Today the church must rise up to influence the world. When you look at some of the past revivals and transformation in cultures you see the unseen hand of God caused such amazing changes over night that it caught many by surprise. “Gideon said to Him (the Angel of the Lord)…………. And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about?” Judges 6: I3. I ask the same today.
Yes the church is slowly but surely moving toward this but not fast enough I would say. We are so steeped in our programmes and control of the church that we cannot move at the pace God is moving and so we sadly get left behind. When the Lord is moving we seem to not understand it and then we scoff and mock those who are rising to the occasion. Sadly today church has become a club that has lost its influence in society and in the nation. Is boldness within the four walls of the church denomination? Are we are afraid to venture out beyond these walls? I am asking this of the majority, not those who are sticking their necks out to facilitate change in their cultures and nations. Please don’t be angry at me if you are doing something about it; rather to those of us who talk a lot but really are not influencing our neighborhoods, societies and nation, we need to seriously do something more. It’s ironic; the church is in a nation to influence it and steer it to fulfill its prophetic destiny but it seems like the church has so embraced the thinking of the world that it has lost its influence in society today. I can talk about the church I attend. Just today I was talking with a lady on the phone and she complained to me that the morning congregation refuses to allow the young people to participate in that service because the morning congregation are locked into a more traditional service and will not tolerate any changes. So the service is predictable; six hymns, three readings, communion and prayers, read from a book. Who are we kidding? Certainly not God, but ourselves. Hello…….. the church is called to influence not be influenced. Where is our influence? We have become so selfish and inward looking that we have lost sight of the vision that God has laid upon our hearts, at one time. I say let us repent and turn away from where we fail to hear the voice of the Spirit, calling us to follow the right direction so we become a voice of influence.
Last year we had a great man of God visit our nation. I was working on his schedule and a church in my city said they would host him on Sunday morning but they wanted me to ask him to send his sermon so they could print it out and circulate it to the congregation. They also mentioned that he had to preach the same sermon at all three services. I sent the message across to the man of God. He laughed and told me that he would not be able to do that. I knew he would say that. How could he if he was to move with the Spirit of God at that service? Sadly this is how we have become a voiceless, powerless church, lacking in influence. Even our national leaders don’t take too much notice of us.
There is the story of Samson who had power and the Spirit of God to transform his nation. He is symbolic of the church that had the power and strength given by God to protect and change a nation. We started off well, just like Samson did, but somewhere along the way we settled for the familiar and surrendered our God given anointing and power. We think we are powerful and the Holy Spirit is moving through us but we are blinded just like Samson was. He was blinded; lost his power and he didn’t even know it. That is how bad it has become. Don’t get me wrong I too am at fault and write with all fingers pointing at me because I am part of this system that is a stench to God. The story ends brilliantly with Samson. Do you remember when a young man was asked to position his hands on two pillars? Then Samson regained his strength and power to bring the house down. There are many young people in the Church who need to be heard. When we listen to what God has laid on their hearts, the church will become an influence. It is young people God will use to bring the house down on satan. It is young people who God is raising up to be an influence to reposition the church to fulfill its original call and mandate.
Become a church that is influencing your nation. Ask God how can we (the Church) do it and don’t delay – move in it. Then Jesus won’t have to say “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” Matthew 16.
Let me close by imploring us all to consider where we need to repent, repent, repent because we recognize that we have lost our way.
