The Symptoms and the Disease

There are two kinds of churches out there.  (Hold with me your disbelief for just a moment.)

The first are those that look into the Gospels, Acts, and the whole of Scripture and see the methods by which the community of God experienced revival, expansive church growth, and lives changed.  They then begin to mimic the methods.  They set up revival meetings, plan altar-calls, organize regimented discipleship tracks, push church growth strategies (“What color should we paint the bathrooms?”)  and more.  They are well-meaning and genuinely want to experience what they read in the Bible.  The early church’s explosive power of love and transformation is compelling…but ultimately unsatisfying.

The second kind of church hears the story of the people of God throughout the Scriptures – reads Acts 2:42-46 and does not get teary-eyed at the amazing community formed, the dynamic teaching, miracles, or sharing that seems to be ubiquitous in the early church.  No, the externals are not what they get fired up about- they want the wine.

They want the disease- not the symptoms only. They want God’s Spirit to fill them today, but not just like it did in the early church.  God Spirit is always taking hold of people who don’t assume what will happen to them after it does.  They aren’t forecasting revival or common purses, or neighborhood restoration projects…they are simply desperate for God’s Spirit!  Now, they will still pick out colors for the bathroom – but it will be an afterthought; because they’re focus is not anxiety-driven (“What will make people like us and make our church grow?”), but rather God-driven (“We are so focused on our love for God that our growth as a community and transformation as a people is a unnoticed byproduct of God’s love to us.”)

Catch the disease – don’t yearn for the symptoms.  People can tell the difference.

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