Why Revival and a New Reformation Will Come Through Faithful Stewards
The beginning of a movement
There is much talk around about the need for revival in the church in America. As followers of Jesus, we face an increasingly hostile culture in America. In the face of this growing aggression, we thirst for revival. Not coincidentally, in October we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Protestant Reformation. As the church around us continues to accommodate its theology to the values of the world and abandons biblical truth, we hunger for a new reformation.
Revival. A New Reformation. Powerful hopes, but where will they start? What will be the catalyst? Where do we look for signs of hope? How do we pray?
Here’s a bold idea; the catalyst for both revival and a new reformation will be a movement of God’s people that embrace with passion the journey of the faithful steward.
Imagine the REVIVAL that will take place when millions of followers of Jesus:
- Proclaim that everything in all creation belongs to God and surrender their entire life to him;
- Willingly give up control of their life and trust God to guide them day by day, step-by-step;
- Embrace the disciplines that will deepen their sense of intimacy with God in an unrelenting effort to know His will and do it with passion and joy;
- Find there full and true identity in Christ alone and live a life of obedience that seeks only to hear the applause of nail-scarred hands;
- Set aside their own agendas and truly love their neighbors with a driving passion to see them set free in Christ;
- Give generously, freely and joyfully of all their resources, investing all that God has given them in the work of His kingdom for His glory.
These are the identifying characteristics of people on the journey of becoming more faithful stewards. They are the defining traits of a people set free as stewards in a world of owners. They are the marks of revival.
And imagine the NEW REFORMATION that will come when God’s people demand that the church of Jesus Christ:
- Surrender everything back to him, repenting of its ownership heart that has led to jealousies, divisions, arrogance, and self-centeredness;
- Seek with one heart after God’s leading and direction for its future, and courageously following that leading regardless of the cost;
- Steward the gospel by proclaiming truth and grace, not compromising the former or limiting the latter;
- Live out the love of Jesus to all its neighbors with a driving passion to see them set free in Christ;
- Become a lavishly generous, giving, sharing, open handed people impacting the communities and neighborhoods each church serves;
- Find it’s one, true and only identity in Christ alone and calls all people to the same.
These are the identifying characteristics of a church comprised of faithful stewards. They are the defining traits of the body of Christ set free to be used by God to transform the world. They are the marks of a New Reformation.
The Steward’s Journey has a vision that every follower of Jesus would embrace with passion the journey of the faithful steward. We believe that through them God will bring revival to His people and reformation to His church.
Our call is unequivocal, our vision is clear and the time is urgent. We believe God has lifted up steward theology for such a time as this. Therefore, we embrace this call with all the courage and passion He grants us, and we will work tirelessly to inspire and equip faithful stewards as far and wide as He provides us the resources to do so.
Will you join us?
