It has often been said that before there can be a gospel revolution in society, there needs to be a revolution in the Church. What kind of changes need to happen in our churches and in our own lives to see this revolution come to pass? Dr. Brown will also speak with Pastor David Jeremiah in the second hour. Listen live here 2-4 pm EST, and call into the show at (866) 348 7884 with your questions and comments.
Hour 1:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: If there is any one thing that I could see happen that would bring radical transformation to the church in the world it would be that God’s house is a house of prayer.
Hour 2:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: Here we are in the 21st century with so much change around us, but the message of God remains, back to the basics!
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Aren’t we called to be forgiving, full of peace, and patient? Do we have any reason to believe God is tolerant of sin? If he was tolerant why would he need to punish it? Why did he need Jonah to preach to Ninevah so they would repent when he could have just tolerated their sins?
When non believers tell us to be tolerant of their hedonism aren’t they actually telling us not to remind them to feel guilty?
And I think they’re telling us they are under a spirit that would seek to have priority over the things of God.
I’d like to start with a few notes:
Long term foundation for the church- Psalm 89:14.
(God’s throne is founded on this. He loves judgment and justice)
Jer 22:3,4
Will not doing judgment and justice bring us to Christ? (by the gospel)
II Tim 2:19 / Job 28:28
I’ve been jotting down verses which speak of justice and judgment, writing them down in the front blank pages of my Bible, when I see them.
This has been going on for years, but I don’t do it every day.
Notice how often these things appear.
If the church doesn’t become active in it, will they be a part of a religious movement which is on it’s way to Babylon?
The favor God gave the delivering judges in Israel. (book of Judges)
Book of Judges- Did the days of glory end because there was no delivering Judge at that time, or maybe because someone didn’t go to a delivering Judge with a problem?
What if Jesus would have found the Pharisees doing as Moses did, standing with the people as they came to him with situations among themselves for instruction? (Doing justice and judgment- ministry of reconciliation if you prefer)
Is this how to know God his way, how to experience God?
Things I would like a church to have:
1. Vision and practical instruction on how to practice ministry of reconciliation.
2. Teaching on justice and judgment (for it appears so often in scripture) along with mercy and truth with the gospel of Christ.
3. Practical instruction on how to open to any page of a Bible, find something good about God there, say what it is, and thank him for it.
4. Classes on receiving the holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, interpretation, and prophecy (used this way- edification, exhortation, and comfort of the people present in general words of such comfort and exhortation.)
5. Understanding the gospel.
What if you visited a new church and the pastor talked about how in their church if anyone has any matter that is the cause of any present distress, and if they have gone to the other party first and have not been heard, and they don’t feel they have a brother to go with them, that really has both a good foundation in the gospel, or a vision of ministry of reconciliation, then they may find one here, because many of the people here who have been there awhile have had training in the gospel and in ministry of reconciliation, men and women who are willing to hear (not evil for the sake of evil) things that are the cause of some present distress, willing to hear both parties, whatever they have that is the cause of a present distress, willing to pray, verify facts as well as they can, ask questions, look to see if in fact something done is or could be the cause of some present distress, see if it is in fact contrary to the teaching of scripture, and if so, are willing to make a plea for mercy, (Please have mercy)seeking to do so without partiality and without hypocrisy, willing to walk through dry places in search of water, willing to walk with another, more than a mile, willing to patiently suffer with people, willing to be gentle, seeking to walk in the gifts of the Spirit, as well as it’s fruit, able to open their Bibles and find something good about God and say what it is in the midst of a dark situation, teaching others how to be able to do this also, for we often are in need of encouraging ourselves.
And it seems to me that people ought to be lined up outside the doors of such a church if ever the word of this would get around and people are actually doing it.
And why does anybody ever come to Jesus anyway?
Isn’t it because they had a hunger and thirst for what is right?
And that’s what I think we need for an enduring foundation in our churches, while they do lots of other work also, whatever it is God wants them to do.
Those who do not do the word, do not speak correctly about such things as righteousness, grace, judgment and justice, etc., though they may often speak of such things.
Ray, on comment #3 – 3. Practical instruction on how to open to any page of a Bible, find something good about God there, say what it is, and thank him for it.
I think that one works big time too. 🙂
I very much agree with Dr. Brown that we Evangelicals are in a pretty sorry state. I also agree that we, as Evangelicals, need to get back to the basics of our faith.
But, I can’t imagine he would agree with me about where I think Evangelicals went off track.
I think Evangelicals lost their way when they began neglecting the Good News and started preaching social conservatism.
