RELATIONSHIPS & REVIVAL

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:31-32

Last week, I wrote about the need for churches to clean house.  Today, I want to focus on a sore spot in the American church.  One reason we are not seeing a sweeping revival in America is because we have unresolved issues in our relationships.

You see, as long as relationships are severed or hurting, revival will not come.  For many years, I have noticed that professing Christians have no problem being bold about their faith, but when someone challenges them about an unresolved conflict, they quickly become offended and make excuses.

God will not bless believers that live with ongoing sinful practices.  Included in this is our unwillingness to forgive and restore those who've offended us.  If we fail to repent of our offenses or Biblically forgive those who've offended us, we are guilty of sin. 

Please note that there are times for division.  Paul instructed the Corinthians to separate from an openly sinful man (1 Corinthians 5:13).  In his letter to the Romans, Paul instructed believers to stay away from those who are troublemakers (Romans 16:17).  In his letter to the Galatians, Paul instructs us to have a stern resistance to those who preach false doctrine (Galatians 1:6-9).

Let's be honest.  Most differences and divisions among Christians are not doctrinal in nature.  Selfishness is usually the cause of relationship problems.  An offender refuses to repent because of selfishness.  The offended party refuses to forgive and restore because of selfishness. 

Here are three major results of our relationship woes:

1.  GOD IS DISHONORED.  It brings shame and reproach to the Name of Christ for His followers to refuse to get right with each other.  The Bible specifically tells us what to do when we offend others (Matthew 5:23-24).  The Bible specifically tells us what to do when others offend us (Ephesians 4:32).  When we refuse to obey God's Word, we dishonor and offend God Himself.  We don't need more sermons about repentance or forgiveness.  We need to practice the sermons we've already heard.

2.  THE CHURCH IS DISGRACED.  The work of the church is hindered by the relationship problems of its members.  Churches cannot grow where there is discord among its members.  Revival is impossible in such an environment.

3.  OUR WITNESS BECOMES WORTHLESS.  When refuse to get right with others, our witness to the world is worthless.  Unbelievers secretly mock us.  They point to us as an example of hypocrisy.  Sadly, they are right.

In Ephesians 4:32, Paul instructs us to forgive, "even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."  Note several things in this command:

1.  THE MANNER OF OUR FORGIVENESS.  We are not just to "forgive" because others expect us to.  Instead, we are to forgive, "... even as God ... hath forgiven you."  If you claim to be a recipient of grace, you are now to be an agent of grace.  You are to forgive others as God has forgiven you.  How has God forgiven you?  He has removed your past offenses from the slate.  He has established fellowship with you.  Now He expects us to do the same when others offend you. 

2.  THE REASON WE SHOULD FORGIVE.  Paul tells us the reason that we should forgive.  We are to forgive for the same reason God has forgiven us.  "... for Christ's sake..."  The reason we are to practice Biblical restoration is because of Jesus.  We should forgive and restore for Jesus' sake.

I find that most parties involved in severed relationships blame the other side for the squabble.  Each party feels that they are innocent and the other side is guilty.  In some instances, one side may be guiltier than the other.  In most instances, both have guilt.  There is a need to practice Biblical restoration.  "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed."  Be honest about your mistakes.  Seek forgiveness for your offenses.  Be quick to Biblically forgive the offenses the other person is guilty of.  Keep in mind; you offended God much more than someone else has offended you.  If God has forgiven you of your horrible offenses, certainly you can forgive someone else.

It is wrong to pray for revival when your sinful behavior is keeping revival from coming.  It is wrong to expect others to come to Jesus through your witness, when you have open, on-going sinful behavior.  Get right with God.  Get right with others.  Honestly saying, "I'm sorry," and/or genuinely extended forgiveness may be the first step to revival. 

By His grace,

Nathan

CLEANING HOUSE

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." - Revelation 3:19

Most churches in America are not growing.  Whether believers known it or not, the American church is at a point of crisis.  The church has become irrelevant to most people. 

What is the problem with the American church?  Is there any hope for the church?  What can be done to turn the tide of spiritual apathy that has swept across our land?

I believe that several problems plague the American church.  First, there is the problem of distractions.  Quite honestly, most people are distracted by television, the internet, and pleasurable activities.  The church cannot compete with these things for a basic reason: The church has lost its spiritual power.  When people visit a church, they are no longer impacted by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The second problem is the dilemma of doctrine.  Some churches foolishly brag that they don't teach doctrine.  A church without solid Biblical teaching is not a church at all.  Possibly the only thing worse than a church that fails to teach doctrine is a church that proclaims false doctrine.  God will NEVER bless a church that fails to proclaim the whole counsel of God. 

The final problem is the issue of dirt.  That's right.  The American church has permitted anything and everything to be permitted.  Despite the Biblical mandate to enact church discipline when sin abounds, most churches refuse to act.  Instead, "unity" and "love" are words they use to excuse or cover-up sin in their midst.

I believe that the American church needs genuine revival today.  Sure, we need to get back to Biblical evangelism, expositional preaching and practicing Christian love.  Yet I am convinced that the first step of revival is one that we don't want to practice.  We are required to repent.

Repentance includes cleaning house.  Instead of tolerating false doctrine, we need to publicly renounce heresy.  Instead of emphasizing programs and musical styles, we need to emphasize prayer.  Instead of seeking to impress a dying world, we need to impact the dying world with the Gospel.

We need to clean house in three areas:

1.  CORRUPTION.  First of all, the church needs to be cleansed of corruption.  During His earthly ministry, Jesus took a whip and cleansed the temple.  Temples need to be cleansed again.  Some use the church as a moneymaking scheme.  Have you have noticed how that "prosperity preachers" are secret millionaires while their supporters are struggling financially?  The American church has made an idol out of money and materialism.  Some preachers are nothing more than clean-cut, clear spoken, ordained crooks.

2.  CARNALITY.  Secondly, the church needs to be cleansed of carnality.  By and large, the American church has lost its respectability by permitting sinful actions and attitudes to continue.  Why is the divorce rate among Christians so high?  Why is sexual sin so prominent in churches?  Why is pride permissible in church?  As a pastor, I am troubled greatly when someone says, "I know what the Bible says but..." While we claim to be Bible believing Christians, by and large, most are not Bible practicing Christians.

3.  COMPROMISE.  Finally, the church needs to be cleansed of compromise.  We have compromised with the world.  Instead of the church impacting the world, the world is impacting the church.  We are using business methods, marketing and worldly strategies to run the church.  Whatever happened to letting God run the church?  Why do we need to plan our churches around a church-growth book?  Whatever happened to simply following the Scriptures?  Our primary goal is to exalt God, not impress people.  How to do we exalt God?  Our churches exalt God when we worship Him lovingly, obey Him consistently and make the Gospel known in the neighborhood, region and the world.

Sometimes the best revival is a backdoor revival.  When God cleans house, it may hurt statistically, but it paves the way for Him to work anew. 

Repentance includes house cleaning.  First of all, there is personal house cleaning, known as personal repentance.  Then there is corporate house cleaning, when a church repents.  Both are desperately needed today.

By His grace,

Nathan