Elements of Renewal

Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell could not prevail against the church, built upon the Rock. He promised that the Gospel would be preached to all people groups before His return, and gave His Spirit to ensure completion of the task.



So what happened? If the Greek language and culture could sweep a large swath of the globe in just a few years under Alexander the Great, why have nearly 2000 years of church failed to see the true globalization of Christianity?



Simply put: There is another, frequently-forgotten aspect to the Gospel. It's the simple truth that we are in a spiritual battle. True, the war has been won - but our enemy is angry, because he knows his time is short. So he thwarts the advance of the Gospel any way he can ... sometimes with direct onslaughts like extreme persecution and genocide; other times by exploiting the sins and weaknesses of the saints; sometimes by stirring seeds of dissension within fellowship; still other times by distraction to "good" things - anything to shift our focus off Jesus and the race set before us. Frankly, he doesn't care what we do as long as we don't advance the kingdom of God. Because every day that the Gospel is delayed from reaching that final people group is one day longer that he gets to roam the earth and have some degree of perceived power (perceived, because even he falls under the sovereignty of God).



Yet mission historians see an overall advance of the Gospel, albeit not without setbacks. Jonathan Edwards viewed the history of the church as a series of pulses - outwardly pulsing toward advance and renewal, then inwardly contracting ... with each outward pulse pushing the church forward beyond the last point. Kenneth Scott Latourette sees similar phases, which he calls renewal and recession.



Richard F. Lovelace studied the various renewal movements throughout church history and found several common elements:

• Dependent prayer


• Outpouring of God's Spirit


• Increased awareness among laity

Each renewal seems to have started with an emphasis on prayer. Even Pentecost - perhaps the greatest renewal ever - came after the disciples spent 10 days in the Upper Room, praying and waiting on the Spirit. And when the Spirit came, He didn't prioritize the leadership ... instead, He empowered the church and brought to the laity an increased awareness of spiritual matters, an increased sense of responsibility and purpose. Even where leaders were unsupportive, the Spirit's power on the laity was profound. And the fruit was dynamic:

• Doctrinal awareness of basics of redemption (justification, sanctification, indwelling Spirit, spiritual
• Awareness of mission
• Dependent Prayer
• Community of Believers
• Theological integration (applying faith principles to life)

Ralph Winter adds another sign of renewal: Lots of creativity in the body of Christ. New forms of worship, new music, new ways of doing "church". Sometimes things that are on the "fringe" are determined to be emotionalism or false; yet the presence of activity is a sign of life. Jonathan Edwards addressed the topic in Religious Affections, still the best work I know of to help delineate authentic works of God from their counterfeits. And even Edwards was cautious of criticizing some things considered "fringe"; he counseled emphasis on Scripture and watching for fruitfulness.

The bottom line of renewal is a return to what should be normal. Being on mission is always normal. Our reliance must always be on God's spirit not a method. God is going to use the average, every day Christian - not just leaders - including unexpected vessels like women and youth movements. There will be things to watch out for - and things to celebrate.

And the kingdom will continue to advance against the gates of hell.

Cultural Change and the Gospel

It's easy for evangelicals to decry the "social gospel" that arose in the 19th century and began to emphasize meeting practical needs over evangelism. A study of the conditions of the times, however, reveals an understanding that can bring common ground and much-needed balance to both emphases.

Go with me if you will into early 19th century England. Thousands of displaced cottage industry families find themselves working in factories and coal mines. Entire families would work together just as they had in their home industries, and women and children received no special considerations. Increased food production and income was easily offset by the needs of a rapidly growing population. Conditions were terrible, really. Today we would call that England poor, third world, backward.

The coal workers faced brutal conditions. Because they were smaller, women and children often hauled coal out, hunched over to travel underneath low ceilings while pulling a cart full of coal. The work was hot, and like the men, the women went shirtless. Their backs were breaking down, their lungs were filling with dust, but the complaint that finally stirred Parliament was that the women's shirtlessness was lowering moral standards. Factory conditions were hard too. Little or no concern for anything beyond the financial 'bottom line' meant long, hot hours for the men, women and children in the factories.

It was in this context that the Second Great Awakening flowed into England from the US. This awakening brought more than an understanding of personal salvation; it brought an awareness of how that salvation should prompt its adherents to make a difference in society. And while its followers pursued this goal imperfectly, their goal was thoroughly in line with the book of James. "Faith without works is dead", he wrote, and exhorted his readers to show practical acts of servant love to the weak members of society because of their faith.

