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Across the centuries, the church has won or lost its war with the culture in the trenches of weekday service rather than in its Sunday worship. As it was in the beginning, so it is today: The membership is the primary witness.
The most sinister enemy in today's church is neither the secularist nor the sinner. It is the wolf in sheep's clothing who lethargically models a half-baked mediocrity in which most anything will do, just so we get by. Stagnant growth stunts multitudes of churches where "church" is just one more game with too few players and too many spectators. As followers of Jesus, the Bible calls each of us to be "willing, dependable and expendable".
As contemporary disciples, however, we quickly find we accomplish little until the reality of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection hits us with explosive force. Adlai Stevenson expressed a political view that is biblically sound: "If we doubt ourselves, we will persuade no one." If we doubt the message, and wonder at our mission in the world, we will do little to advance the cause of the Kingdom.
Charles Shumate, author of On the Grow, points out that the early church proclaimed its good news without fear of indifference or retaliation--the early Christians simply presented their message whatever the response. Noting that the New Testament mentions "evangelists" only three times, Shumate states, "All Christians were expected to witness."
As professional ministry evolved, however, lay people became less inclined to witness, that being "the preacher's work"; Christians increasingly understood that their "pastors were better qualified." It is true that professionally trained ministers guide today's church, but we must never forget that "professional leadership" is born in the womb of a non-professional membership. Perhaps 15% of pastors are preacher's kids, moulded in the parsonage--but that means that 85% of future church leadership ultimately rests in the hands of the lay membership.
The Bible reveals how it is possible for us to fulfill our great responsibility: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Moreover, Jesus declares, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). D.L. Moody concluded that outside the will of God there is no success, but that inside the will of God there can be no failure.
As the church, we are on a search and rescue mission to find and mend broken lives. Many of them will drown in the sea of sin unless we go in search of them. Jesus, our Captain, calls on us to turn on the lights--all of them. We must let no one be without a light by which to see.
Wayne Warner is a freelance writer from Battle Creek, Mich.
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