The Eight Phases of the Cycle Of Civilization
Is your church becoming stagnant? There is a cycle of the rise and fall of the greatest civilizations in the world. This cycle of Civilization has proven repetitive throughout the annals of history. Timelines vary, but the cycle is consistent. It’s important to be aware of it and learn to apply it to the circumstances of your church and life. This understanding can keep your church growing even during times of hardship and struggle.
Historical details will be greatly abbreviated here in order to simply reveal the cycle and make it applicable. Brief historical references will be limited to Great Britain and the United States.
church becoming stagnant? The 8 Phases of the Cycle of Civilization of the Rise and Fall of the World’s Greatest Civilizations will keep your church growing.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 1 – Bondage
The cycle always begins with bondage. Bondage is a horrible human condition, and an absolutely abysmal time for any civilization.
Bondage comes forth as a result of rejecting God and doing a lot of things wrong. History becomes forgotten and therefore repeated. Eventually an attitude of futility, indifference, and entitlement arises. People are elected, appointed, or inherit positions of authority and influence, who do not have the best interests of others at heart. Greed and treachery begins to manifest through laws, decrees, regulations, and edicts. The leaders become self-serving and the citizens become oppressed. Control reigns.
This was the phase in England around the 1400’s – 1500’s before the founding of America. Many were in debtor’s prisons. Society was unfair. The haves and have nots were easily distinguished. Laws favored those in power. The common people lived in bondage and hopeless futility.
The desire of many to leave England by any means necessary began to increase. As Great Britain colonized the globe many sought opportunities to flee in hopes of a new life.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 2 – Spiritual Faith
Men often begin to seek God in their darkest hour of need.
In 16th-century Christianity, Protestantism came to the forefront and marked a significant change in the Christian world. The liberating gospel of Jesus Christ became more personal. As people came closer to God’s Word and Spirit the more they embraced the concept of freedom.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 3 – Courage
In the 17th and 18th centuries spiritual faith began to manifest as courage. People began to believe they could be free and any sacrifice to attain it was justifiable.
On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. The 56 signers who attached their signature to this great and bold document knew they were committing treason against the British Crown. If caught and captured, they risked death. Death would be cruel but not necessarily swift. They were fully aware of the risks and yet each summoned the bold courage to do it anyway. Retaliation and war by the Crown were a certainty. They knew they were no match militarily.
Yet they did it. That took great courage.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 4 – Liberty
A few weeks before the Revolutionary War began, Patrick Henry made a speech urging the American colonies to revolt against England. He concluded with the immortal words, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
These men and women risked everything for the noble cause of freedom. The odds were against them.
In the 1700‘s courage led to liberty. Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Liberty was firmly entrenched in America in the latter 1700’s and early 1800’s.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 5 – Abundance
Freedom and opportunity were meshed with risk-taking and hard work. Exploration was coupled with the rapid advance of the industrial revolution. Innovation flourished. Great strides were made across the board in business and commerce. The railroad system opened up the nation’s goods and products to unprecedented markets. The American dream began to be realized. People began to settle and own their own properties.
It was indeed a rich land of opportunity. The era from 1800 to about 1930 realized unprecedented abundance.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 6 – Selfishness
In the 1900’s America fought in and won multiple great wars. People survived The Great Depression. Productivity and manufacturing soared to new heights. After the World Wars the entire world became our marketplace. America had abundant resources and little competition. If anything could be built and shipped it could be sold abroad.
It became easy to be proud of our accomplishments and wealth.
Businessmen and politicians became greedy and selfish. Millionaires became billionaires. As the year 2000 approached corruption was rampant and often unchecked. More people became wealthier than ever. “What’s in it for me”, became the mantra of the day. Many began to abandon their families, responsibilities, and moral compass in the relentless pursuit of pleasure.
Entitlement demanded the redistribution of wealth as selfish people wanted something for nothing. Corrupt politicians used it as leverage.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 7 – Apathy
A spirit of national apathy arose. Voters didn’t vote. Opportunists seized power in high places. Within a few years after the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, politicians and media were already demanding that it not be mentioned any more. The reality of the holocaust was being denied. The cancellation of history began.
Moral laws were challenged. Evil entrenchments against Constitutional rights became the norm. The Bill of Rights, the U. S. flag, and historical monuments fell under legal and physical assaults. Sport’s teams had to change their names. Sexual confusion was instilled. Education became infiltrated by activists and failed the nation. Traditions came under siege. Technology enabled propaganda. Hatred and racial strife was manipulated for subversive gain.
Apathy, the enemy of freedom, increased. A vast percentage of professing Christians and others refused to even vote and forfeited elections. Radicals seized the day and were elected with subversive agendas. Lawlessness was encouraged and flaunted.
Cycle of Civilization Phase 8 – Dependence
In 2020 the world began to experience the COVID-19 pandemic. Within weeks it completely changed world economies. More and more people and businesses sought governmental assistance. Many businesses failed. Institutions including churches were oppressed. Freedoms were challenged by corrupt political agendas.
A unified effort to defeat the pandemic was needed. Instead, America experienced a well funded and politically motivated movement to divide the people and overthrow the government through sedition and treason. The horrors of unprecedented lawlessness became unbelievable. The citizenry and the legitimate government were threatened publicly.
Corrupt politicians used anarchy to create bondage over the masses. Bondage is empowered by dependence. Efforts to eliminate God from society increased because they know spiritual faith produces the courage to pursue liberty.
If the normal cycle in the rise and fall of the world’s greatest civilizations continues, it means the next phase we are entering once again is bondage.
We must pray for our nation that good triumphs over evil. Intervention can happen.
In Conclusion
The purpose of this article is not political, but to create awareness of this very real Cycle of Civilization that will keep your church growing and not a church becoming stagnant. Measures can be taken to circumvent its destructive pattern, especially in the church.
The rise and fall Cycle of Civilization is not exclusive to nations and civilizations. It applies to businesses, churches, enterprises, and individuals.
Knowledge is power. As an individual or as a leader you should use the seed of knowledge revealed in this article and do the following:
Keep your church growing.
- Take inventory to ascertain where you or your organization is in the rise and fall cycle.
- Develop teaching and plans to turn the Cycle of Civilization to advantage.
- Recovery begins with spiritual faith. A positive direction from the Word of God is invaluable. The right goals and improvements work wonders.
- This will create courage to do right things and actions.
- The right things will create an abundance.
- Never forsake the spiritual faith phase. Always endeavor to stay in this phase.
There’s no need to repeat the negative phases of selfishness, apathy, dependence, and bondage again. Jesus would never have tolerated it and we shouldn’t either.
By Dr. Fred Childs
Take a look at more articles that are designed to encourage, strengthen and build the Pastoral and Leadership team of your church.
Also: Momentum In Ministry is a tool to help Build Momentum in any church. This tool will keep your church in the “Spiritual Faith” phase as you learn to stay focused on your churches momentum moving forward and not becoming idle.
