The Church, as people created in the image of God, is called to reflect God’s vision for His creation. As followers of Jesus, you and I are clear that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).”
Our task, as the Church, is to bring people back to God by inviting them to experience the pure and perfect plan of God Almighty. This starts with experiencing His supernatural love.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8
You and I are the “us” referenced above who used to be enemies of God. Most of us wouldn’t say that about ourselves though, would we? But God told the Apostle Paul to write it down in Romans 5:10.
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” -Romans 5:10
We have been reconciled and saved through the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the sovereignty of God, we have been placed in the greatest country in the world these past 200 years. But despite the Church's presence in the United States, we are seeing the fastest shift in religious affiliation in our nation’s history because of the speed of technology and communication.
In the book “The Great Opportunity: The American Church in 2050,” it cites research that shows 1 million youths are projected to leave the church annually over the next 30 years. That’s 35 million youths leaving the Christian faith they were raised in by 2050.
Yes, we are trending toward the largest exodus of people from the Church in our country’s history, much of which is a result of indifference.
The only conclusion I can make from this is that my generation has gone silent when it comes to our relationships with Jesus Christ. It seems we have put Jesus on the back burner of life. He gets us to Heaven, but we have committed our lives to following the god of self and success rather than losing our lives for the sake of Jesus and the gospel.
Is it too late for revival?
Absolutely not. It’s never too late. But revival must start with each of us individually as we say, “Not my will, but Your will be done, Lord Jesus.”
May we keep trading up in our obedience to Acts 1:8 in our contexts as witnesses in our cities, the United States, and the uttermost parts of the world.
“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’” -Acts 1:8
It’s not too late to change the trajectory of our nation. We simply must be verbal about Jesus and what He has done for each of us. As we work toward this end, we desperately need each other to continue trusting that when Jesus’ name is spoken, His light will split darkness to open doors for His promise to give abundant life.
“‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’” -John 10:10b, ESV
Jesus still wants us to have what He alone can give, and we have a part to play in inviting the people in our networks to experience true life in Him.
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