The Highest Cost of Revival

During an outreach event last week I began to assess the cost of the event….

The snow cones and printed material were costly…

Busses and van moving people from place to place which involved insurance, fuel, registration and maintenance cost….

People took personal vehicles and there was personal cost involved in that….

The event was successful and the church was full of people…

Several received the Holy Ghost and there was a baptism….

Refreshments for the kiddos cost….

Again busses and fuel and insurance and maintenance expenses were consumed…..

Revival is not cheap…

I have never seen a revival that did not cost…..

Many of the cost are hidden and most around the church never realize they were incurred….

But after 48 years in the church and 29 years of ministry….

I have come to conclude that none of these is truly The Highest Cost of a Revival…

The hidden and visible Highest Cost of Revival is people…

Invariably…..

In the midst of revival….

In the moment dreams are coming true….

The invoice arrives with a demand for immediate payment….

And a family exits the back door of the church while the rejoicing of revival is heard around the altars….

I know….

A front door revival requires a back door revival…..

And while I understand this principle….

This pastor’s heart hates The Highest Cost of Revival….

For just as the church does not understand the hidden cost of fuel, insurance and refreshments….

They understand The Highest Cost of Revival even less….

So many times I have longed to rejoice as the waters of baptism splashed, but was distracted as the back door of the church closed behind those I loved….

I have wept as I cognized that relationships would be broken…

Friends….

I could care less how much fuel, insurance, vehicles, snow cones and printing cost….

I could care less how much 10,000 bottles of water cost to give away.....

I could care less how large the bill is when it comes to a soul….

Containment of these costs is the least of my concerns….

However…

I would do anything in the world to contain…..

The people cost…

For indeed this is…..

The Highest Cost of Revival