Most would agree that our current times are extraordinary. But they’re also unpredictable and often confusing. What steps can leaders take to address the cultural moment we are in? We reached out to some of our past conference speakers for their insights and encouragement.
Be very honest and do the work of introspection. First, to make sure that we are not fueling things in our congregations that further contribute to the chaos of this cultural moment. That we are indeed keeping Jesus in the right place and perspective in our churches. He is the head of the church, not our ambitions, not our preferences, but it’s Jesus. And Jesus’s standard is love. Jesus is not owned by one set of people, and so keeping those standards before people. Also, remembering that God is not just for the people in your church. The imago dei—that’s all people—they have a place in God. And then with believers, we have to reinforce that with our congregations so that we don’t go out into the world adversarial to other people, which also fuels this disunity and the chaos and the fighting. We have more to gain from working with another and journeying with another and embracing one another than we do with planting our feet on a side. Just don’t give up, don’t be weary in well doing, because in due season, if you don’t faint, you will reap.
I would say these are very exciting times to be a minister of the gospel. They are very difficult times, and trying times. There’s so much loneliness and isolation and anxiety and anger. And yet, in the midst of that, so much opportunity because so much [of what] people have leaned on is failing them. [In] my experience, and I imagine many of you too, people are groping for truth, and they are groping for love. And we have those two things. John summarized Jesus by saying he is full of grace and full of truth. And as our churches are full of those two things— we are seeing this in [Washington], D.C.—people are stumbling towards our church looking: “Somebody give me an anchor of what is real and does anyone care about me?” We have the message for the moment. Let me just encourage you too. God has always put his people in the middle of the crazy. The nation of Israel was in the middle of all the nations. Daniel stood right next to Nebuchadnezzar. God always puts his people right in the middle of the problems, but he gives us the grace to endure. So, I’m praying for you that you would experience the love of God shed abroad in our hearts that we extend to other people, and I’m praying that all of us will meet this moment with the inexhaustible love and grace and truth of Jesus.
Don’t look at the backdrop of our culture in despair. Look at it as an opportunity for one of the greatest moves of God on the Earth. I think we’re living in a unique time. When you study revivals and when you study great awakenings, usually it was the kind of chaos [like] today that fueled revival. Crisis fuels the gospel. So don’t look at the crisis as a deterrent. No, no, no. The crisis we see today is actually the very fuel of the gospel. So step into it. This is perhaps when and where the Spirit of God wants to do an incredible work on the earth. So let it fuel the gospel in our day.
Church leaders, my encouragement to you is this. You already know these things to be true. Peter lets us know that “his divine power has given you everything you need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). This means, if God has called you to it, he has given everything you need to accomplish what he has called you to. And before you get all caught up in the performance trap—before you think that the fruitfulness of your ministry is going to determine what God thinks about you—can I just remind you of God the Father’s words over Jesus at his baptism? Jesus comes out of the water, the heavens open up, God the Father speaks out loud over his Son, and he says these words: “Behold my Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Now, pop quiz church leaders. How much ministry had God done at that point through Jesus? The answer is none. He hadn’t preached a sermon. He hadn’t done any miracles. He hadn’t died or been resurrected. Before he does anything that he was called to do, God places his approval on his Son. And if you’re in Christ, God has placed his approval on you before you ever go to work. You should remember that. And because you already have his approval, you can swing for the fences. And you can trust him for the results.
As church leaders, our words and actions greatly influence our congregation. It’s vital to evaluate our motives when engaging with the current cultural moment. By shifting our perspective to see the opportunities instead of the obstacles, we can trust God to work powerfully as we remain obedient and confident in his unchanging love. For additional spiritual encouragement and practical tools, view sessions from RightNow Conference 2024, Together. Click here to watch.
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