Waiting to hear Steven Furtick talk about Audacious Leadership. Sure could use some of that for Operation Christmas Child.God told Jeremiah he was not too young and Paul told Timothy to set an example even in his youth. The advantage to being young is you haven't lived long enough to know there are some things that can't be done. Other faculty will give you wisdom and I will give you the dumbness to believe God for anything.
Believing God for the impossible--as a high school junior he read pg. 23 in "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" a quote about not letting life slip by without seeing God do what He can do on our behalf. Started Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC in 2006.
II Kings 3:9-20
Kings of Israel are pursuing their enemy. They shouldn't have any trouble getting victory but they ran out of water. (only God can make it rain). They hadn't inquired of God for a long time until the troubles came. Elisha asked for a harpist. (demonstrated by giving inspirational messages without music and then with stirring musical background. It's awesome when you're at a conference and the music is flowing.)
Praise God for inspiration but the real question is -- how to we get from inspiration to implementation. Elisha goes on to say, "This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain but you and your animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord."
(If your vision is not intimidating to you it probably isn't from God.)
Elisha's first ministry instruction is about digging some ditches. If you want to see the land filled with water, DIG SOME DITCHES.
Faith believes it before it sees it.
Life can beat the audacity right out of you. But some of you need the vision to know that God is not done with you yet.
Early days of their church they watched a video of mass baptisms being done at Willow Creek and used that as a "ditch digging" experience. When their church started their first baptism had 5 people.
The ambiguity "I know God can and I think He will."
They kept digging ditches and going to the next level--50 people and then 100 people. We're comparing our 'behind the scenes' to everyone else's 'highlights video'. You don't always see what God is doing while we're digging the ditches.
If you will dig the ditches, God will send the rain. And don't just dig one ditch--make the valley full of ditches.
When the vision around you doesn't look like what God has spoken to you, sometimes you just have to hold onto His Word.
Trust God and dig ditches.
No comments:
Post a Comment