Can you see the "Opportunities"?
At a meeting last Saturday night, and we were talking about provision, God's Provision, in meeting our needs. We were praying together, and one person prayed the atypical prayer about how our fellowship of believers needs to be a place that "draws People In".
Now I have heard that said from the pulpit, and prayed for many years (over the past 5-7 at least) and something in my heart this time just SHOUTED, noooooooo! It 's not about "drawing people in! God never promised that if we prayed and fasted and put on our "Sunday Best" that He would compel them to come in. Isn't it about GOING OUT?
Then, in prayer I got a picture of God's provision. And I think I heard God saying...What do you think My provision looks like? Do you think it is monetary? Do you think it is nice possessions? Do you think it is 'Grand Cathedrals'?
Then He said, what if you are looking for something that doesn't exist? What if My provision is not what you expect it to look like? What if my provision is..........THE HARVEST!
Why are we waiting from the people to be drawn in, when clearly Jesus told us to look to the fields that are white, ripe for harvest? We must pray for eyes to see the opportunity God is clearly putting before us...The opportunity to touch people and meet their needs right where they are, not waiting for them to come in. Then, and only then will we see the provision of God for our Fellowship of Churches...
Now I have heard that said from the pulpit, and prayed for many years (over the past 5-7 at least) and something in my heart this time just SHOUTED, noooooooo! It 's not about "drawing people in! God never promised that if we prayed and fasted and put on our "Sunday Best" that He would compel them to come in. Isn't it about GOING OUT?
Then, in prayer I got a picture of God's provision. And I think I heard God saying...What do you think My provision looks like? Do you think it is monetary? Do you think it is nice possessions? Do you think it is 'Grand Cathedrals'?
Then He said, what if you are looking for something that doesn't exist? What if My provision is not what you expect it to look like? What if my provision is..........THE HARVEST!
Why are we waiting from the people to be drawn in, when clearly Jesus told us to look to the fields that are white, ripe for harvest? We must pray for eyes to see the opportunity God is clearly putting before us...The opportunity to touch people and meet their needs right where they are, not waiting for them to come in. Then, and only then will we see the provision of God for our Fellowship of Churches...
posted by Brent F at 6:51 AM
4 Comments:
I love the analogy of the harvest. Why does the church expect just to sit back and have their doors flooded? Yes, there are seasons when that happens...but we were the ones called to "go into all the world..." not sit back and wait for the world to come to us. Let's go get them.... Great thoughts. :)
Bro, that was hardcore in it's intensity. I've been learning a ton lately on just how skewed our western (and human) conceptualizations of God and His will really are.
We think we're stepping off a cliff when we do something for him and we view it as a leap of faith, but I don't believe that's what He sees. I believe He knows that we have tons of faith because we are willing to go so long without Him and His hands of protection, but when we come to that place of decision, He knows that we're not stepping off of the cliff but onto the Solid Rock.
For the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
What are we so afraid of?
I think sometimes just sitting back, praying, and putting on our "Sunday Best" even does more to turn them away then draw them.
I was talking with my cousin yesterday morning, and he's been going through some tough times. I started to bring up God, and he soon began to tell me how he respects my beliefs, but he's just not the "church" type. Despite me telling him it's not about church, he continued talking about how he's just not the one to dress up, go to church and pray all day. He got this stereotype from my family's last church, St. Paul's.
Here's some of what he said:
"Eddie I respect that you have found your self in god and christ, but I just dont feel the same way about it that you do. I mean I honestly do respect your beliefs and all you stand for with this subject, but I think you need to respect how I feel about it too. that the whole church and praying, and conforming to a religion isnt for me. i sit here and i talk to you and when i talk to people drilling consepts in to my head i refuse them if a later time in life i want to find and religion i may but for this time in my life im just not to into it."
I think the misconception that all we Christians do is dress up, pray, and sit in a pulpit for hours has substantially hurt our chances to reach the large group of people that harbor this misunderstanding.
By the way, I really liked what David Huffman said about "leaps of faith":
"He knows that we're not stepping off of the cliff but onto the Solid Rock."
Matthew 9:37-38
Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Brent,
When I think of "opportunity" I think of the greatest opportunity that we have, that being to lay down our lives so others may live. I look at the example that Jesus layed out on the cross, He had a chance to live, but instead chose to die for the sake of others.
God doesn't always call us to go to the most dangerous or the most difficult places, but I think that we might be afraid to even ask because He may just call us out of our comfort zone and into the unknown.
Do we believe that He is who He says He is?
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