Calling for Radical Christians
Jesus promised that he would build his church and that she would be a beautiful bride, holy and blameless before him; but as I look at the modern church, our experience falls far short of his promises.
The Holy Spirit has not lost his power and Jesus has not changed his mind, so the problem must be at our end. It seems that our Father is unwilling to entrust the fullness of his Spirit to our wineskins.
Desperate situations call for radical change. More of the same will not get us to where we want to be. If we want the new wine of the Holy Spirit, we must shape our wineskins according to God's plan.
Many Christians all over the world have become dissatisfied with existing forms of church. Some are so frustrated that they have stopped going to church at all. These people are not troublemakers or backsliders, but are some of the best people God has. They have become disillusioned with a church that absorbs all their time and energy, but seems to be going nowhere.
If you know in your heart that God has something better, and you want to go "hard out" for it, you need to read this book. It offers a radical vision, based on the scriptures, that will stir your heart and explain God's purposes for his people in these times.
Key Themes
Christian Community
Building Relationships
Power Pairs
Making Disciples
Spiritual Protection
Meeting in Houses
The Lord Supper
The Kingdom of God
Starting a New Church
The Holy Spirit is Leader
Shared Leadership
Balanced Ministry
Role of the Apostle
Prophets in the Church
Real Pastor/Teachers
Healing Evangelism
Dynamic Deacons
Professional Worshippers
Special Insights
This book contains several unique insights.
Relationships are the heart of the church.
Community is essential and practical for all Christians.
The early believers were all together. Modern Christians drive to church.
As Christians get serious about sharing their possessions, a simple lifestyle will start to emerge.
Plurality of leadership is basic to the New Testament.
The ascension ministries are roles of elders, not high-powered leaders or itinerant ministers.
The modern pastor/leader does not exist in the New Testament.
Pastor is not a title of a leader. Pastoring is something that elders do.
Discipling takes place in relationships, not in meetings.
A prophet is just an elder who sees things in black and white.
The modern pastor/leader model has created a desperate shortage of real pastoring in the modern church.
Prophets and pastors must submit to each other.
The best elders should be sent out as apostles.
Apostles exercise authority looking back to those who sent them out.
The Kingdom of God is the goal of history, so every church must have a kingdom focus.
A special building is not necessary for the church to function.
Healing of the sick is an essential aspect of evangelism.
The times are desperate, so radical change is urgent
Radical difference between the church and the world should be normal.
The Holy Spirit loves the world and is always moving out towards those who are lost. If we don't go with him, he will go on without us.
Gods rule must never be established by force. We cannot build his kingdom until we win the battle in the marketplace of ideas.
Preparing for Victory
We are living at a pivotal time in history. While things are going badly for the church, the situation is even worse in the world. You don't have to be a prophet to see the dark clouds on the horizon. The kingdom of man has over-reached itself and is rotting from the inside.
Christians should not be pessimistic about the future. God is in control and is working out his purpose. He is refining his church into a holy and beautiful bride. He is shaking the nations, so his people can establish the Kingdom. We can share in that victory, if we understand his plans and get ready for battle.
The shaking of the world system will be a great opportunity for the church. In times of crisis, power flows to those who understand what is happening and are ready for action. Joseph understood what God was doing, so he was able to use the seven good years to prepare for the seven bad years. He rose to power during a crisis, because he understood what was happening and knew what had to be done.
The times are urgent. We should be using our time to prepare for the political, economic and social upheaval that is coming. We should be joining together, so we can advance God's Kingdom when the kingdoms of the world collapse and fall. Radical change is needed, so we can shine brightly in the darkness and share in the victory that God has planned.
I have focussed on some key changes needed to revitalise the body of Christ, but none will work in isolation. They a complete package and most will only be effective when used together. This book outlines a pattern for the body of Christ, but each Church will have to flesh that pattern out with a vision that fits their calling and situation.
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The Author
Ron McKenzie is a Christian writer living in Christchurch, New Zealand. During the 1980s he served as the pastor of a church, but found that he could not manage to do everything that Jesus did. For the last thirty years, he was employed as an economist, but is now retired. He has continued writing in his spare time. He is married with three adult children and six grandchildren.
Book Details
Size: 153x233 cm
Pages: 176
Publish Date October 2004
ISBN: 0-9582535-3-6
More writing by Ron McKenzie at Kingwatch Books
