Consecration Before Crossing: The Most Crucial Work at the Launch of the Global Methodist Church

Photo by Christian Lunde on Unsplash

Periodically we stand at threshold moments, in that liminal space between what could be and what has been. The Global Methodist Church has arrived at just such a moment. This week hundreds will gather in Costa Rica to launch a denomination that many are praying will impact  people around the globe for generations. There is a sense of excitement and expectation for those about to step forward, and still a mixture of weighty feelings connected to what has come before. The larger church, especially in the West, has also arrived at such a moment. The familiarity of established church institutions that found public favor until recently are crumbling. We stand on the edge of a post-Christian era where continuing to choose the ways of Jesus will be ever-more costly. I find myself praying frequently and specifically for the GMC in addition to all that God is doing in the broader church. During these times of prayer I have repeatedly heard one word that I believe is of utmost importance in this pivotal season: consecration.

Whether it's the Israelites standing at the Red Sea or the early disciples gathering in the upper room to wait on the promised Holy Spirit, God’s people regularly find themselves at the threshold of God’s unfolding work. In Joshua 3 the Israelites find themselves at just such a momentous transition. After decades of wandering in the wilderness the time has come for Joshua to lead God’s people across the Jordan and into the promised land. They had waited and hoped for this moment for generations. In verse 5 Joshua tells the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Then the Lord gives them specific instructions on how to follow the priests carrying the ark of the covenant into the river. God tells the Levites to stand in the river. When their feet hit the water’s edge God will miraculously part the water so that all of Israel can cross on dry ground.

This account highlights a theme that recurs throughout the scriptures. Before God accomplishes his purposes through his people, he always prepares the hearts in his people. Another place we see this is in the ministry of John the Baptist. He enters the scene in the ultimate threshold moment, just as God is preparing to enact the centerpiece of his restoration plan and enter his creation by taking on human flesh. John echoes this motif of spiritual preparedness in anticipation of the coming Christ. He is clearing the path, making room for the miracle God is about to unfold. Consecration always precedes crossing.

To consecrate is to set aside someone or something for God’s purposes. It requires clearing away any clutter that would distract us from God or his purposes in our lives. Consecration involves allowing God full access to every part of our lives and allowing him to cleanse us from anything that would distract us from his presence. In the case of the Israelites at the Jordan, the consecration would have likely included very practical things like ritual washing and abstaining from sexual activity. As new covenant believers we have already been washed by the blood of Jesus. We received our ritual washing at our baptism, so there is no need for this physical act. That does not mean, however, that consecration is not required if we desire to see God perform miracles in our midst.

In my work with Spirit & Truth I have the unique vantage point of regularly working with churches all over the country. We lead equipping weekends with churches both big and small, urban and rural, with all sorts of styles and approaches. In the last couple of years, across these various contexts, I hear more and more people talking about revival and spiritual awakening. More people long to see the spiritual climate of our country change. More people are worried about the trajectory of the church. And yet it seems like we often talk about these things without looking in the mirror. We want the benefits revival would bring without the costly personal transformation it requires. We want to see God split the waters before we ever examine our own hearts. But revival always starts in the body of Christ before there is a cultural impact. Revival cannot happen corporately without it first happening in us personally. We are in a time of great cleansing in the church. God is allowing hidden sin and hypocrisy to be exposed so that his church might be holy and more suited to host his presence. If we long to see God move, the first place to look is in the mirror.

Consecration is so important in Joshua 3 because the other side of the river is not all that different. Just on the other side of the Jordan they would encounter countless enemies, the same idolatrous temptations, and all manner of hardships. The other side of the river will be no different if the people are no different. The promised land is not much of a promised land if the people are still mired by sin and distraction. In fact, the point is not fundamentally about getting across the river. The point is about becoming God’s people, and that necessitates consecration.

In America our tendency is to obsess over the most efficient way to get the job done. “Let’s just figure out how to get over this river. Someone start looking for some wood! Let’s see if we can build a bridge.” Our first move is to get busy doing, rather than engaging in spiritual preparation. “Build first, pray later” has too often been our unspoken motto. But the Lord is not primarily concerned with getting tasks done in the kingdom. In reality, the same God who hung the stars in the sky can accomplish anything by any means he desires. He does not need us to fix the world for him, but he does invite us into partnership with him. In kingdom work, how things are done and the heart of the doer are always of primary importance. When we only focus on outcomes or end results we miss the point. God is not interested in simply accomplishing a task through us. He wants us. He wants our hearts. His primary desire, all the way back to the garden, is to create for himself a people who would walk and talk with him. He will be our God and we will be his people. That’s his fundamental desire even more than whatever problem we are facing in the church. 

Right now the Global Methodist Church is appropriately having all sorts of discussions about practical matters. In Firebrand we have recently published a flood of articles about the role and structure of the episcopacy. Decisions are being made about finances as well as organizational structures, both locally and globally. These kinds of conversations are needed and good. But here is my deepest conviction in prayer right now: if our hearts are not wholly consecrated unto the Lord, none of it will matter. The church must be primarily about the presence of God and there is a pruning that must happen if we are to host his presence. We can stack the wood anyway we want, but unless we receive fire from heaven it’s just dead wood. We can strategize and plan all we want, but in the end the GMC will be a mere footnote in history if our hearts are not ready to host his presence. Without his Spirit we have nothing.

As many Methodists, including me, descend on Costa Rica next week, I feel a sense of urgency to start with the more important heart work. If we want to see any fruit that lasts, we cannot obsess over building the structure. People who are near to the Father’s heart are never at a loss for direction. He will lead us in the way we should go. But he cannot lead us if he does not have our full attention.

Practically, this means that if you have any unconfessed sin, find a brother or sister and confess it. Get right before the Lord. If you have any malice or hard feelings toward other members of God’s family, including previous denominations, repent and pursue forgiveness. If you examine your heart, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and you find that any of your motives about this new church are impure, lay them before the Lord and ask him to cleanse you. If there are places in your life where pride has taken root, ask God for his mercy to find the place of humility again.

I believe the Lord will do amazing things among us in the GMC. I long to see God build us into a Spirit-filled Methodist people, relentlessly focused on the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. I believe he will do this. But before we vote on issues or speak of what the church ought to do, we must begin by looking in the mirror and asking God to cleanse our hearts.

It’s only those with consecrated hearts who will trust God enough, like the Israelites in Joshua 3, to step into a flooded Jordan out of obedience, believing God will do the miracle we cannot manufacture in our own strength. In the GMC, and in the larger church, now is a time to seek holiness and purity of heart. Consecration always comes before crossing.

Matt Reynolds is the founder and president of Spirit & Truth, a church-equipping, resourcing, and missions ministry based out of Dayton, Ohio. Firebrand is a ministry of Spirit & Truth.