Steve Gray from World Revival Church in Kansas City said this:
“Most churches assume that if they adapt to people, they will get more people. They forget that the only person who is really going to hold a person’s attention is God.”
“When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” John 12:32
This quote sums up a HUGE problem in the Western church. There is a false assumption that if we, in effect, poll the people and give them what they want then they will come to our churches– and as a result revival will break out. Not so. Not even close.
Biblically we see, time and time again, it’s most often the remnant that surges ahead and conquers. Consider Gideon. Remember the 120 in the upper room. This ‘remnant principle’ is so very hard for us to embrace because it carries with it the marks of insignificance.
It’s all about the goal. If the goal of a local church is to simply grow and to fill the seats, then you can throw the remnant principle out the window. Such a strategy certainly can result in some good and healthy programs that touch some lives. Without a doubt. We can fill the seats, deliver an encouraging and biblical word on Sundays and promote strong relationships through small groups.
However, if the goal is transformation it becomes necessary to move ahead in a very different way.
Growing a church American style calls for people’s felt needs to be met. As Steve Gray says, they adapt to people in order to get more people.
To grow a remnant that will advance toward transformation on a regional level calls for adaptation to God’s demanding call very often at the expense of wide-spread early response.
American style church can touch a few in the short run and a few in the long run.
Remnant style church can touch even fewer in the short run yet exponentionally more in the long run.
The emerging 24/7 church is a remnant style church. Few will respond to the call for such an invasive and inconvenient lifestyle. However, as this precedent is set, multitudes who, in decades to come will come to know such a lifestyle as normal, will cause the furnace of prayer, passion, ministry and Kingdom advance to burn hot. The result will be multitudes upon multitudes to come to know Jesus not from a ‘felt needs’ level but at a ‘carry my cross’ level. They will burn so hot from day one that the fire will never go out.
Statistically speaking (greater number of people on fire for Jesus), the obvious answer is to call a remnant together that will go hard. Such a group is agreed, unified, faithful, persistent, hungry, responsive and in position.
The distractions are greatly minimized. The power is greatly maximized.
This reformation is certainly coming… but not without great expense. I believe pastors would do well to raise the bar and go hard– and simply know that most won’t stay. Much would be put at risk– salaries, reputation, friendships. But, as we lay all of that down and embrace an upper room mindset and again put first things first we’ll press ahead with a few with the confidence that we’ll affect exponentially more than we ever could with American style church.
Be wildly blessed!
John & Amy Burton
“John, thanks so much for listening to God’s heart! It changed my life. I’m crying, but I feel happy inside- a happiness I’ve never felt.”- Melanie
Keep in mind that Amy and I are available for ministry in your church a conference or camp or at a special ministry event. We have been deeply involved in prayer ministry, deliverance, church planting, the prophetic and other ministry focuses. We have authored five books which can be purchased online at www.r180.com.
You can contact us at (719) 231–6000, via email at john@r180.com or amy@r180.com and on Skype at praytherevolution.
100% Effective Prayer
“John Burton’s book on prayer hits the mark. It is the type of book that you can read and reread and be encouraged anew each time in your prayer walk with our Lord. We have to hear from God in a myriad of areas of our lives. That happens as we spend time with our Lord in prayer. Be Blessed and share this book with others that we all might have a deeper revelation of what our obedience will accomplish for the kingdom and for ourselves.”- Barbara Parmelee
