Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution!

Our church is in turmoil. I’m confident most people agree with that assessment. It appears what we don’t agree on is the appropriate response. Some – rightly or wrongly – stand squarely behind our head pastor. Some sit in the camp of a worship pastor who is answering his own call – a call that is already taking him on his own venture far from our church. Many are simply leaving the church altogether. And still others are simply sitting on the sideline watching the drama unfold. Our situation appears desperate. But, what should we be doing?

I’d like you to consider the story of Hezekiah for a moment. In the 36th and 37th chapters of Isaiah, Sennacherib the king of Assyria has been crushing every fortified city in Judah and is marching on Jerusalem. This is one bad dude. We’re talking about a guy who cuts off other kings’ heads and places them on a pole so everyone will fear him. There’s no Geneva Convention, so his brand of warfare is brutal and bloody. I think it’s safe to say that as the king of Judah, Hezekiah is in a tough spot. This is a guy facing sure death.

Hezekiah could run and leave Judah to go into exile elsewhere. The Egyptians would take him. He could barter with the enemy to attempt to spare his life. Perhaps there’s an acceptable price one can pay to avoid having your head placed on a pole. Or, he could stand and fight. All of these are perfectly natural human responses.

Isaiah 37:9-13 (NIV)
9 Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt , was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: 10 "Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, 'Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.' 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? 12 Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?"

There’s something worth pointing out in these verses. Sennacherib is not only taunting Hezekiah, but he’s mocking God when he says, “Do not let the god you depend on deceive you…” He’s essentially calling God impotent and unable to do anything to stop him. Isn’t our situation similar? If we’re not turning to God right now, aren’t we mocking Him ourselves? With faith there is no fear. Even in the face of overwhelming turmoil and confusion in our church, we have no need to fear if we trust that God is the one in control.

Let’s take a look at Hezekiah’s response:

Isaiah 37:14-20 (NIV)
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD : 16 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.

18 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.

Hezekiah took his problems and placed them at the feet of the Lord. He prayed to Him and turned to Him for guidance. He acknowledged who God is and all he’s capable of. He had faith that God would deliver Judah from the tyrant Sennacherib. Will God deliver us as well? Do you have faith or fear? Do you have trust in God or are you confused by the actions of men?

Here’s how God responds to Hezekiah’s prayer (we’ll skip ahead a bit):

Isaiah 37:36-38 (NIV)
36 Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

God, not man, saved the people of Judah. God gets the glory! God, not man, will save our church. God will get the glory! He’ll save it because it’s a place where His people come to worship Him. He’ll save it because he built it in the first place. Who do you trust? A man, yourself, or God? As for me, I trust Him. I’m putting my faith in Him.

So, again I ask, what should we be doing?

We need a revolution. We need the leaders God has blessed us with to rally together and seek His guidance. We need the leaders of our church to unite the body in His Spirit and in His will. The last thing we need is people locked in fly-or-fight mode.

When I speak of leaders, I’m not just talking about those with titles. I’m speaking of the leaders in the wings; the ones who are still on the bench waiting to be called into the game. Their time is now.

If you’re hurting…well…good. Praise God. It means you have a heart and you’re alive. If you’re angry, I pray you tap into that anger and use it for God’s purpose. Step to the plate. Be a leader. Make a difference.

The revolution I refer to isn’t new versus old methodologies. I could really care less whether you prefer loud raucous worship or singing from a Hymnal. That’s not the point. There’s only one methodology that counts and that’s the one God chooses for us. The revolution I refer to is uniting the body in a singular purpose. And the purpose should be reaching out to the lost while demonstrating Christ’s love.

If the leadership of our church all ran away because things got scary or our feelings got hurt, then what will remain? Who will unite the body for Christ? Who will stay behind to reach out to the lost? Here am I Lord. Send me.

We need to train people to be leaders and support them in being innovative at reaching the lost. We need our leaders to give the body direction according to God’s will. Now is not the time for one man to claim the church as his own and declare Marshal Law. Now is not the time to rally behind another man who is already on his way to serve somewhere else. Now is not the time to run. Now is the time to lead! Now is the time for the revolution!

Praise God for the challenge. Praise God for the pain and the hurt. In the end, He will be glorified and we will be stronger. Amen.

James 1:2-8 (NIV)
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.