and the local school boards. For example, I even have heard many Christians enthusiastic about Donald Trump being president and a few have even posted images of him because the savior of America. If you suspect this, then you definitely are putting your hope within the improper direction. While those that govern the land are necessary, they’ve zero influence on whether revival happens on this country or anywhere else.
True revival is a piece of the Holy Spirit within the lives of individuals and when he’s at work, there isn’t a politician, lawmaker, or law within the land that has the ability to stop him. In fact, if we prayed as much for the outpouring of God’s Spirit as we prayed and worked to get the “right” people in office, then perhaps we’d see the revival we desire.
Church, we’d like to get up, stop fighting with one another, and recognize there is simply one enemy, and it isn’t those within the “other” party. We are fighting a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons, and revival will come after we care more concerning the kingdom of God than the dominion of America.
How Do We Get to Revival?
Allow me to share an oft quoted Scripture in relationship to revival in our nation.
“If my people, who’re called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and switch from their wicked ways, then I’ll hear from heaven, and I’ll forgive their sin and can heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
The very first thing you need to notice is this can be a message to the people of God. This further proves the purpose that revival begins with the people of God and nowhere else. However, there are three key elements tied to this:
Think concerning the narratives we hear in our country. How often do you hear about what “they” are doing as a substitute of what we will not be doing? We make it appear as if they are the issue, and they are those who’re stopping revival. We have to stop specializing in what “they” are doing and begin the condition of our own hearts. “They” will not be stopping revival, we’re.
I heard a preacher ask recently, what’s improper with loving God and loving your country? My response to that’s nothing. However, what I’m wondering is that if we love our country greater than we love God. While many give attention to trying to avoid wasting the nation, God is pursuing the hearts of men, trying to avoid wasting their souls. These two things could seem equivalent, but they will not be. One is searching for the glory of a nation. The other is searching for the transformation of a person. One focuses on political power and influence to bring about change. The other will depend on the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, which results in repentance, which is able to bring about change. One is about making America great. The other is about making the name of Jesus great. Where do you stand?
When we humble ourselves, we realize there is simply one name under heaven by which all men could be saved. We must pray that God would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and permit the Holy Spirit to cope with all of the corrupt things that live in our heart. If we repent and switch from our wicked ways, recognizing that our actions and our motives are improper, then we set the stage for revival. Without this, I can assure you of 1 thing. Revival won’t ever come.
Are You Ready for Revival?
Jesus said, “My kingdom isn’t of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to stop my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from one other place” (John 18:36).
Before Jesus left, he gave us three primary instructions:
- Preach the gospel
- Make disciples
- Depend on the ability of the Holy Spirit
He didn’t say get wealthy, or get power, or rule, or have dominion, or seek political influence. He said preach the gospel, make disciples, and do that with the ability of the Holy Spirit. This is our mission, and it has not modified.
When we get back to this mission and are willing to put aside all of the things that distract us from what Jesus commands us to do, then we’ll see an outpouring of God’s Spirit on this nation. Without that, we’ll scratch and claw and fight, but we’ll never see the sort of revival that Jesus desires to bring. The revival that transforms lives and changes people eternally.
Here is my cry to you. Whether you might be black, white, brown, born in America, or migrated here. If you might be a democrat, republican, wealthy or poor, educated or uneducated. If you might be charismatic or not, Methodist, Baptist, or whatever denomination. Will you lay aside those things and never make them of primary importance any longer? Will you are taking up the mantle of the dominion of God and can you seek God in prayer and repentance for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Will you are taking your eyes off the temporary and place them on the things which might be everlasting? I feel in the event you will do these items and align your heart, will, and desires with Jesus’ heart, then we’ll see a real revival in America.
If I even have made you’re thinking that today, then that’s place to begin. However, in spite of everything you’ve gotten read, there is simply one query left to ask you, and that’s the query I leave you with. Are you willing?
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8).
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