There is no mysterious, missing unknown message, prophetic word, or key that we’re waiting for to see transformation in the world. There is no missional strategy to unlock spectacular growth. There’s no programme which will guarantee success. There’s no amount of money, or buildings, or strobe lights, smoke machines, organs, guitars or any other physical thing which will trigger a move of God. There’s no extra-special teacher, preacher, pastor or evangelist that we’re all waiting for before the shift will be made.
We already have the message: ‘repent for the Kingdom of God is near’ (Mk 1: 15; Mk 6: 12; Matt 3:2, Matt 4:17, Luke 5:32; Luke 13: 3; Luke 15: 10; Acts 2:28; Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30, Acts 20: 21; Who is the messenger? Jesus’ intent was that ‘now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph 3: 10 – 12)’. I could go on and talk about the Great Commission, you know…taking the gospel and disciple making to the nations etc etc.
This seems too difficult, too basic, too ‘primitive’, somehow, and so we hang around waiting for goodness knows what rather than proclaiming the message. I’m not naive enough to believe that this will be popular. Nor am I inexperienced enough to know that it will not necessarily produce immediate results, but it is the way the gospel spreads from one mouth, one heart, one life to the next.
And let’s just be clear: the gospel is an offence to people. Note that I’m not saying that we need to be offensive people in our communication (be a twit, in other words), but the nature of the gospel even from the kindest, sweetest of mouths flies in the face of 21st century sensibilities and no-one likes to be called to repentance and yet, it is the gate to salvation that God opens up to those he has moved to do so. We preach repentance and those who are ready, respond. Those who don’t simply continue in their disobedience.
Paul speaks of the transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of the Son he loves (Col 1: 13). Repentance and faith is the process of that transfer – there are no side gates to the Kingdom of God.
This is the basis message we need to rediscover the message to proclaim. It is rarer than it should be, disdained in the church more than you believe, shrunk away from like a plague, avoided as the greatest inconvenience and ultimately unknown. It will be debated by everyone who sees no need to repent, even in the church. Those who speak it or teach it will be labelled ‘fundamentalists’ and sidelined in order that the ineffectual ‘moral theraputic deism’ can reign to massage the modern ears. Paul said something about that…
Andrew S M Clark 