Today’s guest contributor is someone out there whom I’ve not met yet, named Cheryl. Thank you Cheryl for your sweet note. I’m praying that the Lord will continue to grow your relationship with Him until the end of the 100 days—and all the days of your life. Here’s the email she sent:
I was introduced to the 100 Day Pursuit by a friend. Thank you for taking on and offering such a focused drive to bring people closer to God our Heavenly Father and each other especially during this season. I started on day 32, and honestly, I never knew about your church. After just reading that day's letter, I was compelled to read more and join the pursuit.
Each day I look forward to what your message will be. I appreciate every reference made reminiscing through the decades and was most touched thinking about the passion and reverence for God that was pouring out in the 90s.
Every day I learn something new or am reminded of something worth remembering. I am thankful for the many ways there are to become closer to God and to experience His grace and mercy. This pursuit has addressed every aspect of walking with Jesus and fighting off the enemy. Every word of advice and guidance is well received. Thank You.
Cheryl
Concern
As I was praying this morning I was, again, thinking about the large numbers of people all around us who don’t know Jesus and who aren’t ready to stand before God. The older I get, the more this idea of standing before the great judgment seat of God becomes real to me. I find it hard not to think about. If it’s true that “there is only one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” and “there is no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved” and Jesus is the only “way, truth and life”—then how can we not be concerned for those who don’t know Him?
Gospel is bold
The message of Jesus is quite bold in a pluralistic world. There are literally thousands of religions and millions of different worldviews. The common feeling, at least in America (and much of the west) is that no one really knows for sure who God is. So just pick a religion that suits you, or stick with the one you had growing up. Try to be a good person. Even those who have a religion usually don’t believe that it’s the only way to God. Christianity is unique in that it says that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. The only way to survive the judgment seat is to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
Most of you know these things I’m sure, but they don’t always sink in. The next time you are in a busy place, like a mall or train station, look around. Think about how many people aren’t ready to stand before the Lord on judgment day. If we think long enough we begin to feel something of what Christ felt.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)
What can we do?
This reality leads us to pray desperately, “What can be done, Lord?” We don’t want anyone to miss out on the glorious future city being prepared. We don’t want anyone to end up separated from the Lord for eternity. That’s just a terrible dreadful thought. We must let people know who God is and how to be reconciled to Him, but it’s easier said than done!
Two things are often stressed when talking about the mission to go into all the world and lead people to Jesus: biblical soundness and righteous behavior. I absolutely agree that both of these are essential. Our message must be sound and clear. We cannot twist the Scriptures in any way to make the message more palatable. And our lifestyle must not be hypocritical, or else people won’t take our message seriously.
Not enough
As important as these two things are, I’m afraid that they aren’t enough to cut through the thick unbelief people have. If we have a good understanding of the Bible, people just think that we have just that—a good understanding of the Bible. Big deal, they think. If we are well-behaved, it will prevent people from rejecting the message because of our hypocrisy. However, it’s not enough to capture a person’s spiritual attention. They will just think we are really nice people. Kind of like nice Mormons, nice Buddhists, nice Muslims, nice whoever. There are lots of very nice, moral people in the world. The hospitality, for example, of certain non-Christian cultures puts us to shame. Bible accuracy and virtuous living is not enough to impact people deep enough to raise them from spiritual death.
That’s where the pursuit of God comes in. I know some of you are still developing your theology, and you are still trying to overcome sin. But, the day will come when these things will be more settled. You’ll know who God is and you’ll understand the gospel message. You’ll be in a place where sin no longer has dominion over you. You’ll be sound and righteous, but—you will realize that all this is not enough to get through to lost people around you. What is needed is the life of God manifested in and through us. And that comes only by the pursuit of the Lord through prayer, fasting and other disciplines. Here’s what I mean.
The movement of Jesus expands when people tell people. But it’s not quite that simple. If it were that simple I’m sure we would just tell everyone we know—and everyone we don’t know—that Christ is risen and He’s the Savior of the world. Because people are so steeped in spiritual darkness, it’s going to take more to convince them that Jesus is God and worthy to be lived for. What will it take to convince people?
What will it take?
I’ve thought about this question a lot through the years. Understanding the message of the Gospel and being able to communicate is part of it. Living a life free from hypocrisy is part of it. But what is needed beyond these is a demonstration of God’s power. I don’t mean that we need to divide the Red Sea like Moses or call down fire from heaven like Elijah—though that would be pretty awesome. I just mean that there needs to be something about our lives that rings true and that causes people to want to know our God.
