"And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."
What do people expect a church to have? Typically you’d expect a church, or even a campus group, to have programs and structure, prayer meetings, child care, bible studies, services, coffeehouses, BBQ’s that sort of thing.
Last week we talked of this paradigm shift, this idea that we are the church. That church isn’t some abstract corporate entity that we can delegate our callings in Christ to.
When you put those two things together, you realize that when you say a church should have this or that, a church should reach out to people, a church should give to the poor, a church should be teach the Word, a church should follow God, you’re really saying that about yourself. When we say “building church”, we really are saying “building each other”.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
God says you are the program, you are my priesthood, my nation. When you invite others to Westside Hamilton, you’re not inviting them into some corporate organization, you’re inviting them into your life with Jesus Christ with your brothers and sisters, as we each proclaim Him in our lives. That’s what we’re trying to equip you for, that’s what us leaders here are praying you’ll all grow to become. That you won’t be coming to church, you’ll become church.
That has significant implications when it comes to what we put our efforts towards. Listen to what Jesus says:
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 16:17-18 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus says you make disciples, I will build my church.
How many of us have ever lead ministry in any capacity? How many of us have ran a program/event and prayed that God would make disciples through it?
We had it backwards! I told you guys last week that’s what we did here, organizing and executing well designed events where we would try to invite as many people as we can fit in a room, praying fervently that the program will be successful in touching and transforming hearts and that they’ll come back next week.
What I didn’t tell you though, was how this mentality affected the people who were actually serving across Westside as we adopted this idol of excellence. How many people have taken our programs and their serving within them as a subconscious excuse to dump on the church their calling to share God’s loving touch everyday? Because, you know, that’s the church’s calling, and I’m already helping the church on the weekends.
God doesn’t need us to figure out how to convince people of His message, He doesn’t need us to figure out how to get them coming back week after week, He doesn’t want us to spend ourselves figuring out how to buy a building or hire enough staff. God doesn’t need us to design His church.
He says you go walk with someone, lead by example for someone (that’s what teaching meant in Jewish culture), you go be a witness and a minister of my love, my good news; that’s what will signal to them you’re mine, that’s what people who are truly drawn to me are drawn to.
That’s what we stand by here at Westside Hamilton, we love, He builds.
With all that said then, here are two things that are immediately different here as we watch God grow this community going forward:
- Hearing God voice is of the utmost importance, to everyone.
I don’t mean the pastor hearing this big vision and he just teaches what everyone should do for the next ten years, that’s not listening to God is it? We each must cultivate our ability to be directed by God ourselves. When Jesus says “my sheep know my voice”, we should take that seriously.
I stand by the conviction that God’s will for this community in any given moment is the sum aggregate of what He’s called and gifted each of us to do. We’ll move towards God’s vision for us not by corporate planning, but personal obedience and submission to the Holy Spirit, as each part does its work. - Resting is a priority.
I’m not saying Omm-ing and meditation is the only way to rest, but to spend more time being relaxed with God, whatever that means for you, for your time with God to not be this time where you’re striving so hard to extract something from God. When Jesus says “Come all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”, we should take that seriously.
Add to that the less relaxed you are with God, and the harder it gets for you to switch your ears from your own voice to His. Not to mention if church is a gathering of souls that pour out God’s love, then we know that tired and worn out souls represent that very poorly.
So while rest maybe unproductive for corporate expansion, it’s extremely important for souls that minister Christ.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, there’s a lot more to be revealed to us when it comes to following God’s voice as a community, but He is now starting to move this community to a place where He is the leader of everyone; towards a vision where my role as a leader will no longer be to act as your medium to God, telling you what to think, what to believe, what to do. Rather, as we start challenging you to take responsibility and steward the things that God reveals to you, we’ll help you walk with God and help you find your destiny in His kingdom not just here, but everywhere you go for the rest of your life.
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