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Whatever Happened to Sacrifice? Thursday, January 11, 2007
Like often in the atmosphere of worship and prayer at the Intercessory Mission, my heart was suddenly quickened. “Whatever happened to sacrifice?” We were praying and worshiping through Psalm 107 when we came to v.22, “Let them sacrifice thank offerings…” The word “sacrifice” jumped out at me. My mind went back to all my theological training where I learned how from Genesis 4 on, sacrifice is at the very center of worship. Do churches and pastors call their people to sacrifice anymore? It seems we’re making it easier and easier to be a Christian. But can someone truly follow the Lord without sacrifice?
Certainly, Jesus made the “once for all” sacrifice for sin (Heb. 7:27). But as my friend Allen Singer, a local Messianic Jewish leader, reminds us repeatedly at the Intercessory Mission, “The Rabbis all teach that one day all sacrifices will end, but one: the thank offering.” The Apostle Paul also says in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living |
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sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NIV). Worship and sacrifice are linked in the New Testament as well! But is the church instead conforming to our American passion for ease and comfort?
I look at these things and the fact that Jesus said “go and make disciples,” not “go and fill up churches with as many people as you can on Sunday morning.” At the very root of the word “disciple” is “discipline.” And discipline involves sacrifice. I don’t want to be judgmental. I’m not the one people will be answering to in eternity, but I sometimes wonder if we’re all reading the same Bible. When I read the Gospels, I see Jesus almost trying to talk people out of following him! He calls them to count the cost (Luke 9:57-62, 18:18-23, etc…). Meanwhile many of us are trying to make church shorter, have less services, and do not dare mention money in the service! Is there any wonder we have a Biblically illiterate church in America?
Apostles in America? Friday, December 1, 2006
America is now a mission field. With a history of being a source of missionaries to the world, America now is in need of missionaries. Could it be that like the pagan world of the Apostle Paul’s day, America needs “apostles?” A radical concept? The fact is, something radical needs to happen in American Christianity! But “apostles?” Are there still apostles today? What is an apostle?
In generations past, America was a very pastoral culture. I mean that theologically AND descriptively. As a culture, we were essentially “mono-cultural.” There was a built-in sense that everyone was a Christian (or at least a churchgoer). Even the multitudes of immigrants that continued to flood in, made their best effort to assimilate themselves. I knew many children of immigrants who were even forbidden to speak the “old language” by their parents. Is it any wonder that the five-fold ministry gift of “pastor” became the dominant ministry in America?
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)
What is a “pastor?” The Greek word in the New Testament is the same one as “shepherd.” What do shepherds do? They take care of sheep. And for centuries, America was a land full of “sheep.” The greatest ministry need was for shepherds, a.k.a. “pastors.” No matter what ministry you are in (especially in Protestant and Evangelical circles) you will still often be called “Pastor.”
But in recent decades, America has changed radically. Suddenly, “multi-culturalism” became the operative term in the circles of influence. Immigrants still continue to flood in. But today, they are less anxious to assimilate. They are pressured less to do so as well. In fact, many are bringing with them, their culture and religion, not just to practice, but to spread… with encouragement from those in politics, media, and education!
Does the American Church Need God Anymore? Updated: Saturday, November 11, 2006
Apparently not. We’ve got technology! We also have Christian celebrities. We even have all kinds of church growth techniques! One of my favorites is having a coffee bar at church… really. I love coffee! And some churches even have MONEY! I think all these things are great! But are we forgetting the most important way to grow a church? I don’t want to sound critical. As someone who was a pastor for over 20 years, I would look for any idea and do almost anything to have people come to church so they could enter into a relationship with Christ. I utilized technology. I had special guests in my church. I read every new book about church growth that came out. My heart was sincere. But there were seasons when I forgot about the greatest key to church growth: God himself!
Reinhard Bonkke said that if the Holy Spirit was suddenly taken out of the earth, on the next Sunday, 90% of the American church would function as if nothing happened. Yikes! What are we counting on to grow the church these days?
Whatever it is much of the American Church is counting on for growth isn’t working. Just yesterday I heard a disturbing statistic. In my denomination in my state, it was reported that not even half of the churches grew last year. Overall in America, church growth is actually church decline. Although there is growing spiritual interest in America, church attendance is dropping. Even where there is growth, what is the condition of the churchgoer? In a recent Baylor University survey, 92% of Americans believe in God. Yet 58% believe there are many paths to God. Whatever we are growing, it is not biblical Christians.
