Great article. Thank you. Most measurements of revival are using American marketing metrics, at least initially. Youth sports continue to pull families out of church for 6-9 months of the year. School events and sports, 4H, and lots of other activities compete for people's time. The church is seen as a quick hop in and hop out or "when I have time for it." So church is no longer seen by self-identifying Christians as a place to build community around. The church tries to accommodate busy schedules with short, quick, high-energy events with simple, practical, motivational messages. It is hard to build deep-rooted, faithful Christians, who know theology and are committed servants in a local church. Colossians 4 and Ephesians 4-6 and Galatians 5-6 seem to indicate that the real indications of Spirit-filled living is the fruit of the Spirit, holiness of life, invested and edifying relationships (especially within the home), obedience to biblical commands and principles, and personal, God-fearing, love for the Lord. These are hard to identify in marketing surveys. I'm thankful for being a part of a few local churches over time that have seen the faithfulness of an older generation(s) that barely have posted anything to social media, never had a viral post, but have faithfully loved and served God and impacted my life and many others for Jesus Christ. In sports, there are a lot of one-season wonders or "flashes in the pan" as my dad would often say, but very few long-time, hall of fame caliber careers. Hebrews 11 says we have a great cloud of witnesses. Some had short seasons of ministry and service, others had longer, but because they were obedient and faithful to their God by faith, "they all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Heb. 11:13) There aren't very many self-professing Christians today who are willing to be faithful, faith-living, strangers and pilgrims.
SMOR6326
I’m trying to come up with a purpose for this article. It sounds unnecessarily pessimistic. Shouldn’t we praise God for any kind of revival, small or large? Shouldn’t we pray earnestly for such a revival and wait in expectant hope for God to save His people? The very fact that our nation is increasingly unchurched is just cause for the kind of rejoicing that recent headlines cause. God is bringing light into the darkness, and we should praise Him for that light and not seek to minimize it. It will always be a narrow gate. But praise God, He is still leading people through it.
Great article. Thank you. Most measurements of revival are using American marketing metrics, at least initially. Youth sports continue to pull families out of church for 6-9 months of the year. School events and sports, 4H, and lots of other activities compete for people's time. The church is seen as a quick hop in and hop out or "when I have time for it." So church is no longer seen by self-identifying Christians as a place to build community around. The church tries to accommodate busy schedules with short, quick, high-energy events with simple, practical, motivational messages. It is hard to build deep-rooted, faithful Christians, who know theology and are committed servants in a local church. Colossians 4 and Ephesians 4-6 and Galatians 5-6 seem to indicate that the real indications of Spirit-filled living is the fruit of the Spirit, holiness of life, invested and edifying relationships (especially within the home), obedience to biblical commands and principles, and personal, God-fearing, love for the Lord. These are hard to identify in marketing surveys. I'm thankful for being a part of a few local churches over time that have seen the faithfulness of an older generation(s) that barely have posted anything to social media, never had a viral post, but have faithfully loved and served God and impacted my life and many others for Jesus Christ. In sports, there are a lot of one-season wonders or "flashes in the pan" as my dad would often say, but very few long-time, hall of fame caliber careers. Hebrews 11 says we have a great cloud of witnesses. Some had short seasons of ministry and service, others had longer, but because they were obedient and faithful to their God by faith, "they all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Heb. 11:13) There aren't very many self-professing Christians today who are willing to be faithful, faith-living, strangers and pilgrims.
I’m trying to come up with a purpose for this article. It sounds unnecessarily pessimistic. Shouldn’t we praise God for any kind of revival, small or large? Shouldn’t we pray earnestly for such a revival and wait in expectant hope for God to save His people? The very fact that our nation is increasingly unchurched is just cause for the kind of rejoicing that recent headlines cause. God is bringing light into the darkness, and we should praise Him for that light and not seek to minimize it. It will always be a narrow gate. But praise God, He is still leading people through it.
I will celebrate any movement towards Christ. Don't the angels rejoice when even one enters the kingdom of Heaven?
Sadly I think the millennial ripple faded because the “gospel water” in many American churches was not deep enough to grow and sustain a wave.
I think it's because (much of) the church unequivocally betrayed millennials, and is busily betraying Gen-Z.