Revolution

by George Barna

  Part of a Community

  Having a reference group as an anchor is important. Revolutionaries are often iconoclastic and frequently initiate their journey toward a new life with the intention of being fiercely independent rebels who will show the world how to do things the right way. Almost inevitably, these people discover three important things: they are not the only ones dissatisfied with the status quo, it is difficult to sustain their rebellion when they are alone in the process, and they are having less influence on their own than they expected. The result is for them to join forces, carefully but enthusiastically, with others who seem to be on the same wavelength.

  Individuals involved in the Revolution of faith that is currently redefining the American Church are predisposed to communal activity. Why? They’ve been exposed to biblical teaching that emphasizes the relational nature of God and the connectional character of ministries. As much as they may appreciate the intensity and gutsiness of John the Baptist, they recognize that a solitary voice in the desert has less effect than a united voice in the marketplace. This is a major point of differentiation between social malcontents, who often act out their displeasure in isolated and unconstructive ways, and social reformers, who refuse to accept what is and agree to work in tandem with like-minded reformers to introduce needed transformation.

  Integrating into a pool of compatible change agents has tangible benefits. Each Revolutionary’s impact is multiplied by being part of a larger, harder-to-ignore group of compatriots. An individual’s personal skills and gifts are exploited to maximum advantage, while the community compensates for each person’s deficiencies. Affirmation from fellow transformers leads to increased strength, and being part of a larger force builds self-confidence. Both the cause and the individual are better off because of accountability in relation to thinking, message, behavior, and resource use. Revolutionaries take pride in their connection to the community of fellow zealots. As in any society, it is the community to which they belong that sustains them and nurtures them through the good times and the bad. This adopted community anchors them both to reality and to the idealism to which they aspire.

  New Forms of Behavior

  Modern life is an exercise in dealing with distractions. It has been argued that one reason Americans feel stressed, fatigued, and ineffective is that there are so many distractions in their day that they struggle to finish critical tasks, rarely focus completely on any specific pursuit, generally feel as if other choices might have been more satisfying, and compromise the quality of their performance by juggling so much simultaneous activity.

  Intentional and strategic change—especially on a major scale—occurs because it has been tirelessly pushed through by believers with blinders. Revolutionaries’ extreme resonance with the cause enables them to deny the multitude of distractions and seductions that could dissipate their effect. Sometimes these people are seen as narrow-minded or uninteresting because of their laser-like focus on Revolutionary ideals. Such negative characterizations are meaningless to the Revolutionaries. They receive their energy and their affirmation from God in ways that the world at large will never understand.

  This disregard for the world’s applause, combined with their intense dissatisfaction with the existing reality, enables Revolutionaries to act in ways that capture the attention of the complacent masses. The passion and intensity that cause them to do what they believe is right, oblivious to public reaction, are simultaneously intriguing and scary to those who uphold the white-bread norm. In fact, this public fascination with and resistance to Revolutionaries’ behavior serve to spur the change agents on to ever more advanced forms of transformational activity.

  A New Person

  In the end, the Revolution may be more about reshaping the Revolutionary than it is about altering the course of society. Revolutionaries themselves comprehend what is at stake and how critical it is to model transformation so others are more likely to buy into the process and its outcomes. The ultimate desire, of course, is to influence the world for Christ. But the means to accomplishing that lofty end is to be revolutionized by the Revolution.

  Chapter Eleven

  The Marks of a Revolutionary

  JESUS’ TEST OF A TRUE DISCIPLE was the fruit that emanated from his or her life. He encountered numerous people who talked a good game (such as the Pharisees), but He was only enthusiastic about those who lived what they claimed to believe. Over the past couple of years, as my research efforts have concentrated more heavily on the emergence of the Revolution, I have noticed that many people like to think—and make others think—that they are Revolutionaries, but their lives betray that deception.

  How can you tell if someone is a Revolutionary? As Jesus taught, you look for the fruit. But what are the relevant behaviors that support the verbal intimations? Again, the Bible is the best source of such measures. I believe that not only was the apostle Paul a stellar Revolutionary, but his letters to the churches he mentored provide tremendous insight into the distinguishing attributes of genuine Revolutionaries.

  Paul’s letter to the church in Rome stands out as perhaps the most forthright commentary on what such change agents look like. This is not surprising, since it would have taken robust faith to flourish as a Christian in the nucleus of the Roman Empire. There are great similarities between the contexts of the early Roman Church and the contemporary American body of believers. The apostle to the Gentiles offers guidance in seven areas of life: spiritual practices, personal faith, perspective on life, attitude, character, relationships, and behavior. (If you’re willing, get your Bible and read Romans through in one sitting. That review will place the forthcoming ideas in a heartier spiritual context.)

