Okay, I'm going to cheat a little this week. I wrote this article earlier this year but I feel like I just need to post it here for some reason. Sorry to those who have already read it. It's a long one but finish it and allow God to speak to you.
We live in an incredible age. The amount of and access to technology makes us the most privileged people in the history of the world. We have a global community to which we can connect to most of the world at will. And at the forefront of this technological revolution is America.
America has more money, power, influence, and freedom than any country. And yet through our desire and ambition to remain the leader we have lost a vital part of who we are as a people and a country.
America has lost her church. Yes, we have churches on every corner of every style, size and emphasis you desire. The church has been marketed like no other in history. We have made some into brand names. We have turned others into recreation centers. We have some who are large media centers, and others who have worked hard and intentional to feel like home. We have some who have invented some great programs and has become household names as a result. We have every spiritual fad available for every taste and interest. We have surveys and numbers that can make your head spin and an accountant smile with glee. And as a result of it all, we have failed.
According to John Franklin, the church is advancing in every part of the world except in Japan, Western Europe, Australia, and yes, the leader of the world, America. But you and I didn’t need a book to tell us that. We see and feel it everyday. The church is under such pressure to come up with some great program or idea that will revolutionize the church and reach the masses and spread revival throughout our land. So we seek out those who have “found the secret” and buy all their books, attend all their conferences, implement all their programs, and listen to all their sermons. Until it fizzles out and we have to start the process all over again. No wonder I personally have known an average of 5 men a year for the past 10 years who have left the ministry because of burnout.
Now we have some who have decided the way out of this mess is to become more socially active in our communities. Reach the poor, homeless, and needy, and then the church will become the church again. While I appreciate them bringing notice to this very neglected aspect in most of our churches, it is not the secret. Just like the Prayer of Jabez, the Purpose Driven ministries, Evangelism Explosion, FAITH, and a host of others great programs before them, this too will have limited impact and not bring the desperately needed revival and spiritual awakening we long for.
So what is the answer? How do we get to the point when we begin to see lasting results of a significant nature? How do we get to the point where we all aren’t just playing church, or working a job as pastors or staff?
I do not even pretend to know all the intricacies and nuances of the problems the church faces today. But God has taught me something quite amazing in the past year. I am still learning what it is and where it is headed, but I have no doubt that I have been pushed into something special.
It started in a frustrating time in the ministry. I was tired, confused, and ready to give up. I had silently contemplated quitting, but had no idea what I would do. I was in a state of absolute brokenness. Then Sunday came and I had no clue how I was going to get up and preach on something I wasn’t really sure I knew about. Then our Praise team began to sing Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) and God spoke to me. It was in the time span of that song where He showed me my pride, arrogance, and self reliance. He also showed me a glimpse of His holiness. I got up to preach and I just couldn't find the words. I just began to weep. I had no idea what was going to happen to me. I had no idea what others would say about me, but I did not care. I began to confess what God had shown me and made a commitment right then and there to follow God wholeheartedly with all I had.
In the midst of this breakdown, I began to lead a Bible Study on Wednesday Night through the Book of Acts. It was an in depth view into the Early Church, the catalyst of my frustration. In the book of Acts, I saw a church who had nothing; no education, no budget; no technology; no influence; no freedom; and, heaven forbid, no Bible, at least the New Testament. Then I looked at the church where I was and saw what we had; education, budget, technology, influence, freedom, and every Bible you could imagine from King James to the New Living Translation. They had nothing, we have everything. Yet, they changed the world, we can’t change our community or even, let’s be honest, our own block. What is going on here? Why such a paradox? And more importantly, what can we do about it?
We were at the end of chapter 2 when it dawned on me. I saw there in verse 42, they had devoted themselves to several things; teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and then there it was, to prayer. The light came on and I went back and began to look throughout the book of Acts. There it was almost hidden in plain sight. They prayed. We talk about prayer, they prayed. We have prayer concerts, they prayed. We have books on prayer, they prayed. We have a conference on prayer, they prayed. We figure out structures on prayer, they prayed. We program our prayer, they prayed. We list our prayer, they prayed. We put prayer on T-shirts, they prayed. We preach on prayer, they prayed. We sing about prayer, they prayed. We have turned prayer into an excuse, they prayed. We add prayer to what we are doing, they prayed. Please tell me you get the point. We have missed the one thing the Early Church had which more than anything else changed the world.
