All Scripture References are NAS unless indicated
In the Spring of 1995 Bob Jones told a number of us that the Atlanta Braves baseball team was going to win the World Series that year as a message for the church in America. This prophecy was fulfilled, and there indeed was a message in it.
For years the Atlanta Braves have been called "America's Team." America is called "the home of the brave." Braves are courageous warriors. True warriors will fight until they win. After years of futility, the Atlanta Braves finally made it to the World Series in 1992 and 1993, but failed to win the championship. They did not quit, and in 1995 they won the World Series, just as Bob Jones had prophesied.
Likewise, the church in America has been struggling for a number of years now. Great movements and ministries have been raised up in America to bless the world. Even though we have had many great years, it has been a very long time since the church in America, as a whole, has truly had a world class breakthrough or victory.
As I was expecting Atlanta to win last year because of Bob's word, I was also keen to understand the message in it. It was curious to me that the Braves' victory came in the year of the O. J. Simpson saga, which was perhaps the most controversial trial in American judicial history, as well as the year when churchburnings and the Million Man March became front-page news. Just when it seemed that justice was under its greatest assault in America, it was David Justice who hit the winning home run to give "America's Team" the victory.
I think it was also significant that it was David Justice who hit the winning home run. He is a black man, and I do expect young, black "David's" to arise and slay the spiritual Goliaths that have been intimidating and holding back the armies of God in America. I also believe that these great champions are going to come in the name of justice. They are not going to come just demanding it for them-selves, but winning it for others.
It is understood that in relation to our sin no one wants justice, but rather mercy and grace. However, there is much more to God's justice than how we are dealt with concerning our sins. The Lord obviously cares a great deal about equity and fairness in human dealings. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that "righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne" (Psalm 97:2b), and "to do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord rather than sacrifice" (Proverbs 21:3).
Even so, justice is a theme that is rarely addressed in the church in America. If its importance is so great that it is one of the two pillars upon which God has established His own throne, it needs to be given a much higher priority. It is apparent that we cannot walk in the authority we are called to without it. As the Lord spoke through Jeremiah:
"For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor,
if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin,
then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever" (Jeremiah 7:5-7).
I have traveled quite extensively around the world. The more I have, the more thankful I am to live in America. I also believe that we have the best system of justice to be found in the world today, but it is not as good as it could be. There is not justice for everyone. Even more than in our judicial system, there is an increasing assault upon justice throughout our entire social fabric, from the economic system to the school system. However, even more frightening than that is the almost complete lack of either a vision or a system of justice within the church.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren" (I Corinthians 6:5). Paul went on to explain that since we will one day judge angels, how much more should we be able to set up judges among ourselves for these relatively petty earthly problems.
Paul started this exhortation with, "I say this to your shame." I think we could trace a reason for much of the shame that has come upon the body of Christ in recent times to our not having a true system of justice within the church, so that we could judge ourselves "lest we be judged." When the Israelites lost their sense of justice, they quickly fell into apostasy, because justice is a foundation of the Lord's throne in our midst. The Lord then had to use the heathen nations around Israel to discipline them until they returned to Him. Likewise, the Lord has had to use the secular press and other "heathens" to discipline His church in recent times because we did not discipline ourselves.
Now watchdog organizations and Christian journalists are trying to fill this void and discipline the church. However, the Lord did not appoint journalists or investigators to judge His church. Since these have tried to do something they had neither the grace nor the anointing to do, it has in many ways released an even greater injustice. The Lord gave this authority to the elders of the church. Having a degree in journalism does not qualify you to be an elder in the church; and many of these journalists inadvertently become stumbling blocks, because they are, often with noble intentions, presuming an authority that they do not have. This vacuum will continue to be filled by those who are not called, and who will make a mess of it, until the true elders of the church take the authority that God has given to them.
The Fall
This Spring Bob Jones received a word that the Braves would not win the World Series again this year, and that this too would be a message. When I was offered tickets to go to game five of this year's Series in Atlanta, I knew that the Lord was going to show me something important. I was not disappointed.
As Bobby Conner, Mike Dean and I walked to the stadium, Mike told us how the first time the Braves went to the Series there was an unprecedented excitement in the city. Over one hundred thousand people came to just stand outside the stadium during the games to give their support, even though they knew they could not get in. As I listened to him talk I was surprised at the lack of excitement there seemed to be that night. This was the very pinnacle of baseball, the World Series. It was being played by one of history's most popular teams, the Braves, against one of history's most storied teams, the New York Yankees. Even so, I have felt more energy in the fans at little league games than I did in Fulton County Stadium that night. What I did feel was an attitude of pride that made me very uncomfortable.
It was a great game, and both teams played like champions. However, as Bobby remarked during the game, it seemed like the Braves' players were having to carry the fans rather than getting encouragement from them. When the Atlanta fans began to do their famous "tomahawk chop," which had previously been an awesome war cry to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents, that night it was so subdued that it was more like a bellyache than a war cry. I was stunned by the heaviness in the air. I was even more surprised by the criticism that cascaded down upon the Braves if they failed to get a hit, or did not make a play that would have been almost miraculous if they had been able to pull it off.
The Braves lost that pivotal game because a player dropped a ball he should have caught. It seemed fitting The heaviness was so great that I was expecting an error on almost every play. What had so changed this city from one that would have a hundred thousand people come to just stand outside the stadium in support of their team, to one that seemed almost angry at them?