  Spiritual Practices

  Paul’s view of spiritual Revolutionaries is that they are connected: they have formed a deep bond with God and relate to people intimately because of that bond.

  Paul highlights several specific practices for the early believers. Early in the letter, he underscores the importance of constant prayer and worship. Later on he reminds the Christians to pull out all the stops to get the Good News a fair hearing by everyone and to use the supernatural abilities God gave them for acts of service.

  Recognizing that no one can anticipate everything that will come their way, Paul entreats Christ’s devotees to remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. His final exhortation regarding their spiritual practices is to do whatever they can to build up others’ faith.

  One of the lessons from this letter that I found most impressive was that Paul, like Jesus, was less concerned about religious ceremonies and completing a checklist of activities and events than he was about people being tuned in to God. Not once did he rant about being present at church every week or completing specified amounts of activity. His message was profoundly simple: stay in touch with God and follow your instructions as they are provided. It’s all about deepening your relationship with God, not about consistently engaging in your routines.

  Personal Faith

  While Paul’s key message on spiritual practices was to be connected to God, the overarching message Paul had for believers regarding the development of their personal faith was simply to be available. Available for what? Available to do whatever it takes to grow your faith stronger. Available to hear and respond to the Spirit of God. Available to see Him work through you because of your trust in Him.

  Paul describes this accessibility another way by prompting believers to “give [themselves] completely to God” (Romans 6:13). He called disciples to surrender every dimension of their lives to God. Nothing shows your faith more irrefutably than your willingness to give away control and follow any directive given by your leader. Surrender is the proof of conviction.

  Perspective on Life

  Paul encouraged the early believers to be firm and focused. Focused on what? Producing fruit! As he wrote to the Roman disciples, “I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit” (Romans 1:13).

  More particularly, Revolutionaries are
urged to place their faith in God above all else, to be considerate of the needs of others and bless them whenever possible, and to be realistic in self-assessment. The bottom line in all of this: never lose confidence in your ability to make a lasting and positive difference in the world.

  Bearing fruit is not easy. Paul does his best to describe the toughness of mind that a Revolutionary will need to make a difference. He challenges his protégés to turn a deaf ear to illegitimate criticism. He warns them that they will face hardships: trouble, calamity, persecution, hunger, poverty, and even death threats. And he cautions that God Himself may punish those He loves because of their offenses.

  Revolutionaries are, indeed, a different breed of people. They accept the fact that life on earth is all about life after earth, and they live accordingly.

  Attitude

  The attitude of a true Revolutionary is assured, appropriately righteous, and upbeat.

  And why not? Who wouldn’t feel secure knowing that they are connected to the omnipotent and omniscient God of the universe? That’s why Paul tells Revolutionaries they ought to be confident and fearless.

  And who wouldn’t be righteous, realizing that their sole purpose is to obey God, based on the clear directives He has provided? When Paul admonishes the world-changers to hate evil, love goodness, and be patient, respectful, and forgiving (see Romans 12:9-21), that mind-set makes sense in the context of serving the Lord of truth.

  And who wouldn’t be upbeat about their existence, given the promises of the God they serve? Encouraging the body of Revolutionaries to remain happy and joyful isn’t much of a stretch if you can stay focused on the big picture.

  Character

  Jesus majored on the character traits of His twelve disciples. Paul picks up the baton and drills home the evidence of revolutionary character. Integrity is a must-have quality: honesty, reliability, and trustworthiness are hallmarks he describes for the Romans. These characteristics make a change agent honorable.

  Humility is a big issue for Revolutionaries. We have no grounds for arrogance; we are lowly sinners incapable of earning salvation according to the rules. Knowing who and what we are, in comparison to the standard set by Jesus, should help us stay realistic.

  Empathy is another trait Paul singles out as crucial. If we are to be lovers of God and humankind, it will be hard to accomplish that goal without warmth and compassion.

  Relationships

  Revolutionaries are to be known by their excessive love for God and people. Once again, consistently following through on this is one tall order. How can we do it?

  Paul recommends that we aggressively look for opportunities to bless people. He suggests that we strive for peace and harmony with them, which we can facilitate by avoiding senseless arguments. He also moves us to realize that we need each other for the fabric of the Kingdom to be complete (see Romans 12). A team player mentality fosters loving relationships, rather than competitive or jealous interaction.

  It is important to see that Paul also highlights the special responsibility Revolutionaries have to each other. They are to seek unity with each other and always honor others. If we are to be the model for the world, what people see when they watch us together must reflect the affection and spiritual attachment we have for one another.

  Behavior

  The Revolutionary lifestyle might be summarized as clean and productive.

