Chapter 7: Supernatural Church
In this last chapter of the Forgotten God, Francis is talking about the Supernatural Church and is challenging us to be one. First, let’s not go far and talk about the churches we have today. If we are to describe the modern church, how much of it looks like the early church in the Book of Acts? And if we are to describe a successful church in our generation’s context, how much of it lines up with God’s definition of a real, Chris-centered, Spirit-filled church?
If you could picture out your most ideal church, what would it look like?
“I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this by my own power.”
According to Francis, we can draw a massive crowd and “pull off” any church with the right creative team, musicians, and speakers. We can make use of a huge gathering involving many different talented artists and call it a church. Does it sound like the successful megachurches today? Huge stadiums, fancy lights, hi-tech sound systems, famous singers/composers, powerful speakers. Not to hate on megachurches as I think they make great impacts to the community, including me personally. But if we are to have a questioning mind, how much of these movements are fueled by the power and work of the Holy Spirit, rather than the efforts of a group of talented and gifted people?
If I could guess the main reason why Francis Chan left his megachurch, I think it would be the fact that his successful church missed the mark of what’s more important to God—that is the mighty power and movement of the Holy Spirit in each member’s individual life. Honestly, we can get caught up with the superficial grandeur of music and lights and popularity of some churches, big or small. But in the grand scheme of things, God does not need any of that fancy. He only wants our authentic worship and truthful surrender of our lives to Him. According to Francis, “God is not interested in numbers. He cares most about the faithfulness, not the size, of His bride. He cares about whether people are lovers of Him.”
“I believe He is calling me—and all of us—to depend on Him for living in a way that cannot be mimicked or forged. He wants us to walk in step with His Spirit rather than depend solely on the raw talent and knowledge He’s given us.”
Read 1 Kings 18:20-40.
“So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.” And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.”
“He wants to completely transform us. He wants to take a timid heart and set it ablaze with strength and courage, so much so that people know something supernatural has take place—life change just as miraculous as fire coming down from heaven. Even as the Spirit works in us to make us more like Christ, to transform us, He is also patient. This work will not be complete until His Kingdom comes in full, though this does not deter Him from working now.”
I don’t know about you but I don’t feel like the church that God called me to be. And I don’t really think that I can ever arrive there in this lifetime. But isn’t it comforting to know that our God is patient towards us? That even when we mess up and disappoint Him in the process, nothing can stop Him for working in us now nevertheless. The goal, however, remains standing. God wants us to live supernaturally for His glory at every stage of our life. He wants us to live victorious lives with the evident work of the Holy Spirit, not due to the byproduct of our own doing. But how much of our lives screams God’s glory and praise?
Look over these traits. Do you think you possess each traits to a supernatural degree?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ”
Have we ever wondered if the people around us are actually amazed by our peace? Love? Joy? Have we ever thought about people praising God for our achievements as our humility pointed God the glory? Have we drawn people closer to Christ just by looking at our fruits and our lifestyle? Or have we worried, strived, and complained enough in life that we caused people to be less interested in God? These questions may not be somewhat important to some of us, but God challenges us to care about these things if we want to be a supernatural church. But the key is not trying to muster up fake love or concern for other people. It is not even about forcing ourselves to care and beating ourselves up when we find no compassion for others. This is something that we can ask God for help. We can ask God to soften our hearts for His call to love our brothers and sisters in Christ and to burn our hearts with desire to share the Gospel to those who need it most.
“Instead of mustering up more willpower, let’s focus our energies and time on asking for help from the One who has the power to change us. Let’s take the time to ask God to put the fruit of His Spirit into our lives. And let’s spend time with the One we want to be more like.”
What do you think should be your goal in order to be a Supernatural Church?
“When I live by my own power and strength, relying solely on my natural talents to see me through, then people naturally praise me for how I am living. But when I am living in a way that requires me to depend on the Holy Spirit, people respond by praising my Father in heaven.”
Our goal to being a Supernatural Church is to forget ourselves. We need to forget our status, our title, our glory for the sake of the Gospel. We need to remind ourselves that we were chosen not because of our gifts, talents, wisdom, and reputation. Instead, we are one of those who were once lost and were scarred by sins. Let’s remember that we were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12).”
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
Think about the way you minister to the people around you. Can you say that your ministry is a demonstration of the Spirit and of power or that it causes others’ faith to rest not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God?
“Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
The Word reminds us that we are work-in-progress masterpieces of God. We are “being built together” by the Spirit to be a “dwelling place for God.” Regardless where we think we are in our faith, we need to believe that God desires and chooses to make His home inside of us. We need to believe that we are no less than the people in the bible who have success stories with God. They were very much the same as us—imperfectly flawed and sinful people who found favor in God simply because of His goodness and mercy. As we continue to serve God in our ministry, let’s strive in wanting to be used for His glory and to produce fruits solely by His power so that people will give Him the praise that He rightly deserves.