Run the race of faith
When Evangelical Alliance CEO Gavin Calver preached recently in Daventry at a church plant from Rugby Elim, he issued a rallying call – not just to that congregation, but to churches across the land: keep going, don’t shrink back, live by faith. His message was rooted in Hebrews 10:35-38.
Do not throw away your confidence – the call to bold faith
“We need to be confident in the Lord in this season,” Calver said. “Don’t let people take your confidence away by making you always take the worst picture on what God’s doing.”
This, he argued, lies at the heart of what the church must rediscover.
His words echo the enduring admonition of the New Testament – that believers should “hold fast your boldness” (Hebrews 10:35) because to abandon it is to abandon hope itself.
But Calver didn’t just quote Scripture. He painted a picture of contemporary Britain – where many churches hesitate to speak about Jesus, even in toddler groups, for fear of offending people. He described this as “bonkers”: if we don’t talk about Jesus in church, where else will he be spoken of?
“I was interviewed by a secular journalist for the BBC, and the first question he asked was, ‘Why is the church dying?’ My answer was basically that is the most ridiculous question I’ve ever heard! More people gave their lives to Jesus yesterday than on any day since he rose from the dead.
“And if you want better news still, more people will give their lives to Jesus today than did yesterday!
“I’ve never felt so much on a winning team. I’ve never felt so encouraged.
“The next question was why is the UK church dying? That’s a completely different question, I said. There’s not a British section in heaven, but globally the church is growing faster than ever.”
story continues…
