Overview:

Christianity and secularism are locked in a struggle. This is reflected in virtually every area of life. They are two worldviews with radically different understandings of reality and how things should be. Secularism is ascendant, and Christianity is in decline. With the loss of a sense of God, many secular humans are experiencing despair and depression.  Feeling alone and without community, they struggle to find meaning and purpose. There is an epidemic of substance abuse, mental health crises, and suicides. Those trapped in hopelessness fail to realize that the very thing they work against is the only thing that can fully satisfy them. Only Christianity can re-establish a link with God and provide the purpose and meaning without which life is meaningless.

Introduction:

In the 1970s, I found myself in a search for truth. I was not a believer, but I would have self-identified as one.  Christianity was the dominant worldview, and most people gave its beliefs credence and support. At that time, I did not understand that the virtues I valued and which gave stability to the culture flowed from a Christian worldview that had permeated society for centuries. Kindness, forgiveness, fairness, hope, and even marriage were a part of my religious heritage. Unfortunately, I could not see this and found Christianity dull and uninteresting. I wanted something more. I wanted community, belonging, and purpose. In my immaturity, I could not see that the reality I sought was right before me.   

In my naïveté, I assumed culture was static and unchanging and that Christianity’s dominant worldview would continue to guide the culture. Little did I know that a tidal wave birthed in the sexual revolution of the 1960s was about to unleash forces that would shake society’s values and presuppositions.

A half-century later much has changed. Things once seen as positive and virtuous such as pro-life initiatives and embracing marriage between a male and a female are now viewed by many as oppressive and immoral. Today support for LGBTQ+ causes, drug use, and sexual immorality is celebrated as authentic and praiseworthy. Many reject the Christian values that had previously held society together. Secularism has become the dominant worldview.

Cultural forces continually coerce Christians to abandon their views on family, sexuality, morality, and the value of life. Living out our Christian convictions now has a price tag. Publicly expressing a conservative Christian viewpoint in secondary schools and higher education can lead to discipline or expulsion. Students have been punished for refusing to use designated pronouns or refusing to acknowledge the possibility that a person can change their biological sex. Professional educators who do not support “diversity, equity, and inclusion” cannot compete for academic positions. They become unemployable in many school systems. Pro-life medical personnel have been fired because their values do not align with corporate values. Surveys indicate that many people dislike evangelical Christians as a group and would not hire them.  

Some assume evangelicals are, by nature, hateful and bigoted.  Evangelicals’ refusal to embrace gay marriage and LBGTQ+ causes leads some to view the church as being like the Ku Klux Klan.[1] The media is hostile to Evangelicals and frequently represents Christians in a negative light, portraying believers as either weak-minded or wicked.

This steady assault on the church has been effective. Institutions such as elementary and secondary schools now regard religion with suspicion or disdain. This negative portrayal causes young people to be averse to considering Christianity. As a result, church attendance is at a low ebb, and surveys reveal a precipitous decline in those who profess Biblical belief, especially among young people.[2] During this period of declining faith, there has been a rapid increase in societal immorality. In addition, a developing progressive ideology with totalitarian impulses has accompanied this drop in Biblical faith.

Suggested tools for revival:

Realistic and prayerful assessment.

For far too long, many, if not most, Christians ignored what was happening in the culture. We vastly overrated our numbers and influence and didn’t feel the need to pay attention. Then we were surprised at the speed of the changes occurring around us. Bible-believing, biblically sound Christians are a tiny percentage of the population. To respond appropriately to the current crisis, we need an accurate read of the culture and a realistic assessment of the church’s health. Without this understanding, we cannot pray effectively or plan realistically.

Individual and Corporate Prayer:

Prayer is many things. It is a means of repentance and penitence as we recognize how our apathy has contributed to the current crisis. It is a plea that we would experience refreshing and revival at God’s hand and a plea for God’s will to be done. Repentance and revival are the work of the Holy Spirit, and in times like this, the church must respond with faithful corporate and individual prayer. Psalm 85:3-7[3] and Revelation 3:1-6[4] point to the spiritual considerations of revival. Falling away is not just a matter of bad choices but a spiritual infection. Prayer is the tool that calls upon God to burn off the dross and rekindle the fire of holiness. Restoration is not a matter of human motivation; it is a movement of the hand of God.

Outreach based in the membership of the Church:

The church is faced with a significant problem. While revival is the only adequate solution, revival is guided by the hand of God, not the desire of believers. While waiting for God, we cannot assume that the organized church will be the solution. There are too few pastors to impact the culture significantly, and the supply of committed leaders is not as plentiful as we would hope. While we pray for God’s hand to move, all believers must take the great commission seriously. We must wake from our slumber and fulfill the commission we are called to. Only believers, full of the Holy Spirit and eager to reach out with their faith, can make a difference. People are hungry for God. They are searching, but they don’t know what they are seeking. What they seek will not be found in drugs, sex, politics, or false religion. Believers possess what the culture needs. Reaching out with God’s love, believers can help seekers contact God.

While it may sound daunting, every believer can begin with friendship evangelism, showing love for those people we encounter. We can provide friendship and a sense of community.  As we come to know those we have met, God will provide opportunities for us to share our experiences and the truth of God’s love for them. Seekers can be invited to private Bible study or a group study. The goal is for those we have asked to be drawn into a relationship with Christ and to help them find a supportive community.

Apologetics:

Sound doctrine is essential and provides the structural component of our faith. To develop their understanding of a relationship with Jesus, new believers must learn to study the Bible effectively. They must learn to come to their own conclusions rather than blindly following charismatic voices. Training should be available to assist them in the learning process.

Community:

Every believer becomes a part of the Christian church when they receive Christ. Soon after they become believers, they need to be incorporated into the local church. Believers need to gather together; those who do not will stunt their growth.

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[1] Shannon Brown, medium.com, Are you a White Evangelical or a KKK member?, accessed March 1, 2023, https://brown-shannonelizabeth.medium.com/the-kkk-is-a-christian-organization-b4e994b0bba1

[2] George Barna, Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, American Worldview Inventory 2023- Release #1: Incidence of Biblical Worldview Shows Significant Change Since the Start of the Pandemic   accessed March 1, 2023, https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CRC_AWVI2023_Release1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1OVLZaIMn5xxqGlyJt5mvtuFzqmfjf1R8hfcN8fUNXqQxmpJvzID-jABI     

[3]       4 Restore us again, God our Savior,

         and put away your displeasure toward us.

      5 Will you be angry with us forever?

         Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

      6 Will you not revive us again,

         that your people may rejoice in you?

      7 Show us your unfailing love, LORD,

         and grant us your salvation.

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ps 85:4–7.

[4] “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Re 3:1–6.