Why are we not moving forward?

[AI translation] A few days ago in a small community, we were discussing what might be the cause of the spiritual numbness and powerlessness that still shows signs of deathly sleep in our Reformed Church at the edges and in the corners. What could be the reason why our elected elders are not elders, that is, those who lead the congregation in faith and service, but rather 'preachers'? Also, that our churches, although they have various Bible study groups and missionary formations, lack missionary fire and spirit. Although our churches are full, we still do not have a real church. The kind of vibrant, Spirit-filled church community we read about in the Book of Acts. They lived in full fellowship of faith, prayer and love. Many signs and wonders of the presence of God shook the believers. They found favour in the eyes of outsiders by their honourable lives, which meant that they were looked up to by the unbelieving world. This last record is particularly significant: 'And the Lord multiplied the church every day with those who were being saved' (Acts 2:47b). Such was the current of that church life, then, that every day it drew in new souls. Such powers radiated from it that it was impossible to resist. Where is our ever-administrative church from this vibrant, enthusiastic missionary church? Yet the Word is being spoken, and the message of the Word is being proclaimed ever more clearly. It could not really be said that it is not the Gospel of Christ that is being proclaimed, but some human science that is pleasing to the ear. For indeed Christ is preached. What is the reason, then, why there is still no stirring, no revival? Why are we always stumbling around in one place and not moving forward?Reflecting on this question, two things became clear. One is not strictly relevant, but I will say it anyway. One is that the majority of the people of our church - even those who go to church or sit in church - are still asleep, no matter how loud the trumpet of God's Word sounds in their ears. They are so used to the sound of the trumpet that it no longer disturbs their sleep. When I was an assistant pastor, I lived in a ground-floor house in Kálvin Square, where the deafening noise of the busy street echoed in as if every truck and streetcar were rumbling through the small room. At first, the noise disturbed my sleep a lot, but I soon got used to it and it no longer disturbed my peace. Many souls are so with the trumpet of God. So accustomed are the ears to the clearest sound of the gospel that they can easily endure the deepest evangelism, the most stirring sermon, without waking. The peaceful slumber of a very soundly sleeping soul cannot be disturbed even by a sermon which it admires and praises. Sleep on!
It happened to a Dutch evangelist the other day that, while he was preaching the gospel with great power on the platform, he felt that the great and happy gospel was not reaching the hearts of all. They listen to the message of life with a sleeping spirit! All at once he went down from the platform, went round the pews, and told each one of them individually, leaning towards him: Do you hear, do you understand? The Lord Jesus Christ died for you! Somehow, I feel that this kind of individual, personal shake-up is what is needed. Someone should go to everyone, someone should visit everyone in their homes, offices or wherever they happen to be. Shake them and shout in their ears: Do you hear me? I bring you great joy! Wake up, let me tell you! And he would give him the message of grace in person!
And then here is the other thing we are not getting on with: where are the souls already awakened who are undertaking this ministry of personally awakening the sleepers? Let us not say that this is what pastors and presbyters are for! For the ministry of waking up is not entrusted to those who hold the office, but to the souls who are already awake! A sleeping man cannot awaken another sleeping man! The missionary work of a church can only be done by awakened souls who have personally known Christ and have been saved. If there are such awakened souls in the congregation, it is essential that they know about each other, know each other, and stick together. They form a holy core of the congregation from which sanctifying powers flow out to the whole congregation. As our Word says, "As therefore we have particular gifts according to the grace given to us, whether by scribal instruction, let us fulfil them according to the rule of faith; Whether ministering, in service; whether teaching, in doctrine; Whether admonishing, in exhortation; the giver in meekness; the overseer in diligence; the compassionate in cheerfulness, let him exercise it. Let love be without hypocrisy. Fear evil, cleave to good. Be tender to one another in brotherly love; in reverence be ye before one another. In diligence be not fainthearted; be zealous in spirit; serve the Lord." (Romans 12:6-11) This is why Protestant churches around the world are now in the process of rounding up non-ministerial people of living faith and engaging them in the spiritual and pastoral ministry of the church. Without the mobilization and active ministry of the few faithful souls who have already awakened, our sleeping church will never awaken from its deathly sleep!
