The Sea has Changed

Let's go fishing!

Something big happened last month… you might have noticed.

There was an election in the States and the resulting Donald Trump victory is a whole lot bigger than just the normal political shift, which is typically more like, “variations on a theme”. Trump ran on a platform of an overhaul of government, and it seems like he’s going to follow through on that. We’ll see how it pans out –but, hold onto your hat!

CULTURE SHIFT

The culture began shifting well before the election campaign, however. I think Trump was the right type of leader to ride the cultural moment that was already in motion and drive it to his advantage. I wrote last year about how the wheels were falling off secularism. The identity politics, critical race theory, gender ideology, and environmentalism that had become idolatry, were all colliding with reality, and reality was winning (as it tends to do).

Like Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, everyone saw the ridiculousness of the more and more bizarre delusions (like not being able to define what a woman is, or believing that if a child identifies as a “furry”, their fantasy must be accommodated in school). Yet while the vast majority saw through these increasingly outlandish far-left dogmas, they were also well aware of the power that could be unleashed against them if they dared to raise questions. So, they mostly stayed silent in public, but in private, they shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

There was so much that couldn’t be said or opinions that couldn’t be safely expressed that Christians tended to respond in one of two ways: they tried to work around the control of the radical left and hold their ground (like homeschooling) or they began to vocally oppose it. Often those who tried to oppose took a beating because it was still too risky for the general population to stand with them. Who could afford to lose their job because they got labelled a “climate-change denier” or some other current term for heretic?

But the sea has changed. The tide has shifted.

As in The Emperor’s New Clothes, the nakedness of the emperor has been called out, and even more importantly—laughed at— not just by one, but now, by a chorus of voices.

RISING COURAGE

The intimidation which was the primary silencing instrument, has broken or is breaking, and courage is rapidly rising everywhere like an incoming tide.

So here we are, and friends, remember, we are called to be fishers of men.

Fishermen watch the tides, and they work with them.

We can confidently assert that the cultural sea change is creating an extraordinary opportunity for the gospel. An opportunity, if seized, which could be of biblical proportions, like when the disciples fished all night and caught nothing… but then, on Christ’s word, FISH WERE EVERYWHERE!

Let’s unpack that a bit. Here are the reasons I feel so sure about this:

1) The Church went first. The last ten years for the Church, have been a season of deeply examining what we believe, and how we practice our faith. It’s led to many senior leaders having to face the music as their abuses and excesses were exposed. It’s led many believers to question what they believed so deeply that they have deconstructed and abandoned their faith, but for others, that questioning has led them to shift into more gospel-centred, healthier ways.

Spiritual disciplines and spiritual formation are now more our focus than following celebrity pastors and pursuing the latest experience. Biblical orthodoxy, particularly around the authority of scripture, the deity of Christ, and sexuality have been viciously attacked by liberal wings of the Church, and we have divided and suffered as a result—yet there remains a faithful remnant of the Church which has upheld these essential truths and will not be moved.

The Church has gone through this great trial by fire, and the secular culture around us is now in the midst of a similar tectonic upheaval. Everything is being questioned. Western nations have lost their trust in institutions, the political class, the media, the justice system, and on, and on. Corruption and hypocrisy are being exposed everywhere as the nakedness of the emperor is being identified. Beliefs that our culture took for granted such as “radical feminism is good”, are unraveling, as progressive authors like Mary Harrington and Louise Perry speak up, revealing the destructive nature of these ideologies.

The deep questioning and reorientation to the orthodox, historical gospel that the Church has gone through (and is still going through), has prepared us to walk with non-believers around us who are now feeling the ground shift beneath their feet. Or to put it another way, where we had built on sand, God graciously allowed that to crumble, so we had to shift and get reestablished on the Rock. We now are secure and unmovable, so we can offer truth, peace, hope, and refuge to those around us who are alarmed by the discovery that their foundations have given way.

2) There is a crisis of meaning. As the radical left-wing ideologies collapse in on themselves, people don’t have anywhere to turn. Stark atheism leads to despair and nihilism. Life becomes meaningless. We need God and the light, truth, beauty, and goodness He brings. We need purpose beyond ourselves, or our minds and souls quickly grow unwell. The crisis of meaning (as Justin Brierly defines it) is driving people to look in what would have previously been extremely unlikely places. Places like the Church.

