Our Only Hope for Our Faith, Our Churches and Our Culture

I have observed several things about the affect that Christ and His Church is having on people. These are not intended to be depressing but should give mature Christians a "wake up" call.

1. The average Christian is woefully immature. He or she neither does nor knows the spiritual response to the world in which they live. They react rather than act when confronted with unrighteousness. It has caused the Christians to be as likely as the non-Christian to participate in sinful things.

2. The difference in maturity between the person who has come to church for many years and the one who is a new Christian is too small to measure. We have assumed that coming to church will grow them in their faith. It would be the same as saying we thought that going to the car dealer each day would make them mechanics. They have learned the terms but they have not been able to put what they have learned into practice.

3. People are more affected by the culture they grew up in than by the culture of Christ. The older generation gives because their culture was expected to be responsible and provide for those who are coming after them. They were taught sacrifice by their culture. They were also told that they would have it all if they won WWII. The result is that they are demanding when it comes to services they think the church should provide. The next culture was taught that everything was created for them. They expect that the church will provide because they are the chosen generation. The next generation is just as affected by their culture. And so on and so on.

4. The media has more influence over righteousness than the Church. People are determining what is right and wrong by what the media says. They are cautious to stand up for what the media condemns. They are quick to adopt what the media applauds. It has affected the Church, the education system and what we can expect when dealing with others.

5. There is no foreseeable change coming. The Church continues to make grandiose mission statements which are not being met. The thought of bringing the non-Christian to full commitment to Christ is laudable but is happening at such a dismal rate that it will have absolutely no affect on our culture. We will continue to see the moral absolutes fall and our society deteriorate if nothing new happens.

6. The only hope for our faith, our churches and our culture is God-sent revival. This revival must be the sweep of the Holy Spirit into our churches which will ignite us to a complete commitment to Christ. It will take us far beyond our comfort zones. It will change our way of thinking. We will confess our shortcomings in our faith. We will stop doing things which harm the cause of Christ. We will commit ourselves and do whatever the Spirit leads us to do. We will proclaim Christ unapologetically. We will be personally changed. The genuine work of the Spirit within us will change others around us.

7. There has never been revival without a praying group. They may have been as small as two people. God has honored these prayers to send revival.

Unfortunately, our nation has looked to earthly leaders to bring us prosperity. Prosperity will not bring us to the fulfillment of whom we are created to be. We are created to give God glory. Everything else falls short of His glory. Everything else is the empty promise of an evil devil. There is nothing greater than what God has prepared for us. There is nothing that will satisfy us. 

Will you join me in praying for revival? I welcome your comments.