For some of you this will be repetitious, but I didn't think I could, nor needed to reword this. Not that it is perfection (hardly the case), but it is as clearly and concisely as I can articulate these matters. Read on...again.
"God's design has been for every single disciple of Jesus to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples until the gospel spreads to all people."
This quote (thank you David Platt) has been reverberating in my heart and mind in the past few weeks. As I take inventory of this present journey and season of cultivation and laboring toward seeing God eventually establish Redemption Church (if He so delights to do so), I cannot help but note the great work He is doing in me to keep bringing me back to Christ. I am finding that all my church traditions, my expectations, my hopes and dreams, are being consumed by this one desire to FOLLOW JESUS, and to call others to follow HIM. I probably continue to sound like I have nothing new to say, and quite possibly I don't, but it is because the depths, lengths, heights...of Christ's greatness, authority, worth, beauty, holiness, grace, justice, wrath, consumes me.
I have been so amazed at how my eyes are being opened to what it is to make disciples. It is a non-ending labor of love. I find myself constantly meeting with people, and no matter where they are at - Saved, Un-Saved, walking closely with Christ, or distant from Him, newly saved, or nearly saved, or long-time saved, I find my mission in this - pursue HIS glory by making disciples. It is no longer an event of one day a week where I "do discipleship." I spoke with one pastor yesterday who said he is challenging his people to be so in the lives of each other that they don't let more than a day pass without having some form of substantive contact with each other. I resonate with that.
All this to say - God is ever shifting my expectations. I have yet to see much "fruit" by way of people. But that is ok. I will be faithful with those God places around me.
I close with this - I got a call from a guy/gal I met about 2 months ago. They notified me about a week and a half before their wedding that their pastor had something major come up and couldn't do it. I was asked to do their wedding. They requested no sermonette, but like a world-record fastest-ever wedding. I said I would do it, but only if I could share a little sermonette. It wasn't my way of aiming to draw attention to myself, but rather my way of drawing attention to Jesus. I spent 7-10 minutes showing off the gospel and how a marriage reflects Christ. In any case, it was evidence of HIS WORK in me. So I continue to rejoice in this season, of confusion, pain, loneliness, joys, adventures, with great hope as we plant the gospel .
Keep praying
expecting
hoping
BECAUSE OF CHRIST
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