Preparing Our Hearts for Revival

Revelation 2:1–7; Joshua 24:15

Joshua 24:15 NRSV

15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Revelation 2:1–7 NRSV

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

This is the word of God, for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Renewing Our Yes

Preparing Our Hearts for Revival

Revelation 2:1–7; Joshua 24:15

Church, have you ever noticed how many things in life have to be renewed?

Your driver’s license has to be renewed. Your car tag has to be renewed. Your insurance has to be renewed. Even prescriptions have to be renewed.

We understand that something valuable must be maintained. The same is true of our walk with God.

There was a time when many of us could not wait to get to church. Prayer was not something we squeezed into the day; it was how we started the day. Worship was not a routine; it was a joy. Nobody had to beg us to praise God. Nobody had to remind us to tell somebody what the Lord had done.

But life has a way of wearing on us.

We bury people we love. We fight sickness. We worry about our children and grandchildren. We carry financial burdens. We experience disappointment. We get tired.

Before long, we are still coming to church, but some of the joy is missing. We are still serving, but some of the fire has gone down. We have not stopped believing, but perhaps we are not burning with the same passion we once had.

That is why revival matters.

Revival is not about getting God to come back to church. God never left. Revival is about God’s people returning to Him with their whole hearts.

At our Pew Rally, we gathered around the theme, “Renewing Our Yes.” I believe God is still speaking through that theme, because every believer must eventually answer one question:

Lord, do You still have my yes?

Do You still have my heart?

Do You still have my worship?

Do You still have my obedience?

Do You still have my service?

Do You still have my life?

Our Scripture comes from the Book of Revelation. By this time, nearly all the apostles have been martyred. Rome believes it has silenced the Church, but one old preacher is still standing. His name is John.

John has been exiled to Patmos because he refused to stop preaching about Jesus Christ. Rome tried to silence the messenger, but Rome could not silence the message.

You can exile God’s servant, but you cannot exile God’s presence.

John says that he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”

Even in exile, he worshiped.

Even in hardship, he honored God.

Even when he was separated from the people he loved, he remained available for God to use.

That ought to encourage somebody. Your circumstances do not have to be perfect for God to speak to you. You do not have to be standing on the mountaintop to receive a word from the Lord. Sometimes God gives the clearest revelation in the place you never wanted to be.

While John was worshiping, he heard a voice like a trumpet. He turned and saw the risen Christ.

Jesus told John to write what he saw. Then Christ gave him messages for seven churches. The first was for the church at Ephesus.

The Lord began with encouragement:

“I know your works. I know your labor. I know your patient endurance.”

Before Jesus corrected them, He acknowledged their faithfulness.

That ought to encourage somebody this morning.

God sees every prayer you have prayed.

He sees every tear you have cried.

He sees every Sunday you came when your body was hurting.

He sees every dollar you gave when money was tight.

He sees every meal you cooked, every visit you made, every child you taught, and every quiet act of service nobody else noticed.

People may overlook you, but Jesus sees you.

People may never say thank you, but heaven has kept a record.

The Lord knows what it cost you to remain faithful.

Then the tone of the letter changes.

Jesus says, “Nevertheless, I have this against you: you have abandoned the love you had at first.”

Notice what He does not say.

He does not accuse them of quitting church.

He does not accuse them of false teaching.

He does not accuse them of abandoning ministry.

He says, “You have left your first love.”

In other words, they kept doing the work, but lost the wonder.

They maintained the ministry, but misplaced their passion.

They protected the institution, but neglected the relationship.

That is a danger for every church.

It is possible to be active without being spiritually alive.

It is possible to sing without having a song in your heart.

It is possible to serve on every committee while your soul is empty.

It is possible to work for Jesus and stop spending time with Jesus.

You can know when to stand, when to sit, when to sing, and when to say amen—and still need revival.

You can remember how church used to be and still miss what God wants to do right now.

So the question is not merely, “Are we busy?”

The question is, “Are we burning?”

Lynch Chapel, thank God we have kept the doors open.

We have worshiped through difficult seasons.

We have buried saints.

We have celebrated children.

We have prayed one another through sickness, grief, and trouble.

Like so many Black churches, this church has been more than a building. It has been a place where people found strength when the world gave them little reason to hope. It has been a place where our ancestors prayed, sang, organized, survived, and trusted God through circumstances that should have broken them.

We are here today because somebody before us kept saying yes.

Somebody kept praying.

Somebody kept giving.

Somebody kept serving.

Somebody kept the faith when the road was hard.

We honor that legacy, but God has not called us merely to preserve yesterday. He has called us to be faithful today.

God did not call us only to keep the doors open.

He called us to keep the fire burning.

Jesus gives the church three commands:

Remember. Repent. Return.

First, remember.

Remember where God brought you from.

