I really think it is important for all believers to study biblical backgrounds to some extent. You will find that when you have at least a cursory understanding of the contexts in which Scripture was written, you will have a fuller picture and a deeper understanding of its meaning. One example of a text that is often preached free from its context is Hebrews 10:25 – “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Many of us have heard messages (or even taught them ourselves) from this passage about how important it is for us to be a part of a local church and for us to attend church on a regular basis. Now, I am not saying that is not a valid view, but does it do service to the intent of that verse? When we investigate the reason why this verse was written, we see a deeper (and more serious) understanding of this verse.

The book of Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to stay firm in their faith. They were being persecuted by other Jews because of their devotion to Jesus. They were tempted to return to full fledged Judaism. This isn’t just a message to lapsed Christians who preferred to sleep in on Sundays or to the person who says “I don’t need to go to church to be a good Christian.” To continue meeting together may have been costly for some of the recipients of this letter, but the writer of Hebrews was trying to tell them why it was so necessary for them to keep gathering, even in the face of this pressure.

One New Testament survey (Encountering the New Testament by Elwell and Yarborough) puts it this way:
“After initial courageous reception of the gospel in the face of bitter persecution (10:32-34), they must not throw away the high level of confidence they had attained (10:35). To stand firm is salvation; to shrink back would mean defeat and destruction (10:39).” The writer of Hebrews’ “central purpose is fairly elementary: Trust in the Lord and stand your ground” (349).

Our failure to seriously engage the Scriptures on a deep level was one of the biggest reasons for the 121 Forum. My hope is that we can show a generation of younger leaders (and older ones as well) that we Baptists in Missouri can be vigorous handlers of the Scriptures and that we can bring first century meaning to bear here in the twenty-first century.

Before long, after a century or so, the Lutheran church became mired in institutionalism. Along came a young Lutheran priest named Philip Spener, who saw priests enjoying the benefits of being clergy without the concomitant passion for the gospel. He wrote a book called Pia Desideria in 1675 calling for a renewal, a Great Commission Resurgence if you will, in the Lutheran church.

Spener did not have a lot of demographic data to show him the need for a renewal in his time. His pastoral wisdom and insights from others observing the same thing was enough. Those in the center of Lutheranism did not jump on the idea of resurgence he called for in his book. In summary he called for these points of renewal:

1. A greater commitment to spread the Word of God (we might call this becoming more gospel-centered).
2. A renewed emphasis on the priesthood of all believers.
3. A greater focus given to the development of individual spiritual life.
4. Establishing truth not through disputes but through repentance and a holy life.
5. Candidates for the ministry should be genuine Christians, who have had spiritual training.
6. Sermons should not demonstrate the preacher’s erudition, but attempt to teach and edify.

While the center of the Lutheran church scoffed at the need for change, many embraced the ideas, especially younger people. In a matter of decades a movement was birthed called Pietism that brought much life to the Lutheran church and spread to affect others from more Reformed to newer groups such as the Moravians. In fact, the Moravians produced a missionary movement so extensive that one Moravian for every sixty went to the mission field. In comparison, if for instance the Southern Baptist Convention had that ratio we would have 250,000 going across the globe rather than 5,000.

Historically, even the best of movements honoring Christ tend to move toward institutionalism and eventually to decline. You see it in the early church after the early centuries of amazing growth. You see it in the first century in the church at Ephesus. You see it in the Methodist church, an evangelistic juggernaut for centuries now in rapid decline. The same can be said for others, and not only traditions, but also institutions within them, including schools and individual churches.

Today many call for a renewal in the church in the West. In the Southern Baptist Convention it comes under the banner of the Great Commission Resurgence. Others have different slogans or emphases, but there is a general sense that the American church has not remained the spiritual force it once was. More than a few individual churches also hope for a renewed vision and effectiveness for Christ. Of course there are plenty who want to squash such notions, arguing that things are not so bad. That is not new either, for in the Old Testament the prophets had to warn the people: “woe to those who are at ease in Zion.” It is easy to cherry pick statistics to argue for the status quo. Statistics matter, and I often consult those who have the skill and expertise to do statistical studies (they too see a need for renewal). But sometimes we need to do more than crunch numbers. Sometimes we need to see what leaders out in the middle of ministry sense is happening in the culture — pastors, laypeople, students, etc. Many who either feel outside the center of life in their tradition, or those whose convictions about change are pushed to the periphery, may in fact be the very ones who can bring life again to the center of their faith tradition. It has happened before.

In the First Great Awakening Theodore Frelinghuysen scandalized his tradition (Dutch Reformed) with his obsession for the gospel. This led to a series of complaints by those in the center of his tradition. When confronted concerning his preaching and methods he replied: “Is this not the doctrine of the Reformed Church? I would rather die a thousand deaths than not preach the truth.” His conviction and new ideas, such as involving laity more in ministry and visiting the lost to share Christ, brought renewal and revival, and his innovations became standard practice.

