In our, generally accepted, church dialect we have many words, phrases and ideas that have been incorrectly defined and misused. One of the most misused terms is the word revival. We have placed many definitions on or around this word such as…1. a scheduled set of services usually with an evangelist or special speaker
2. an abstract happening that will spur growth and spark our churches to a higher spiritual growth and culminate in numerical growth
These are fine definitions, however so many times we have looked at revival as such an abstract thing that we are waiting on. We use phrases such as revival is coming. We are praying for revival. We place it out in the future like it is in a delivery truck headed our way. We are waiting for the stars to align and for God to get ready to pour it on us or to deliver it on the back of His Holy Fedex truck.
However, I do not believe that we have to wait on God. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He is not sitting by in your city letting people die and go to hell just so he can deliver revival on a particular day. He is ready now! He does not want anyone to go to hell.
We are not waiting on him, but he is waiting on us! We must instigate a spiritual climate change in our churches.
If you desire to have growth in some agricultural way, what would you do? You would build a green house that had the perfect environment for whatever plant you wanted to grow. You would make sure the temperature was right, you would put the right nutrients into the soil and you would have the precise watering and pruning regiment. You would plant the seed and then things would begin to happen. This is natural law. Nothing could stop its progress as long as the climate or atmosphere was correct.
This is very similar to having growth in our churches. Growth is not something abstract that is waiting until a specific time. It is a law that will submit to “The Green House Effect.”
When we change or set the climate of our church to one that is conducive to growth we will automatically see growth and nothing will be able to stop it.
We must change the climate of our churches to one of biblical holiness, love, acceptance, spontaneous worship and the powerful demonstration of the Spirit. We will then have “revival” and growth in our cities.
We as leaders must be the thermostat. We have the ability to change the climate. God will honor His word and the laws which it contains. Set, cast, and preach the vision and God will open the eyes of the congregation. He will raise their expectation level. When their expectation level rises the excitement will be contagious. There is no stopping a church that is hot with “revival,” because the people will sound the alarm and the whole city will come and watch it burn!
