A New Season in the Church: Returning to the Foundations
In recent years, a measurable shift has been observed within the Christian community. The age dominated by seeker-friendly, greasy-grace mega-churches and celebrity Christianity appears to be waning.
This transition signals a new season in the faith, one that calls for a return to the foundational principles of the Word of God and biblical Christianity as well as a renewed focus on the mission of Jesus Christ: to know Him and make Him known.
The End of an Era: Moving Beyond the Megachurch and Celebrity Culture
The seeker-friendly megachurch movement and the rise of celebrity pastors were responses to a cultural moment. They aimed to make Christianity accessible and relevant in a rapidly changing world. However, in this process, there’s been a growing concern and awareness that the essence of the Gospel might have been overshadowed by the allure of modernity and the charisma/talent of certain leaders rather than the anointing of the Holy Spirit and commitment to stand for the entirety of the Bible. The church took on too much of the world’s attributes rather than being a bright light of hope to a dying world. Things are changing, however.
The emphasis on large congregations and charismatic leaders, while effective in drawing crowds, often led to a diluted watered-down message, tailored to appeal to the masses rather than challenge them with the transformative power of the Gospel. It was a “wide-gate” teaching rather than the narrow-gate truth. This approach, while not without some merits, has been increasingly critiqued for its prioritization of numbers over deep, personal faith development. Many believe this is how our culture got to such a depraved state—because in many cases the pulpits were silent on important and key societal issues.
The church is meant to be the head and not the tail and lead the culture. Culture is downstream of the church and a silent church on key spiritual issues equals a morally bankrupt society. This must change if we desire to see our current situation improve.
A Return to Foundations: Emphasizing Core Biblical Tenets
The new season in the church is marked by a call to return to the foundational truths of the faith. To preach and teach holiness, purity, and righteousness once again. To talk about the blood of Jesus, the cross of Calvary, and repentance of sin. This entails a deeper engagement with the teachings of the Bible, a commitment to discipleship, accountability, and a focus on the transformative power of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In this new season, churches are encouraged to move away from being consumer-driven and instead focus on fostering genuine, transformative relationships with God. This involves embracing the sometimes challenging aspects of scripture, encouraging all believers to grapple with, rather than gloss over, the more demanding teachings of Christ and walk it out as the Bible instructs.
The Mission of Soul-Winning: Embracing the Great Commission
Central to this new season is a re-emphasis on the Great Commission – Jesus Christ’s call to His disciples to spread His teachings to all the nations of the world. This mission is not just for the clergy or a select few but for every believer. It involves personal evangelism and discipleship, going beyond mere acquaintance with Christian teachings to a deep, personal commitment to living them out.
The focus on soul-winning is a call to engage authentically with the world, not through the lens of celebrity or spectacle, but with humility and a genuine desire to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ. It’s about building relationships, serving communities, and being Christ’s hands and feet in a world that is increasingly in need of hope and salvation.
A Clarion Call
No matter what has happened in our lives up until now, now is not the time or season to be taking our walk with God lightly. If we are a true believer in Jesus Christ, then it is time for us all to be all in. It’s time to walk in a very circumspect way. To walk in humility and repentance. To walk out the fruit of the Spirit. God is cleaning out His church. There is no way to hide things from God. He knows the state of our hearts and sees all things. To come out from among this evil world and be set apart.
Going into 2024, it will be unlike anything we have ever seen or walked through as a nation or Church. This year is not for the faint. We must be fortified in our faith. We need to be strong in the Lord and sincere in our walks. We need to renew our minds and strength each day and put on the full armor of God.
Fear is not of the Lord. Nor is anxiety. He has given us power and a sound mind.
Pray for your family and friends and hold up ministers and leaders who are standing for righteousness. God will be with us. In it, but not of it. He is with us until the end of the age. Occupy until He comes!
As the Christian community enters this new season, there is a palpable sense of returning to the roots of the faith. This is not a step backward but a re-alignment with the core mission of Christianity. The focus shifts from the attraction of large numbers, man-forced strategies, and charismatic personalities to the cultivation of deep, personal faith and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
In this season, the call is clear: to know Christ deeply and to make Him known with equal fervor. It is a time for believers to rediscover the profound joy and responsibility of being followers of Jesus, dedicated not to the expansion of an institution, but to the spread of a transformative, life-changing Gospel and to attend to the harvest of souls.