Jonathan Edwards brought renewed life as a young preacher to the Congregationalist church, even though some were so committed to the Halfway covenant of his day (among other issues) that he eventually faced termination from the church he served in the awakening. Arthur Wallis is correct: revival is costly.

John Wesley and George Whitefield were forced to preach in the fields due to the content and the zeal with which they preached the gospel. Wesley, who at one time wrote that he did not know whether a person could be saved outside a church building (that is serious institutionalism) witnessed such a movement of God that an entire tradition was born (Methodism), although he never left the Anglican communion. Sometimes when movements remain pushed to the margins, never allowed to bring life to the center, they must break away.

Some sought to marginalize William Carey and his call to missions. Quite content with the status quo, ministers told him if God wanted to save the heathen, he would do so. But Carey, undeterred, led a Great Commission Resurgence of sorts in the Calvinistic Baptist tradition of his day. The same could be said about early presidents of the SBC in the Conservative Resurgence, pastors of large churches but also men outside the mainstream of the denominational leadership center.

Today again there is a growing tide of people, in particular those on the front lines of ministry–pastors, church planters, missionaries, students, etc. — who feel more than a little marginalized, but who hope to see their faith tradition energized again. I personally see and hear from so many international missionaries, more than a few veteran pastors, and disenchanted denominational servants adding to a growing chorus calling for change, in hopes to bring a fresh gospel fire to the center of the communion known as Southern Baptists. But many have responded with “do not get too carried away, we are fine, it is not so bad.” Ironically, that is what many in the center said 30 years ago when some on the margins said liberalism posed a great threat.

I have talked to hundreds of pastors and dozens of other leaders who also have talked to many actively involved in gospel ministry. The overwhelming consensus: we need a resurgence of conviction about and practice of the Great Commission. I honestly have not met a single person who is out in the fields who thinks the status quo is worth maintaining.

I think Michael Green says best what must happen in the Western church today:
“Unless there is a transformation of contemporary church life so that once again the task of evangelism is something which is seen as incumbent on every baptized Christian, and is backed up by a quality of living which outshines the best that unbelief can muster, we are unlikely to make much headway through techniques of evangelism. Men will not believe that Christians have good news to share until they find that bishops and bakers, university professors and housewives, bus drivers and street corner preachers are all alike keen to pass along, however different their methods may be. And then will continue to believe that the church is an introverted society composed of ‘respectable’ people and bent on its own preservation until they see in church groupings and individual Christians the caring, the joy, the fellowship, the self sacrifice, and the openness which mark the early church at its best.” (Evangelism in the Early Church, 275.)

In my tradition, the SBC, no story in the past few decades has better shown our work for the gospel than current president Johnny Hunt. Hunt was a lost pool hustler who met Jesus and never recovered. He has gone from pool hustler to become pastor of one of the great churches of our era, an evangelistic, church planting, missions dynamo. He has also long been known as one who listens carefully to those who are in the frontlines of ministry. Hunt has concluded, as have a multitude, we need a great commission resurgence. I pray we will see it.

Will the church of the Lord Jesus Christ recover a passion for the gospel that leads to dramatic impact of biblical proportions in the West? Can we see such a movement of God? We can. But it will likely start outside the center.

Alvin L. Reid (born 1959) serves as Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he has been since 1995. He is also the founding Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism. Alvin and his wife Michelle have two children: Joshua, a sophomore at Southeastern College,  and Hannah, a sophomore in high school.

Alvin holds the M.Div and the Ph.D with a major in evangelism from Southwestern Seminary, and the B.A.  from Samford University. He has spoken at a variety of conferences in almost every state and continent, and in over 2000 churches, colleges, and events across the United States.

Reid has written extensively on  evangelism, missional Christianity, spiritual awakening, and student ministry.  His most recent book is Handbook for Evangelism: Biblical, Spiritual, Intentional, Missional (B & H, fall 2009). Just released is The Convergent Church: Missional Worship in an Emerging Culture (with Mark Liederbach, Kregel, January 2009). Others include Join the Movement: God Is Calling You to Change the World; Raising the Bar: Ministry to Youth in the New Millennium; Radically Unchurched: Who They Are and How to Reach Them;Light the Fire: Raising Up a Generation to Live Radically for Jesus;Introduction to Evangelism; Firefall: How God Has Shaped History Through Revivals; Evangelism for a Changing World;  and Revival. He has contributed to numerous other books.

Alvin’s passion is to equip leaders for the coming generation who will change the world for the glory of God and the sake of the gospel. He speaks extensively to college and high school students, and challenges churches and leaders to move to a more missional posture to reach the West. He loves to travel with a worship band featuring his son Josh as drummer as he ministers to young adults. He is a member of the Academy of Evangelism in Theological Education, the American Society for Church Growth, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Evangelical Missiological Society. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award at Southeastern Seminary and was selected to Who’s Who among America’s Teachers. He was formerly commissioned as a Home Missionary, taught at Houston Baptist University, and led the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana in evangelism. His hobbies include a collection of pet snakes.