From Survival to Revival
COVID-19 showed up on the scene without warning, and disrupted the way all of us are doing church. Because of that, you are thinking about what the Church’s future may look like. What will fellowship in-person look like going forward post-COVID-19? What about our finances? How can we best help our suffering saints?
As we face the invisible giant of Coronavirus, how will we survive? Christ’s Church can declare, as the shepherd boy David did when he faced his giant, Goliath, “He will deliver me” (1 Samuel 13:37).
Scripture assures us the Church will not only survive but it will thrive. We will overcome fear and a loss of hope that threatens our faith, victory and joy.
Just as David had his confidence and faith bolstered by reflecting on his victory over a lion and a bear, we can reflect on the Acts 2 Church’s supernatural power and replicate the principles that enabled it to experience the miraculous and turn the then known world upside down. If we follow their pattern, we can experience global revival that could bring back the King.
The Acts 2 Church was birthed by the POWER of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Peter’s PROCLAMATION was so anointed the Church grew from 120 to 3120 in one day (Acts 2:14-40).
Their PURPOSE (Great Commission and Great Commandment) and PLAN (Acts 1:8) was clearly given by Jesus.
The PROCESS was outlined by Luke in Acts 2:42-47. The Acts 2 Church was to be a Spirit-empowered community of disciples following Jesus, fulfilling His mission. To experience true revival, renewal and restoration a healthy church should embody these functions:
Worship—pursuing and obeying God passionately
Connect (fellowship)—engaging and maintaining loving relationships
Go (evangelism)—developing and mobilizing its people to fulfill the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment
Serve (ministry)—acting with clear direction and outward focus
Grow (disciples who make disciples)—reproducing and multiplying God’s mission in other people and places
Instead of a pandemic of panic, let us believe for a pandemic of hope. The Acts 2 Church model is foundational to seeing your church flourish and instead of just surviving, it can thrive and experience revival.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13, ESV).
