Thoughts for Life: #26 Spiritual Power in Evangelism

C. Peter Wagner: "Not everyone
who sets out to evangelize is
equally effective.

Since that is the case, it is helpful
to know who is the most effective
and what things they may be doing that others aren't.

This is one of the tasks of professors of church growth like me. I have been studying the growth and non-growth of churches for more than two decades and some of the answers have been emerging.

Church growth is somewhat complex. Three sets of factors enter the picture when analyzing growth or decline of churches. Institutional factors, the church can change if it wishes.

Contextual factors, which are sociological conditions, the church has no power to change. Finally, spiritual factors,which reflect the hand of our sovereign God.

When looked at on a global scale, however, it seems that the institutional and contextual factors may not be as crucial as the spiritual factors.

This becomes evident when one looks at the growth of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements in the past 40 or 50 years.

Although some vigorous growth has occurred among non-charismatics and not all charismatic-type churches and denominations are growing, the fact remains that through recent decades the most amazing church growth worldwide has been seen among the churches that most explicitly depend on spiritual power, namely the Pentecostal and charismatic churches.

The Pentecostal/charismatic movement has its roots in the beginning of the twentieth century, but its vigorous growth did not really begin until after World War II.

At that time, in 1945, it counted 16 million adherents worldwide. By 1965 it had grown to 50 million, by 1985 to 247 million, and the 1991 figure is an incredible 391 million.

One Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, grew from 1.6 million in 1965 to 13.2 million in 1985. Even though it is a relatively new denomination, the Assemblies of God is now the largest or second largest denomination in more than 30 nations of the world.

In one city alone, Sao Paulo, Brazil, the assemblies of God reports 2,400 churches. The fastest growing Christian movement in the United States is the independent charismatics.

With some exceptions, the largest
megachurch in almost any American
metropolitan ares is Pentecostal or
charismatic.

All 6 of the world's churches that had 1990 worship attendance of 50,000 or more are Pentecostal/charismatic.

It seems reasonable to assume that those of us, like me, who come from the traditional evangelical wing of the church would do well to be open to learn from our charismatic brothers and sisters.

The most fundamental lesson, as I see it, is that they have a more advanced understanding that the real battle for evangelization is spiritual.

Signs and wonders, deliverance from demonic powers, miraculous healings, sustained and enthusiastic worship, prophecies and warfare prayer are seen by many of them as the normal outworking of Christianity.

The manifestation of this spiritual power in bringing large numbers of people to Jesus Christ speaks for itself.

We need only observe what God is doing in the world today to realize that the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts depends to a great degree on the outcome of the spiritual battles in the heavenly places.

The Scriptures indicate that our chief weapon for engaging the enemy in this battle is warfare prayer.

Warfare Prayer

#26 Spiritual Power in Evangelism
By C. Peter Wagner

(pgs. 46 -48) Regal Books

Pray with me:

Father, I've given my life to You, so I
ask for divine guidance in learning what
it is I'm to do in the kingdom's work.

These messages of Peter's are helping me to have more understanding that the real battle for evangelization is spiritual.

Help me realize that the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts in our churches depend to a great degree on the outcome of the spiritual battles in the heavenly places by those of us who pray.

I ask this in the name of Jesus, and that You bless our times of warfare praying! Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: Lam. 3:25, 40 "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. v40 "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD."

Today’s quote: Martin Wiles – “Giving isn’t always financial. Sometimes it’s just simple. Give and you will be blessed.

Some thoughts today: The local church is to be the sphere of displaying God's grace. "The Church" refers to us together as believers, assembling for teaching, worship, and fellowship.

- Those folks being killed in the middle east are our brothers and sisters! They've gone right to Jesus, Who they loved unto their deaths, not being willing to deny Him.

- Are we going to be willing to do the same, if need be?

20th- Saturday’s post: He Will Heal YouMax Lucado

21st- Sunday evening's post: Behind the Song: Have Thine Own Way, Lord Diane Leagh Matthews

23rd- Tuesday's post: #27 Jesus On the Defensive
C. Peter Wagner

25th- Thursday's post: #28 Can We Identify with This?
C. Peter Wagner

An interesting post Let It Go! by Jill Savage:
"Several Christmases ago I was feeling stressed as I ran errands and listened to Christmas music in my car. The song “Let It Snow” came on and without thinking I found myself singing along to the tune.

When it came to the chorus, without thinking I changed the words and began singing “Let it go, let it go, let it go!”

That was the beginning of simplifying Christmas for me."