The last word of our Lord to the church is not the Great Commission. The Great Commission is indeed our program to the end of the age but our Lord’s last word to the church is “Repent.” That was His command to five out of seven of the churches in Asia (Rev 2-3) and that proportion still holds – the majority of Christians and churches today need first of all to repent.
The world has been marked by several Christian movements. Waves of religious interest, waves of evangelism and waves of church activity. But none of these, nor all of them put together, add up to revival within the church.
Multiudes of religious books have been written and many movies supposedly based on the Gospels and Bible characters. People are talking religion but many of them are not willing to face the cross of Christ and all that it means for the saint as well as the sinner. They are not willing to admit that they are sinners and build their hopes on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
Evangelism is not revival. There are local and occasional revivals, of course, but no general and genuine repentance leading to a clean break with the world, the flesh and the devil.
Church activity is not revival. Church membership, church building, church attendance and church work are ongoing but the morals of the country are at an all-time low. That should not be. Churches are busy but so were the churches in Asia, yet five of the seven needed a revival. (Rev 2-3)
When church membership grows but the church members do not grow spiritually, that is not revival. The greatest need of the church today is not more members, more buildings or more money. The supreme issue is not even missions or evangelism. It is repentance and revival.
It is regrettable that the words “revival” and “evangelism” have become synonymous in our thinking. They do not mean the same thing at all.
Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel in order to win the lost.
Revival is a work of the Spirit among God’s own people whereby they get right with God and with each other.
The normal New Testament Spirit-filled church is in the Acts. But in the first three chapters of Revelation we have the church in need of revival.
Strictly speaking, revival is an Old Testament term: “Will You not revive us again?” (Ps 85:6) “O Lord, revive Your work” (Hab 3:2).
The New Testament word is “Repent.”
Nor is a revival a mere emotional upheaval. God does not intend that we live in a fever of excitement all the time. The farmer must break up his fallow ground, but if he did only that he would never plant or cultivate or reap. Surgery may be necessary at times but it is not normal to live in a hospital. What we call revival is simply a return to normal New Testament Christianity.
Revival means self-examination on the part of Christians – repentance, confession of sin, renunciation of sin, restitution to those we have personally wronged, submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, separation from the world, and being filled with the Spirit.
Charles Finney says, “Revival is the renewal of the first love of Christians, resulting in the conversion of sinners to God. It presupposes that the church is backslidden and revival means conviction of sin and searching of hearts among God’s people. Revival is nothing less than a new beginning of obedience to God, a breaking of heart and getting down in the dust before Him with deep humility and forsaking of sin. A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians. The charm of the world is broken and the power of sin is overcome. Truths to which our hearts are unresponsive suddenly become living. Whereas mind and conscience may assent to truth, when revival comes, obedience to the truth is the one thing that matters.”
Too many “revivals” begin with the assumption that the present church membership is in good shape. That is usually wide of the mark. Some hold that the regular activities of the church will take care of the spiritual needs of the members. They should, but one needs only to take a good look at the average membership to be cured of that illusion. Others fear that setting a high standard for church members will frighten away some prospects. It might. After the death of Ananias and Sapphira, the superficial dared not join the church; multitudes believed and were added to the Lord.
Just as we are often too busy to have a physical check-up, so the church is often too occupied to submit to spiritual examination. Yet we never needed one more. We never need to go to the mourner’s bench more than when we feel least like it.
We need to face the Christ of the Candlesticks, the Lord of the Lampstands, calling the church to Repentance (Rev 1-3).
Too many Christians have an incomplete and inadequate vision of our Lord. Some today are trying to follow a Galilean Teacher but a lot has happened since Jesus walked on earth in the days of His flesh. Calvary has taken place and the resurrection and Pentecost. We are not dealing now with only a meek and lowly Jesus going about doing good, with nowhere to lay His head, and upon whose breast John laid his head. That chapter is past.
We are dealing now with a crucified, risen, ascended, glorified and coming Lord with His countenance as the sun, His eyes like fire and His voice like the sound of many waters, and before whom John fell as dead. (Rev 1)
In the Gospels we have Christ, the Example (and that is important for if we are to walk as He walked, we must know how He walked). In the Acts we have the Christ of Evangelism, the complete gospel message. In the Epistles, we have the Christ of Christian and church experience.
But in the Revelation we have the Christ of Revival and the Coming King who will return to destroy the powers of evil, judge the devil and reign forever. And while He still says, “Come unto me and I will give you rest,” and while He still says, “Go ye into all the world,” His last word to us is a call to repentance.
Christians need to be aroused from their stupor by a vision of the flaming Christ of the Candlesticks. Eight times in these messages to the churches He says, “He that has ears, let him hear.” Eight times in the Gospels He says, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.'”
Some of us … “Hearing we hear not.” God grant us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches! And eyes to behold the Lord of the Lampstands bidding us “Repent … or else!” (Rev 2:5, 16, 21-22; 3:3, 19)
Biblical Truth for the Last Days 