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.
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