Volume 46   Number 12                                                         August 2004

In the state capitol building in Baton Rouge stands the unique statue of Governor Francis T. Nicholls. Nicholls lost his left eye, left arm, and left leg in the Civil War. He took inventory of his political assets and ran a successful gubernatorial bid with the campaign motto: "Vote for what's left of me!" What emerges is an interesting motto and statue. Since there was not literally much "left" of him, Nicholls appealed to loyalty, sacrifice, and the memory of a lost cause.

The restoration plea in America is now over 200 years old. Is the plea obsolete, and the movement a lost cause? Divisions among God's people have caused our enemies to mock and others to disbelieve (John 17:21). Amputations and breaks in fellowship have occurred. Even so, the plea is still valid and beckons us to "Vote for what's left of me!" God has always preserved a faithful remnant. He appeals to our loyalty to truth (John 8:32), gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice, and belief in ultimate victory.

The resolution of any doctrinal question, including mutual ministry, resides in the authority of the New Testament. Herein is mapped the church's DNA and God's ideal, no matter how wounded we are. God can use our broken lives and surrendered wills for his purposes. May we resolve that our moments, days, and Lord willing, years, be His. What's left of me becomes what's Jesus to me and my family. Wholeheartedly, we can sing, "Jesus is all the world to me!"

Tired of denominationalism, accustomed to greater independence in the colonies, and emboldened by the Revolutionary War-our forefathers launched what religious historians called America's first unique religious movement. Taming the American frontier, these rugged pioneers developed self-sufficiency and came to value individualism. They carried this belief to the Scriptures and accepted its teaching that every Christian was a priest and that the common man could understand the word. Dissatisfied with denominational reform efforts, they refreshingly sought to restore the church by simply planting the pure seed, the word of God (Matthew 13, 2 Peter 1:22, 23). What arose was not a new denomination but the simple New Testament church. In fact, what germinated was a bumper crop of non-denominational Christians devoted to restoration as the basis of unity.

However, one crop does not feed a people forever. Restoration is a continual process and is not accomplished by one movement. The book of Judges, for instance, details 15 or 16 judges, each representing a restoration movement-an effort to return to God's plan. Consider the story of Deborah and Barak in Judges 4. The children of Israel needed to take spiritual inventory. They would turn to God only to forget him in times of prosperity. Now facing the threat of Sisera, they turned to God again.

General Barak, like many men today, needed to take initiative. His ultimatum in 4:8 pales in comparison to Deborah's and Jael's decisiveness. He knew but was not sufficiently motivated to act. My father-in-law once asked me, "Do you think about the hereafter?" Anticipating a religious discussion and not his keen wit, I affirmed that I did. "Oh, I do all the time. I go to the garage and say, 'Now, what was I here after?'" Israel and Barak had forgotten their purpose. Barak appeared to rely more on Deborah's presence than he did on God's plan and power. In the absence of male spiritual leadership, women have had to be spiritual leaders at home and sometimes at church. I have known some small congregations kept alive by the faith of women. God has roles for all of us, and he expects men to lead the church in worship (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11) and to serve as elders and deacons. Submission and following God's roles does not mean that one is inferior. Remember, even Jesus obeyed the Father, yet he was equal with Him (Hebrews 5:8; Philippians 2:6-8).

We will be victorious if we take Immanuel (Matthew 1:18-23). God provided the victory for Israel (Judges 4:14). However, we can only take Jesus if we have accepted him (John 1:12). If Jesus is "all the world" to us, then we will draw closer to him in public and private obedience. We will long to be like him and like the early Christians.

To restore the New Testament church means to use God's word as a pattern: by following direct commands, approved examples, and heeding necessary inferences-inescapable conclusions-we can be sure of God's blessing. Though not a denomination, the church of our Lord in any given locale can become one if we fail to remember the reason for our being.

Surprisingly, few people ever define "movement." A movement defined by social movement theorists is an "organized, uninstitutionalized, and large collectivity that emerges to promote or resist change in societal norms and values, operates primarily through persuasion, and encounters opposition in a moral struggle" (p. 22, Stewart, Smith, & Denton, Persuasion and Social Movements, 2001). A movement can be plotted in stages: genesis, social unrest, enthusiastic mobilization, maintenance, and termination. When we settle on being like the denominations, we place the movement in a termination stage. Our desire for man's approval thus becomes an avenue of temptation. Unity based on ecumenical compromise is not what Jesus prayed for in John 17:17. Remember, simply because one can point to a practice or belief in the life cycle of the American Restoration Movement does not mean that the position is a scriptural one.

The times are right for another restoration movement. "Lord, use what is left of us, our talents and our moments, for your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen."

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