How does the Lord revive a church?
When was the last time you heard of a church repenting? Not an unbeliever repenting and turning to Christ for salvation. Not a Christian repenting in order to go on for the Lord. But a local church?
Such an event is so rare that even the thought of it (much less the actual occurrence!) may never have crossed our minds. Yet when the Lord evaluates the churches of Revelation 2 and 3, His command to four out of the seven of them is: repent! The focus of the repentance varied. Ephesus needed to return to her first love. Pergamum needed to deal with false teaching. Sardis needed to awake. And Laodicea—well, Laodicea had a list of problems.
We often think of revival as it affects the lost or individual Christians. But the New Testament describes the normative Christian life as being a balance of the individual and the corporate. So how can a local church experience revival? Where better to look for that answer than in Christ’s prescription to the churches?
As we have seen, one ingredient in corporate revival is corporate repentance. We must be willing to honestly and humbly examine our condition, allowing the Lord to correct us through His Word. Teachable spirits and contrite hearts promote spiritual growth. Stiff necks and self-satisfaction lead to decline. Also, we remember the godly example of men like Nehemiah and Daniel. When it came to confession, these men knew how to use the word “we” instead of “they.” Once we start thinking of the local church in terms of good guys and bad guys, we’ll notice a peculiar phenomenon: the pool of good guys keeps shrinking until there’s only one left.
The Lord Jesus gave a gracious but unequivocal assessment of each church. He performs the same work today. And along with being infinitely more perceptive and loving, the Lord offers something that no church consultant can dream of. Turning back to Revelation 2 and 3, we will notice that in every church, Jesus not only identified their own peculiar problems or struggles, but presented Himself as the answer to those exact needs. In fact, He presented the answer even before noting the problems. Ephesus, struggling with love for Christ, was told of His nearness. Smyrna, suffering to the point of death, was reminded that He had died…and had come to life. And so it continues—each letter begins with a revelation of Christ that perfectly addresses the difficulties He goes on to identify. Before we even realize there’s a problem, He is already the answer.
But what if the church isn’t willing to recognize her faults? The Lord ends with a message for any man who will be humble enough to address his own failings first. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). He doesn’t counsel us to self-righteously criticize others, or to overthrow the elders, or to leave. He advises the only course of action that will help: warm, loving fellowship with Him. That will be balm to our souls and a ray of hope in days of trouble.
The situation is simple, isn’t it? The problem is us. The solution is the Lord. The less there is of self, the more there will be of Him. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). Is it really a surprise that these words accompanied the greatest revival the world has ever known?