Stan Moody:
As our political system, a cacophony of competing sound bites, collapses around us, I have been listening to Christian friends and colleagues, both past and present, struggle with how biblically to define what is going on. Some think that the Church has to grow in order to be effective. Others feel that the Church needs to shrink in order to come back to faith. Still others feel that we are not praying enough to get God’s attention. A few thoughts have kicked into gear.
Does the Church Need to Grow in Order to Be More Effective?
We American Evangelicals are looking more and more like “Flat Earth Disciples”. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God as a present reality in the life of the professing Christian has given way to a physical, theocratic kingdom here on earth to be maintained by force of law. You can almost hear Jesus’ weeping: “America, America, you who condemn those sent to you, how often I had longed to gather your children together, but you were unwilling” (from Matt 23:37).
If we truly are talking about the Church growing in faith, that is one thing. If, however, we are talking about the Church growing in power through money and numbers of congregants, does that not fall into the category of the love of money, defined in Scripture as the root of all evil?
We Americans have been pre-programmed with an eternal search for a marketing niche. Billy Graham found a popular niche in 1949 when he was about to fold – attacking communism. Others have followed suit through attacks on OPS – “Other People’s Sins”, rather than repenting for the sins of the Church. As a result, sadly, the Gospel of the present, dynamic, victorious Kingdom of God has been scuttled in favor of measurable, material success. The minute we begin to think that it is up to us to keep God's Plan alive, we have lost the game.
Do We Need to Pray More in Order to Get God’s Attention?
Do we pray for His strength in our weakness? OK! Do we pray for more converts and church members? Hmmm! Do we pray for more money in order to be bigger, stronger and more effective? Are we praying for our wants, our needs or just trying to win God’s attention?
The solution may be all too simple. Jesus suggested that there is no better prayer than this: “Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Becoming intent on politically building God’s Kingdom here on earth, no matter what it takes, has evolved into a mad scramble for an increasing share of a declining market. The last resort is to turn to political influence.
What Will Happen to the Church if This Impatience with God Continues?
Of deep concern is countless American Christians who have found comfort in religious tradition. When the tough reality of politics begins to descend on our older brothers and sisters in Christ, what will happen when they discover that the link between saving grace and communion with God has been broken over time without notice? Unfortunately, these already have been marginalized by church leadership as a vanishing remnant representative of the present-day decline of the Church. Is the solution really “seeker religion” through entertainment?
As our churches empty out and close; as the financial base collapses; as popular pulpit CEOs become unemployed, pray that God will conquer our self-love, the enemy of our souls.
Pray that in rebooting the Church, our weak faith in the unseen things of God will become strong. Know, however, that recovery and revival in the pursuit of Truth are historically cyclical. They work well in the time of renewal but quickly collapse the moment we decide to organize and congratulate ourselves on our roles in the process. Church history is destined to repeat itself for round after round until Jesus comes in His own timing – not ours.
…which leads us to this invitation to die to self in order truly to live: “Make sure your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have, for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).
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