I recently had a conversation with and old friend who has a son who is twenty-something. This young man was raised in a good Christian home with parents who have always been involved in some form of ministry. He went off to bible college after high school and a couple of years later came back home. Since coming back home he has been attending a large Pentecostal type church. After some time there, he has become slightly disillusioned with church. Hopefully, not God. Just the other day, he told his dad that nothing seems real anymore. There must be more.
How can a young man that has been exposed to God and spiritual things his entire life come to this? Is he backslidden? Deceived? Or just making excuses? I don’t think so. I believe that we as the church are primarily responsible for what people are experiencing with us. People are hurting, seeking and from the depths of their pain, crying out for more. What is it that we offer them? Nice facilities, good music, great programs and opportunities for self development? These things are good but it takes more; especially for lives to be changed. Real transformation requires power.
The power of God that was operating in Jesus and the early church is same power that is available to us today. I say, that it’s time to get serious enough to seek God to change us first. We need to repent! We need to walk in humility, love and holiness. Hebrews 12:14 tells us, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” We won’t see Him and others won’t see Him in us. God is real. His power is real. The emptiness of people is real. It’s been said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the soul of every man.” It is a vacuum that only God can fill. When people come looking to us they should be able to find that very real God they are looking for. It’s time to get serious.
