CT: Do you think this concept is the way forward for Christianity to flourish?
NR: My understanding of theology is that the church is the ambassador of Christ. It is the body of Christ. I was just listening to a teaching on the whole thing and the Spirit of God needs a body to operate in. We often thought the church and its four walls were the answer. But it goes another step deeper where people who are imbued with power and revelation and their place in society actually leave the safe haven of the local church and actually step out and show their faith and talk about their faith and allow others into their world. I believe that Pentecost model is kind of key.
This is not a time where we speak about the black church or the white church or the Asian church or the Pentecostals or Charismatics or Anglicans or Methodists. This is the time when the denominational walls come down and we've got to major on the major - which is Christ - and stop moaning on the minors, like 'well we don't do that kind of worship', 'oh I don't like all that noise', 'oh we don't do that'. My argument is that heaven is an incredible place. None of us can really perceive it because the Bible says that we are going to have a new body so our perceptions of heaven even from a humanistic point of view, it is really difficult.
I really believe in coming out of the four walls. The last thing that Jesus said was to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. And He said, "I am with you." That promise, I am with you if you go, is nothing to do with how spiritual you are or which church you are from. It is a direct command of Jesus. And as soon as you do that we have heaven behind us. So today is a sense of heaven is with us, because we have decided to step out and take our faith out of the four walls and take our faith into the community, into the corners, into London.
CT: What is the significance, do you feel, of Pentecost Festival and GDOP taking place in London?
NR: I think it is an awakening that is happening. And the first minute of waking up you have to gather your senses. The church has got to wake up to its mandate. If 120 disciples left that upper room and turned the whole world upside down, what is the city of London? They didn't do it all in one day. But London is the most cosmopolitan city in the whole world and Christians from every nation live here. That is proof that Pentecost has power.
I really believe that Pentecost, this Festival, the lives it will touch unsuspectingly, people just walking past hearing the word of God, seeing someone dance, I believe that the Spirit does the rest. I believe we will see change, social change, economic change. The Bible says, "If my people call by my name and humble themselves, I will hear from Heaven."
Today is a fantastic day if you see it in the Spirit. Then you will believe it like I believe it. If you think it's just a bunch of loony people doing something then that's all you'll see. If you tap into what God is doing you will see it. On Sunday we end with the Global Day of Prayer which is us joining with the whole world in praying for the whole world and that is something the church needs to do. I feel Pentecost Festival will grow over the next few years. Andy (Frost, director of Share Jesus International) is talking about going up to the Olympics. I dare say that by the Olympics people will know about the Festival.
CT: How do you feel being one of the worship leaders at GDOP? How do you perform in front of so many people without 'performing'?
NR: I'm really excited to be part of what I hope will become an annual event for London where we recognise God. Various focus groups have been meeting in 10 Downing Street and I am excited that the Government is recognising that they don't have the answers to everything and maybe we need the church. And I believe that God is doing some incredible things underneath the surface. So I am just excited about the GDOP and praying for our nation.
My whole focus, everything I am doing right now, whether it is a move of the Spirit or a conscious move by myself, is ordained in what I see as getting God's people to worship, to connect with Him. Performance is a strong word because everything we do is performance, whether you are making a cup of tea or whatever, there is an element of performance. When we come together in big stadium events like that we want people to connect to God. My heart is that every single person that comes into the stadium on Sunday connects to God and is able to speak to Him in prayer for the nation, their communities, schools, the social structure.