Throughout the Bible, and Church history, God has worked through His people in ways that completely captured the hearts of people who were unbelievers, atheists, and even those of other religions. Something real shows forth and it grips the heart. We see this in Acts 2 when the Spirit is poured out and hearts are pricked. We see it when the man at the Gate Beautiful is instantly healed. We see it when judgment falls on Ananias and Sapphira. We see it when the Spirit comes upon Cornelius and when an angel releases Peter from prison. We see it when a supernatural glow rests upon Stephen as he was stoned to death. These kinds of things that God does are so shocking, so incredible, so perplexing—that unbelievers are shaken to the very core. They realize that Jesus Christ is not just a religion made up by people. They realize it’s not just a story in a dusty book. They realize there is power in it.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
To fuss over how the Lord might manifest His power through us is not the point. The most common demonstrations of power have probably been the preached Gospel accompanied by the Spirit driving the message into hearts. But the Lord has displayed His power in hundreds of creative ways through the centuries to convince people that He alone is God.
Only God’s power
I’m at a point in my life and ministry where I don’t think this present generation can be reached any other way than by dramatic irrefutable demonstrations of the Spirit in and through His people. The average twenty-something is not going to abandon his pluralistic agnostic sensibilities—along with his modern sexual ethics—unless God Himself shows up. The plain fact is that people are spiritually dead and only God’s power can pull them up out of the grave.
This reality is what drives me in my pursuit of God. I know that my persuasiveness can not persuade people. My good works and kindness might win their friendship but it cannot raise them from spiritual death. My creativity and innovation may get their attention, but it simply cannot make a person know that Jesus Christ is Lord of All. Oh for a manifestation of the power of God in and through us!
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
My consuming prayer
This manifestation of God’s life through His people has been my consuming prayer for years. I don’t see any other hope to raise this present generation out of their deep spiritual death. I pray for this in my preaching, that my messages would not just be words. Yes, accurate biblical words are essential, but without the power of the Holy Spirit, the words will fall flat. I pray for my writings to not be merely ideas from the Bible put in modern language, but I pray that the Spirit would probe the heart and awaken the conscience. Only He can do that! I pray that when I minister to people that the exact words that they need to hear will come out of my mouth. I pray that the presence and glory of God would be dramatically manifested in our gatherings so that even unbelievers and outsiders will be so moved by it that they’ll exclaim—“surely God is in this place!”
Let’s not stop pursuing God for fresh demonstrations of power that will cut through the layers of unbelief in this generation. Let’s pray that God would do what only God can do. Let’s pray that this generation of spiritually lost souls would witness the greatest demonstrations of the Holy Spirit since the first century. C’mon!
Do you hear what I’m saying friends? What we are doing presently is good and nice and even biblical—but it’s not enough. The majority of people around us are unmoved. They continue to live in sin. They continue to use the name of Jesus Christ as a curse. They continue to deny His deity and reject His gift of salvation. They continue to do what they want and believe what they want. Oh that the Lord would show Himself to be God—that the nations might tremble!
Facing reality
What else can we do? The reality is that multitudes of people around us are heading toward hell. I know we don’t like to think about this—and we may even struggle to actually believe it—but this is precisely what the Word of God teaches.
… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
Oh God!
There’s no way to wish this away. This is happening. Judgment is coming and multitudes are not ready. It’s hard for us to know, sometimes, who is ready and who isn’t. But we know the reality is that many are not ready.
This breaks me.
I cannot help but to be utterly discontent with my present level of spiritual power. Oh I know that my life is making some kind of impact. I’ve seen fruit. But I am convinced—and I don’t care how many people disagree with me—that I am operating in a fraction of the power that is available to me. That kills me because I really want to display the glory of God to people who don’t know Him! I want my life to be a display of the reality of Jesus Christ in this generation. I refuse to be content with a Dixie cup of living water when rivers are available.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38)
So what can we do but cry to the Lord day and night? I don’t know what else to do. I cannot just tune out the fact that people I love are in danger of hell. I have been to the mountaintop (as MLK once said) and have seen the glory of God. I have experienced the love of Jesus stream through my being. I have felt His Word burn in my heart like fire. I have been washed of sin and guilt. The Holy Spirit has raised me from spiritual death and caused me to be born anew. I’ve heard His voice like thunder in my spirit. He has revealed Himself, and I cannot go back. His message is true and that means people are lost. Oh God! Display Your power and glory in our day!