3) Prominent Truth Seekers are turning to faith. Some have converted, while others are edging ever closer, clearly on a journey and becoming more open to the gospel. It’s fascinating to watch cultural influencers publicly look for God and bring us along in their journey. Jordan Peterson is a prime example, he’s not there yet, but his wife and daughter have come to faith. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim, and then prominent atheist, is another, I’ve written about her in a previous article. Russell Brand, Winston Marshall, JD Vance have all recently come to faith and are not afraid to be open about it. Numerous athletes are, instead of bending the knee at the US national anthem, now publicly giving thanks to God.

Seeking God is becoming normalised, turning to Christ is no longer shocking. Case in point, Jordan Peterson interviewing Pastor Greg Laurie about his experience in the Jesus Movement! You may not be a Jordan Peterson fan, but this interview garnered 100,000 views in the first day and Pastor Laurie shared the gospel continuously throughout the conversation. Consider for contrast, a Billy Graham crusade which might use the largest stadium in the city yet would never have the one-day reach this Laurie interview has had.

4) People are praying. In another stunning interview, Alex Jones, founder of the new Catholic prayer app, Hallow, sat with Tucker Carlson and told the story of his return to faith and the supernatural way that God led him to develop an app to help people pray. I’m not Catholic, but I am sure this app is being used by God to draw people to Him. At writing, Hallow’s internal counter records nearly 700 million prayers have been prayed using its guidance.

It had a huge spike in downloads after they ran a Superbowl ad this year, featuring Mark Wallenberg. While, again, even though I’m not Catholic, I know the Lord responds to those who reach out to Him in faith, even if they need some theological tweaks. He certainly did for me in the years I went along with the doctrine of the rapture that I was taught in my Pentecostal Bible college!

5) People are reading Scripture. Ok, this is HUGE! The New York Times has just reported that sales of the Bible are up 22% in 2024. Think about that for a minute. Every year, people buy new bibles, be they replacing an old one, getting a new translation, or a first-time purchase. But this year, that number has shot up and the only way to account for it is that there are a ton of new people wanting to read the Bible.

The Bible is an ancient document that needs to be handled rightly, so principles of interpretation are taught at all Bible colleges and seminaries. However, at the same time—the Bible is also the living word of God and God is able to speak through it to the most untrained, hungry seeker. Remember:

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Ps 19:7,8

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isa 55:11

What can happen to a culture when it suddenly begins to read the word of God!? Historically, that leads to revival.

HOW THEN SHALL WE PRAY?

Ok, with all these signs that the sea has changed, how do we respond and how do we pray?

1. Get bold! Let go of the presumption that non-believers are uninterested in your faith and that every conversation that you introduce Christ into will turn awkward and sour the relationship. Step into the posture of faith and boldly believe that Jesus has turned the tide, and He is actively seeking and saving the lost in this moment. He’s at work in hearts and lives to woo people and set them up for those conversations you might have with them.

When you get the nudge from the Spirit, don’t shrink back, even if you came up empty-handed before—friends, we have a new reality. Don’t let the residual power of intimidation from the last season silence you. Join in the rise of courage.

Then in addition to boldly witnessing to Christ, live boldly. Let your speech be full of grace and kindness, but also truth. Be humble and merciful, but also truthful.

2. Pray boldly! Are you tired of praying for harvest and not seeing much happen? I get that. But don’t give up now. Encourage yourself with the signs of cultural change all around us and let your faith rise. Do a faith audit on your prayers … “Do I really believe God will do what I am asking or am I just praying this because I think it’s the spiritual thing to pray?” Banish unbelief, push yourself into faith, read the scriptural promises and places where Christ reveals His heart for the lost.

Align with this truth and pray specifically for the people He brings to mind.

3. Start inviting! Invite your friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues… to any of the times your church gathers. Not just so they can hear a gospel presentation (although, yay when that happens) but because when two or three are gathered in His name, Jesus is in our midst. His presence draws people to Himself and increases spiritual hunger.

I preached a message on Christ’s hospitality in September, and it’s actually an incredibly fundamental aspect of how the early Church exploded so rapidly. They adopted Jesus’s welcome and made it their own.

Christmas is coming, and it’s a perfect opportunity to invite someone who has lost their faith or who has never really considered Christ’s claims. Prayerfully inviting is faith in motion. God loves and responds to faith.

While wise fishermen watch the tides, so should we. But even more importantly— wise disciples listen for the word from the Lord and right now He’s inviting us to to boldly fish! Let’s go!!