Undoubtedly there are such awakened ones here in our church. Perhaps many more than we think! But the great trouble is that they are humbly hiding somewhere unknown in the rows of safe deposit boxes or at home in their houses. They do not think that Christ has awakened them for some more distant purpose. What is that purpose? To serve Him now! Because Christ always gathers the awakened, the converted, the forgiven to Himself first, to be with Him. But then, as His witnesses, He sends them out into the still sleeping, wandering, sin-bound church, among the other brethren, so that they themselves, as witnesses of Christ's love, may do the work of awakening. Everyone has some gift and consequent calling in the church of Christ, in building up the church community. The Word also lists these gifts of grace which lie dormant among us, in awakened souls, unused. There are those here to whom God has given the gift of interpreting Scripture without theological training. These lay preachers are increasingly needed by the awakening church community. For example, there is a member here in our congregation, a doctor, who we would never have guessed had the grace gift of Scripture interpretation. Behold, this brotherly man, while a prisoner of war, conducted the services himself, almost a priest to his fellow prisoners in hiding. How many more among us must there be of whom we do not know! Those who keep the candle lit in their hearts by the Holy Spirit under lock and key! If they were not so jealously hidden, how many house worship centres would have been established in different parts of our church!
Some have been gifted by God to serve in the work of love, others to have a quiet conversation with souls, others to serve with financial donations. To his material ability, God has also given him the ability to give, to be a participant, to have a good heart; to others, the ability to organise or to be socially sensitive. These various spiritual gifts complement each other into an organic whole, and thus the members of the congregation become one body, one organic unit, a church community! Each member has his or her own particular function, like the members in a human body. And a church body comes alive when its members are stirred up to serve! Our congregation will not be enlivened by a precise church administration or pastoral administration, but by the prayer and service of you, the already awakened members, each according to the measure of the gift of grace given to him, to awaken the still sleeping, dormant members of the congregation!
Church building is the most talked about programme in Christian churches around the world today. We have discovered what an eminent Dutch theologian put it this way: we have a church, we have believers in it, but we have no church! What this means is that awakened and believing people are only enjoying the many new beauties and blessings of their fellowship with God for themselves, but they are leaving out the other person from that fellowship! With their lives of faith, undoubtedly awakened by the Holy Spirit, they live only for their own salvation and forget about others! They feel that they have reached the goal by repenting and receiving forgiveness of sins, and in rejoicing in this they do not realize that they are not at the end goal, but at the starting point of a life of service to Christ. However slowly the number of the awakened may be increasing, we are not making progress because the awakened, the believing souls, are not becoming God's instruments. People whom God can now use to build up the church community. We would make a great step forward if the believing members of this congregation would understand and take seriously what Jesus said about the candle: "Neither is a candle lit to be put in a lampstand, but to shine to all who are in the house." (Mt 5,15) If the Holy Spirit has ever kindled in you even a tiny light, it is not for yourself, not for your own pleasure and spiritual enjoyment, but for those who sit in darkness! You can serve with even the smallest light. God can use even a flickering flame to banish darkness! But only if you don't hide it, but put it in the candlestick! And the candlestick, according to the symbolism of the Book of Revelation, is the church, that is, if you put it at the service of the church community.
That is why the Apostle Paul addresses this very exhortation to the awakened, believing members of the church: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, as a reverence to your reason." (Rom 12:1) So, right worship, what pleases God, is not just something spiritual, not just something that takes place somewhere in the mysterious interior of the soul or in the affections, not just a one-on-one relationship with God, as practiced by so many believers, but more than that. The Word says: "Dedicate your bodies", that is, the body which is in contact with the outside world, with other people, which acts, which moves, which radiates the inner light in action, which makes the faith awakened visible and tangible to other people. So with every movement of your hands, your feet, your tongue, with the beating of your heart, in other words, with your service, express your reverence for God and your gratitude to Him for salvation!
The Word further says: "And do not conform yourselves to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom 12,2) In other words: dare to think and live differently from the world around you! You have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, renewed by the Lord, renewed in your whole inward soul. You see everything differently from those who see only with the eyes of the flesh. Be transformed outwardly and in your deeds according to your inner renewal! However much the materialistic attitude of the world may have become ingrained in you, dare to break away from it! For you, who have already experienced that there are spiritual forces greater than all material forces, who are convinced that the invisible world of God is far more real than the visible and tangible world, you are free to dream big, to see boldly! Such as the world can think nothing but madness! And this madness you are free to tackle with all your might! Dare to believe, to pray, and to work with whatever small gift of grace you have for the awakening of sleeping souls, for the building up of the church community, and never condemn, but carry with you the sleeping souls! Dare, for you are free to be a useful instrument in the service of your Saviour Lord!
Therefore, we are not getting ahead because we are not exercising the freedom that our Lord has redeemed us to by His death and resurrection! Not only is salvation already won, but obedient and useful service is based on God's mercy. Therefore I say again in the words of the Word, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, as your reverence. And do not conform yourselves to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may consider what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Rom 12,1-2) Then we will move forward: from the church that also administers mission with an administrative spirit to the church that also administers mission with a missionary spirit, to the formation of the community of the church!
Amen.
Date: 14 March 1948.