There are four major churches where we live, each a different ‘brand’ from the other. They compete avidly for members, mostly young people. They compete at several different levels, doctrinally, ‘worship’, events, programmes, charismatic leaders and even the type of teaching. This last bit, the message, is often at the heart of success.

One in particular is relatively new and we know the ‘pastor’ and his wife well. They have a good heart, do a lot in the community and have been set on establishing a church for some time. Their model is Bethel, one of the leading US mega churches run by Bill Johnson.

We have been enticed to go there a few times; ‘we’re growing so fast, but it’s mostly young people and we don’t have enough mature Christians around to cope, why don’t you join us?’ While we appreciate the sentiment, it’s not quite where we sense our calling from the Lord.

Perhaps more importantly though, is it right?

Is it right, for example, to claim rapid growth when all of the growth – 100%, is transfer growth, especially when the main group is young people who at best are transient and go where the crowd is? Can we claim the Lord’s anointing when this is the case? The next phase of growth is already on the table – a building, because the one we’re renting has already been outgrown. Then we need a youth pastor…..and on it goes down a familiar road.

Meanwhile, the other churches presumably are upset, because they are losing members. We know for a fact this is the case, everyone is going to this ‘new’ church. If numbers are down, then offerings are down and so an examination will soon need to take place to decide what we can do to stem the outflow. An overseas visiting speaker perhaps? A review of ‘worship’ or some of our programmes, and perhaps even a sermon urging members to invite their friends along.

It is immensely sad. Yesterday, I was with my son and together we spoke to 2 young mums who go to the ‘newbrand church’ and they explained why they liked it. Yet church is not a brand, you’re not supposed to tire of it or the pastor. Church should not be the next Gucci handbag or nightclub that will pass out of favour shortly. In a year or so, there will be another newbrand, and the cycle will repeat. As growth and numbers become the absolute priority to keep the machine going, the Gospel becomes secondary to the individual. Programmes tailored down to the singular are created and worst of all, sin is not discussed or ignored lest people are offended and leave.

Critically though, the very structure of the modern Western church is built such that local mission is virtually non-existent. So little time is spent mixing with non-believers, as instead every waking moment is taken up with ‘church’ programmes and activities. We have prioritised growth, even if it’s a lie, ahead of all else including Jesus’ great command.

In our discussions with many of the churches about training to make disciples, few are genuinely interested. They cannot see the relevance of Jesus’ call to grow His Kingdom, past the notion of whether or not such activity is going to grow theirs. Meanwhile the world looks at us and asks questions we ignore.

It’s time we sat back, took the blinkers off and looked hard at whether what we call church is actually what Jesus envisaged. That would be the hardest thing the church has ever done.

We must be wary for if what we have is not what God wants, then he will change it. His change is often painful.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. – Romans 12

We have a growing group of believers in a Sunday night Discovery Group, who are enthusiastic about being missional for Jesus. The hardest part is to convince them that they have the freedom and authority to do the work of the Lord. Can we heal people? Am I able to teach, to witness, proclaim, lead others to Christ and, heaven forbid, even baptise?

They come with a lifetime of learnings that, well, need to be unlearned. For so long, the teachings of Jesus appear to have been filtered through a chosen few, such that “greatness” in God escapes the ordinary believer. How tragic. We forget that Jesus took a bunch of nobodies, and painfully transformed them into world-beaters such that they accomplished more in a few years than the Jewish-hierarchy achieved in a few millenia. He’s still doing it, though I wonder if at times it’s still just as hard work.

While freeing up the shackles, such ‘nobodies’ also begin to realise something else – Scripture is full of ordinary people that called on the armies of heaven to hear their prayers and act accordingly. They realised they weren’t alone, that through prayer their will might align with God’s and that as a Gracious and Loving Father he would act on their behalf – especially, when that entailed a breakthrough in a non-believers life, exposed to Jesus for the first time. You bet our Father will move.

