Final Review of Kent Hunter’s “The Future Is Now: How God Is Moving In The 21st Century Church Book
I have thoroughly enjoyed Kent R. Hunter’s of Church Doctor Ministries ebook entitled “The Future Is Now: How God Is Moving In The 21st Century Church.” I have sent it to several of my friends who have repsected his insights which have created many good discussions over a cup of coffee or an ice tea. Again, thanks Kent for sharing those insights to the public.
One truth I have again realized is that the Holy Spirit is a creative spirit. It is not God’s will to box in nor control the Holy Spirit because He will do His will His way to bring glory to Jesus Christ. Hunter’s comments about “low control – high accountability” as being one of the keys to this generation of believers is so illustrated through the Holy Spirit. When we do not try to control Him, He works in phenomenally creative ways while being totally accountable to the Father, God, and His Son, Jesus Christ. So one of the keys, bottom line, to revival or accepting the next movement of God, is again, “Can you trust the Holy Spirit?” If the answer is in the affirmative, then let go and let him work creatively in you and in the Church. If the answer is in the negative, then you need not read these blogs anymore.
Why is this principle of trusting the Holy Spirit so important? Well, I am proposing a model of low control – high accountability through the five fold ministry where you allow the evangelist, pastoral shepherd, teacher, prophet, and apostle to be who they are, allow their passions and points of view to flow freely in “service”. While pouring out their gifting to the churched and nonchurched alike, they need to be accountable to the other four points of view that differ from theirs by being willing to “lay down their life” for the brethren: serving their brethren while allowing themselves to be served by the brethren who differ in giftings from themselves. This builds relationships that brings true accountability.
Now the way most of us in the Church think, what model, what paradigm am I proposing? I have shared through various blogs the five fold star of accountability in a circle that can rotate bringing to light any and each of the five fold gifts when needed to lead a five fold team effort. But how is this to exactly work? That is the job of the Holy Spirit.
What comes out of it is creative solutions that are effective and impacting. This will be done differently! This is difficult for the Church who likes traditions, stability, and predictability, not newness, constant change, and having no idea what the Holy Spirit is going to do next! But in a climate of newness, constant change, and unpredictability there is freshness, excitement, and an “anticipation” of what the Holy Spirit will do next. This is the culture created in true revival in a true movement of God.
True revival features newness: the evangelistic spirit of birthing and rebirth, the creative arts again surfacing in the Church, new songs, new forms of worship, new ways to creatively express the gospel, new ways to get the message of Jesus to the world, new ways to evangelize and develop believers into the fullness and image of Jesus Christ, and new ways to bring the Church together as the Body of Christ. Let the “newness” begin; let the Holy Spirit flow creatively!