Dear Friends
Get the focus right
In my ministry of 40+ years I often wondered what the most critical factor in seeing the world streaming into the Kingdom is – for sure more than one – but if the church does net get it’s focus right the Acts-story – thousands of unbelievers repenting in a single day – will remain only a Biblical story – hard to repeat.
On which single point do we focus our efforts, resources and training? Where do we expect the Spirit to work in peoples’ lives? Where do we measure the “success” of the church? Which “systems” / programmes / events’ names appear on church leaders list of “Things we must continually improve”?
The traditional answer on this “which point”-question is Sunday. What happens on this holy day of the week – the meetings – the offer we make to the public. Not totally wrong – but if you keep doing what you have always done – just trying to do more of this or do it better then we inevitably get the results that we always got. In every town the smallest percentage of people attend good programmes. Churches are not growing at all – in fact most of them are shrinking in numbers. People who say “Hallelujah” but live like everybody else. In the world – only about 30 % of the population who regard themselves as Christians – after 2000 years of being commissioned by Jesus to make disciples – spreading the best message available in the world today. All of this is measured not by the ideal of “disciples / followers” but by being satisfied by the lowkey criterion of Christians or church members. We do not dare apply Jesus’ criteria of making disciples – pastors will probably end up in asylums – burnt out Elijah’s under the bush.
What will it take to shift the focus, energy, delivering point of all our sermons and training to Monday? To equip believers to make the good news available to where they spend their everyday life – ordinary people taking ordinary people in their daily sphere of influence as their spiritual responsibility – doing ordinary things to them – like loving them, taking them seriously, praying for them. Listening. Serving. Living amongst them as the image of Christ – that they experience Christ’s presence and love in such a real way that “ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'” (Zec 8:23)
Can we change the questions? Instead of How many attend church on Sundays? What is the effect of the sermon etc? Rather ask what happens where our believers have interaction with unbelievers on Monday? Do unbelievers experience the warmth, love and servanthood of the Kingdom there? We have to change our understanding of calling, serving God – everyday situations must become holy – ordinary extraordinary.
Opposite me in the complex I have strange neighbours – complete introverts who seldom seem outside the house – only after a year have I learned that they have a teenage son who is homeschooled. Very strange people – totally different from me. Recently I met a woman in the street (Anna) – she had some strange question – it happened that we ended up in my living room – she talked like a radio – breathing was my only contribution to the conversation. Her smile became bigger and bigger – just last week I noticed that after they parked their car they stayed outside for a few minutes – constantly watching my house to see if there was life there….
I have an attorney friend – people who make an appointment to solve their differences walk out of his office reconciled – people who see him to ensure themselves the best position after their planned divorce leave his office motivated to trust God once more – clients get prayed for. Peter has Campus Crusade’s booklet – the four spiritual laws – in a drawer equipped to lead people to Christ. Confronted with the Kingdom in a lawyer’s office.
What is Annas’ best hope to enter the Kingdom – if Peters can focus their discipleship on the correct day of the week.Redefine the focus point, redefine calling, redefine the place we expect the Spirit to move.
Johann Theron – wishing he can have the last 40 years over again.