I was brought to tears today thinking about the place we are in as the Church. We are not in a good place. In my own situation, it is the same old thing every week. It is so predictable that you could set your clock to it. If anything is out of order, you can feel the tension that arises from people because they are uncomfortable with the unpredictability of it. Celebration is far from the word I would use to describe what we do on Sunday. This may sound harsh, but I'm just trying to be honest. If I was going to blame anyone for this first, it would be me. It is so easy to get caught up in the routine that it makes me lazy. It makes me forget that it is for freedom that Jesus set me free (Galatians 5:1). It's not just in my situation either. It's in churches all across our country. We are losing the little influence we do have. We have to wake up and realize that we have not had much of an influence in the past decade at least and probably longer. The place we need to start is on our knees. We need to repent of the sin of routine and complacency. We need God to send revival. We need to get out of the way and let God turn our world upside down.
Jimmy Needham sings a song called "Hurricane." He sings in the chorus, "I need you like a hurricane, thunder crash, wind and rain. Tear my walls down; I'm only yours now." We need to be torn down. We need the living God to come like a hurricane and tear us down. The generations coming up are becoming less and less familiar with anything having to do with Christianity. Christianity to them is just another flavor to choose in the long list of flavors that all taste the same.
My heart is broken for the church and for the generations coming up. If we don't wake up and get on our knees, the church in America will become less and less meaningful and may eventually die. Jesus didn't die for that. He died so that we could be free to live for him and praise him. I'm praying now for revival. I hope that others will join with me.
