You would think after 2000 years the church would have gotten its act together. It seems reasonable even to think she would be more generous, kind, missional, and sanctified. Maybe even having a substantial voice on caring for the poor, advocating for the most vulnerable, modeling healthy marriages, and walking in relational wholeness. Come on, two millennia have most certainly made us more serious about disciple-making, world missions, and the power of the resurrected Christ in the everydayness of life. Right? Not so much these days.

We are [still] a fractured, ragamuffin group of people scattered among the nations. I say “still” because the church has never truly stayed on mission. If there has been one constancy in our redemptive history it is our missional drift. We hear, obey, and then promptly forget why we exist. Our love for money, worldly influence, and the pleasures of this life quickly move us away from the white-hot worship of the One who called us. And many are seconds away from the worst of consequences—eternal consequences. A spitting out (Rev. 3:16) and removal of lampstands (Rev. 2:5) come to mind.

But I don’t worry! God’s inevitable and gentle discipline (Heb. 12:6) over a forgetful people is coming. He will realign the hearts of this next generation (Deut. 6:9). He will warm up our souls with his refining fire (Mal. 3:2). Entire cities will come alive with his grace (Jonah 3:10). I believe this. I pray for this.

IS IT REVIVAL?

I am not a revivalist, however. I mean, yes to revival! But I don’t have a revival vision beyond my little borders, beyond where I live and shop, and buy my tires. I do believe something is happening in other places. I hear about it and it causes a deeper faith to rise in me.

God is restoring his church. Not to places of Constantinian power, but back to its roots of subversiveness. Not to political action, but to gospel action that moves and acts among the poor, forgotten, and disabled. We will be a people who love God’s Word, long to obey, suffer with joy, go to hard places, and live lives that seem so out of step with the world that they will unsurprisingly ask us about the eternal hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15-16).

It is a good time to know Jesus, follow him, and give all that we are to his eternal purposes.