Have you ever wondered why our ministry efforts seem so lacking and powerless? Have you ever been disappointed in the lack of life change you have seen in yourself and others? When you read through the Book of Acts does it make you think somehow, we are missing something?
I have to think that as tough a place as Santa Cruz county is to minister, the first century world of Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia had to be equally hard. Yet we see the gospel springing forward, lives changed, miracles happening, and the Word and the Spirit alive and active. Spiritual power was very evident in the early church as was its commitment to the Word of God. I wonder if people would describe our churches in that way. Do they see a wonderful expression of the Spirit of God transforming lives, empowering ministries, convicting of sin, and revealing truth. Do they experiencing the relevant, authentic, captivating, and practical teaching and study of God’s Word?
For the churches along the Central Coast to eventually make inroads into our culture, I think a renewal of the dual emphasis on the Word and Spirit will need to happen. That will require leaps of faith, huge risks, humble service, and a listening ear cocked towards heaven. I hope we all wrestle with the great gap between biblical Christianity as displayed in Scripture and what we “accept” as tolerable Christianity here today. May the Spirit of God cause great unrest in the Body of Christ until we are desperate for a renewed expression of God’s work.
