A Revival of Holiness
A church must prioritize purity and repentance to be a true community where lost sheep can find refuge.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of love within the church community as a reflection of discipleship. It delves into the concept of true evangelism, not just bringing back the lost but integrating them into a community of believers who continually repent and strive for purity. The need for revival in the church to focus on purity alongside evangelism is highlighted.
Full Transcript
Okay, Jesus said that all men will know you are my disciples when you love one another. So, the number one requirement is to have a church where people love one another. See, Jesus spoke in Luke 15, verses 4 to 7, about a man who had a hundred sheep, and one sheep was lost.
And he went after it and brought it back to this 99. He went after that one sheep and brought it back to the 99. This is evangelism.
But, he didn't just bring the sheep back and leave him somewhere. He brought him into a fold where the other 99 were. That is true evangelism.
Where you bring that lost sheep into a fold. Not that you just tell him the gospel and let him wander off on his own again. How does he describe this fold? Listen in Luke 15, verse 7. 99 righteous persons who need no repentance.
Who are these people who need no repentance? Need no repentance means they have dealt with all sin in their life. So, the church consists of people, whether 9 or 99. The church consists of people, whether 9 or 99.
Who need no repentance because they have dealt with all sin in their life. They repent every day. That is the only way I can say I need no repentance.
The only way is that I deal with sin every day in my life. Why do I need to deal with it every day? Because I am still not like Jesus Christ. There could be some selfishness.
Some pride. Some impurity. I must deal with it immediately.
As soon as I am aware of it, I repent of it. So, I am a person who doesn't need any repentance. Because I am repenting all the time.
Because I am constantly repenting. And such a group is a community. And a sheep must be brought into such a herd.
But today there are so many communities that are full of sin. And so full of quarrels. Then the lost sheep is safer in the place where it was lost than in the community.
Because if you bring him here, he will get all these sicknesses which this church people have. So that's why we need to have a revival in the church. Along with this evangelism.
Whereas unfortunately, emphasis is only on evangelism and evangelism. We need to emphasize purity in the church. So that this evangelized person can come into a good church.
So that this evangelized person can come into a good church.
Sermon Outline
- The Requirement for a Church
- True Evangelism
- The Church Consists of Repentant People
- The Need for a Revival in the Church
- Purity in the church
- Emphasizing purity along with evangelism
- Folding the sheep with the righteous
Key Quotes
“Jesus said that all men will know you are my disciples when you love one another.” — Zac Poonen
“The church consists of people, whether 9 or 99, who need no repentance because they have dealt with all sin in their life.” — Zac Poonen
“The only way I can say I need no repentance is that I deal with sin every day in my life.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We must prioritize purity in our lives and deal with sin daily to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.
- A church must emphasize repentance and purity to be a community where lost sheep can find refuge.
- We must love one another and prioritize the well-being of others in our church community.