The church of Jesus Christ has come a long way since its inception on the shores of Galilee through the preachings of a humble carpenter. It has come very far from the Roman persecutions and violence of the crusades. The church has weathered plagues, wars, famines, and restructurings. It has been reformed, rebranded, reclaimed, rescued and revived. It has been the faith of mighty leaders and despised by violent dictators. Its houses of worship go by many names like Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, Holiness, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Missionary, Catholic, Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Reconciling, Confessing, Non-Denomination, Full Gospel and Bible believing. Each reads the same book and stands by the uniting principle that Jesus Christ is the way to salvation and that the Gospel of Christ holds the key to redemption.
Yes, the church has come quite a long way from the days of humble Galilee, but what I have noticed is that the church of today (at least in our country) is largely asleep. And many seem very unwilling to wake up. But this weekend I saw an awakening with my own eyes!
I had been asked to preach at a weekend retreat gathering of Methodist college students from Universities across our state. Universities like SFA, SHSU, TSU, UofH, TJC, Lamar and A&M. On our final night I issued a call to stand up, join their campus ministers in prayer, and delicate themselves to share the Gospel with their fellow students on their campuses. Brothers and sisters I watched as nearly 100 young people (almost the entire congregation) arose with one accord and through tears, prayers, and shouts of praise answered the great commission of Jesus! It was revival right before me! It was the Holy Spirit alive and well among our own Texas students! The young people of this nation are hungry for the Gospel, desperate for grace and craving redemption in a world that is unforgiving and polarized.
Yet, despite all this, we church going christians continue to squabble and debate over the scraps on the floor, while completely missing the feast Christ has prepared for us on the heavenly table. While you read this paper the Asbury Revival continues to go on after more than 12 days of continuous worship. Thousands continue to flock to Kentucky, largely composed of young college students. Revival is sweeping that region and people are pouring in to just simply experience it. How I have longed for the day that I may see such a movement of the Spirit that I have only read about in books!
So, what will we do here in Fairfield? What will our Christian community respond with? Will we continue to selfishly protect our denominational institutions and wrap ourselves in the strappings of our selfish accomplishments. Or, will we as Christians unite in mission and purpose to bring that same spirit of Revival home to our town, in our schools, within our homes, and from our pulpits.
The great Revival preacher Charles Spurgeon said this, “Have your heart right with Christ, and he will visit you often, and so turn weekdays into Sundays, meals into sacraments, homes into temples, and earth into heaven.” We have the power to make every day a revival of our faith in Christ and share that faith with others. We must only take the first step of humbling ourselves before God.
Paul’s letter to the Romans states, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
Salvation is nearer to us now than ever before my friends, let us awaken from our sleep!
Your fellow sleepy Christian,
Pastor Mike McVey
First United Methodist Church, Fairfield
ACS Chaplain – U.S. Coast Guard Base Galveston
(P.S. If you would like to contact or receive Pastor Mike’s weekly newsletter simply email him at pastormike@fumcfairfield.org)
