“Keep up with the times” is a common mantra in church circles today. The emphasis is often placed on creating a church experience that will draw in larger, younger crowds. Our desire is to grow our community, to spread the gospel farther, to reach more people. But is this the right way to do it? So often, this emphasis on development and growth catalyses a loss of truth and conviction. Instead of spreading the gospel, many of us have chosen to emphasize religion and the tenets that make it appealing at the cost of losing central values. It’s time to abandon this show of religion and choose to be the church God has commanded us to be.
In his new book, Francis Chan takes a deep look at the early church and explains why he decided to leave his California megachurch and begin a home church ministry. His book is not meant as a condemnation of church as a whole, but it carries with it a strong message of conviction. In this article I will briefly go over each chapter and the main message that I would encourage each of us to listen to. More than anything, this book is a call to action, but not an action that will “impress the world.” It is an action that will glorify God as he deserves.
1. The Departure
In the first chapter, Chan explains why he decided to leave his church in the first place. As his popularity grew, he began to struggle with pride and constant anxiety. Finally, desperate for the peace and humility that he knew was found in God and convinced that his church would be well taken care of, he took his family out of the states. In India, Thailand, and China, Chan and his family saw the church in a new light, in places where persecution beset it and the goal wasn’t a large and happy congregation, but a congregation willing to die for Jesus Christ.
2. Sacred
In the second chapter, the emphasis is entirely on the sacred calling of Christians. Chan reminds us that God is utterly holy and worthy of our respect.
“We don’t understand what it means for something to be “sacred.” We live in a human-centered world among people who see themselves as the highest authority. We are quick to say things like “That isn’t fair!” because we believe we deserve certain rights as humans. Yet we give little thought to the rights God deserves as God. Even in the Church we can act as though God’s actions should revolve around us. The stories in Scripture are meant to show us that there exists something of greater value than our existence and rights. There are things that belong to God. Sacred things.”
This chapter reminds us that we are created in the image of God, made to be a part of His church. The unfathomable truth that the sacred and holy creator of the universe would choose to live within us is completely ignored by so many churches today. But how can we forget that we are the temple of God, the bride of Christ, purchased by his blood? If we would remember it, we would soon realize that the lives we paint on social media and the images of success we attempt to emulate are of little worth. We are already worth so much more than that, and it is all due to the grace of God.
3. The Order
Chapter three takes us back to the Word of God, to the “order” that He gave us for the church. So many of us have forgotten that the purpose of the church is to glorify God, not His people. Chan reminds us: “Too often we have given people what they ask for rather than what they need.” The programs of the church may well be what people want. They probably will draw in big crowds and scores of young adults. But are they what the people need? Will they leave each sermon knowing more about who God is? Prepared to “give a defense to everyone who asks”? Convicted of sin and righteousness? People don’t need entertainment, they need the Word of God to change their lives.
So, what are we to do in our churches?
- First, we are to read the word of God. So many sermons are focused on political issues or common “spiritual problems.” These discussions have their place, but the Bible commands us to gather together to read Scripture, not comment on society or the pastor’s ideas.
- Second, we are to pray for one another. In James 5:16, God commands us to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” And if you examine the early church, they prayed and were filled with the Spirit on all occasions. When we gather together, we should do so with vibrant, passionate prayer.
- Third, we are to break bread together. Communion is one of the most sacred rites of the church, instituted by Christ Himself that we may “proclaim His death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). We have lost sight of the importance of this. It is to be a time of confession, a time where we remember the horrific sacrifice of Christ and the agonizing pain that brought us victory. We must not take it lightly.
4. The Gang
In chapter four, Chan reminds us that we are The Church. We should not get into the habit of calling the hour on Sunday morning “church,” because that is not how the Bible defines it. When Jesus prayed what we call his “High-priestly prayer,” he emphasized again and again that our oneness is his goal in order that we may glorify him and the Father, and that the church is united through his sacrifice. We are to be united in Christ, not just on Sunday morning, but regularly. We are to know and support one another constantly, for “by this all men will know that you are my disciples, by the love which you have for one another” (John 15:35).
