I believe that the answer is yes - with certain qualifications. There is no question that God desires this and there is no question of the needs among these post modern and post Christian cities. Nor can we every abandon the effort on the missions front until Christ returns.
My answer is a qualified yes, if.....
If God's people will pray for His Spirit to move in the cities of Europe. All movements of God start with movements of prayer.
If local ministries, denominations and mission agencies will work together to reach specific cities in Europe. No one can do this alone and there is unlikely to be a significant movement of God in any city until God's people genuinely come together with a common vision, common dependence on Him and declare that they will set aside their differences for the sake of the Gospel.
If the ethnic groups who know Jesus can be partnered with. There is a great deal of spiritual energy among ethnic populations in Europe. They may well be a key to the re-evangelization of Europe but this means that we need to engage them, work with them, envision them and bring them to the table of cooperation.
If there is humility among all concerned that we need one another and we need the Spirit of God. Pride and self sufficiency will kill our efforts while humility will fuel them. A Christian leader in London, for instance, told members of our staff planning to come to London that we had no right to be there and they didn't need us. Really? With the spiritual statistics of England? All of us need a great dose of humility if we are going to make a dent in the secularism of Europe. It is not about us. It is about Jesus. God does not honor pride. He does honor humility.
If we can be bold with the simple Gospel message. The Gospel has power because God's Spirit empowers it. We are called to proclaim it without apology and without needing to defend it. Simple Gospel proclamation has power in and of itself.
If we are willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus by helping to meet the massive social needs of Europe's cities. People are far more likely to hear the Gospel when they have seen the Gospel in action. If all men and women are made in God's image, however marred, we ought to care about them and their needs. Simple acts of kindness and help go a long way in authenticating the words of the Gospel.
Many people are pessimistic about God's ability to penetrate Europe once again. I am not.... with these qualifiers.
1 comment:
Thank you for these on target words. I would like to add on e additional "If" - If we are willing to be in for the long haul. This is not to discount how short-term efforts can assist. But it will take people willing to make the big commitment. Europe has had its share of promises, ideologies and solutions that disappoint. This jaded history makes people cynical and skeptical. It will take authentic commitment to be an authentic witness to make authentic disciples and plant authentic churches. Are will willing to make that kind of commitment and pay the price, or are we still looking for the quick fix?
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