Last week, Miss California Carrie Prejean's response during the Miss USA Pageant to a question asked about gay marriage was a demonstration of authentic Christianity. 

When openly gay judge Perez Hilton asked the beauty queen if every state should approve gay marriage as had Vermont and three other states, she replied: "We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite [marriage]. And you know what, in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.  No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

Way to go, Miss Prejean ! ! !

The story is told about an eagle that had been captured when it was quite young.  The farmer who snared the bird put a restraint on it so it couldn’t fly, and then he turned it loose to roam in the barnyard.

It wasn’t long till the eagle began to act like the chickens, scratching and pecking at the ground. This bird that once soared high in the heavens seemed satisfied to live the barnyard life of the lowly hen.

One day the farmer was visited by a shepherd, who lived in the mountains where the eagles lived. Seeing the eagle, the shepherd said to the farmer, "What a shame to keep that bird hobbled here in your barnyard! Why don’t you let it go?" The farmer agreed, so they cut off the restraint. But the eagle continued to wander around, scratching and pecking as before.

The shepherd picked it up and set it on a high stone wall.  For the first time in months, the eagle saw the grand expanse of blue sky and the glowing sun.  Then it spread its wings and with a leap soared off into a tremendous spiral flight, up and up and up.  At last it was acting like an eagle again.

This is an incredible lesson for the church of Jesus Christ.

Churches gather for nights of revival, conduct evangelistic services, schedule special events and programs; while continuing to live beneath their calling; a calling of divine significance.

God designed us to be like eagles; designed for greatness in Christ.  Many are perfectly content to continue to live like those around them.  The sad truth is; we are all surrounded by chickens.  We may use better language; not like those foul-mouthed neighbors of ours.   We go to church on Sundays, prayer meetings and  maybe even a small group during the week.   We curb our vices; don’t smoke, drink or chew (and don’t hang out with girls that do).   We seem healthy on the outside; nothing seems wrong; yet we aren’t living the way God intended us to live.
God doesn’t need eagles to be chickens; he has chickens for that!  Studies by Barna Research suggest there is little difference in the lifestyle of those who profess to be born again Christians and those who do not profess such a faith.  This is very sad!

Sometimes people wonder why revival doesn’t come; why aren’t sinners drawn to the church?  Perhaps it is what the sinners see on the outside. What do they see in us that would compel them to know Christ?

Some believe we’re experiencing a reversed-revival; one where the world is converting Christians instead of Christians converting the world.  Is it possible that chickens are re-training eagles?  If they are, it wouldn’t be the first time it happened.

In the church at Colosse, the young believers were struggling with their new faith.  They were beautiful new creatures in Christ Jesus, yet they were surrounded by those who challenged their faith, and kept them from seeing the full measure of God’s desire for them.  They wanted them to fit in – to be like they were.  Like the eagle that was restrained and could no longer see over the wall, these young believers were losing sight of the life of holiness they were called to.
Paul writes to encourage, admonish and correct them.  He reinforces the doctrine they have been taught, and gives them rules for Holy living that will not only affect them, but those around them. 

Colossians 3: 1-17 reveals four components of holiness that will pave the way for revival in the church.
-  “Set Your Heart on Heavenly Things” (vv.1-4)
- “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ” (vs. 3)
-  “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation!” (2 Cor. 5:17)
-  “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.” (vs. 5)
-  “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to kow our Creator and become like Him.”  (vs. 10

As we focus on these heavenly things, Christ becomes alive in us, and we begin to prepare for His return as we should.

Making a commitment like this will change us, and cause others to wonder “what happened” to the one they “used to know.”  This is the beginning of one-on-one evangelism and the probable source of any modern day revival.

Times have changed and society has changed.   Most likely we won’t get the unsaved to the cross and into the church in the same ways we used to.   That doesn’t mean we throw everything out; it means we adapt our method to meet people where they are.  We adapt the method, not the message.

“Forget the Earthly Things” (vv.5-11)  Paul leaves no room for discussion. His assumption of our walk in Christ is an affirmation to us; an encouragement. He gives the grocery list of things that turn eagles into chickens:
-  Anger, rage, malice, slander, lying.
-  Social sins; racism, profiling, stereotyping, “class status”.
-  There is no room for these in the revived church.

We are to reach the world with the Gospel; the whole world.  No exceptions.  Off with the old, on with the new self.

This new self is being renewed daily to be more like Christ, which is the goal of every believer.  If we daily get more like Christ, imagine the progress we will make by next year at this time. 

“Live a New Life in Christ” (vv. 12-14).  Imitate Christ’s attitudes; compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  “Bear with each other, forgive as the Lord forgave you!”  (a tall order)
-  “Over all, PUT ON LOVE; which binds them all together”
-  “Let love guide every thought and action in your life”

The question we need to answer is; do those outside our fellowship see the love that is INSIDE our fellowship?  In perfect unity; everyone wants to belong; would they want to belong to our group?
-  “Let the peace of God rule your hearts”
-  “Be thankful”
-  “Stay in the word, continue to worship”

When you set your mind on heavenly things and forget the earthly things, you will absolutely live a new life in Christ.
-  “Do Everything for the Benefit of Christ” (v. 17)

Those who live a new life in Christ have one purpose; to bring others to a right relationship with Him. There should be no motive more powerful than this, and it should be the first and foremost mission of every church.  Give no thought to who gets the credit; give it to Jesus.  When we do it all for Jesus, our works are magnified far beyond what we could achieve on our own.

It isn’t about big buildings; or memberships in the thousands; or attracting the attention of men.  It is about reaching souls for Christ while there is still time and opportunity.

We need revival that starts in the heart and soul of every believer in the church.  We need revival that extends to our community, neighboring communities, and towns far away.

If word of this sort of revival gets out, we won’t be able to keep them away!  We have a wonderful history; God is aware of it, He created it.  The question isn’t about our history, it’s about our present!

True, lasting revival cannot begin without us.  Regardless of the failures in our life, God wants us to fly.   Let Him set you on top of that wall as the shepherd in the opening story so you can see what you’ve been missing and begin to fly like Carrie Prejean.  

Revival also brings boldness because we are not thinking of ourselves and what others will think.  We will think of what Jesus thinks.  We are promised God’s presence and protection when we boldly stand for Him.  (Joshua 1:9).  We are exhorted to not be afraid of what man can do to us.  (Psalm 56:11)