By Rick Howerton
The post-Christian era has fallen upon the church like an avalanche crashing down on ill-prepared hikers passing through a canyon. The boulders of biblical distortion, theological error, and moral relativity would crush her if it weren’t for this one unchanging, unstoppable overcomer — the Word of God.
But many who make up the Western church are drifting. They are drifting from studying, believing, and living God’s Word. They are drifting from bold proclamation. They are drifting from gospel-centered thinking and sacrificial living. They are drifting from being practicing disciples of Jesus Christ.
Unlike our brothers and sisters on other continents who are dying for the cause of Christ, many American Christians are unwilling to face any level of persecution, even emotional martyrdom. We may not fear the lifted sword but, sadly, we seem to fear the lifted eyebrow.
We are not the first generation of believers to find ourselves drifting. Hebrews 2:1 reminds a generation of believers who were being questioned and martyred due to their love of and service to Jesus that, “We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.” These are not the only supremely relevant words come from the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews is a book for our time. With its themes of the superiority of Christ, overcoming sluggish Christianity, and the importance of living by faith, it may be the catalyst for today’s church to be renewed and revived.
The Hebrews Initiative is a coalition of willing churches and groups, learning, embracing, and living the truths revealed in the book of Hebrews. Lifeway is inviting churches and small groups to complete two 6-week studies from the Explore the Bible short-term series. Churches can start and end at the time of their choosing.
Reading through Hebrews shows believers how to live by faith in a faithless society.
RICK HOWERTON (@RickHowerton) is discipleship and small groups specialist at Lifeway.
