Leonard Ravenhill warns that America's spiritual complacency and moral decay have provoked God's holy anger, signaling impending judgment unless true repentance and revival occur.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing the anger of God towards sin and the lukewarm state of the Church. It challenges believers to consider the abundance of resources and opportunities available in America for the Gospel, contrasting it with the spiritual need in other parts of the world. The speaker highlights the lack of supernatural power and true spiritual transformation in the Church, calling for a return to genuine, apostolic Christianity.
Full Transcript
Wrath, wax hot against thy people. Now look at verse 22, and Aaron said, let not the anger of my Lord wax hot. What do you mean? Because Moses had been in the presence of God, and God was angry.
And he taught holy anger. The man that teaches you that the Holy Ghost is only joy and fire, he doesn't know a thing about the Holy Ghost. You'll get angry someday.
I get angry. I'm angry now. How much longer do you think God's going to put up with us sitting in America? I'll tell you some statistics in a few days, not just about vice.
I'll tell you things that we have that no nation in history has ever had. For instance, just one. I checked so I wouldn't make a mistake.
You've got some parts of the world like where Jackie says, I go into China, and Brother Raymond, there isn't one Bible in the whole town. Do you know we have 600 million Bibles in America? Do you know we have 26 translations of the Bible in America? Do you know in America and Canada between them, we have 450 Bible schools and 250 seminaries? Did Solomon Gomorrah have a seminary? Did they have a Bible school? America fought World War I in the backyard of Europe. She fought World War II in the backyard of Europe.
She fought the Middle East War in the Middle East. She hasn't suffered a thing. I got up one morning and opened the door and looked out and the neighborhood had disappeared.
I looked down the tree and there's a baby up in the tree. There's a man's leg sticking out of the debris. There's a chair leg sticking out there.
Why? Because the Germans raided us in the night. America hasn't suffered that much. I'm trying to warn you that we're heading for trouble.
Let me tell you this, dear friend. With all the churches and everything we have, God, G-O-D is N-O-T, not on trial. In this critical hour in history, God is not on trial.
His church is on trial. And she doesn't have an answer to the problem. We're like Mother Harvard, our cupboards are bare.
Where is the supernatural? Do you think Jackie isn't filled with God when a woman comes running down the street and kneels in front of her and the woman's all pockmarked? She's prostituted 40 years and she says tremblingly, Jackie, Miss Jackie, Miss Jackie, please take the devil out of me. I'm full of the devil and you're full of God. Will you please? And every day of her life almost she casts out demons.
She doesn't even claim to be a Pentecostal. She does claim to be a Christian. I've got the greatest Pentecostal preacher in the world coming to see me in three days.
I'm going to ask him a question. One of the greatest Pentecostal theologians came to see me. He had a stack of his books.
And I said, I'm just reading the history of Azusa Street by Bartleman. And it says on, after the five page, the first page, it says on the second page there are 70, listen, 70 million spirit-filled Pentecostals in the world today. And I said to him, listen, tell me this, is this record true? Are there 70 million spirit-filled Pentecostals? Oh no, Mr. Rainer, Bartleman wrote that five years ago.
I said, well, what's the story now? And he sent it up blushing. He said, Mr. Rainer, there are 120 million charismatic and old-style Pentecostals in the world today. Well, it was near enough, dear lady, I could almost mark a finger in his hand.
And I said, listen, tell me this. I know you've written stacks of books on theology. I know there are 120 Pentecostal churches in Dallas, and nobody knows they're there.
He said, no, there are not 70 million Pentecostals. I said, is a Pentecostal a man that's full of the Holy Ghost and speaks in tongues? Yes. He said, there are 120 million of them in the world.
I almost knocked his head off. I said, well, brother, tell me this, were there 120 million in the upper realm? Oh, no. I said, well, what's the difference between their baptism of the Holy Ghost and yours? Don't tell me it's tongues.
Every devout Mormon in Salt Lake City speaks in tongues. It's part of their religion. Spirits speak in tongues.
Who cares a hill of beans if you speak in tongues, if you're bad-tempered, if you're jealous, if you get the last ounce of money out of somebody, the last ounce of work out of somebody. Come on, we're a million miles removed from apostolic Christianity.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Reality of God's Holy Anger
- God's anger is righteous and justified
- Moses' intercession shows the seriousness of divine wrath
- Holy Spirit involves more than joy; it includes righteous anger
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II. America's Spiritual Complacency
- Abundance of Bibles and seminaries yet lack of true holiness
- Historical protection without spiritual breakthrough
- Churches failing to provide supernatural answers
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III. The Need for Genuine Pentecostal Power
- Large numbers of Pentecostals worldwide but lacking true spiritual fruit
- Tongues alone do not prove spiritual maturity
- Call for authentic apostolic Christianity
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IV. Warning and Call to Repentance
- America is heading for divine trouble
- God is not on trial, but His church is
- Urgent need for revival and holiness
Key Quotes
“The man that teaches you that the Holy Ghost is only joy and fire, he doesn't know a thing about the Holy Ghost.” — Leonard Ravenhill
“God is not on trial. His church is on trial.” — Leonard Ravenhill
“Come on, we're a million miles removed from apostolic Christianity.” — Leonard Ravenhill
Application Points
- Examine your own heart for complacency and seek genuine repentance before God.
- Do not equate spiritual gifts like tongues with true holiness and character.
- Pray and labor for a revival that brings authentic apostolic power to the church.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is meant by 'holy anger'?
Holy anger refers to God's righteous indignation against sin and injustice, which is a necessary aspect of the Holy Spirit's work.
Why does Leonard Ravenhill believe America is in danger?
He believes America is in danger due to widespread spiritual complacency, moral decay, and failure of the church to respond with true holiness and revival.
Does speaking in tongues guarantee spiritual maturity?
No, Ravenhill emphasizes that speaking in tongues alone is not proof of spiritual maturity or holiness.
What role does the church play in this message?
The church is on trial for failing to provide answers to spiritual problems and for lacking supernatural power and holiness.
What is the ultimate call of this sermon?
The sermon calls for repentance, revival, and a return to authentic apostolic Christianity.