This same understanding spread to other parts of the world. In Ghana, efforts of Christians led to transformation as well. William Carey made a difference toward ending the practice of suttee, or widow-burning, in his beloved India. Consistently, Christians were becoming awakened to the idea that they should speak up about social ills and the needs of society. And in the process, society changed. The decrease in poverty was dramatic, and just as believers spearheaded the end of slavery, they also successfully fought for the end of English sweatshops and extreme hunger as a norm.

By the late 19th century two streams were developing: Some Christians focused on evangelism, and others on social action. While those emphasizing evangelism were prone to ignoring or minimizing the social and cultural development of the people, those prioritizing social action - especially after the rise of Darwinism and radical "higher criticism" which questioned the authority of Scripture - sometimes compromised truth and minimized evangelism. Even when evangelicals embraced social action, often it was at the expense of the other group's cultural distinctives; in other words, the goal was to make them "civilized" defined commonly as "more like us" (the tragedy of the Native Americans illustrates this sad fact; we created a de-culturated and totally dependent sub-class and to this day face repercussions for those decisions).

As always, there were stellar examples of balance. Some Methodist and Baptist pastors travled west, living in rural villages and adopting the lifestyle of the people. Some missionaries went on the Trail of Tears with the Cherokee. Some Catholic missionaries and Spalding exemplify the effectiveness that these individuals had. They were successful because they identified - and they balanced evangelism and meeting needs.

The story of missions in the late 19th century illustrates the importance of the pillars of evangelism and practical acts of servant love. When we care about people's eternal destiny, we should be motivated to make a difference in their present situation. A friend of mine works for a ministry that offers "eternal hope and temporal help". And the temporal help, when given wisely, can change societies. We are living proof - as we look around and see the absence of slavery, Jim Crow laws, sweatshops, and child labor, we can grasp that Christianity can make a difference for both the future and the here and now.

John R. Mott captured the balance perfectly:

"There are not two gospels, one social and one individual. There is but one Christ who lived, died, and rose again, and relates himself to the lives of men. He is the Savior of the individual and the one sufficient Power to transform his environment and relationships."

Hearts and Minds

What is mission, really? What are we trying to do when we go "into all the world" and make disciples, as Jesus commanded?

Through the centuries, that question has been answered in different ways. Some have interpreted it to mean a carbon copy of the one going - teach the new believer to follow Christ in the same cultural clothing we use, having quiet times the same way, etc. Others have focused on criticism of the dominant culture/government, teaching the disciples to be revolutionaries. At another extreme, the emphasis has been on meeting practical needs with no effort to bring lasting change - merely leaving the people where they are, but making sure they hear the Gospel. Today's two most common extremes are an emphasis on evangelism to the exclusion of practical ministry, and an emphasis on practical ministry and social change to the exclusion of evangelism.

As usual, God's word blazes a different path - one that takes into account the needs of today and the changes required for tomorrow; one that emphasizes both evangelism and action; one that teaches contentment without complacency; one that comes ready to fit into any culture - and transform it where needed. It's the path of changing hearts and minds.

As "outsiders" in any mission situation, we have to focus on the hearts and minds of those we wish to reach. Even in the political realm, the idea of "hearts and minds" is critical: in the 19th century, the Opium Wars in China - after the West, including some missionaries, supplied opium to bring down tea prices and the Chinese government fought to have us cease the practice - and the forced opening of Japan show us that we can "win" and still lose if hearts and minds aren't with us. The longterm effect in both those societies and the West's relationship with them is significant. Part of what we see today goes back to those flawed encounters. Both China and Japan were totally closed to the West for much of the 20th century, and even today Japan remains one of the hardest societies to penetrate with the Gospel. The lesson was learned the hard way: for political relations to succeed, as guests in a country we should make ourselves useful so they want us there. When the hearts and minds of the people are on our side, the political relationship improves.

The same is true missiologically. Our "mercy ministries" meet practical needs but also form a strong link to the Gospel. The adage is true; people don't care what they know until they know that you care. Missionaries who seek to fit into the culture (in ways that don't compromise the Gospel, but might make them feel awkward or foreign at first), and who focus on meeting needs, are often the ones who are able to stay when everyone else is forced out of the country. Living with the people; dressing like them; eating what they eat; in general identifying with them, affords a relationship that can lead to conversations about the Gospel.