The power of the letters of the New Testament all hinge upon the necessity of the churches loving one another with a committed love. If they had broken up over petty squabbles, how would the church have grown all over the world? We are not here to enjoy only the people we like; even the world does that. We are here to love everyone and to show that the church is more than a building. It’s a family.
5. Servants
Chapter five begins with the reminder that “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus lived the life of a wanderer, going from city to city to heal the sick and make whole the broken. He knelt to wash His disciples’ feet. He sacrificed His life on a bloody cross. Why is it that Christians today live as if service is a weekend affair? Each person in the church is part of the body, and the goal of the body ought to be to work together for the furtherance of the gospel. There aren’t parts of the body you can just get rid of. Nor are there parts of the body that can simply quit if they get too busy.
Each of us is essential, not to serve ourselves, but to serve the body of Christ. Chan encourages us to make sure every person is serving. If someone seems unwilling, we are to ask them to step up. We can’t let our church grow stagnant just because some are scared to do what they’ve been called to.
6. Good Shepherds
Chapter six contains guidelines not only for pastors, but for all who lead in the church. Each of us involved in the church should be shepherding someone, whether children, younger men or women, newer believers, or our own friends. We should all be an example of Christ. But, in order to do that effectively, we must not be caught in the trap of pride, comparison, expectations, or greed. We must not be so focused on looking like a good shepherd that we forget the people we are shepherding. God calls us to “prove to be an example to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). We must know Christ, know ourselves, and then lead others to the power of Jesus, even if that means we suffer for it.
7. Crucified
Chapter seven reminds us that suffering is one of the most common themes of the New Testament. Jesus called us to “take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Chan recounts the experience of believers in China, where the church is persecuted constantly, and the desire of the people there to suffer for Christ’s sake. In the Bible, the apostles rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name” (Acts 5:41). In China and other persecuted countries, this attitude prevails. But in America, with a lack of persecution, we no longer consider this joy. What would happen if we desired to suffer for Christ?
Chan encourages us to remember what a great treasure Jesus is. He is not just a nice addition to a happy life. He is the purpose of life. If we lived like we believed that, people would reject us, no matter where we lived. We would suffer, but only such suffering will convict the world that there is something different about us. We aren’t demanding our rights like everyone else, but we are living in the knowledge that we have rights, and they are from God. No matter what people may do, we know that the pain is worth it because we love our Savior.
8. Unleashed
Chapter eight recalls the power of the early church. The Holy Spirit filled all so that they spoke in tongues, healed the sick, and preached the gospel boldly. They weren’t just sitting in pews once a week to hear about God and then return to their “day job.” They were genuinely, passionately serving him and doing things we rarely imagine doing ourselves. Chan reminds us that the power that they had has not disappeared. God didn’t just take it away when the church got big enough. But we have stopped caring. He compares us to a zoo, with the animals caged inside where they can’t touch anyone. But in the places in the world where the church is stepping outside the building, miracles are taking place. If we were bold enough to take Jesus outside of the church, we too could see lives changed in our hometowns.
9. Church Again
In chapter nine, Chan describes how a church should be structured, according to Scripture. We are to follow the leadership structure established by Paul, share our possessions with all, and be involved in discipleship (both giving and receiving it). Above all, we should be growing new leaders who are ready to begin their own churches when the time comes. In Chan’s ministry, the home churches split when they have trained enough leaders. This is not to split the body of Christ, but it is to establish strong familial units with the goal of spreading the truth. With this method, we won’t be allowing the people of the church to get away with doing nothing. Instead, we will be building Christians who are individually strong enough to make an impact. Christians who care enough to be what Jesus has called them to be.
Conclusion
This book was a powerful reminder of the importance of following God’s Word when building his kingdom. I encourage you to read it, but, whether you do or not, I encourage you to change. Choose to live as the church of God ought to live, glorifying God, serving wholeheartedly, suffering gladly, loving passionately. Make reading Scripture a habit and never forget to pray. Boldly go forth into the world God has created. Choose to remember that you are Christ’s body and your job is to live life “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).