Revival or Rebellion: The Church’s Response to a Nation in Turmoil

By John Lanier

America is burning - and the Church is busy playing with matches.
We are living in a time of unprecedented cultural unrest. Violence in the streets. Division in the pews. Confusion in the pulpits. And while the world spirals into chaos, the body of Christ is caught between two postures: revival or rebellion.

Let’s be clear - there is no middle ground.

We are either contending for a sovereign move of God, or we are complicit in the collapse of a nation. The Church was never called to be a thermometer, reflecting the temperature of the culture.

We were called to be a thermostat, setting it. But instead of setting the standard, we’ve settled for silence.

The Silence of the Saints
Where are the (real) prophets? Where are the pastors who still preach with fire? Where are the worship leaders who sing with conviction instead of chasing charts?

We’ve traded altars for algorithms. We’ve replaced repentance with relevance. And we wonder why the power is gone.

We’ve softened our sermons, diluted our doctrine, and sanitized our sanctuaries - removing the tears, the altars, and the holy fire until all that’s left is a stage.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…” - 2 Timothy 4:3
 

And now we’re watching the fruit of our compromise.

Rebellion in the Ranks
Let’s not pretend the rebellion is only “out there.” It’s in here. In our churches. In our leadership. In our worship teams. In our “conferences.”

We’ve rebelled against the authority of Scripture. We’ve rebelled against the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We’ve rebelled against the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

We’ve built ministries on charisma instead of character. We’ve platformed performers and silenced (real) prophets. We’ve turned the Gospel into a brand and the pulpit into a stage - where applause matters more than anointing.

This is not revival! This is rebellion! And rebellion in the house of God is more dangerous than rebellion in the streets.

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." - 1 Samuel 15: 23

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him…” - Titus 1:16
 

What Revival Really Looks Like
Revival is not a concert. It’s not a "conference." It’s not a clever sermon series with fog machines and LED walls.

Revival is repentance. Revival is brokenness. Revival is the Church on its face, crying out for mercy.

Revival is when the Word of God pierces the heart, not just tickles the ears. It’s when altars are flooded, not Instagram feeds. It’s when people stop playing church and start being the Church.

Revival is when the fear of God returns to the house of God - when sanctuaries are filled with tears, not trends; with trembling, not theatrics.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” - James 4:8

The Prophetic Mandate
We are not called to echo culture. We are called to confront it.

Jeremiah didn’t win popularity contests. Elijah didn’t host leadership summits. John the Baptist didn’t wear skinny jeans and sip lattes. They preached repentance. They called out sin. They stood alone if they had to.

We need that kind of boldness again. Not polished speeches, but prophetic fire. Not clever branding, but uncompromising truth.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet…” - Isaiah 58:1

If we don’t speak, who will? If we don’t stand, who will? If we don’t repent, who will?

The Cross Is Still the Answer
America doesn’t need another movement. It needs a moment at the foot of the Cross.

The answer is not in Washington. It’s not in Hollywood. It’s not in hashtags or headlines. It’s in the blood-stained wood of Calvary!!

We must return to the Cross. We must preach the Cross. We must live the Cross. Because the Cross is not just a symbol - it’s a summons. A call to die to self, to crucify compromise, and to rise in power.

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” - Galatians 6:14

A Call to the Church
This is not the time to retreat. It’s the time to repent.

This is not the time to entertain. It’s the time to equip.

This is not the time to be politically correct. It’s the time to be prophetically clear.

The Church must rise. Not with programs, but with power. Not with gimmicks, but with the Gospel. Not with compromise, but with conviction.

Revival is coming - but only if we choose it. Only if we confront the rebellion in our own hearts. Only if we stop playing church and start being the Church!

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray…” - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Final Word
You want revival? Then repent.
You want power? Then pray.
You want change? Then preach the Cross.

Because revival doesn’t come through comfort. It comes through consecration.

And if the Church doesn’t wake up soon, we won’t just lose a nation, we’ll lose a generation.
 

So, I ask you, Church: Will we rise in revival? Or will we rot in rebellion? The choice is ours. But time is running out.