William Carey affords a great picture of a misisonary who had strong theology, solid evangelistic perspective, and yet was thoroughly socially engaged. An article I read titled "Who Really was William Carey?" presented a portrait of the man from different angles - showing the breadth of his involvement in India. From contributions in botany and other sciences, to fighting the social practice of widows burning themselves on funeral pyres, to translating Scripture, to sharing the Gospel - Carey made himself useful in his chosen country of service, meeting practical needs, blazing the trail for those who following, and even seeing conversions. He won the hearts and minds of the people, and in the process earned the right to share what was most deeply etched in his heart and mind - the Gospel.

Sure, there were political challenges in Carey's India. Yet he wasn't drawn into them just for politics sake. We have to be vigilant to pursue all things for the sake of Christ. We have to seek to "keep the main thing, the main thing". We have to focus on the hearts and minds of people. And in so doing, we may become a conduit for Him to change their hearts and minds for eternal good and temporal hope.

Single Issues and Systemic Concerns

An amazing thing happened in the 18th century - Evangelicals "awakened" to the Gospel in new ways and began to get involved in missions as a result. Catalysts like William Carey became God's instruments to use "means" to carry the Gospel to the world. Previously, the Protestant mindset was largely reflected in the quote an elder supposedly told Carey when he presented his desire for evangelization: "Sit down! If God wants to convert the heathen, He'll do it without your help or mine."

Carey couldn't sit down - he wrote an influential pamphlet arguing for the use of "means" to accomplish God's plan to reach the world with the Gospel. Those "means" are known to us as missions organizations.

The first formal missions organizations were not denominational, but were, as many key movements, on the fringe. These new structures afforded a place for individuals who were tugged by the compulsion to share the Gospel and minister to people, but whose churches lacked that emphasis. Modeled after Paul's missionary bands in the book of Acts, these bands have been called Protestant "orders" (paralleling the Catholic orders which led the way in Catholic missions through the monasteries). These missionary bands reported to churches and sought to develop churches, but were independent from any one church.

Eventually, the churches caught the vision and developed their own denominational missions structures. Since that time, Western missions has been characterized by these two systems. This variety in approaches has led to an unprecedented expansion of specialization; Martin Mary writes, "These institutions grew larger and larger, but their goals encompassed ever narrower portions of life." Essentially, many agencies specializes in something different - Muslims, or Tribals, or the poor - providing a means or instrument for the outlet of those stirred by awakening to meet a specific need. It affords a natural structure for new ways of thinking and new emphases.

However, there is a downside. The very structure that attracts those who have the passion it reflects also acts, intentionally or not, to exclude those who have different passions. As a result, there is a surrender of wider systemic concerns. It often can lead to individual level reform vs. societal reform, if the organizations compete rather than peacefully co-exist among a people group.

Such a struggle underscores the wisdom of God. It is through the church - the body of Christ, where all are equal and all concerns valid - that God manifests His wisdom to the spiritual realm. In the church, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female. The Biblical pattern doesn't segregate by age or ethnicity, either. And through each person fulfilling his or her gifts and working together in unity with others, God transforms not just lives but societies.

The very fact that I am sitting here studying this material in a majority-Christian society demonstrates that transformation. My ancestors were Native Americans and Europeans, mainly German and English. Reach back far enough and all those regions were controlled by tribes that practiced animism and warred against each other. More recently, the early American society while largely influenced by Scripture only boasted 6% church attendance, until the Great Awakening truly brought home the need for personal salvation. So I sit here today with a heritage that demonstrates societal transformation.

Alone we can impact people. Together we can "turn the world upside down", as the Jewish leaders said of the apostles. Missions structures are vital - God has used them mightily for 200 years, as the "wild fringe" that keeps the church focused on God's big picture plan. But left to themselves the missions structures can polarize rather than unify. That's why there must be a partnership with the church - God's structure for revealing His wisdom!

The Christian in Society

We all know Christians are in the world, but not of the world. Jesus said it, and when we walk closely with Him, we sense it. We know in our spirits that the priorities of the world are not our priorities, that the perspectives of the world are not our perspectives, and the goals of the world are not our goals. Especially in the modern-day evangelical church, we can become pretty adept at focusing on the "not of the world" part of Jesus' teaching.

What we often struggle with is the "in the world" part. When we awaken to the fact that we aren't to be like "the world", often we just want to hold out until Jesus comes and takes us away. The concept of separatism has been around as long as Christianity, and over the centuries various groups have emphasized separatism as what should be the norm for believers. From the Anabaptists during the Reformation to many fundamentalists today, the message has been "Be separate."

