A pandemic swept our world. Crime is out of control. The spiritual state of the church is on the decline. People give those reasons for why we need revival, but they do not get at the core of what revival is all about.
What was Jesus’ mission? We need revival for the very same reasons that Jesus came to ignite revival during His time on earth! Jesus came torescue the lost sheep of Israel. (Then later, the Gentiles were grafted into and included in the olive tree.)
Who Are “The Lost”
Christians today assume ‘the lost’ means the ‘unsaved’—those who don’t know Jesus. However, the Bible points to ‘the lost’ as the Jewish people who were under the covenant of God. Religious distraction, corruption, and compromise had gotten in the way of the promises of God on their lives. They got lost in the religious system and needed revival.
In Luke 15:3, Jesus begins a parable about a person who owns a hundred sheep but loses one. That lost sheep belongs to the owner and is part of the hundred-fold. We think of the unsaved people as those who need to be brought in from the outside, but the lost sheep is already in the system (or the fold) and just needs to found. In verse 8, Jesus begins another parable about the woman with ten silver coins, losing one. The woman lost the coin inside the house. Jesus is telling us that there are people in the church—Christians, believers—that are lost and need to be rescued!
Of course, we also want to bring unsaved people into the church and Kingdom of God, too—that’s what Great Awakenings are. Revival often ends up drawing in unsaved people. However, revival means finding the lost that are already in the house. These believers used to be ‘found’, used to love God, and used to be on fire. Revival is needed to renew, repurpose, and reignite them!
“We need a revival of the things of God in the house!”
Revival In The House
In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells a final parable of the Prodigal Son. A son is already saved and born-again. The prodigal son lost his relationship with his father and went away. The second son is also lost, even though he decided to stay in his father’s house. The lost son who left was confused, and this son who stayed is angry. Both need to be reconciled to their father.
We must have revival in the house—starting inside our churches—before we bring in the unsaved. If our churches are filled with deadness, lukewarm-ness, half-heartedness, hypocrisy, etc., then we won’t have any of God’s power and resurrection life to share with the newly saved people. Soon the newly saved will just become more lost people that need to be found.
Let’s rescue the lost and pursue revival in God’s house.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Questions:
Who are ‘the lost’?
Has this episode changed your perception of what revival is?
