The Danger of Sacrificing Apostolic Revival at the Altar of Relevance

There is a lot of talk these days about the Church's NEED to be "relevant to the culture." The problem with that is that many are sacrificing Apostolic Revival at the Altar of Relevance!

Since things really haven't changed much since the beginning (humanity is still the same and Truth is still the same), why does so many think that the Church has to change? When you read the Book of Acts, we see over and over again where the Church was threatened and persecuted because they would NOT CHANGE! They weren't concerned with being "relevant" they're only concern was having REVIVAL! After all the early church went through to defend, contend, preach and teach, we've got "some" who feel like we need to change and be more "relevant!" Are you kiddin me?

I've got news for some who claim they're having an "identity crisis, "God's Church knows exactly WHO and WHAT she IS, and the Church is still the same Church that was born in the Book of Acts! We STILL believe there's ONLY ONE GOD and His name is Jesus! We still believe in the necessity of being Born Again (of water and of Spirit)! We still preach the Biblical plan of Salvation: ACTS 2:38! Contrary to some, the Apostolic Church actually STILL believes in HOLINESS and SEPARATION from the world and the things of the world! I can't answer for anybody but me and the local church I pastor, but we are NOT suffering from an "identity crisis!" We know WHO we are, WHAT we are, and WHY we are!

Another word that's being passed around as necessary to being "relevant to the culture" is "progressive." It's almost presented as a given that if you're not "progressive," it's impossible to build a church in the 21st Century. Of course, like so many other things out there, it probably depends on your definition of "progressive." So let me just say it like this, if you're being "progressive" just for the sake of saying you're "progressive," without "preserving" your core values such as Apostolic Doctrine and Holiness will eventually give way to carnality, complacency and compromise!

I just recently read a book by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck titled, "Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)." This book really helped me in understanding what's going on with this "emergent, conversational, epic, relevant" movement, especially since it's crept its way into some Apostolic circles.

Obviously, I can't answer for anyone but me, so let me tell you "my" story. I was raised in the Church of God (a trinitarian pentecostal organization) for 18 years, and in the early 90's things changed. Up until the 90's the Church of God was known as a Holiness Organization with certain Standards of dress, etc. But things started changing and it started with people compromising Holiness, but it wasn't long until Doctrine was compromised. It was sad for me even then and even more so now, to have witnessed people disregarding what had been passed down from generation to generation. But history has shown us time and time again that Holiness is the first thing that is compromised, but never the last. Sooner or later the Doctrine will be watered down and compromised as well.

This is NOT a story that I read out of a book or current magazine, I saw this happen with my own eyes, and that's why I'm so passionate about what I believe and why I believe it! I've seen "some" of my friends lean in this direction, evidently expecting different results, but it's impossible! Like Paul was in (Acts 17), my "spirit is stirred" because I'm seeing people that I love sacrifice Apostolic Revival at the "Altar of Relevance!"

What I learned from "my" story and have seen so clearly lately is that we can NOT separate Doctrine and Holiness. The Assemblies of God tried it and fell! The Church of God tried it and fell! We are NO different! If we think we can be Apostolic in Doctrine, while compromising Holiness, the ONLY people we're fooling is ourselves. If we're NOT careful, we're going to end up just like others before us...carnal, complacent, unidentifiable, powerless, eventually irrelevant and ultimately lost!

The Bible is the foundation of TRUTH for the CHURCH, not a book written by Rob Bell, Donald Miller or Erwin McManus. The men who were anointed to write the Bible were just ordinary men who grew, changed, and learned, yet they never hesitated to write about what they knew and were convinced of. God spoke to patriarchs, prophets, and priests, and when the words God spoke were written down, the people treated those words as the sacred oracles of God. The written revelation at first was simply called the Law, then it was known as the Law and the Prophets; them the Gospels were added, and then the Epistles, until we finally have what we call the Bible (the foundation of TRUTH for the Church). At each of these stages what was written was considered by God's people to be authoritative and demanding of our obedience, because the words written down came from the very mouth of God. But now I've lived long enough to see the day where "preachers" will admit that they'll "preach" and not even use the Bible! That bothers me.

Loving people and ministering to people should always be a priority, but I don't think we need to, let alone have to change church to fit the culture. The world doesn't NEED the Church to be "relevant," they need the Church to have REVIVAL! (John 3:16) said that because God LOVED the world, He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever would believe in Him they could have everlasting life. (Luke 19:10) said that Jesus had come to seek and SAVE that which was lost! Jesus, himself, said (out of LOVE) that we MUST be Born Again (John 3:1-8)! Offering clear DOCTRINE, not a muddy, indefinite "dialogue" IS the LOVING thing to do.

So, what is the solution to getting caught up in being "relevant" and the pressure to be "progressive" just for the sake of saying you're "progressive:" PREACH THE WORD!

The danger is real and the pressure is strong but we do NOT have to sacrifice Apostolic Revival at the Altar of Relevance!"