This set up us Evangelicals to be tools for the political machinations of Lee Atwater, Jerry Falwell, Karl Rove and Fox News. “Good news” is the last thing Americans think of when they think of Evangelicals. Instead they think of reactionary politics, bad science, fear mongering, TV hucksters and gay bashing.
We Evangelicals need to start minding our own business We need to stop confusing America for the church. We need to stop demonizing the gays and start focussing on our own families. We need to stop being the self-appointed moral arbitrators for America and start getting our own moral house in order.
We need to call a truce in “the culture wars” and return to our first love.
Greg, How do you envision a truce in culture wars between the Church and the world?
Would it mean that the Church (for the most part) would agree to not oppose with words (and actions) any new change in current “culture”, and that the opposing force would agree that they would not promote anything new?
I’m wondering how this sort of thing would work in a practical sense.
Greg Allen (Re:6),
Excellent post. Your sentiments reflect the major problem with the “Americanized gospel” that is being pushed in this country. You said,
“I think Evangelicals lost their way when they began neglecting the Good News and started preaching social conservatism.”
The blatent hyprocracy that comes from “so called” leading Evangelicals are why the prophetic voice has become marginalized. People are intelligent enough to see through this smoke screen and have turned away from believing that they are the spokesmen for G-d. Silence and compromise are the beacons of today.
The David Wilkerson’s, Leonard Ravenhill, A.W. Tozers, and Henry Ward Beechers and E.V. Hill’s have been replaced with socio-political sellouts who are more concerned with focusing on fat preachers and party lines, and have failed to unashamedely cryout with an unbiased voice towards righteousness, justice and holiness. I still have hope, but this has been my great disappointment with the church of this age.
Those involved in morally polluting our society would love the churches to mind their own business and go with the humanistic and ultimately rebellious and satanic flow of our society.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13
Better to be trashed by seculars than to integrate and adapt with the seculars. When does Jesus tell us to favor the ways of men over his kingdom?
Calling homo sex a sin is not bashing gays by the way. It is stated as such in scripture. They are prideful most of all. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19
This is what is happening around us now. People do not want to be told what they should not do either by scripture or by those of us who live by scripture. We can’t preach Jesus to someone who thinks they’re not a sinner. That is the first step. 100% of people need to claim Jesus as Lord.
I wonder if anyone would be willing to share every evil thought that we hide in our minds. ??? And no lying is allowed. Open up and tell the world every single evil thought. Like everything that you fantasize about. I bet that we would cry out for God’s mercy even more and stop focusing on the sins of others, but focused on the sins in our own hearts and minds.
I’ve heard about how revival is messy business.
When it comes, will it shake the powers that be?
Have you noticed how rare it is to find someone who really repents when it’s time for repentance?
I think I should think that if a church was active in reconciliation ministry, with a lot of intercessors active in it, wouldn’t they have testimony to share?
Wouldn’t they be telling of how they saw trouble in the lives of people, how some small things became a cause of much trouble, how someone went to another for help and through intercession and ministry of reconciliation, it was as if a red carpet of grace seemed to be rolled out in front of them, and right where two people could not find peace, suddenly it was as if God found a way to move in, move darkness aside, take his place, explain the way to go, clothe the spiritually naked, feed the spiritually hungry, heal the afflicted, bind up the broken hearted, and take sorrow away, and replace it with joy?
And people that used to not be used by God, began to find their value in Christ, finding out that though they knew in their mind that they were unique, and a child of God, they now began to experience some of that.
And I think I should expect that people would start to come alive, and it would show on their faces.
And instead of seeking their own glory, they might just find out what it means to be glorified by God, because they heard words of the holy Spirit that placed them in heaven places in Christ Jesus, setting them up on high, with a noble calling, because they found out about some of the wonderful works God had done, and it was right there in front of them in the scripture all the time, but it was as if they had not seen it.
But now, that they have tasted of how God glorifies those he has sanctified in Christ, hearing it in words of edification, exhortation, and comfort of the holy Ghost, more about their eternal bright and shining future, they no longer want worldly glory, for they can not stomach those things of the flesh anymore. And they do recognize the difference.
And yes I believe it will change some things in leadership in the church, though they might not at first be willing to change.
Yes, a Jesus revolution can be a messy thing.
First it should begin in house, then outside the church, because some of the things in people’s lives happen outside the church, and though those have not believed in the gospel, they could not, not notice that they were touched by the grace of God, by the love of God, by wisdom that made so much good sense.
And though many might not have wanted to partake of it right away, something began to happen inside.
That’s the sort of thing I think about.
Working outside the church in reconciliation ministry, I suspect could be quite different, and yet much the same. More patience may be required, more grace, more kindness, more gentleness, and yet, those things may naturally flow more easily because they will be dealing with some new people, as the Lord is reaching out to them.