When we think about the need for revival, we think about what’s wrong with the church. We don’t have to focus on what’s wrong with our church today to justify the need for revival.
Why do we need revival? Part 2
“Pastor, you don’t preach enough against sin!” During my early days in pastoral ministry one of the church leaders challenged me on this point. He then rattled off a number of sins being committed by specific people in our church—and I needed to preach sermons dealing with their sins.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but in many respects he was absolutely correct. I needed to preach more against sin. But, if you are someone who believes pastors ought to deal with sin more directly in their sermons, be careful what you wish for. The sin your pastor preaches against just might be your own!
What does sin have to do with revival?
Sin in the church is a major reason for the need for revival. Old Testament “revivals” tended to occur after a period of Israel’s disobedience to the Lord. Israel would fall into sin and would then fail to experience God’s blessings and protection. In their distress they would repent of their sins and cry out to God. Then God would raise up a deliverer who would, at least temporarily, restore Israel to right relationship with God.
When we drift from right relationship with God, we are more likely to give in to our sinful desires. Then, our guilt, or perhaps simply our preference for disobedience, will keep us from experiencing God the way we should. The prevalence of sin among Christians is ample evidence that we need a fresh move of God.
What sins are evidence of our need for revival?
Usually we think of the “big” sins, more likely than not to involve some sort of sexual immorality. Those sins, when rampant in the church, are clear indications of the need for revival.
There’s another kind of sin, however, that is just as big an indication that we need revival. It’s a sin that the Bible tells us brings us into an oppositional stance with God. What sin could that be? It’s pride. “God resists the proud.”
When Christians become full of pride, comparing themselves with one another, gossiping about one another, becoming smug about their spirituality, we are in big danger, often without even realizing it. That was certainly the case with me before my first experience with revival. (I look forward to sharing that story at another time.)
After experiencing my first taste of revival, I realized that I did indeed need to preach against sin. The sin God put on my heart to confront was the sin of spiritual pride. Was the church leader who reprimanded me happy about that? No! His intention was that I preach against other people’s sins—not his own. Let’s get right with God in expectation of another Great Awakening!
I’d love to hear from you on reasons we need revival, your own revival stories, questions you might have about revival, or anything else you have on your heart.
Don’t miss out! You can go back and read Part 1 here or read the next post in the series, Part 3, here.
Pastor Ed’s Notes:
When we drift from right relationship with God, we are more likely to give in to our sinful desires.
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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.
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Heart check! Thank you for this Pastor Ed.
Your words are true. Reminds me of our Heavenly Father telling us,2 Chronicles 7:14New International Version (NIV)
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
I do feel the stirring of the Spirit, and sense the Angels rousing and trumpeting into formation in heavenly places to turn hearts, cities, our country and all countries from evil to good! Chins up! Thank you Pastor Ed!
Hi Pastor,
Our need for revival mostly comes from the importance we put on other things in life. Jesus even said that the cares of this world make the word unproductive . As Irene & I go thru our current life group ‘Staying full of God’, we are realizing that there are ‘things’ that we have unintentionally placed as more important.
The first step of revival may be PUTTING CHRIST FIRST!! Only then can these other ‘things’ be assigned their proper place in our lives, IMHO.
I’m hoping I’m hitting it on the nail here. But sins that are evidences for revival. I going say depression, there a lot of that going around even me included. Depress cause of work, bills, health even the campaign that going around. I believe that one of many sins that satan could get us in. Another, worrying or anxious, scare about nothing cause it really isn’t nothing to be worrying about.
I think the church needs revival in order to be spiritually prepared for the spiritual battles around us. I look around and see so much sadness and hurt in this world. We as Christians are called to minister to those who have needs, whether those needs are financial, emotional, psychological, etc. How can we minister to those needs if we are spiritually drained, weak, incompetent, or consumed by our own sin. I will speak for myself as I am in need of revival to the Nth degree. I have so much going on in my life financially, emotionally, and with my husband and children. I know these are not fleshly battles, but I feel so tired and worn down that sometimes it takes everything in me to muster up a little prayer. I can not be a change agent spiritually feeling like this which is why I need revival and I am praying for revival. Too much is at stake and I want to be spiritually prepared for battle.
Apologize, read the question wrong. We need revival cause the world is hurting for one. The world have gotten a whole lot worst since I was young, meaning my teen years. The moment you step outside your door satan is already attacking, in your work place, in the street, on the road, even in your home. Everywhere you go someone is always trying to get ahead of you or put someone down instead of lifting that person up. We are in desperate need for a revival. We need to sense even more of God’s presence in this world. Pastor, we are heading in the right direcrion. Let’s keep fighting the good fight. Keep pressing until something happen, pray until something break.
Pastor, you are so right. I used to pray frequently, “Lord, don’t let me be like the publican in the parable about the two men who went to pray…” I wanted to be like the sinner who smote his chest and cried out, Lord be merciful to me, a sinner and I thought I was okay until God showed me, that, all the while, I was the publican.