Turn to Revelation 3:14. This is Jesus talking. “And to the angel.” The word “angel” in the Greek means “messenger,” and Jesus is talking about the pastor (the messenger) of the Laodicean church. The Laodicean church isn’t a made-up church. It is a real church with real people. “And to the angel (messenger) of the church of the Laodiceans write [these words], ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.’”

Verse 15: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.” That’s not bad, because that is where the average, run-of-the-mill church members are. Then Jesus said, “I could wish you were cold or hot.” What He was saying was, “I wish you were one or the other, so at least you would know if you were backslidden.”

Verse 16: “So then, because you are lukewarm.” Lukewarm means you are middle-of-the-road. You’re just average. If the Lord were to grade you, He would give you a “C,” and most Americans are thrilled to be a “C.” It means you’re not doing anything for God, but you’re not doing anything for the devil either! You’re just in neutral. When you’re in neutral, you’re not going anywhere, but we think that is ok. That is not ok!

Let me tell you what the Lord is going to do to those who are lukewarm. He is going to throw you up! He is going to vomit you out of His mouth. “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Why would the Lord do that? The answer is found in Verse 17. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing;’ and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

When people look at us, they don’t see who we really are, but God sees us stripped down and exposed. When God looks at those who are middle-of-the-road compromisers, those not really going for God but not really going for the devil either, He says, “You are wretched.”

Verse 18: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich.” Rich in what? In the things of God! “And white garments.” Those are robes of His righteousness. “That you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” So you can come to the realization of your condition.

Verse 19: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” That means God is going to discipline us. “Therefore, be zealous (on fire) and repent.”

In Verse 17, this is the Laodicean church’s response to God. The church said, “We have need of nothing.” Some of you grew up in a church that, when you got saved, told you there was nothing more, you now have everything you need, and you don’t need anything else. Well, basically, when you got saved, you had your sins forgiven.

Churches are dying today, because people have no zeal. They have no stir for the things of God. In the average church of about 67 members, a church can be sustained. They are not growing, but they are able to pay their bills, and they are basically satisfied.

They hire a puppet that tells them what they want to hear, and the moment he stops telling them what they want to hear, they get rid of him and get another; because you and I both know that preachers are a dime a dozen! They don’t want any new people, because they might raise their hands or want to have drums on the platform. Complacency is a deadly enemy of the church.  

I read something this week I want to share. George Whitfield, the great evangelist, preached in places where the congregation got so mad that they left while he was still preaching; and in some cases, there was no one left in the building but him.

When Jesus looked at His church in Verses 16-17, He exposed some things. Their opinion was that they needed nothing, but Jesus said they were lukewarm, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. When Jesus Christ looked at His church in Laodicea, He was telling them that they needed a radical revival. He meant they needed to radically change what they were doing!

In Verse 19, Jesus’ conclusion was, REPENT! Churches want revival, but repentance always precedes revival. Prayer precedes revival. You don’t pray once you get into revival. You pray BEFORE going into revival! That is when flames of revival take off.

In the Book of Revelation, over and over to His church, Jesus kept saying, “Repent!” Repentance is when you turn from sin and turn to Christ. Repentance is when you make a change, a reversal.

A lot of people want to come to an altar and have their sins forgiven because they are scared of hell. Am I the only one? I don’t want to go to hell, and I don’t want anybody to go to hell; but when I got saved, I found out I have to give up everything. We have to deny ourselves, pick up the cross (which is God’s will), and begin to follow Jesus.

I want to read something an old-time preacher said about revival. He said, “We need an old-time, old-fashioned, Holy Ghost-anointed, sin-killing, devil-stomping, sinner-praying, saint-praising, fire-baptized, power-packed, life-changing, soul-saving, God-fearing, Heaven-sent revival!” Can I get a witness? We need a radical revival! Why? Because we have drifted into mediocrity. We have drifted into just being average.

I don’t want us to be average. I want us to become hostile toward the devil. We have to get out of mediocrity and complacency. We have to be one way or the other.

Let’s look at the word “revive.” The word “revive” presupposes life. I was revived in 2009 when my heart was shocked back to life 6 times, and you can only revive what has already had vitality. You can write this down. God is getting ready to shock America!

Prosperity is being preached in the pulpits across America, and I’m thankful I have the privilege of buying what I need; but in Acts 3 when Peter and John went to the temple and saw a man lying at the gate called Beautiful, Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.”

It’s not about how much money or property you have, because it is all on loan. We don’t own anything, because when we die, what we leave behind will belong to somebody else. Everything we have has been given to us by God, but we have become unthankful and think we have need of nothing.

One preacher said, “In my church, the Holy Spirit could be taken away, and my people wouldn’t know it.” Let me tell you what has happened to the average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill church. We have become man-managed instead of God-governed. Where do you think we get the audacity to take a vote on whom God wants in the pulpit to be our pastor?

Psalm 119:107 says, “I am afflicted very much; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.” The giver of revival is God! It isn’t the band, the praise team, or the evangelist. It’s God!

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” He isn’t talking to sinners. He is talking to the church. The doorknob is on the inside, and He said, “If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in.” That was preceded with Verse 19 where Jesus said, “Repent.” Repent because of our laziness. Repent because we have forgotten God days without number.

