If Lance Wallnau is right when he says that the "destiny of the nation lies in the hands of the church," what can we do to be a force in reshaping our culture?
As Christians, I know we are praying for and would earnestly desire to see a mighty revival sweep across our nation. Do we understand what revival is and what it cost? What about our own lives, do we need revival ourselves? "Revival occurs when God pours out deep conviction of sin, souls are swept into the kingdom, miracles occur daily, and the power of the Lord saturates the hearts and souls of Christians" (Cindy Jacobs).
There have been many revivals around the world over the past few hundred years, but what long term affect have they had on the world? It is good and it is God's heart that people are saved, but too often they never truly step into the reality of living in the Kingdom of God. For many of those saved during a revival, after a period of time, they slip back into their previous life-style.
Instead of these new believers changing the culture, the culture changes them. If we are ever going to see a lasting revival it is necessary that the culture be transformed as well as individuals. If people's lives are going to be transformed in a lasting way, the culture that surrounds us must be transformed as well.
As the church, we ourselves must learn to live transformed lives, as well as help new believers live transformed lives. Then we need to ask God for divine strategy as to how we can integrate our transformed lives into our society and affect change.
I am praying that God would give us as a church a Kingdom of God perspective on life. That we would view life in the long view and come to a greater understanding of God's purpose for our lives. God wants to show us how to be reformers in our culture.
Earlier today I was talking with a member of our congregation who is walking the streets around their house, praying, and asking God to change lives. They are asking for God's Kingdom to be established in their neighborhood. As they have been walking their streets, God has been giving them divine strategy.
Think BIG, pray BIG, believe BIG, and watch God do BIG things for you. As we step out in faith God is going to do wonders on our behalf.
I struggle with this issue. Are we supposed to be changing the culture or are we supposed to be living changed lives in a decaying culture? I don't know. The first is very frustrating. I get caught up in politics of change, put in a lot of energy on causes and see little results. The second is personally frustrating, as I try to live a life that offers light to this decaying culture and that requires me to change and submit my heart to God. It reminds me of Paul,saying what I don't want to do I do, and what I do want to do, I don't. One is safer personally, one is more threatening personally. I can't seem to do both ways and, being unsure, flop from one to the other and back. Being an adult is sure hard!
ReplyDeleteGood word Pastor Gary - the key is to not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Word. Doers of the Word, reaching out to a hurting world is what's needed for the church to be the real "transformers"
ReplyDeleteBrian
If the "destiny of the nation lies in the hands of the church," then the real question is what do we do about it. Sandy touches on this, and I think it's an area of much confusion. Too often the church tries to exert itself on society by sheer force of will - such as through referenda, amendments, and protests - but I don't see Jesus doing any such thing. His tactic was one of infiltration: Dining with sinners and outcasts, not picketing their sin.
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