Why is Genuine Revival Important for the Church in our Generation？
Edgar Reich emphasizes that genuine revival is crucial for awakening the lukewarm church to fulfill Jesus' call to evangelism and counteract the advancing judgment of God in society.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of revival in the church, highlighting the need for awakening and following the Word of God. It addresses the lukewarmness and lack of evangelism within the church, stressing the significance of sharing faith and producing new believers. The speaker reflects on personal shortcomings in truly following Jesus and the necessity for a life transformation to bear fruit. The message calls for a revival that leads to reaching out to others with the gospel amidst the judgment of God upon the nations.
Full Transcript
Thank you for your question. Revival is incredibly important for the church because the church has been quiet. Evil is coming in like a flood.
We see that the judgment of God has started in America and we only know of a God of love and the God of justice who will also repay sin is never mentioned. And so we're only used to a God of love and we all hope that things go away on its own, but they won't. And the church is asleep.
The church is lukewarm, needs to be revived, needs to be awakened, needs to follow the Word of God because there it is spelled out. It's a manual for us on what we are to do and how we are to live and that we are to share our faith. And 97 percent of people, even in the church, they will never share Christ with others.
And Christianity is dependent on new birth, on new babies. And who will have them? Is it the sheep of the flock? The sheep accepts the shepherd to do it, but it's really that the sheep must produce new sheep. And so the church no longer does what Jesus says.
If you follow me, I will make you fishers of man. So I have concluded for myself that I was not really following Jesus. And it was a terrible, terrible thing for me to discover that I thought I was a good Christian and I was following him.
But there were no results. No one heard the good news. And so my life had to change.
And the awakening and revival in a church will cause for the body of the church to reach out to others, to share Christ with them. And instead, we get overwhelmed with our circumstances. And I mentioned before that the judgment of God is upon our nations in North America.
And you might ask, why is that? Well, the Bible gives us a clear answer. In Romans chapter one, it says, the wrath of God will come upon us when we turn to ungodliness. And then he said, he's going to give us a debased mind.
And I can only conclude all of the debased minds of people I would consider responsible, even for normal family life. They are voting at the highest level of governments for evil against God. And for me, that is just a sign of the judgment of God falling upon our nations.
So we as a church have to rise.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Current State of the Church
- The church is quiet and lukewarm
- Most Christians do not share their faith
- The church is asleep amidst rising evil
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II. The Reality of God's Judgment
- God's judgment has begun in America
- The church often ignores God's justice
- Ungodliness leads to a debased mind (Romans 1)
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III. The Need for Genuine Revival
- Revival awakens the church to follow God's Word
- The church must produce new believers
- Following Jesus means becoming fishers of men
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IV. Personal Reflection and Call to Action
- Edgar Reich's personal realization of not truly following Jesus
- Revival leads to active evangelism
- The church must rise to confront societal evil
Key Quotes
“The church is lukewarm, needs to be revived, needs to be awakened, needs to follow the Word of God because there it is spelled out.” — Edgar Reich
“Christianity is dependent on new birth, on new babies. And who will have them? Is it the sheep of the flock? The sheep accepts the shepherd to do it, but it's really that the sheep must produce new sheep.” — Edgar Reich
“If you follow me, I will make you fishers of man.” — Edgar Reich
Application Points
- Seek personal revival by recommitting to follow Jesus' call to evangelism.
- Encourage the church community to actively share their faith with others.
- Recognize the signs of God's judgment as a call to spiritual awakening and action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is revival important for the church today?
Revival is needed to awaken the lukewarm church so it can actively share the gospel and counteract the growing evil and judgment in society.
What does the Bible say about God's judgment?
Romans 1 explains that God's wrath comes upon those who turn to ungodliness, resulting in a debased mind and societal decline.
How does revival affect evangelism?
Revival motivates the church to follow Jesus' command to be fishers of men and produce new believers.
What was Edgar Reich's personal experience with revival?
He realized he was not truly following Jesus because there were no results in evangelism, prompting a life change.
What should the church do in response to current challenges?
The church must rise, be revived, and actively share Christ to confront evil and fulfill its mission.