Slap me upside the head, but I recently slipped and spoke about preaching the "full" gospel.
Yes, I know, "Full Gospel" folks are self-righteous, holier-than-thou anti-intellectuals, and we Reformed types don't want anything to do with that kinda nonsense.
Acts 2: "When the Day of Pentecost came.... Peter stood up: 'This is what the prophet Joel spoke about.... What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us.'"
So, when I carelessly suggested that "the most effective missional churches of the future will be those that embrace and preach the full gospel," I was appropriately and immediately corrected.
We need to be careful. I need to be careful.
Preaching the "full" gospel sounds an awful lot like "The Full Gospel" we'd hear from God-TV, and we good Reformed folks certainly don't want any part of that kinda nonsense, either.
But here's the thing... Peter's first sermon was filled with references to supernatural stuff. The stuff that most Reformed people squirm about.
Many of us are pretty comfortable "doing mission" as a series of classes -- installments of philosophical indoctrination -- with a few Good Works and "Be Nice" lessons thrown in to make it all agreeable to even the most resolute of reprobates.
Dr. Timothy Brown, President of Western Theological Seminary, just published a great piece in the most recent rcatoday. I loved his title, "Oh My! We've Got to Do Something about That!" Dr. Brown's "Oh My!" shock comes from statistics suggesting that Christianity is suffering a dramatic decline in America. (Okay, so most of us in the RCA already suspected as much from our own denominational reports. But Dr. Brown had some even bigger numbers.)
"Even more stunning," says Dr. Brown (and I think this was his real point), "if the statistical sampling holds true, 46 million Americans identify themselves as having absolutely no connection to God whatsoever!"
I love Dr. Brown's essay. It's worth quoting a bit more:
"The Christian church does not make up the story of who we are. We have a story, our story, the one that will change this abysmal statistic." He then references "the story of Pentecost, the rushing wind, the tongues of fire...."
Okay, so 46 million Americans don't take God seriously. And Peter baptized 3,000 people in one day. How do we get from America today to scenes like we read in the book of Acts?
No brainer. Pentecost. Read the Book.
God says: "I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.... Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your young men will see visions, your old men will have dreams. Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit...."
"I will perform miracles...."
Peter says: "Jesus of Nazareth was a man whose divine authority was clearly proven to you by all the miracles and wonders which God performed through him. You yourselves know this, for it happened here among you."
Peter adds: "What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us."
After Pentecost, the story continues: "Many miracles and wonders were being done through the apostles, and everyone was filled with awe."
The masses were moved from indifference to "...filled with awe." Followed by repentance, conversion, baptism, transformation, discipleship, sanctification....
But starting with: "awe."
Not as in, "Awe, shucks." But as in: "Oh... my God!"
Our Reformed confessions, creeds, pastors, seminaries, and even Sunday School teachers all teach us that the gospel is to be proclaimed in Word and Deeds.
By "Deeds," we of course mean an externally focused church that behaves very nicely and loves people via charity and all kinds of kindly acts of service.
By "Deeds," we don't necessarily rule out signs and wonders -- miracles, healings, and deliverance.
But we just don't go there.
Jesus told Peter and the others to wait. He basically said, "Hold onto your Words and Deeds until I say you're ready. Until you've been powered up. In the meantime... pray."
Great, many of us are eager to proclaim the gospel. "Powered up," or not. After days and days of waiting and praying... or not.
So let's just do it.
But then, let's not be surprised when the 46 million folks who don't take God seriously don't take our God story seriously, either.
The success of the churches of Acts was rooted in a Spirit-powered full gospel proclamation, including Words, Signs, and Wonders. Take away the Signs and Wonders, and let's not be shocked.
Let's not be shocked to discover, as Dr. Brown puts it, that "while the American population has swelled 50 million since 1990, the church of Jesus Christ has shrunk."
Such are the mysteries of the Kingdom.
-- Dave Cheadle
FYI: This print, "Day of Pentecost," comes from page 390 of a 19th century edition of:
"The Complete Bible Gallery," by the famous illustrator Gustave Doré.
