You know, there is so much going on at church, so many committees, so many things to do, so many meetings, I wonder what we would be like if we were a really big church! I mean, if we have this many things going as a small church, what would we be like if we were a lot bigger!” This thought was laughingly communicated to me recently, and today I reflected some more on it.
Some of this has to do with Rest. Is my heart at rest in Christ? Is your heart able to become quiet before your Maker, honest in speech and intent in listening to His heart for You?
Rest in Jesus. Hope in God
When it seems that all the props I have leaned on are either pulled out or are being pulled out, what is left? I come back to Jesus Christ—there is no other foundation to be laid except the foundation of Jesus Christ. We can set goals. We can create programs. We can institutionalize and codify great ideas. We can “market” the church to the community. For what? Upon calling a local church to see if we could partner with them on a weekend event, I was asked by the operator to explain my situation, after which she put me in touch with their “Director of Marketing.” What exactly are we marketing? Too much of the peripheral things that we aim at as believers have become the foundation, at the expense of the One Foundation, Jesus Christ. This is not rhetoric, friends. Jesus Christ has to be the foundation of all things, including but not limited to our cell groups, our ministry events, our prayer meetings, our preaching, our teaching, our evangelism, our goals, our vision. Surrender ALL to Jesus!
Cardinal Danneels of Brussels once wrote: “When I get home after a long day, I go the chapel and pray. I say to the Lord, “There it is for today, things are finished. Now let's be serious, is this diocese (church) mine or yours?” The Lord says, “What do you think?” I answer, “I think it's yours.” “That is true,” the Lord says, “it is mine.” And so I say, “Listen, Lord, it's your turn to take responsibility for and direct the diocese (church). I'm going to sleep.”
Yes, God has called me to be His undershepherd of this local church, the Body of Jesus Christ. We have all been called by Jesus Christ to be His sons and daughters. This is His church. We are His followers. May we follow His call as the Chief Shepherd. We need His direction. We must keep our foundation in Jesus Christ, Sunday through Saturday, moment by moment. Let us encourage one another in this!
Some of this has to do with Rest. Is my heart at rest in Christ? Is your heart able to become quiet before your Maker, honest in speech and intent in listening to His heart for You?
Rest in Jesus. Hope in God
When it seems that all the props I have leaned on are either pulled out or are being pulled out, what is left? I come back to Jesus Christ—there is no other foundation to be laid except the foundation of Jesus Christ. We can set goals. We can create programs. We can institutionalize and codify great ideas. We can “market” the church to the community. For what? Upon calling a local church to see if we could partner with them on a weekend event, I was asked by the operator to explain my situation, after which she put me in touch with their “Director of Marketing.” What exactly are we marketing? Too much of the peripheral things that we aim at as believers have become the foundation, at the expense of the One Foundation, Jesus Christ. This is not rhetoric, friends. Jesus Christ has to be the foundation of all things, including but not limited to our cell groups, our ministry events, our prayer meetings, our preaching, our teaching, our evangelism, our goals, our vision. Surrender ALL to Jesus!
Cardinal Danneels of Brussels once wrote: “When I get home after a long day, I go the chapel and pray. I say to the Lord, “There it is for today, things are finished. Now let's be serious, is this diocese (church) mine or yours?” The Lord says, “What do you think?” I answer, “I think it's yours.” “That is true,” the Lord says, “it is mine.” And so I say, “Listen, Lord, it's your turn to take responsibility for and direct the diocese (church). I'm going to sleep.”
Yes, God has called me to be His undershepherd of this local church, the Body of Jesus Christ. We have all been called by Jesus Christ to be His sons and daughters. This is His church. We are His followers. May we follow His call as the Chief Shepherd. We need His direction. We must keep our foundation in Jesus Christ, Sunday through Saturday, moment by moment. Let us encourage one another in this!
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