revival

Our church just finished a three day revival. It was good, although I actually only got to be in the service once in the three days! Got me to thinking, though....What is Revival?

It use to be that the word revival meant a meeting where you brought in all of the unsaved people you could find to hear a fire and brimstone message that would scare them to death and they would flock to the front of the church to get some fire insurance! The evangelist would seem bigger- than- life and uber-spiritual; he'd make you want to do just about anything for Jesus (pronounced Jeee-sssuuuuuuuuus). Today's revival, however, is a little different.

Today, we come in the hopes that we are, ourselves, "revived" or at least awakened a little to the joy and excitement that came when we first realized that we needed a Savior. It's time for the church to wake up and smell the coffee! We sit on our comfortable pews (or if you are in a new-fangled church, comfortable chairs), soaking up all of the goodness so that we can feel like we did something for "the Lord" and go happily on our way for the next week. Where, in the Bible, is this modeled? Church isn't suppose to be comfortable or about us.

I could jump on a soapbox right about here and say that I am sick of people who "play" at being christians. It's bad enough that some play church, but it's dangerous, life-threatening stuff to pretend to be a christian. Why is that dangerous, you ask? Well, since you asked......I'll answer! If you pretend that you are a christian and therefore, Christ-like, and living for Him, but your life doesn't reflect that, you probably aren't one. What that means for you is this....eternal damnation. It ain't pretty.......but it's truthful!

Are you out of church because....

someone hurt your feelings?
you didn't get your way?
you don't like church politics?
you think "those people" are hypocrites?
you don't like the music or the preacher?

Well, guess what? Jesus walked on this Earth and encountered all of those excuses.........AND, he didn't condone ANY of them. If these excuses sound like you, perhaps you need to take a look at the inside of yourself. Church is NOT about us, it's about worshiping a Holy, Righteous, Loving God and when we begin to get THAT, our church will no longer have empty pews (or chairs as the case may be); people will love one another; those quirks that bothered you before will no longer bother you; IF our focus is Jesus, then REVIVAL will come inside of us...the individual...the true church....not four walls......REVIVAL will come to God's people, and God's people will bring revival to the world.