Just down the street from where I live sits a car with a flat tire. It’s been months just sitting there. Maybe a year. And every time I pass it, I can’t help but wonder why they don’t fix the flat. This seems to be an otherwise fine car that could be taking people here and there. But instead, it sits sadly idle.
That’s the imagery I’m using today as I speak to any and all who consider themselves part of the Church. There’s a spectrum of involvement there, from occasional attenders of some religious service all the way to radically transformed, Spirit-filled followers of Jesus. No matter where you are on that spectrum, if you say you’re on it, I’m talking to you.
There is a wave of spiritual happenings in our nation right now. If you’ve bothered to look out your window, or are listening to the news reports, there is a groundswell of spiritual “revival” as it’s being called by some. Others are holding their verdict on whether they feel it meets some criteria of revival. As for me, I’m here for it. 100% here for it.
I’ll post some links to a few examples at the end of this blog so you can see for yourself what I’ve been seeing. The point of this blog today is not to merely echo or emphasize those stories. My point is to urge the Church not to botch this. Let me explain, in case that sounds harsh.
For decades, there has been a dark cloud hanging over the Church in America. It has been a reputation that those who go to church and/or call themselves Christians have not been the models of Christ-likeness. There have been instances of people coming into a gathering of those who say they believe in and follow Jesus, and yet have not been welcomed. Worse than that, they’ve been cold-shouldered, judged, or even turned away. Why? Because the would-be new person didn’t fit the mold of what the established “Christian” thought they should be whether in speech, actions, or even clothing.
It’s no wonder, then, that little by little the Church has made her way slowly but surely to the irrelevant margins of our culture. It’s no wonder that America doesn’t take the Church seriously. The Church doesn’t take the gospel seriously, so why would we expect any other outcome? We have traded the cross and an exalted, resurrected Jesus for what amounts to a members-only club with a particular set of often unwritten, unspoken, yet highly upheld set of expectations. If you don’t see this as true, simply look seriously at the statistical reality of the Church in the past several decades. Decline across the board, with few exceptions. Many churches haven’t brought one person to faith in years. Church services are looking more like nursing homes than thriving gatherings of young people. And yes, young people in the Church matter so much because the presence of young people is almost always indicative of health and growth.
While that might pinch, it still isn’t the point of this post. Now that you know where I stand on the Church of the past, let me urge you to come into a new view of today’s ekklesia. Why? Because new people are finally turning to Jesus in numbers we haven’t seen in a very long time. And for the Church as she is now to try and engage those new to their faith in Christ is like us inviting someone to hop into our car with four flat tires. “Hop in, let’s go for a ride.”
As the Church sits presently, we aren’t going anywhere. As the Church sits presently, we aren’t ready to disciple new believers. As the Church sits presently, those new to faith will quickly come to learn that faith in grace offered by Jesus on the cross for us has devolved into rote and stale tradition based on nothing more than collective preferences about stylings and methodology. Yikes.
Church, as we engage with those who are new to a relationship with Christ, we must do so with little to no grip on what has been “church” in the past. At this point in history, there is a new complexion of faith and Jesus-follower that is emerging. It must be given space to grow.
So my plea to us is to take these few simple, yet critical steps as we speak with others about faith in Christ, and as we welcome and disciple those new to their faith.
- Listen first, listen well. (It’s been said that in our culture, listening is the new evangelism.)
- Lead with genuine hospitality. (Read early Acts if you want to see how this is done.)
- Integrate your faith in Jesus into absolutely everything. (Compartmentalizing has historically destroyed the credibility of our witness.)
- Uphold the Church, not the church service. (Yes, we’re called to gather. (Acts 2) Yes, that’s a non-negotiable. (Hebrews 10:25) But what might a new iteration of gathering look like today?)
- Play the role of witness, not attorney, jury, or judge. (Like a courtroom witness, your role is to simply tell what you’ve seen and experienced. Don’t slip into being jury or judge. Just be real and honest about your own story.)
Some things to be on guard against:
- Don’t allow traditions to overshadow the Jesus of the Bible. We Christians LOVE our traditions, but while some have value, most have no significant place in the current and future landscape of faith.
- Be careful not to stray from the gospel message of repentance, faith in Christ alone for salvation, baptism, and transformational living empowered by God’s promised Holy Spirit to be disciples who make disciples. (Check me on this. Is there anything outside of these essentials that is really that important?)
- Face forward. Many well-meaning believers who’ve been around the block a few times seem to love to talk about what was, what has been, or what they like. Nothing wrong with those things necessarily, but in some cases, the past becomes an idol that focuses attention on the rearview rather than the horizon. When God says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Don’t you see it?” (Is. 43:19), He’s actually inviting us to face forward and see what He’s doing right now.
So Church, as you talk with people about the new day of faith and the new era of focus on Jesus in America, let me encourage you not to assume that they’re looking for the nearest church. They’re likely not. So that means we have a poignant opportunity in this cultural moment to reimagine ourselves in light of the new thing God is doing in our culture. Let’s not squander it. Let’s fix the flat (and whatever else we perceive to be amiss) and move with God’s Holy Spirit and what He is doing in our time to bring more souls into a love affair relationship with Jesus.
A few non-spiritual news sources that have recently reported on the “revival” in America:
jerrythinks. 
Talk is cheap.