Easter has been a beautiful frustration for me in my years of pastoring. I knew we would have a big crowd, which is always wonderful; but it always felt to me like Jesus’ rising from the dead should make more of a difference on the Monday after Easter than it did. I have always struggled to understand that. In retrospect, I think Easter is a great evangelistic opportunity, but it’s not the best way to see lasting change in a church.
So what do we do about that as pastors? Well, I think the key is not to de-emphasize Easter but to focus on what we do AFTER Easter!
I’ve been captivated for years by what God is doing in the persecuted church. But it’s interesting to me that in the Bible, we see great revival, tremendous evangelistic fruit, and explosive church growth both in times of persecution and times of peace.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied (Acts 9:31 ESV).
So here’s a big question: Can what happened in the early church happen in your church? Could the church you are pastor of become the spiritual powerhouse you have prayed for and dreamed of?
Let me encourage you to ask God two questions this week after Easter:
- Risen Jesus, what do You want to do in Your people here in the days ahead?
- Jesus, as their shepherd, how do I lead them there?
The best answer I’ve ever heard to the first question came during a Life Action conference in central Asia, where we were able to disciple 200 persecuted believers. I asked one married couple what made them so different from typical believers in America. They said:
It is who we are! When we come to Jesus, it is not about “me” anymore. We died then, and now life is about Him. In the past, no one would come to faith here. Now we pray. We love. We share. And people come to Christ immediately. We don’t need strategy or training. We are desperate for Him. We have Jesus, and His Spirit has us, and we live in His power!
That’s what we long for in our people, right? But the second question is, how do we lead them there?
Begin by stopping everything and seeking God with all your heart and strength, and then be willing to lead your church in doing the same. I believe in this answer so much that I left the pastorate to help other pastors do it.
Churches will be transformed, families healed, and people saved when we intentionally set aside time to seek the Lord. This seeking must be prayed over and pursued. Otherwise, what you see in your church body is what you will continue to see… Easter or no Easter.
Personal and corporate revival is a great need in our day. We are currently seeing revival movements of God pop up around America, especially on college campuses. Could there be a move of God where you pastor?
Be encouraged, Pastor, by Paul’s words to us: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us …” (Ephesians 3:20).
Come off of this Easter season full of hope. God can move in your midst. The Lord is with you!