  Look at what Paul writes about the transformational life. He calls the believers to holiness, for goodness’ sake (see Romans 12:1). We know that God alone is holy and that Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf give us the spiritual holiness to be with God in heaven, but in the meantime we are challenged to live an ever more pure and perfect life as evidence of our cooperation with the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Obedience to God’s standards, motivated by our gratitude and desire to please Him, is crucial in this pursuit of the holy life. Paul points out that this effort should result in our being respectable representatives of the Kingdom.

  The clean nature of our lives is certainly associated with how we think. We are prompted to scrutinize our thoughts in order to resist those that dishonor God. Revolutionaries are also encouraged to rely upon a “transformed” mind; because our actions flow from our thoughts, we must think like a transformed human being if we hope to act like one.

  The changed mind of the Revolutionary will produce different lifestyle choices. Working hard, producing good deeds, and avoiding debt are examples of the productive life that emerges from an intense commitment to God.

  The Checklist

  Do you want to determine if someone is a Revolutionary? Look at the characteristics Paul lists in Romans, and compare them to the person in question. Even under the best of circumstances, you will never find a perfect, 100 percent match. But as you examine the life of a genuine Revolutionary, you will notice that he or she is different from the pack.

  Did you notice the overlap between Paul’s instructions and the spiritual passions of the Revolutionary? Paul hits them head-on: genuine worship, fearless outreach, consistent spiritual growth, opportunistic servanthood, wise investment of resources, and meaningful spiritual relationships.

  How do you fare in relation to these attributes?

  Chapter Twelve

  Why the Revolution Matters

  CHANGE IS A CONSTANT and unavoidable part of life. We endure changes and their personal implications every day—changes in technology, global politics, public policy, personal relationships, professional status, self-image, and more. Some of those changes happen to us; others happen because of us; all of them have some degree of influence on who we are and how we live.

  Think about past revolutions and the effect they have had on the world. The Protestant revolution redefined faith: The religious authority structure was altered. The place of the Bible was radically changed, from a sacred book interpreted for the masses by professionals to God’s personal words to the sinner. Worship became more intimate. The burden of responsibility for the breadth and depth of faith jumped from the local church to the individual. The pope went from being the preeminent religious leader of planet Earth to the preeminent religious leader of the world’s largest denomination.

  More recently, the civil rights revolution (it was more than a movement) brought decades of struggle to a head. The self-image of blacks—and whites—was challenged and realigned. A new body of leaders arose to champion the cause and eventually implement its reforms. Society’s resources and even its laws were significantly revised. New language was created to represent the changes introduced. The dreams and goals of black Americans were released from the bondage of racism.

  The feminist revolution of the 1960s and 1970s refashioned the role of women in our culture. This shattered the notion that women were inherently suited to be stay-at-home mothers—incapable of holding a job, responsible for fulfilling the needs and desires of their husbands. It produced new language about and for women. It identified and empowered a new band of leaders—women who cast a vision for a different understanding of, relationship with, and opportunities for women. They facilitated these new ideas by motivating women to embrace this new philosophy of self, by investing resources to institutionalize these shifts, and by providing lasting guidance for their cause.

  The Revolution of faith that is swelling within the soul of America is no different in scope. It will affect you and everyone you know. Every social institution will be affected. This is not simply a movement; it is a full-scale reengineering of the role of faith in personal lives, the religious community, and society at large.

  The Same, but Different

  The burgeoning faith Revolution is markedly different from the two major faith revolutions that invaded American soil in the past.

  The Great Awakening swept the nation from the 1730s through the 1760s. Like all successful revolutions, it provided new leaders, language, ideas, technologies, and structures. The Second Great Awakening, in the 1820s and 1830s, introduced similar realitie
s. But the catalyst for both of these religious juntas was an emphasis on sin, the need for forgiveness, and the means to salvation. The ultimate product was the first-time spiritual conversion of sinners. The Great Awakenings were spiritual revivals in the truest sense.

  The new Revolution differs in that its primary impetus is not salvation among the unrepentant but the personal renewal and recommitment of believers. The dominant catalyst is people’s desperation for a genuine relationship with God. The renewal of that relationship spurs believers to participate in spreading the gospel. Rather than relying on a relative handful of inspired preachers to promote a national revival, the emerging Revolution is truly a grassroots explosion of commitment to God that will refine the Church and result in a natural and widespread immersion in outreach. This is the Church being restored so the Holy Spirit can work effectively through the body of Christ.

  Impact on Believers

  As this transformational movement grows, sparked by the spiritual renewal of believers, Americans’ faith experience and expression will be substantially altered. For instance, believers will not have an institution such as the local church to use as a crutch or excuse for wimpy faith. Each Revolutionary consents to be personally responsible for his or her spiritual state—whether that’s growth or stagnation. Complaints about the pastor, church staff, programs, or other obstacles disappear from the conversation: the onus is now on the believer to put up or shut up. The failure to develop a robust spiritual life becomes the responsibility of the person God intended: you.