Repentance and Revival

How often do American churchgoers these days hear sermons about repentance? Many popular preachers are more concerned about building up their hearers' self esteem than bringing them under conviction of sin. Even some reformed Christians are so eager to hear exclusively about what God has done for us in Christ that they are wary of sermons which proclaim our duty to actively turn from our sin.

When Israel had tried to defeat the Philistines by bringing the ark of the covenant into battle, they were crushed (I Samuel 4). Twenty years later, when the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord and heeded Samuel's call to repentance, the Lord gave them a great victory. They marked their victory with the Ebenezer (If you pay attention on Sunday, you'll know what an Ebenezer is).

The church today needs preachers like Samuel who will proclaim the necessity of a heartfelt turning from sin to God. We too have idols which contribute to our spiritual defeats. When we turn to God, He gives us help and victory – which we should remember.