By David Faust

A thunderstorm led to a power outage, and a large section of our church building had no electrical current for three days. After working all weekend to correct the problem, a friend sent me a text message on Monday morning that said, “Full power and functionality restored to the whole church. Praise God!”

I texted back, “That sounds like something written in the book of Acts!”

Isn’t that what we desire in the Restoration Movement—“full power and functionality restored to the whole church?” Wouldn’t it be great if Christians could say God’s grace is “powerfully at work in them all” (Acts 4:33)? How can we help restore full functionality to the church?

Resign—Then Re-sign

Here’s an idea. Let’s all resign from trying to second-guess God. Let’s quit seeking to control things that only the Lord can manage. He didn’t go on vacation and relinquish his throne. He’s still the boss.

When his instructions are clear, our job is to trust and obey, surrender and serve. When the Bible speaks plainly about a topic, it’s not our place to second-guess it. As Job learned, we can’t outsmart God. As Jonah learned, we can’t outrun him either.

“God presides in the great assembly” (Psalm 82:1). We only need one President (presider)—one King. Let’s not usurp his authority; let’s be his loyal subjects. When humans try to do God’s job, it leads to spiritual power failures. It’s time to resign.

Then re-sign. Sign up to be a disciple again. Learn again what it means to walk with Jesus in humble faith and obedience. Sign up to be “a worker who does not need to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2:15). Sign up to be a servant again, not out of grudging obedience but grateful love, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Don’t Retire—Re-fire!

Spiritual power outages happen when God’s people become unfaithful. In the days of Moses, regard for God’s holiness reached such a low point that finally a priest named Phinehas rose up in righteous anger and took bold action (Numbers 25:1-15). While his violent solution seems shocking to us (and it’s not an approach we recommend today), shouldn’t we also be shocked to live in a culture that frequently thumbs its nose at God?

In the days of Samuel, Eli the priest had two sons (one of whom ironically also bore the name Phinehas) who disgraced the Lord’s work. These corrupt men were part of the problem when they should have been part of the solution. They abused their priestly office, misappropriated sacrifices offered to God, disregarded their father’s counsel, and slept with the women who served at the tabernacle entrance (1 Samuel 2:12-22). How could God’s power flow without obstruction when the spiritual leaders were so unfaithful?

The church today faces many challenges. Are we part of the problem or part of the solution? We shouldn’t stand on the sidelines and waste our lives in whiny self-indulgence or casual indifference.

Don’t retire from serving the Lord. Re-fire! Keep your zeal burning. God says, “Those who honor me I will honor” (v. 30). Ask him to rekindle your hunger for his Word, your love for others, your passion for ministry, your concern for the lost. Partner with the Lord to restore full power and functionality in his church.

David Faust serves as the Associate Minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Based on International Sunday School Lesson, © 2013, by the Lesson Committee. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.

As you apply today’s Scripture study to everyday life, read Engage Your Faith by David Faust and the correlating Evaluation Questions.

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