Excerpts from Peter’s message at the ICEJ’s recent Envision pastors’ conference in Jerusalem. 

The theme of this conference is ‘Israel and Your Church’. Why is Israel important to your congregation? Our generation of Christians has witnessed the implosion of the influence of the mainline Protestant churches in Western society. All over Europe, the loss of numbers and influence of the state-sponsored Protestant churches is breathtaking. Their place was taken in the last generation, especially in the United States, by the Evangelical, Charismatic wing, and by independent mega-churches. Now, there is a real crisis and battle for the future of the Evangelical movement, focused on two big issues: authority and authenticity. 

Specifically, where is the authority we read about in the Early Church? Why is it not in the Church today? And how can it be restored? Is it in miracles? In being prophetic? In assigning the right ministry titles? These are symptoms of the lack of authority. Frankly, we see signs of desperation, and may I say of deep disillusionment. It shows in the number of ministry leaders that we love and respect falling from their positions, having been revealed as living double lives for years. It is as if the leaders themselves are disillusioned. And this points to a crisis of authority. What is the authority of the modern Church? And where does it come from? 

The other crisis is authenticity. The younger generation are not looking for a religiously defined bubble they can hide in. They are looking for an authentic lifestyle of faith to carry with them everywhere they go, for something that addresses culture and society and personal identity, something more than just songs. They are looking for authenticity, and attendance in Evangelical churches worldwide is waning, and it is not just due to the Covid pandemic. 

Young people are not drawn to that scene. The next generation is desperate and hungry for something real in the Christian faith, and they are not finding it in many of the ministries around us today. 

Now both authority and authenticity are related to another word – author! An author is the originator of something. The author is the one who should have the authority and authenticity. And for Christians all over the world, what we know for sure about God is what we find in the Scriptures. Having come to that conclusion, the next step is easy: The authors of the Scriptures are the Jewish people. Not just some of the authors, but all of the authors that God chose to write His word. Everything that every Christian has ever known for 2000 years about the only true God comes from one people group. Is that an accident? 

If we want authority about what God said and what He wants, there is one address. If we want authenticity, you have to restore this. It is not optional, because the Church worldwide is in crisis, whether we recognise it or not. 

The real issue for the Church is: Where do you stand with Israel? Every church, every ministry leader, every believer, will be forced to make that decision. Multitudes are in the valley of decision. God is calling the Church into this valley. Where do you stand with Israel? Because it is in this valley that the end-time, bride-like characteristics of the Church will be determined. And some will walk out of this valley in victory, and others will be left behind. 

So let us take a look at the Scriptures. For example, Romans 11, right in the middle of the New Testament, where Paul – the Jewish apostle to Gentile believers – tells us that Israel’s stumbling over the Gospel brought riches to the Gentiles, while their acceptance will mean “life from the dead” (vs. 11:11-12). God was powerful and wise enough to turn Jewish rejection of Jesus into a glorious victory for the Gentiles. But how much more will their acceptance be? My congregation on Mount Carmel are Israeli Jews who are coming to the Lord and worshiping Yeshua in his own land, in his own language, among his own people, for the first time in 2000 years. You can come see it with your own eyes, and connect with this very passage in Scripture. It is revelatory, to see it with your eyes and read it in Scripture, and suddenly the penny drops. 

That is what the Church needs. Where does the authority come from? Where does the authenticity come from? It is like a spring bubbling out of the ground, life from the dead. That is what your church needs.