N. T. Wright once wrote, “Everywhere Paul preached, there were riots. Everywhere I preach, they serve tea.” Interesting observation. What difference does the message of Christ make in the lives of people? Can we really expect our message to significantly impact the culture around us?
Paul’s ministry in Ephesus decreased the demand for idols. This cut into the profits of the idol-making business in Ephesus. Demetrius, the silversmith was missing his money. So he started a riot. Take a moment to process this story. The gospel transforms culture. Over a period of a few years, Paul’s preaching made a significant percentage of the people in an idolatrous city to give up buying idols.
I hear many voices saying, “We need the government to protect the church from the evil forces arrayed against it in our world.” This sounds to me a bit like trying to protect a pet lion from the stray cats in the neighborhood. We don’t have to protect the gospel. But we do need to turn it loose, by speaking the good news of Jesus out loud to those who will listen. The Great Awakenings in the United States, like the Welsh Revival in Wales changed the hearts, the vocabulary and the lives of countless people. It could happen again.
Our goal is nothing less than transformation of lives. The church is not a thermometer but a thermostat which changes the spiritual temperature of the surrounding community. But a lukewarm church is powerless to help a frozen world. For 2000 years the gospel of Jesus Christ has been proven to be successful at changing hearts, minds, cities and nations. Jesus has changed us. He wants to change our city. Will we be faithful to tell others about our God who so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son?