Remember when grace found you.

Remember when you could not wait to worship.

Remember when prayer was not a last resort but a lifeline.

Remember when you first realized that Jesus loved you in spite of you.

You may not remember the exact date you were saved. You may not remember the sermon or the song that was being sung. But you remember the change.

You remember when the burden lifted.

You remember when peace replaced guilt.

You remember when hope replaced despair.

Sometimes the way forward begins by looking back.

Then Jesus says, repent.

Repentance is more than feeling sorry. Repentance means changing direction.

It is saying, “Lord, I have drifted, but I am coming home.”

“I have become distracted, but I choose You again.”

“I allowed my heart to grow cold, but I want the fire again.”

Repentance is not only for people outside the church. Sometimes church people need to repent.

Sometimes our schedules become more important than the Savior.

Sometimes our worries become louder than our worship.

Sometimes resentment takes up space where love once lived.

Sometimes routine replaces relationship.

Jesus says, turn around.

Then He says, return.

“Do the works you did at first.”

Pray again.

Trust again.

Worship again.

Serve again.

Witness again.

Not to earn God’s love, but because we remember how much He loves us.

Our revival begins on August 30, but revival does not begin because dates are printed on a flyer.

Revival begins when somebody decides to forgive.

Revival begins when somebody starts praying.

Revival begins when somebody lays down pride.

Revival begins when somebody says, “Lord, whatever You want from me, my answer is yes.”

A preacher cannot manufacture revival.

A choir cannot sing revival into existence.

Musicians cannot play revival into the room.

Revival comes when God’s people become hungry for God again.

At our Pew Rally, we heard Joshua’s words:

“Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua was speaking to God’s people.

Sometimes God’s people must choose again—not because they stopped believing, but because they became distracted.

When we joined Christ’s Church, we made a covenant. We promised to support the Church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

Those are not merely membership words.

They are discipleship words.

They show what a renewed yes looks like.

Our Prayers

A revived church is a praying church.

If we want God to move, it will not begin with our programs. It will begin on our knees.

Pray for this church.

Pray for our children and young adults.

Pray for our elders.

Pray for the sick.

Pray for those who have drifted.

Pray for those who do not know Christ.

Most importantly, pray that God begins with us.

Our Presence

Your presence matters.

Somebody is encouraged because you showed up.

Somebody’s faith is strengthened when they see you still trusting God.

You may believe you are only one person, but one empty seat affects the whole room. One faithful person can encourage an entire congregation.

Never underestimate the ministry of being present.

Our Gifts

Everything we have belongs to God.

Giving is not paying dues.

Giving is worship.

Every gift says, “Lord, You have been faithful to me, and I trust You.”

Our Service

Everybody has a place in the Church.

Some preach.

Some sing.

Some teach.

Some cook.

Some clean.

Some visit.

Some pray quietly behind the scenes.

Every act of service matters when it is done in love.

Our Witness

Somebody needs your testimony.

You do not have to know every verse in the Bible. Tell somebody what Jesus has done for you.

People may argue with your theology, but they cannot argue with your story.

Tell them how He carried you.

Tell them how He made a way.

Tell them how He gave you strength when you thought you could not go any farther.

Before we leave today, I want every member of Lynch Chapel to make a simple commitment.

Between now and the first night of revival, stop every day at 7:16 in the morning or 7:16 in the evening and pray.

Pray for revival.

Pray for our church.

Pray for our families.

Pray for our community.

Pray for those who have wandered away.

Pray for every person who will walk through these doors.

And do not only pray.

Invite somebody.

Every member can invite one person.

Imagine what God could do if every member prayed every day and invited one person.

Let us not wait until August 30 to expect God to move.

Let us begin seeking Him now.

Lynch Chapel, God has been faithful.

He has been faithful through every storm, every funeral, every celebration, every season of plenty, and every season when we had to trust Him for every dollar.

He has never failed us.

For years, we have kept these doors open, and we ought to thank God for that.

But I believe God is calling us to something greater.

Not just open doors, but burning hearts.

Not just faithful attendance, but passionate discipleship.

Not just another revival meeting, but a revived church.

So I ask one more time:

Does God still have your yes?

If He does, let us pray like we have never prayed.

Let us worship like we have never worshiped.

Let us serve like we have never served.

Let us give like we have never given.

Let us witness like we have never witnessed.

Let us prepare our hearts now so that when revival begins, we are not asking God to start a fire.

We are asking Him to breathe on the flame we have already been tending.

God did not call Lynch Chapel merely to keep the doors open.

He called us to keep the fire burning.

If we remember, repent, and return, I believe the same God who revived His people before can revive His people again.

May this be our prayer:

Lord, renew my love.

Renew my commitment.

Renew my passion.

Renew my church.

And above all else—renew my yes.

Amen.