Thursday, March 16, 2006

The church revival in today's culture

Are they still relevant?
My church just completed a 4 night revival. Every spring we try to plan a revival, and we have had some great speakers.
Our latest revival was no different.
Pastor Brian Miller came and shared his heart with us. He brought his worship band from his church and they rocked.
As I listened to his messages I had to cover up my toes. Maybe Brian and I are so close that God used him to speak to me. It was the message my church and myself needed to hear.
I find that revivals have changed a lot over the years. In the old days, revivals were places where the lost came in droves to find Christ. Some revivals were extended because people just kept coming and accepting Christ. That still happens at some crusades. But church revivals have changed.
The truth is that the lost in our world are not coming to revivals, or church for that matter. In the old days people had at least grown up in or around church. They had learned some stuff in Sunday schools when they were young because almost everybody went to some church. If you didn't go to church, you were a heathen and no self respecting person wanted that label.
Fast forward about 40-50 years and we find in today's culture that many are growing up without ever stepping into a church.
What changed?
You can point your finger at many things, the church not changing with the times in respect to it's worship and it's ministries, ignoring the needs of the communities that it served, internal scandals and strife, the focus on itself. That was just the short list.
I have some other ideas, and Brian touched on them beautifully.
Reason #1
We don't want imperfect people in our midst.
That sounds strange, you know, since nobody's perfect, but I'm afraid it's true. We like order, we like to be around people who know the rules and abide by them. Sit down and shut up, keep your kids under control or take them out. You see that way everybody can come and worship without feeling uncomfortable. Of course the problem with this is two fold. First we forget that we AREN'T perfect and second, no lost person wants to come within 10 miles of the church for fear that they will have to become perfect or get "the look". People don't need to be looked down upon and guess what, they won't make an effort to get up, get them and the kids ready, just to come and feel like they don't belong. Stick a thousand "welcome" signs on the church if you want to, but it's just not going to happen. The church thinks that it's friendly, and they are, to the extent that we will stick out our hands (sometimes), but really develop a relationship?
Forget about it.
Reason #2
The church stopped jumping.
I guess you had to be at the revival to get that one, but in a nutshell the church got comfortable and it just sat down. God wants to give us an adventure, but we would rather sit on the bench. There are so many people in need, so much work for us to do, and God is waiting for His church to move. I have to agree with what Brian said, instead of moving we decide to wrap ourselves into our church so much that we stop listening to what is going on outside the four walls of our sanctuary. Following Christ becomes tradition, service times, and announcements in the bulletin. But it's safe, nice and comfortable. God gives us what we want, and our church slowly dies a quiet death.
I think that there is a need for revival in our churches today, and Brian addressed that need. The Christians of today's church need to be reminded on what the cost of following Christ is.
And if anybody needed to be reminded, that person is me.

2 comments:

Brian said...

Thank God. I didn't want to say it, but yes, you were the recipient of all of my thoughts and digressions. Thank God. I didn't want to say it out loud. I was afraid it was too obvious. Seeing your comment, maybe it was. But thank God, it's now in the open.

BTW, the reason people use to come to revivals is the same reason they still go to the carnival when it comes to town. It was a good show. But there are way too many good options for a good show these days, and revivals aren't on people's radar. At least that is my pessimistic view. I really don't think people flocked out to find Christ.

Anonymous said...

I feel people and christians mostly, have grown cold, indifferent and many lukewarm,they got comfortable. well, hell is heated while the church is cold, so either ignite a fire within the church body or stand and loose the souls of men. revival, is allowing God to be God, not theatrics of old, but God, touching and changing lives, quit judging, start praying, less doubt and more faith, maybe then we will behold such manifestations of God that causes the skeptics themselves to believe.