Repentance Brings Revival

The great revival in Ephesus reaches its climax in the final two verses of our text today. It is a stirring account of what the power of God can do in a human life. These new believers were dead serious about Christ. How do we know? Because they truly repented of their sin. Watch what happened:

"Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing magic brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect" - Acts 19:18-19.

Every time I read these verses, I think of Hollywood celebrities that have converted to Christ. I rejoice in their new faith, but wonder if they need to make a public confession of sin as those in Ephesus did?

When we sin publicly to the extent that multitudes are affected, only public confession of sin will undo some of the harm. Evidently, some of the people in Ephesus had publicly sinned to the extent that they needed to publicly confess. What a revival would break out if a well-known Hollywood celebrity publicly confessed that they had made movies for years that caused others to sin, and that they were turning away from such things to embrace God! Oh for this to happen today!

I can just hear it: "I'm sorry for those nude scenes I did, and those steamy sex-scenes where I acted out immorality for entertainment. I repent. I'm sorry for all the profanity, and vulgarity that came from my mouth, I repent. I'm sorry for glorifying violence and death. I repent. I'm sorry for mocking God, and leading young minds astray. I repent."

Wow. Can you see it? If this happened, revival could sweep America!

You see, a truly repentant person isn't concerned about dignity, only salvation. They aren't trying to save face or maintain a reputation -- they simply want to be forgiven, and help as many as they can, some who they might have misled, to find forgiveness too.

That's true repentance.

But there's more. When those in Ephesus repented, they didn't just say, "I'm sorry God." They demonstrated their sorrow through action. They squarely turned their backs on their old lives of darkness and evil, and literally burned those things that had kept them bound to the Prince of the power of the air.

I am convinced that the reason some churches are powerless to transform their communities for Christ is not because they don't have the right message, but because they have the wrong repentance. We say "I'm sorry God" but continue to consistently live the same old, worldly life that unbelievers live.

But it can't be done. No one can serve two masters. We can't serve two kingdoms. We can't march to God's drum while simultaneously tap-dancing to Satan's tunes. Worldliness and Godliness are never compatible.

Don't misunderstand. We will never be perfect. We will always make mistakes. God knows this, and his grace covers us. But at the same time, we must come to a point in our lives that the Ephesians came to if we ever wish to experience true revival or true conversion. We must repent. We must burn anything in our lives that separates us from God - sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively.

We may need to go home and empty our video or book or magazine shelves? It might be time to wipe out our computer hard drives and install filters? We may need to end a relationship that we know displeases God, or, perhaps it's time to walk away from our jobs, or face an addiction? Maybe it's time to get rid of our music that is constantly turning our hearts in the wrong direction.

Years ago I heard about a church youth group that went to a youth conference where they heard great preaching. Many of them became convicted that they needed to truly repent of the music they were listening to. So when they came home from the conference, they got together at the church, bringing all their worldly music with them. In each other's presence and the presence of God, they denounced the Satanic music that had caused them to stumble, and broke the CDs into pieces. There was a great revival in that youth group! The young people were on fire, and it sparked a new spiritual fervor in the whole church.

If we want true revival, we must have true repentance.

But do not fear. Whatever God's Spirit guides you to rid your life of; he will also empower you to do it. He will help you endure the cost. And make no mistake about it; sometimes there is a price to pay for true repentance. The folks in Ephesus lost millions of dollars, and we may lose money too, as we take our spiritual trash out! But there are other costs. Turning our backs on sin and cutting it out of our lives may cost us friends, or significant relationships, or family ties. But whatever it costs, God will honor your decision to repent, and he will empower you to succeed and to endure.

Then, revival will overtake your soul.

Source: http://www.celebratelife.co/content.cfm?id=336