God has us on a journey. He is speaking to us and leading us to discover what it means to be an Apostolic church.
Now is the time for such a journey. Six out of 10 Americans believe the church is irrelevant. Only 1 pastor in 3 believes that the church is making a positive impact on our culture.
God has us on a quest—a quest to courageously pursue what it means to be the type of church Jesus envisioned.
John 20:21, As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you. (NLT)
John 1:14, The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We are living in a time of tremendous change. The Western World has entered a period that is currently being called POSTMODERNISM. The Modern Era (1690-1990) Science and Reason were king. Rationalism was the means of discovering truth. Truth was considered absolute. In our efforts to present the Gospel, the church became very modern in its efforts as well.
The Post-Modern Era (1990 – ???) Truth is not absolute; it is personal. There are not absolute values. Everything is relative. Experience and personal expression are king. Spirituality is in. This is our world. “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
Here is our challenge: How are we going to reach a world that… Listens with its eyes and thinks with its heart. We must do more than just talk about the transforming power of Christ, we must live it. The world is tired of words. It wants real. Our mission is an incarnational mission. The Word must become flesh in us. The world must see a church full of grace and truth. More preaching is not the answer to today’s spiritual hunger. We do not need to be more religious. We need to be more connected. We cannot reach the world from a distance. The world is saying, “If your Christianity is real, let me see it.”