The late Paul Billheimer, in his classic book Destined For the Throne says, “Does anyone imagine that souls are delivered from Satan’s bondage by means of human talent, the hypnotic power of human personality, the charm of human magnetism, eloquence, articulateness, or the magic of Madison Avenue techniques? All these gifts God may use, but alone they are utterly powerless to deliver even one soul from the captivity of sin.”
So what is missing? What is the key to return the church to its destiny of growth, influence, and true transformational power?
All throughout my years as a pastor, I was a pilgrim. If there was a church booming somewhere or God was moving, I would be there. If I couldn't get there, I would read about it. I wanted to find “the key.” What I found was that one church was doing cell groups. Another church didn't have cell groups, but it had revival services. Another church had neither, but it had a world famous choir. Another church still was known for its expository teaching. All of them were exploding in growth, and that from new converts, NOT transfer growth. Like many other pastors, I would see some distinctive about a church and try to put that to work in my church. But I would never get the same results!
That’s because like other pastors, I was missing the ONE common denominator that ALL these churches had… PRAYER! I heard a preacher once say, there is “no one key to reach your city.” I beg to differ, There IS a key. I have seen it! It is PRAYER!
To me, it’s a “no-brainer.” Prayer releases incredible power! Just look at the incredible revivals in Korea, South America, India, China, Nigeria where churches of 100,000 are no longer a peculiarity. I was at the first ever National Prayer Breakfast in Ukraine and personally met the pastor of the largest church in Europe there in Kiev. He takes one week out of every month solely to pray. It is any wonder that he has some 40,000 people in his church and saw the Orange Revolution take place—a change in the government, largely as a result of prayer! In all these nations, the miraculous is being released through prayer, even to the raising of the dead! As one person said, “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.” At a recent conference I heard Dutch Sheets, author of Intercessory Prayer (Regal Books) say that he had a vision of thousands of angels in America… BORED! They were bored because they were waiting to be dispatched to answer prayers… but nobody was praying!
Even in America, it is the churches that are praying that are making a true transformational impact. I visited several of them and could tell you about them all. But let me focus on my most recent pilgrimage to the Brooklyn Tabernacle. The pastor and all the people of that church will be quick to tell you that they are “a prayer meeting that also happens to be a church.” I went to their prayer meeting on a Tuesday night in downtown Brooklyn. THERE WERE 1,000 to 1,500 PEOPLE THERE! ...FOR A PRAYER MEETING! ...ON A TUESDAY NIGHT! ...IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN! Do you know how hard it is to travel in New York City? Do you know what its like to park in downtown Brooklyn on a Tuesday night? Yet over a thousand people came to pray. Is it any wonder that the church runs some 10,000 people on Sundays and has already planted at least 17 other churches?
In a recent letter to pastors, a denominational leader wrote that in his travels speaking in churches, he was hard pressed to find a prayer meeting in the bulletins of many of those churches. I am convinced that many pastors have given up on prayer meetings because people simply don’t come. Could it be that they don’t come because...well, the prayer meetings are... boring? A PRAYER MEETING SHOULD NOT BE BORING! Isaiah 56:7 says, “I will… give them joy in my house of prayer.” Pastors, are you giving room for the Holy Spirit to move in your prayer meetings? If you do, I guarantee, they will not be boring prayer meetings! Are you praying for your prayer meetings? Are you preparing for your prayer meetings? Are you giving strong leadership to your prayer meetings? I have found that the great praying churches have great prayer meetings, and they have great prayer meetings because the pastor invests at least as much effort in the prayer meeting as the Sunday morning services.
Pastor, I encourage you to resurrect your prayer meetings. GOD WILL MOVE! I GUARANTEE IT! GOD’S WORD GUARANTEES IT! HISTORY PROVES IT! If I can help you in any way, please contact me. I will preach, teach, train, motivate, and encourage your people to pray>
God’s people: PRAY! Attend your church’s prayer meeting. Please help me get this message out. Your prayer and financial support will help me help bring about the Next Great Awakening!
One more story. There was a successful church of several hundred people in Wisconsin. It was already growing and seeing people coming to Christ regularly. But the Lord dealt with the pastor about prayer. He came to his church and said he wanted to do an experiment. He wanted to devote an entire year to prayer. The sermons would be focused on prayer, the cell groups would be focused on prayer. They would establish regular prayer meetings and new prayer ministries. They even hired a Pastor of Prayer. That year, the church DOUBLED in attendance. When newcomers were asked why they came, the typical story was this, “My wife and I were driving by the church when we suddenly thought, ‘we need to start going to church and raising our family in the faith. Let’s go visit that church Sunday.’ We then visited the church, gave our hearts to Christ, and have been here ever since.”
That’s God working!
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