Forgotten God

Whenever I preach a new series, I always try to read broadly and be in dialogue with other authors & thinkers to enlarge my perspective.  During our current series on the Holy Spirit, I'm enjoying "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan.

Chan is the real-deal.  Pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, he is a passionate follower of Christ, both convicting and hilarious. 

He and I come from a similar background (conservative evangelical churches), and he does a wonderful job exposing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit (the subtitle of his book).

Here's a quote I shared last week that's stretching me in all the right ways.  Noting that contemporary churches tend to rely more on natural abilities than supernatural power, Chan confesses:

"Let's be honest:  If you combine a charismatic speaker, a talented worship band, and some hip, creative events, people will attend your church.  Yet this does not mean that the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming.  It simply means that you have created a space that is appealing enough to draw people in for an hour or two on Sunday."

Ouch!   I mean: We all know that ultimately God is behind the life & growth of any church. 

But I wonder:  How much of what happens at Liquid is "explainable" in human terms?   Like the world looks at us and thinks: "Wow, 1,200 people.  Well, that makes sense.  They’ve got a great band.  Tim's a funny guy.   They did a series on Movies or Rock songs-- people like that.  I get why people go to that church."

Again, this is the SUPER-FICIAL side of Spirituality-- we gauge "spiritual success" by the SIZE of a crowd.  What's happening "above the line."  What people can see.

But God's not interested in numbers.  As Chan notes, when it comes to His Bride-- Christ cares most about her faithfulness, not her size. 

He cares about whether people are PASSIONATE LOVERS of HIM... truly desperate for His power in their life.  I don't want people to look at Liquid a year or 2 from now and say "Wow, 2,000 or 3000 people—good marketing, guys!”

That's SUPERFICIAL stuff!   I want there to be SUPERNATURAL evidence that the Spirit of God is IN us-- lives being changed, marriages saved, people falling crazy in love with Jesus.

And NONE of IT can happen… except by the Power of God.

The Fire has to Fall.

Do you feel that desperation?  

I'm learning that EVEN THE DESIRE for more of God's Spirit is a gift. 

If you wanna stoke your desire for more of God's Spirit, check out Chan & enjoy the sparks.

Comments

[John Boss]

Fransis Chan is absolutly amazing. He was the speaker at the LIFE conference in 07. Radically changed some lives. Is this his only book?

[Stephanie]

I wanted to let you know that I've enjoyed my Liquid experience not only because of the superficial aspects (I must admit; they help!) but because I see how you guys have God's vision for the world. You're transparent with what you're doing in His name, with His love and that's so exciting. See you at Liquid in the new year. ;D