As the lead Planter of One Direction Community, I’m often asked how our organic simple church movement is doing and if I feel we are accomplishing all that I had hoped. I had a conversation with a person on this at the Waffle House this morning. The answer is no. We are not the movement that I hoped for… yet. But that is partly because I have always felt that part of what we were doing was preparing the church for what is coming: persecution. I see our work as sowing seeds for a future harvest, and I believe that future is getting closer every day. Am I some fringe conspiracy theorist or “prepper”? No. But I’m not impartial on the question. In all of history, the freedom we have experienced in America in our lifetime is actually an anomaly. The Bible makes clear that those who follow Christ will be hated and will endure persecution. I suspect there is good reason for my thinking, but if I am wrong and persecution doesn’t come, I have not lost anything. But if it does and we are unprepared then we have lost much. We have this generation to make a difference in and will give account of what we did with the time given to us. I feel called to prepare God’s people for a future that is less open and free, but far more fruitful.In these past couple months because of the coronavirus and social restrictions we have had many of our freedoms taken away.
One of the heroes of my faith is Watchman Nee. God used him (and others like him) to prepare the church in China before the Communist revolution took over. He launched the “Little Flock” movement, which was a radical departure from the Western church model that had been planted in China prior. It was smaller, simpler in structure, met in houses, inexpensive and reproducible. The churches that met in smaller gatherings in homes were led by ordinary people with real jobs. He brought the same sort of preparation that I have been devoted to enacting.
When the communists took power in China they arrested the church leaders (like Nee), seized all church property, kicked out all missionaries and burned all Christian literature. However, these organic expressions of simple churches meeting in homes that Nee started not only survived…they thrived. The Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong sought to eliminate all religion from society in China, but instead mobilized the church and it grew from about 2 million Christians in 1949 to over 60 million during the Communist persecution. It is estimated today that there may be upwards of 85 million Christians in China.
Contrast this with the church of Russia. The Russian Church was built upon the Western Church model and dependent upon three things: holy buildings, holy men in robes, and holy services performed by those men in those robes and in those buildings. When the communists took over Russia, like the communists did in China, they also seized all the buildings, arrested and persecuted all the leaders of the church. and burned Christian literature. Unlike the church in China, the church in Russia was devastated. It did not thrive, it died. There was a small remnant that struggled to survive underground, but the Christ followers were not able to see the exponential growth the Chinese church did.
Though I do not clam to be on the level on Nee, like Nee, I have been striving to bring health and simplicity back to the church, and with that an ability to ride out any storms that may come.
If for some reason your church buildings were forced to shut down (like with Covid) what would happen to your participation in your faith? Would your times spent in prayer and reading the Bible go up or down? When covid hit and your church shut down, did you start sharing the Gospel, your testimony, make disciples and leading a simple church in your home with your family or simply quit doing church? Is your faith and participation as a bride in Jesus’ church dependent upon three things: holy buildings, holy men in robes, and holy services performed by those men in those robes and in those buildings? Are you able to start up a simple church in your home? Why? Why not? You are personally responsible and accountable for your faith and sharing the gospel, without excuse.
My family, , I pray you will reflect on read 1 Timothy 3:12; John 15:20-21; 1 Corinthians 4:8-13; Matthew 5:10-12; and Luke 2:10-12. Then spend time in prayer reading again the last paragraph above and in prayer honestly reflecting on what is “church” to you, and how unstoppable and reproducible is your faith, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please post your reflections, questions, and prayers below in the comment box.
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