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I am glad that you have taken this journey with me. There are many other journeys we'll make take together in the future, but I have to say this one has been enjoyable. Challenging from time to time, but enjoyable none the less.
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As we wind down our "Question that begs an answer" let me say that what I've gotten from this process is very valuable. I have enjoyed the interaction with the crowd of bloggers and blog readers and have grown by it. I don't know where you are today, maybe you are in a church you feel is dead. "It's the ________________ you may say, no suggestions here, just wanting you to take honest inventory of your own struggle. Others may say "Our church is wonderful, it has the greatest _________________", again, no suggestions, just the interaction with your own thoughts. No matter which church you are in, let me challenge you with a thought that I think puts the icing on the cake...
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ARE YOU WHERE GOD WANTS YOU?
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Before you say a rousing "Amen" or "Oh Me", I ask you to ponder this question of questions for a few moments...
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What do you base your answer on?
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Have you REALLY ever asked God this question?
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In what way did he give you clear direction?
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Can I meddle a little, OK I already have before now, what's the difference. Many of us, yours truly included, have made choices that in hind sight are much clearer. Sometimes it's so clear we see right through it with no true sight of what's right in front of us.
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Some of you are basing your answer on the Pastor, the youth program, the Sunday School class you're in, the small group you belong to, the music your church sings, the color of the carpet, the number of years you've been there, the traditions you enjoy and on and on and on. I could actually go on for a good portion of the night.
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Some of you are no longer where you used to be for some of the same reasons. Add to it that you've had your feelings hurt, been overlooked for things you should have been asked about or to be involved in, you were sick and no one knew it (hospital stays go here), the version of the bible they used wasn't right, that deacon (or some other figure head) was out of line or didn't notice me or didn't shake my hand or... , our pastor does not do, the church should have _________, and again the list could go on and on.
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Can We be honest here for a moment?
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What do all of the above options have in common?
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The person in the mirror...
I would say you, but the reality is a big I is in the way, you base all your expectation on what you find appealing, helpful, blessed, great, powerful, spirit filled and on and on and on. You get the picture, DON'T YOU?
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Before you get our your daggers and want to throw them this way, again I ask you to ponder. All of the above mentioned items are preferences, nothing more and nothing less. Our take, taste and desires play a big part of who God has made us, but when allowed to drive the bus they take the crowd to the wrong place. I am not suggesting everyone is on the wrong bus, but I got to tell you, I have yet to have anyone say to me, "Bill, God is calling me to a smaller ministry so I can learn to love others and be a servant." I have heard, "the church isn't meeting my needs" or "our music isn't really worshipful" or "my pastor didn't ________" or "that Sunday School class should have ________". I don't hear "God wants me to quit my job and take a lower salary so I can work with _______________" very often and when I do, the one who is doing that gets rave reviews until their kids go without a "new" pair of shoes. Or you find out they didn't have grocery money and instead of buying them groceries we hear "they shouldn't put their kids in that type of environment." I know, you may feel these to be extreme examples, but believe me, they are more common that my ears have wanted to hear. Put yourself in harms way and you may be called a KOOK ! Talk about reaching out to people that others are intimidated by (that can be board room of corporate or bum on the corner) and you'll find the church with it's own thoughts, for instance, you may be told you don't belong in that world or we really need them in our church. Listen, not all are called to do things in this type of fashion and would rather be the ones God calls to be successful financially so you can give instead of go. Instead we give out of guilt instead of conviction and qustion where we are with God when things don't match our own description of what God should do.
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Listen to this passage... Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47 KJV). Who added? God. What type of people were among them, if you look earlier you'll see, the passage says, And all that believed were together, and had all things common; (Acts 2:44 KJV). I am not naive, I know humans are well.... human! That's the real reason that God has to be the one to add, and when he does, he doesn't choose any unneeded body parts.
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To close let's look back at our little guy (Ezekiel) in the valley of bones...
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Reviewing where we've come from...
G He was taken by God to the valley in the beginning, He leads us into the same occasionally, read Acts 16 to see where God kept the apostle Paul from preaching the gospel to group of people, not once, but twice before giving him the go ahead to preach in Macedonia.
G He was told by God speak to bones that had no promise of life apart from the one giving the command. Think you have some insight or something to say, apart from God's word, you've got nothing.
G His obedience allowed God to do what Ezekiel needed to be a part of. Understand this, if you don't step up to the plate, God will find others, ask Moses, Elijah or Barnabas.
G Once he was obedient, God began to move among the death before him
G In his awe, he heard the noise of God moving and witness the power of God working right before his eyes.
G Lastly for our review, The only way he saw all that he did was when he followed God's plan to get it done. Be careful, you plan is full of holes, if it has any fabric to it all.
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Now the icing, the cake and the ice cream. Israel was God's Old Testament "Church". The called ones who were to be "salt and light" to the world. They, like us, blew it when they started whining about what they didn't have. "No meat", "No king", "No strength", "No army big enough", "No _________" go do your homework.
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God wants to "party" and he desires to include us, so if we get anything along the way to feed our souls it will be due to our commitment to see "...the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." (Isaiah 6:1 KJV).
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I can't end this without another reading assignment, there will be no more said about the passage you're about to be challenged to read, but here are some hints as to what to look for... What music was used at this revival. What style of preaching was used at this revival? What evangelism plan was used in this revival? What discipleship program was used in this revival? What passage of scripture was read at this revival? What happened when the preacher "read the word" at this revival? When you answer those questions then you'll have a different focus as to what "church" really means.
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Till next time, read Nehemiah chapters 8 and 9 for your reading assignment. Re-read it if you don't get the answers to all the questions above. Feel free to leave your insights for others to read in the comment section of the blog.
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God bless...
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