Tommy Dowling always told me we need to focus on the POSITIVE. Sometimes we focus too much on the negative … And I am here to tell you that, as pastor to this church, I DO see good things happening. I DO see people building the Kingdom of God. I DO see people being obedient and pursuing God’s will for their lives and pursuing it for His church.
God’s kingdom is alive and well and working at Ebenezer. And I am thankful for it!!!
In praying through this idea that we, the church, are called to be a hospital ship instead of a “Love Boat,” there is one big, glaring detail we cannot deny: We’ve become more like love boats because we’ve built our churches around personal preference and comfort. Our programs, our decor, everything about us is centered around what we want and what we prefer …
Even in our actions, programs, and habits. We really are called to reach the wounded. In order to do that, we need to move beyond what we want and what we think “should be” and start asking God what He wants. IN EVERYTHING. We say our purpose is to worship Him, that we exist for His pleasure. To serve Him. To build His kingdom. And to make this transition, we MUST make it all about Him.
He must increase, and we must decrease in this equation if it is ever to work!!
Ron Barker challenged our deacons and then our entire church this weekend: The church is the ONLY ORGANIZATION he knows of that does NOT exist for its members … We are called to be more of a hospital ship, and NOT a “Love Boat.” But the modern church really has become more of a Love Boat in recent years and our marketing and consumerist attitudes haven’t helped!!
This short blog, that YOU will finish, asks this question: What will it take FROM YOU to help Ebenezer become the hospital ship that it needs to be?? What will YOU need to do to help the transition from Love Boat to Hospital Ship?? YOU will complete this blog, in a sense, with your response in life …
Are there changes ahead?? You tell me.
Tomorrow … Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the day that will live in infamy (at least, in my world). The day I fell and broke both arms! (Read about it here: https://davidrwike.com/2011/03/06/here-is-how-it-happened/ )
I look at how far I’ve come and know GOD is still on His throne and still in control. My left elbow still won’t straighten out, but it will bend in both directions much further than we ever thought it would. In fact, the entire situation has improved much more than we ever thought it would. There was a point in time when I didn’t know if I would ever be able to DRIVE again, much less get to a place where my left arm was usable.
What does the future hold for it?? Have no idea. The doctor talked for a while about eventually doing a joint replacement, but that will be YEARS down the road. I was discharged from therapy months ago, but the arm continues to improve and swelling is STILL slowly going down.
And God is still on His throne. And that is enough for me!!!
I’ve got this little brother in Christ who serves abroad … He told a story recently about his adventures on the mission field that really touched me.
You see, he is still learning a language and working hard at it, yet God uses him in mighty and awesome ways already. He told a story about the Holy Spirit leading him to someone and how he and a friend shared the Good News with this guy … And, towards the end of the hour-long conversation, God spoke to him in the language he was learning. (He ended this communique with a prayer request to help him learn the language more, so I see God’s sense of humor in the fact that he spoke to my bro in this language!!) The words God shared with my friend meant “to wonder about …” God was telling him that this guy was going to wonder about God more. To give him a New Testament.
It just got me thinking today: Here is this young man from the US in a foreign land … still picking up the language … and he is not only not ashamed to share, he is willing to do it in a language that he has not mastered. No fear … no embarassment … just obedience. And that is AWESOME!!
You’ll noticed I purposefully haven’t named him. But God knows who he is. And many of you might know him, too!! But I gotta look out for my little bro’s safety. But if you get a moment, pray for him today!!!
Are you THERE FOR THE SHOW or READY TO GO??
Sometimes I wonder what God really thinks of us. Day in and day out I (along with the rest of Ebenezer’s staff) live, eat, breath, walk, and talk Ebenezer. It’s in our blood … And we love this church, so it’s not a difficult thing to do. I will also be the first to admit that none of us are perfect … We all make mistakes from time to time. I probably make more than my fair share. I should also admit that I am not qualified to judge anyone … I have plenty of planks in my eyes. Kind of hard to see the splinters in others.
Sometimes it’s easy to see the fruit in the lives of others, though. It’s not hard to see when someone is totally sold out to God. When they believe in His will and follow it as closely as they can. Sunday night when he shared a testimony in worship, Olin Bullock referred to “giants” in God’s kingdom, many of whom have walked the halls at Ebenezer. I know some of those giants, too!! People who believe it and live it. They bless me!!
One that I won’t name told me recently God convicted him to do more and be more for His kingdom … I look at this friend, this much older man, and wonder how he could possibly be more of an ambassador for God?? This dude is a GIANT!!
When I see and hear faith like that, it makes me ask myself “DID YOU SHOW UP TO BE SEEN, OR TO SEE GOD???” There is a great fellowship factor at Ebenezer. Most churches have that factor as well. But there is more to being the church than just being together!! Being the church really means BEING TOGETHER AND FOLLOWING HIM. TOGETHER. INDIVIDUALLY. EVERY WAY YOU SLICE IT.
I wish we would all honestly ask ourselves EVERY Sunday, “Did I show up to be seen, or to see God?” I wish we were ALL HERE and giving God a place of honor EVERY SUNDAY. And I hope and pray we will ALL be able to answer “TO SEE GOD!!”
Courage is the stuff inside us that keeps us running towards those things that scare us in spite of the desire to turn and run the other way. When the fray starts, we all desire to take cover. It is natural for us to seek self-preservation. But courage is what causes heroes to run INTO a fire when everyone else runs away.
Honestly, courage is what helps us function in situations that we SOOO do not want to be a part of … Like when we walk through difficult times with family and/or friends. Life can take all of us down roads that are difficult when we will see some of those we love run for the hills, and some will walk with us no matter how tough. Those that stay are the courageous ones.
Courage, and trust, and obedience keep us walking in the light of the Lord even though everything in our minds tells us to do things our way. God has a much better plan for each of us than we could ever conceive. When we let go, admit this, and follow Him, it takes great courage and faith. And that is something we lack …
But today, your challenge is TAKE COURAGE. FOLLOW HIM REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WORLD TELLS YOU. WHEN YOU KNOW HE IS LEADING YOU, JUST FOLLOW HIM.
TRUST HIM!!!
One of the great temptations that face each of us is a huge matter of pride … to build monuments to OURSELVES!! It is a great temptation for every person, and church leaders / pastors are not immune from this trap.
We, as the New Testament church, have to constantly evaluate everything we do against God’s word. EVERYTHING we do needs to point to Him … NOT to us! If we are being honest with His word, we will build the kingdom and even build up others who are seeking to do the same. Even if they are not part of our local church!
When we use our words to tear other people down and/or other churches, we are damaging the kingdom and not glorifying Him at all. Yes, even if we think it is in the name of building our own church up. Remember: There are false prophets and even pseudo-churches out there. There are counterfeits. And the best thing we can do for the kingdom (and for the lost that are seeking Christ) is BE THE CHURCH GOD CALLED US TO BE. And allow HIM to sort all of those things out. He doesn’t need our help in this one!! He just calls us to BE THE REAL THING. Don’t allow yourself to be pulled down into the games people play!!
Pray that YOU, no matter what church you call home, will be an agent set on building His kingdom and not tearing it down. And if we all do that, He WILL be glorified and His kingdom WILL grow stronger .. because HIS people are being obedient!!
One Pastor's Perspective 