The average church member in America prays 8 minutes a week. We use God only for emergencies. We receive prayer requests for emergencies, but I want to talk to Him when there isn’t an emergency. I want to read His Word in preparation for a battle that lies ahead. You have to get hungry for His Word. There has to be a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, and God’s Word is the key. It’s the answer.

Let’s take this test to see if we need revival. When there is division, we need revival. We have people in this sanctuary who don’t speak to one another. We have prayer warriors and burden bearers saying this and that. Get over it. Get through it. We have division in families. When there is division, discord, dissension, and disputing, we need revival.

When there is disinterest and a disregard for the things of God, we need revival. I thank God that you are in this house today, but when I glance around during worship, I can tell that there is disinterest in some of you, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell when people are disinterested. You may be physically here in this building, but your mind is somewhere else.

When folks are carnal, we need revival; and you cannot please carnal people, because they find fault with everything. When folks are carnal, careless, compromising, and critical, we need revival.

This past week at the altar, I know of two incidences where homosexuals came and got saved. I know preachers that are compromising and would never mention that; but if you are a thief, I’m going to preach against stealing because it’s sin. If we compromise the Word of God, we need revival.

When our hearts are cold and our eyes are dry, we need revival. When the worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is half-hearted and lifeless, we need revival. When you don’t worship with all of your soul and all of your heart, you are the one missing out, because our God is worthy of all the worship and all the praise.

The Bible says we are to “lift up holy hands in the sanctuary,” and “may our mouth be continually filled with His praise.” The Bible also says to “clap your hands all you people and shout with a voice of triumph.” That is what the Word says.

It says in the Book of Revelation that there is a number that is too numerous to count. There is a multitude of people that cannot be counted, and this multitude of people are praising God and saying hallelujah. The redeemed will be praising God, and the sound of the praise will be like hundreds of Niagara Falls.

When Bibles are unread, we need revival. When prayers are powerless, we need revival. When the church is worldly and their witness is weak, we need revival. When the altars are empty, we need revival. When hearts are joyless, we need revival.

Do you know why some churches are dying and no one is getting saved? After all, they have the same Bible we have. The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength,” so God looks for a people that are full of His joy. He is looking for a people that are just happy about HIM! He is looking for a people that are thrilled about Jesus, but when we don’t have the joy of the Lord, we are weak and anemic.

That is when the devil comes in, and then there is nothing but fussing, fighting, arguing, and debating; but where there is a bunch of people coming together who are thrilled and happy about Jesus, something will happen!

In the church world, religion and revival are two different things. Religion is full of form and fashion, but revival is full of fire. Religion is predictable. You know what is going to happen, but revival is unpredictable. Religion is stiff, staid, and starchy, but revival is sudden and spontaneous. Religion is full of deadness, but revival is full of dynamite. Religion is full of programs, but revival is full of power.

Revival is when God suddenly and spontaneously begins to move, and when God begins to move, you have to clear your slate. Last Monday, we had to cancel our Bible College classes because we were having revival. We had to cancel league basketball games because we were having revival.

I have been a pastor for over 40 years and have found out that people pray against revival, because revival messes up their plans. They want to get back to average. Well, what if it is YOUR wayward son or daughter that gets saved on Tuesday night?

When we have lost our burden for souls, we need revival. Psalm 85:6 says, “Will You (Jesus) not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” That should be our plea.

Revival brings refreshment. I can’t explain it, but it brings a renewal. Revival brings restoration. My God can restore the years of your life the devil has eaten up. Revival brings release. People are bound and chained to sin. Revival releases us from sin. We have to pray and ask God to revive us again.

Revival brings recovery. In Habakkuk 3:2, the prophet Habakkuk prayed, “O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years.” Revival brings rejoicing. When revival comes, people start rejoicing. True revival happens when the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified. True revival happens when the Holy Spirit displays God’s power and presence.

Revival doesn’t just encompass this box called a sanctuary. When people are revived, they can go into any store or restaurant, and while in there revival is on them and people are affected by the anointing that is on them. True revival is when someone realizes God is dealing with them and they have to get to God. They have to find God. There is a hunger when revival breaks loose.

Over 50 people were saved this past week, but it’s not enough. There are countless people right on our doorstep who haven’t gotten saved. People are going to hell. We have to be revived!

The Holy Spirit wants to display God’s power and presence, and I personally believe God is beginning to manifest His power and His presence, because my Bible tells me that “signs and wonders shall follow them that believe.” You are looking at a hungry preacher. Jesus said, “If you hunger and thirst after righteousness, I will fill you up!”

I just found out that we had 18 saved this morning in children’s church, and there were 8 young people also saved this morning. Does anybody know what that means? Revival service tomorrow night!

I pray that God will set us on fire with holy fire; not with emotionalism or the flesh, but with the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will go all out for God, and that God will set us on fire!

If you are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, repent! If your commitment is gone, if you have lost interest in the cause of Christ, repent and turn to God. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to set you on fire for the cause of Christ! May Jesus be glorified in our lives, and may Jesus be glorified in His church. I pray that revival would spread from church to church. Revive us, Lord!