God said in Isaiah 56 that His house would be a House of Prayer. Not a house of creativity, preaching, singing, ministry, or even potlucks, but a house of prayer. It seems as if the church of today is more interested in the former things than in the prayer. I hear pastors say their lowest attended service is the Wednesday night prayer service. Well, if I asked you to spend an hour of your time to list all the problems of those around and talk about them and then listen to a hastily unplanned service in which at some point we will pray over the whole list for about 1 or 2 minutes, would you show up? But just imagine if the house of prayer opened up and we sang songs of worship to God, who listens and knows our needs before we do, and then in some form or fashion began to labor for the needs of the community by name. Lifting every single name and concern, not all at once, but each one knowing God is God who loves us and cares for the needs on our hearts. And not only would need call out to God over the physical needs, but we would also pour out our hearts to God over the spiritual needs in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Would that be something worth your while? Then why don’t we do it? Because it is easier the other way.
God’s great desire is that we know Him. Even more than doing things for Him, He wants us to know Him. When we take the effort and get to know Him, Then the things we do will have more power and effectiveness behind it. We look at Acts 1:8 and focus on the places to be a witness, and completely ignore the fact we are to go with power first. We are so worried about how we are going to get there, what are the precise words we are going to use, or how is it going to be reported on with which form. Why not just spend extended amounts of time in prayer to God and be like Abraham and just Go when He tells you to go? But we are too structured and organized to possibly step out in faith when we know God has called us.
The Great Awakenings and Revivals began when people began to pray. We try to conjure it up but personalities and programs will not do it. God is not about the program, He is all about the relationship! And relationship at times gets messy. They are constantly surprising you and keep you on your toes. Try to program and structure the relationship with your kids. It won’t take very long when you will find out things will not go exactly as planned. Try to program the relationship with your wife? All these relationship can’t be planned and performed but rather they are just lived and adjusted to when needed. Why would our relationship with God be any different? He just wants to have the time with you then He will let you know what to do and where to go. But it must begin with as committing ourselves to become a people of prayer!
I humbly would ask that you just try something. For the next 40 days I would ask you to go on a fast. No a physical fast per say but rather a fast from the ordinary ways of the church. Take a fast from the commentaries, Christian self-help books, and canned straight out of the box programs. Take a journey into Prayer. Make a commitment for the next 40 days you are going to pray first over everything you do. I know it sounds impractical, but how has what we been doing worked? When someone stops you at church or on the street and ask you to pray for someone or something, stop whatever you are doing and pray with them. As you prepare the sermons and lessons to share, pray and seek God’s face and ask Him to fill you with power. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. To give you the words to share from His book not someone else’s.
As you take this challenge I will promise one thing. Things will get worse rather than better. As we have implemented this “Old Way” of life, we have some who has been absolutely opposed to it. They have spread rumors of me being lazy or uncaring. We have seen some leave the church. Opposition is a hallmark of the early church so why should it be any different for us? So what do we do? I read a Psalm of David (Psalms 25, 26) that asked God to rise up and defend him. I did the same and the attacks subsided and we stayed focused on becoming a people of Prayer. However, we have seen amazing things happen in church. We have seen people healed, relationships restored, children come to Christ, and obedience to Christ achieved. New ministries are being started and many of them I had no knowledge of. That is a good thing! I am not the head of the church, Christ is. I am there to provide guidance, support, and help where needed. People should not need our permission to obey God when He tells them to move. Personally, I have been refreshed and renewed in ministry. It is a joy now where it was pain. I am busier now than ever before but I also have been more effective in the ministry I am doing than ever before. I attribute every single part of it as a result of the constant time I try to spend in prayer. (1 Thess. 5:17)
I truly believe we have just seen the tip of the iceberg with what God is going to do in and through us. I pray God is moving us back to the Old Ways in these New Days!
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