So it is we come to the story of a young girl, a beautiful young believer who comes from a shattered background. She lives with a mother who is a chain-smoking alcoholic, bitter, angry and so against God. We prayed, fervently that this woman might have a breakthrough on account of her daughter, that her demeanour might change from aggression to peace. Over the years, in spite of the girl’s efforts, the mother was unrepentant and unrelenting, God had no place in her life, and no she wouldn’t ‘come to church’. The hardest part was convincing the daughter that she could speak into her mother’s life, that she could sit down and share a simple Scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work. As a group we prayed expectantly that God would move.

How startled was she, when there was an abrupt change in her mother, that anger was replaced with tears, hostility with repentance. How delighted was she in sharing the story, that God had opened the eyes of the mother and the daughter; that as a child of God, she has the authority to ask Jesus to do the impossible, that she needs nobody else – not tradition, or learning, or background. Just Jesus. That it is in her simple obedience, not her knowledge, in child-like trust that God will answer and move. When he does, why are we then so surprised?

Friends, believe it, receive it. We worship God when we put our trust in Him alone, recognising what he has given us. He so wants all of us to have such faith in His Son, that we come believing, expectant, receiving. He alone affirms us and gives us the authority and it is all we need. The Woman at the Well went and told an entire village about the Messiah, and the village was completely transformed on her account.

God wants you, just you. In the right circumstance, at the right time, ready and expectant to respond. Us, a living sacrifice prepared to move on his word. True worship, full of expectation that our Father will move. How wonderful.

We are so aware of our mortality and humanity now, but God has not left us to our own devices to stumble and stagger along by ourselves. He has come alongside us to help us in our vulnerability and frailty by His Spirit. It is incredible that even as we try to handle the mystery of prayer, He does our praying in us and for us, when all we’re capable of is wordless sounds. He not only knows us better than ourselves, but keeps us present before God – and here is the result, the reality of God’s will becomes the longing of our hearts – Romans 8

In a 25 minute drive in an Uber recently, I was able to lay the Gospel out clearly to Nitish, my Sikh driver. Every word I sensed, came from the Spirit. The driver listened intently. Nitish had badly damaged his wrist, which was heavily bandaged. At the end of the ride, I laid hands on his wrist and simply prayed for healing. Nitish was healed; I prayed again, and he was able to move his wrist in a complete rotation. “Oh my God,” he exclaimed. Oh My God indeed, our Father in heaven hears our prayers.

This week we were able to train around 20 people in disciple making here in Sydney, and go out on the streets with them for a few hours. We have been praying intensively for some time. We spent time before the day, walking around our Housing Commission estate, praying that God would move the darkness, that his light would shine in. In the past, we have had difficulty getting to speak to people, but this time it was different. We felt courageous, and were able to speak with, pray and share with more than a dozen people. There are many to follow up. A breakthrough has occurred.

On the streets, trembling believers gained confidence in praying and sharing with complete strangers – 2 gave their hearts to Christ, there are many to follow up. We hope an army of ordinary believers, empowered by the Spirit through prayer, will gather regularly and move out into the marketplace in obedience to their Lord. We keep praying as they must too.

In the last few months, prayer has been the key for some of the changes; we have become aware here, that if we want to see fruit, if we want to see change, if we want community transformed then we had better take prayer seriously. There is a ferocious enemy that will do all they can to prevent any of this happening; Daniel 11 makes that clear, as do the Gospels and letters. Prayer is the key.

Prayer that goes on into the night, prayer accompanied by fasting, prayer that moves deep into the throne room of heaven – prayer, heaven forbid, that you never want to end! We’ve just read Jerry Trousdales’ “Kingdom Unleashed” about massive church growth around the globe, and all of it is undergirded by serious, continuous, prayer.

This isn’t the prayer we have been used to or the prayer we see modelled in our churches in the West and we have lots to learn. This is prayer that is a way of life, prayer that is almost a constant state of being, prayer that is alive, at times loud, colourful, at others sombre, mournful even. It is prayer full of life, prayer in the Spirit. Jesus comes down and joins with us in our fight, in our daily lives to see the Kingdom of Heaven brought to this earth. We can learn methods, and tools of disciple making and they are useful – but above all, we can learn to pray, to bring down the very power of God to this earth so that His name be glorified, His Kingdom come and His will be done here.

Join with us, pray for us as we pray for you. It is the only way things will change, that we will see fruit. Can you sense the excitement? Dare to come to God in prayer, and watch him move.