God uses people that don’t fit in our neat boxes, and this has been the case from the fall of man. Consider Abraham, the father of many nations, who lied about his wife in order to protect his own life (Genesis 20). As the story continues, we see Jacob (who is the Father of Israel) steal his twin brother's birthright (Genesis 27). We meet Moses, who is the great redeemer for the Israelites, forced to flee Egypt because he kills a man out of anger (Exodus 2). He later loses his chance to enter the Promised Land because he does not follow God’s instructions (Deuteronomy 1).
All of these great heroes of the faith from the Old Testament were also men who made great mistakes. The beautiful thing is that God works mightily in their lives and on behalf of his people, even though they are deeply flawed and far from perfect. The narrative that a Christian can only look like xyz does not work when applied to the founders of our faith. What a blessing this news is because none of us would make the cut if perfection was the prerequisite for God to use us.
The story we see portrayed in the Jesus Revolution movie is a modern reminder that the people God chooses to speak to the generations don’t always look how we expect them to look. Lonnie Frisbee was a very flawed man, but God used him in a mighty way to spark a revival that continues to be seen to this day. While the movie does not dive into his failures, it does show that he was vital in provoking leaders of the faith such as Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie to rise up and preach Jesus to a lost and hurting generation.
His story and the many that we know from the Bible challenge us to throw out the box that we so often love to put God inside of. We do serve a God of order, he wants us to seek him, and seek truth. We also serve a God of mystery and expansiveness that breaks all the rules we love to impose on him.
Why not start a revival with a former addict, victim of trauma, a person who struggles with pride, or someone who struggles with homosexuality? What I want to say is impossible to be done with our lives, God determines to do for us and through us. There are some pertinent lessons to be learned when we reflect on leaders of the Bible and from church history that can help calm our theological anxiety.
1. God’s Leaders Embrace God’s Truth and Judgement
David was known as a man after God’s own heart, but he was also a murderer, committed adultery, and more! What set him apart in God’s eyes was that even though he failed, he still sought the Lord. He accepted God’s correction, and that correction was at times harsh. In 2 Samuel 12 we read about how God took the life of David’s son as punishment for his infidelity and for killing Uriah. David prayed and fasted, hoping to change God’s heart, but once the child died, he worshiped. He accepted God’s judgment and sovereignty over his life and the life of his offspring. He refused to be bitter towards the Lord for the judgment that God made.
Many modern Christian leaders want to change the truth to accommodate their sin. This pride separates them from the Lord. A key part of Lonnie Frisbee’s story is that even as he struggled with addiction and sexual sin, he did not seek to change God’s Word. He was not trying to rewrite the truth or hide his sin. Rather he kept seeking God, through his every struggle. God promises to lift up the humble (Psalm 147:6). God does not require perfection from us, he is looking for a humble heart that is submitted to the Lord.
As we have a crisis of truth in our culture, it’s vital that we find leaders who don’t claim to know it all. Our leaders must stay surrendered to God’s Word. Allowing God to convict, correct, and bring change in the ways that he sees fit.
2. God’s Leaders See the Unseen
Moses was called because God’s people were enslaved by the Egyptians. God used Moses because he was willing to leave what he knew in order to break the chains of bondage that had been placed on the Israelites. Jesus was a similar leader that ministered to the outcasts, children, sick, widowed, cripple, and poor. He saw the unseen and overlooked people groups in the community and made a point to speak to them and alleviate their suffering through compassionate signs and wonders.
The Jesus Revolution began in a group of people that the more dignified of our nation wrote off as troublemakers. God revealed to the leaders of this revolution the truth, that the hippie movement was a symptom of a hurting, searching, and broken generation. Those who embraced the unchurched, addicted, and lost were the ones that got a firsthand seat to witness God work in a mighty way in that generation.
I wonder now which groups would desire to be seen by the church? To find a home rather than wonder about this life feeling homeless? In our community, we see God finding his way into the prisons, changing lives through the power of the Holy Spirit and his word. We have an incarceration crisis in our country and I wonder if God wants to flip the script in our jails through revival that starts in those we’ve literally locked away rather than making an effort to meet their needs or usher them towards healing.
3. God’s Leaders Love Him and Love Others
God’s leaders love Jesus, first and foremost, and his people. It’s so easy in our modern world to use our platforms as a place to glorify ourselves rather than use it as a way to point the world back to Jesus. This is why when we have moral failures of leaders, churches crumble. Their ministry was about them, their brand, their voice, and not about a people seeking first the Kingdom.
Lonnie Frisbee was able to leave the movement he sparked, and it kept growing! Leaders should not be so vital to the work of the Lord that if they are taken out of the picture the work ends. Then the work is about them and not Jesus. When we love Jesus and love others, we see a body being built in unity for God’s glory. There are arms and feet that rise out of our ministries that activate the abilities of others and bring more of the world in contact with God’s love. In this digital age where followers, book sales, and YouTube channels are a means to influence and gain money, we have to be cautious about allowing one person to inform too much of our faith. So often we learn that secret sin has tainted their hearts. God builds communities, movements, and speaks to generations. Let’s open our ears for a call that comes from many to follow him.
Jesus' Revolution and the characters God uses to spark a renewal of faith can inspire us to think big when it comes to how God desires to move in our own time. He isn't looking for a perfect generation, just a hungry one that is willing to seek him and his Kingdom first. Let’s get ready, he is coming back.
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Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is to encourage others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional App, she has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.