The Braves had been favored to win the Series again even before the year began. This is not necessarily bad, but it had fumed into something bad. Their victory the year before had opened them up to a pride that would make their tenure at the top very short. When people become critical of anything that falls short of their expectations of perfection, it does not inspire; it adds a pressure on people that will sooner or later cause them to "drop the ball."
The next morning, I could hardly believe the outrageous things that were being said about the Braves by their own local commentators. The venom directed at the player who made the error was shocking These commentators had probably never even played in a professional baseball game, much less experienced the pressure of a World Series. Even the people who called in with comments came across as if they were experts who knew more than the team's managers. It was no surprise to me that the Braves were not able to win a single World Series game at home this year. It was obviously easier for them to play on the road, for they did win two games in New York
I believe this same attitude is what causes many churches, movements and individuals to fall after just one victory. When we experience a victory, it is good to press forward and even expect to keep winning However, when the expectations of the people become tainted with arrogance, so that anything falling short of those
expectations starts to draw criticism instead of intercession, a defeat is sure to follow. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling" (Proverbs 16:18).
It is hard for anyone who has not played sports to imagine just how much the attitudes of the fans do affect a game. It is why there is such a definite "home field advantage." If the fans are cheering you on, it inspires and energizes you to sometimes even play beyond your usual abilities. But when they are not supportive it can be like trying to drag a heavy weight around. The same is true in our churches. When the leadership feels the support of their people, they will rise to new heights. When they are weighed down with criticism, it will be hard to function at all, much less rise to greater heights.
A major reason why many leaders seem so unanointed is because their people are not hungry for God. A second reason is the unrealistic expectations we often put on our leaders. We Americans have become extremely demanding of our leaders. When anyone tries to lead, they are attacked so much that it makes one wonder why anyone would ever want to be either a pastor or a President in this country.
How much greater would our leadership be if we started praying for our leaders instead of just criticizing them? The single change that would probably have the greatest positive effect on the churches in America would be to have our criticism fumed into intercession. When those who are involved in any kind of ministry receive encouragement and the support of others, it helps greatly, because it really is a powerful form of intercession.
Of course, not all churches in America are critical of their leaders. There are some that are even overly supportive of their leadership, not questioning things that should be questioned. There are also leaders who want to take all the credit for victories, but refuse to take any of the blame for failures, choosing instead to blame the people. However, I think that overall the scales are tipped overwhelmingly toward our having become far too critical of our leaders.
Criticism is one of the most damaging forms of pride. It seems like wisdom, but it is a devilish wisdom. Whenever we criticize someone else, we are in effect declaring ourselves to be better than they are. Because "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6), criticism can be one of the most damaging poisons released in the church. We do not have a chance without God's grace. We are warned, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). If we want to receive grace, we had better learn to sow grace every chance that we get. If we want to receive mercy, we must learn to sow mercy.
Just as the critics and commentators on the radio in Atlanta that morning were composed mostly of those who had never even played a game of professional baseball, much less played in the World Series, most of the critics in the church have never themselves either led a church or built anything of significance. It is amazing that anyone would listen to these commentators, and it is even more amazing that mature Christians will listen to those who have set themselves up as judges over the church.
I felt sorry for that player who made the error costing the Braves that game. He made a mistake, but he had also made dozens of outstanding plays all year. Without him the Braves almost certainly would not have made it to the World Series. No one except his fellow teammates seemed to remember his dozens of home runs or his usually great fielding. They only remembered one dropped ball. Is that justice? Is it not also the way that the church has treated many of her leaders? That is not God's justice, and if we are going to represent Him to the world we must learn from the Righteous Judge.
For the last few years, I have spent more of my time ministering overseas than in the United States. A lot of that ministry was spent in countries that are known to be some of the spiritually coldest and most resistant to the gospel. To my dismay, I found much greater spiritual hunger in those countries than I found in theU.S. I know that is why we experience a level of anointing in other countries that is much greater than what we have experienced in the U.S. Even the Lord could not do great things where the people doubted him (see Mark 6:1-6); how much more will we be subject to this principle?
I do not mind skepticism if it is the right kind. There is a good kind of skepticism. I appreciate a skepticism that may have very serious doubts, but wants to believe. This is very different from the kind of skepticism that wants to doubt. The former will turn into your greatest supporters when they are convinced that you are true. The latter will never admit that they have seen the truth. This latter kind is motivated by the same evil spirit that dwelt in the hearts of those who crucified the Lord. Even against the overwhelming evidence of the Lord's resurrection, they refused to see it and did not cease to condemn and attack the truth.
We are very close to experiencing a great move of God in America. It may ultimately exceed anything we have experienced before. However, this revival is not coming because the church in America is so righteous, but rather it is coming as a last call to turn in order to avoid a devastating judgment. America really is the home of the brave, but if we do not humble ourselves we will are going to go the way of the Braves. If we do not repent of the pride that demands of others what we ourselves cannot live up to, we may rise to the top of what is happening in the Christian world for a brief time, but we will not stay there long.
David Justice was injured this year and spent most of the season sitting on the bench, unable to play. After the World Series was over, I repeatedly heard it said that if David Justice had not been injured this year the Braves would have certainly won again. I do not know if that is true as far as the baseball team, but I know it was the word of the Lord for us. The Lord is going to establish His justice in His church. This is a justice that must transcend even the highest justice that the world knows, and it will. However, if this justice does not stay healthy and remain in leadership on the team, we will not stay at the top very long.