But God leaves us in this world after we are saved for a reason. He could immediately take us to heaven and make us perfectly holy. Yet He doesn't - He leaves us here, in this messy, fallen world, and asks us to walk with Him along with other believers on this journey. He tells us to love Him, love one another, and love others in highly practical ways. And over the centuries, biblical Christians have interpreted that to mean that we have a role to play in the societies in which we live -- a role of salt and light, a role of messenger, and sometimes a role of change agent.

Being "not of this world" is the fuel that keeps us going when our efforts to love are rejected, when we are battle-weary, or when everyone else abandons a situation. Prioritizing love means we stay in the race to the end. It's why Christians were the ones rescuing babies abandoned in the desert during the Roman Empire, nursing the sick as the Empire was hit by plagues, ministering during the Dark Ages' bubonic plague, defending the rights of the Indians against opportunists, forming abolitionist societies despite the economic benefits of slavery, fighting to see Jim Crow laws and South African apartheid overturned, challenging Roe v. Wade. It's why Christians aren't abandoning Burma and are taking the lead in relief efforts in China after the earthquake. It's why we fight in prayer, winning battles on our knees, but also stand at the ballot box to exercise the free will God gave us to make a difference. We love, so we act, and we keep acting because we are not of this world. Yet we are in it, and so we care.

We don't parallel the Israelites in the dessert, wandering and waiting on the Promised Land. Instead, we are like the Jews in Babylon, who were given these instructions from God in Jer. 29:4-7:

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

Granted, we are not left here for judgment like the Israelites were sent to Babylon for. But neither are we left here to twiddle our thumbs while waiting on Jesus to return. And Biblically, while we are certainly to prioritize evangelism, we are also to express our love in very practical ways. And our love is directed not at the government or institutions, but at people.

We get disheartened when we look at what little we feel we can do, and the magnitude of the problems. But the bottom line is, the church has a role to play in society, not just us as individuals. The Gospel and our lives should preach the same message. Looking beyond our individualistic worldview, we can see that it's not just me making a difference in one life, it's us making a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. When evangelicals step back from society, theologies that minimize God and His Word prevail. What a loss when we have the chance to lead but instead step back and retreat rather than engage.

Defining "Me"

It's hard to conceive from our Western perspective, but plenty of cultures in the world have difficulty with the concept of the individual. Westerners tend to define themselves as they wish, selectively choosing the labels with which they most closely identify. In group-oriented societies, personhood is defined by relationship to the group.

For example, the Polynesian conception of personhood emphasizes relationships between individuals. It has been described as "I am, because we are." And where those primary relationships are non-existent, the personhood is often seen as non-existent as well.

This isn't really uncommon in group-oriented societies. When we understand that much of the Bible was written to an audience that largely functioned from a group-oriented perspective, we can understand even more fully the commands not to neglect widows and orphans, to love the foreigner. All these are segments of population that in a group-oriented society can easily become non-persons.

Before we criticize too strongly, though, we must realize that a western, individualistic perspective is not free from treating individuals as non-persons. We've seen it happen in the not-too-distant past: in the United States, slaves were treated legally as property, not persons. The "3/5 compromise" wrote into our constitution that slaves counted for 3/5 of a person when computing population data -- and that stood for almost 100 years, until the 14th Amendment in 1865.

As usual, Scripture provides an alternative perspective to either extreme. The Biblical view can be summed up as "I am who God says I am." Each person has equal value, having been created in the image of God regardless how skewed that image looks as a result of the Fall. And each person has equal opportunity to be restored to relationship with God through faith in Christ, and reflect His image as we are conformed to the image of Christ through process of sanctification.

It was the close, external perspective of non-slave owners, frequently Christians involved in Abolition, that eventually turned the tide in the US away from seeing slaves as non-persons. They were close enough to see the problems, but had the external perspective of not having a vested financial interest in slavery.

Similarly, Scripture will always bring a close, external perspective to our lives. As we study Scripture we will see areas that need to be "tweaked"; we will see things that don't line up with who God says we are as Christians and with the image of Christ that He is forming in us. When we yield to God's refining hand, we will find that we grow closer to Him and to others. We will begin to know who we truly are - in Him. We'll find that our identity is thoroughly tied up in relationship.

I am who He says I am. Hallelujah!